Two Years Later

It was a big storm, one which impacted eight states, starting with Florida. When it crossed land, it was just a Category 1 storm, and caused minor flooding and killed two people. Six days later, a monster was brewing in the Gulf and was aiming for Mississippi. What was once considered a minor storm killed 1800 people, flooded Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio, and spawned 62 tornadoes.

Considered the worst storm of our time, she exposed the weaknesses which our society still suffer with, including overconfidence in our engineering. Most of the dollar amount and deaths caused by this storm resulted in the breaking of the levees protecting the city of New Orleans. Despite warnings that a storm surge and subsequent rainfall could cause the river to swell and crest over the levees, many citizens refused to evacuate or were not able to do so when the local government failed to mobilize buses and enforce the evacuation. For them, the walls designed to defend them to keep the river out turned into the walls that kept the river in.

Two years later and the clean up process is still in progress. Numerous volunteers and contractors descended upon the Gulf coast to lend their hands and their skills in order to return life in a land of destruction. Many more years will come and go before life returns to normal, if “normal” is obtainable. Let us remember those who lost their lives and those that lost their homes, and thank those that gave up their normal routine to travel down to the region to help those in need. That is the American Spirit in action.