Katrina Survivors' Fact Sheet

Wednesday, August 29th. Two years ago today, a hurricane burned its nickname into the history books -- and into the hearts of tens of thousands of its victims. Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, destroying communities over a wide path. Its winds and heavy rains breached the levies protecting New Orleans and within two days, 80 percent of the historic city was under water. An estimated 1 million people were evacuated during and after the storm -- the largest movement of people in the U.S. since the Great Depression and the Civil War. Reconstruction of the devastated areas is expected to take many years. The death toll was over 1,300, nearly seven times the lives lost in all the hurricanes of the previous 10 years.                
               -"Hurricane Katrina (Podcast)." Profile America US Census Bureau (August 29, 2007)  

“Among the issues U.S. officials are expected to address is what the U.S. government did to help those displaced by Katrina return home or find affordable housing. "The demolition of public housing, the growing number of homeless people, the utter failure of The Road Home program, the complete disregard of renters, police harassment of African-Americans and racial disparities in flood protection are evidence of ethnic cleansing by our government that abuses the human rights of mostly African-American residents of New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region," said Monique Harden, a New Orleans resident and co-director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, a public-interest law firm. U.S. government questioned on housing help for Katrina victims."
                                                                             -New Orleans CityBusiness (Feb 21, 2008)

Ten first responders who were Hurricane Katrina victims will receive furniture from Cardinal Point South Furnishings and Interiors, 728 Dumaine St., today and Saturday in Uptown, New Orleans East, Gentilly and St. Bernard Parish. Cardinal's First Responders Furniture Program, which began in 2006, has partnered with Reach Our America to provide furnishings to New Orleans-area hurricane victims.  "First responders receive furniture in    program to aid Katrina victims."                                                   -New Orleans City Business (May 30, 2008)