jan 1, 2005 - Hurrican Katrina devastates New Orleans and kills 1,800

Description:

George Bush’s second term was a case study in crisis management. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina — one of the deadliest storms in the nation’s history — devastated Louisiana and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. In New Orleans, floodwaters breached the earthen barricades surrounding the city and submerged entire neighborhoods. Those who had not evacuated found themselves without food, drinking water, or shelter for days following the storm, with the worst suffering in largely low-income and African American areas. More than 1,800 people died in the aftermath of Katrina, with thousands more displaced. Initial responses to the emergency by federal and local authorities were slow to arrive, and uncoordinated and inadequate when they did. The storm revealed the vulnerability, poverty, and decay at the heart of large American cities.

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