Hurricane Katrina

One Year Later
By Annie Rivera

On this, the one year anniversary of America's worst natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina, residents from New Orleans are still awaiting assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"I have to go from family to family because I'm still waiting on FEMA," said 19-year old Marques Legier, who is one of thousands of residents displaced by Katrina. Legier evacuated his home to Lafeyette, 135 miles away, about one to two hours before Katrina swept through New Orleans, Louisiana.

"When I saw it, I was more like in disbelief, I couldn't believe what I seeing," he said. Katrina damaged many homes, buildings and other structures during her fury in late Aug. 2005. "Somehow during the storm a tornado touched down and tipped our house," Legier added.

According to www.fema.gov, more than $210.77 million has been awarded to the storm's evacuees in Georgia; $10.7 million to the storm's evacuees in Kentucky; $29.33 million to the storm's evacuees in North Carolina; $14.86 million to the storm's evacuees in South Carolina; $71.64 million to the storm's evacuees in Tennessee for rent, personal property replacement, health and medical, and other approved expenses.

To date, FEMA has approved nearly $975 million in Community Disaster Loans in Louisiana and Mississippi to help fund services such as law enforcement, schools and fire services in the hardest hit communities, including a $120 million loan approved for the City of New Orleans (more than $715 million directly to Louisiana communities). FEMA has provided more than $6 billion directly to Hurricane Katrina victims for housing and other needs assistance through the Individuals and Households Assistance Program (*all numbers as of Aug. 18, 2006).

Despite these figures, today many Katrina victims feel as though efforts to rebuild and restore New Orleans, has been abandoned. Although national and local TV stations displayed heavy military presence as well as rescue personnel Legier lamented "the part of town I evacuated from they never even came."

Restoration and recovery efforts are slow but ongoing. "As far as production, as far as homeowners, it's going slow," Legier added. Many people are still waiting for grants from a program called "Road to Recovery." The first issues of checks were sent to hurricane victims less than a month ago.

Like other residents Legier continues to call New Orleans his home among the debris, abandoned streets, and condemned houses. When asked what keeps him there, Legier said, "New Orleans will always be home. You can't change that. There's something about that place that calls us back. If it came down to the point where we have to go, then yes, we'll go. But it's not going to change my mind and my emotions to go."

Posted: 08/22/06
Media: Cypress Chronicle & CyChron.com - Cypress, CA
Photos: Courtesy of www.funlol.com