I am so glad that someone is finally giving someone/something some coverage in MISSISSIPPI. All we seem to hear about is New Orleans, New Orleans and more New Orleans. While we realize that New Orleans as well as St.Bernard Parish were both hit very hard, they were mainly just flooded out. The entire coastline of the Mississippi Gulf Coast is practically gone. It pains me to even go to Gulfport or Biloxi, or especially Bay St. Louis or Waveland now. I am just greatful that someone is getting out word that Mississippians don't give up. We ALWAYS rebuild and come back. God bless you all.

I am so glad there is an article about the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We hear so much about New Orleans, who's problems are a direct result of levee failure - not of being ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The city is crying for Katrina funding as a cure for fiscal mismanagement, and while they certainly have had a tragedy, and Katrina did help the crisis along, it was more than likely a preventable one. New Orleans has put off their levee maintainance for too long and has just plain lucked out - until now. The Mississippi Gulf Coast, meanwhile, has been almost ignored by the national media becuase we have been too busy trying to clean up our mess ourselves, and not crying loudly for everyone to hear. God bless those wonderful people who came to our rescue through the goodness of their hearts and by word of mouth!! Churches were the first to respond with food, water, clothing and medical supplies. So many people that were strangers came to minister to our needs and we are so very greatful. We couldn't have survived without you!! Now, almost a year later, there are areas that still look like a war zone, but everything is beginning to look and feel a bit more normal. I am not a native Mississippian and am truly impressed by the character and fortitude of its people. Thank you to all the kind people all over the globe who responded to our needs - despite the media.

I went to visit my friends this last weekend from Bay St. Louis. We went to Wavelad to the small farmers market. I was saddened by the devastation and amazed at the courage and ability of all of those folks to rise above it all. There is no coast in Waveland...It was almost unbearable and I don't live there. I live in Central Texas......I now know I am blessed beyond belief...and I thank God everyday that my friends were safe.

It's the little things in life that make the difference. However, to the previous posters, MSNBC has been covering Mississippi since the beginning. Glad you found it!

file them at home....save yor money!

I live in Texas but am originally from MS and still have all my family living in south MS. Kathy, keep the word going here in Texas about the devastation in MS but also about the integrity and hearts of our friends and family in MS. Lezlie, you found the out the secret - the people of MS have character and fortitude.

i live in bay st louis and msnbc's website coverage of katrina here is great. Thanks MSNBC

If it feels good, doit! I have suffered many set backs and heart ache in my life. But I can't imagine in my wildest dream, what it must be like to still be going through that storm. If getting you nails done is just a little something that can lift your spirits, got for it!!!!!!

The maintenance of levees is not the province of the city government of N.O. This is the responsibility of the Corps of Engineers in concert with the Levee Boards. Before the Miss. respondents switch to the argument that N.O. is below sea level, so is most of the Netherlands, a rather prosperous country in Europe. The economic consequences to the nation of the flooding of N.O. is far greater than that of the gulf coast of Miss. Oddly, much of the value of that region stemmed from vacation homes, and vacations taken, by people from La., especially N.O. Good to know what you think of us. And by the way, thanks to your Legislators in Washington, and the Republican party, you seem to have gotten far more money per person and destroyed property than N.O. and the state of La has. On your own indeed! You are a gang of pious frauds. Richard, Baton Rouge

You(MSNBC)can never satisfy everyone. As a former news reporter I can atest to that. Those who are not affected by Katrina say enough is enough in regards to the coverage given the situation. Those affected by by the storm say not enough is paid to the excruiating problems that survivers have to deal with. I think both MSNBC and NBC have done exemplary jobs in keeping the Katrina in the news. This should be kept in the news as a reminder that there are US citizens hurting right here in this country. I have a friend who is still dealing with the recovery. She asks for no favors...just a helping hand. Someday we may fall on hard times just like those devastated by Katrina!!!

As someone without cable TV, I can attest to the fact that, at least on the broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox) we've seen a LOT more about N.O. than about the Gulf Coast in MS. I think this disaster should stay in the news until it stops being a disaster... not until everything is rebuilt, but until the govenments involved, and the agencies of those governments, get their acts together and do what should have been done months and months ago. The fact that parts of the US coastline still lie in almost total ruin, in LA, and in MS, is a scar on our nation. We should be reminded until there's an outcry from all over, not just the areas involved, to continue to help our fellow citizens.

I think all the people who have come through(are alive) the devastation need to be commended, wheather in Mississippi or New Orleans. Yes, times have been and are ruff, but they could have been even worst. Their is no need to point fingers, just thank God you are here. Continue to have faith and the rebuilding will and shall happen. Don't be discouraged by what you see or what you think. Be encouraged, you are still alive. The real Question is; What if...I was not here was I ready?
We have faith in God to do what he has promised, and we can be absolutely sure that he will. So our hopes are not idle hopes, but built on the solid foundation of his trustworthiness.

like all the others im extremely happy to see some coverageon the mississippi gulf coast, especially waveland and bay st. louis. i live in waveland and it saddens me to see the little coverage we have gotten. i would just like to thank you for this.

I thought I was the only one that was SICK of hearing how Katrina "slammed" New Orleans. New Orleans flooded from broken dams. It was predicted to happen years before it did. That gave them time to fix the problem. Mississippi was demolished by a hurricane. It couldn't be prevented. I live in Mississippi and when I go to the Gulfcoast, it literally makes me sick to see the destruction. I always feel bad when I get so mad about news coverage of New Orleans. It makes me sad to know that New Orleans is suffering also. But, their damage is local. Mississippi had damage up past HWY 82. It is evident when you drive interstate 55 and still see the 100's of trees down and roofs that STILL have blue tarp covering the roofs.

It was hard for both states to go through this. If La. would have got hit alone, Ms would have helped them and vise versa. I live in New Orleans even though I am a Ms native. Do you know that people will not return to work in NO b/c they are getting paid by FEMA? In Ms. everyone is working together to rebuild. Neighbors purchasing materials for other neighbors, and then repairing the damages free of charge. The New Orleans local goverment lost their cool. This city needs an attitude adjustment. The federal goverment doesnt owe the state anything. Its time to clean up the mess and move on.

MSNBC had done a great job of addressing the issues in Mississippi once the excitement of New Orleans finally subsided a bit. I understand it is hard to be in many places at one time but initially it did appear that you had forgotten that two states were gravely affected. As a native MS Gulf Coast lover, with family still residing in FEMA trailers, I am very proud of those in my home state who are honest & hardworking with their attempts to rebuild. I was devasted by the photos on this website of the many places I adored as a child. But to the man who lives in Baton Rouge, you slammed the people along the coast for their feelings of being neglected after the storm. First, please do your research a little better. The residents of Louisiana have very little financial effect with their "vacation homes" or tourism. They(Mississippians) depend on other citizens of our great country who want to experience the beauty and intregity of the area. Secondly, you are correct that there are other countries who have successfully conquered being below sea level. But once again, if you would do your research, where did the money come from for them to do this? They pay an outrageous tax and are responsible in many other ways for the upkeep of those areas. You know as well as I do, that the good citizens of N.O. or the state itself would never agree to that.Each state has their own issues to deal with butthe difference is, they didn't take a problem that has existed for many years and waited until the good people of that area had to die to deal with it. Oh yeah, they didn't, they just began to point fingers I am a true Mississippian in my heart who has lived in New Orleans and those areas of Europe that you referred to and before you begin to call people "pious frauds", let's begin with you and your lazy, ignorant research abilites mixed with that wonderful pointing fingers syndrome. Each state needs help without one criticizing the other, let's leave that for the critics who don't understand our love of the area.

To Richard from Red Stick, LA.

Wow. I had no idea how a human being with apparent
cognitive ability can be so way off base. The
Netherlands built their Deltaworks as a means of
perserving their entire country. While much of
the US was not directly affected by Katrina, there
is much to miss from the Gulf's ports and refineries
getting shut down. Additionally, the MS Gulf Coast
is not a playground for the vacationers from
N.O. It is a hardworking community. I hope you post
where you got your information so we can avoid
this source of falsehoods.

And as for MS vs LA legistlators - maybe if
Vitter weren't so worried about the 2nd amendment
or gay marriage, he could have worked for his
constituents. While LA legistlators were infighting,
MS legislators were planning. Get your act together
and maybe you could get what your state deserves.
MS didn't get an unfairly large slice, LA got an
unfairly small one due largely to the nation
seeing Blanco and Nagin mix it up and seeing
Vitter and Landrieu go off to the Netherlands to
see a system they would never ever get the funding
to build.

Your anger is misplaced, and unlike yours, my
email address works. Have at it, Richard Haywood
from Baton Rouge, LA

The people in southern Mississippi are the reason that I am proud to tell anyone that I am a Mississippian. All you hear about is New Orleans, I know they're suffering alot, but not too many people know that MS got it the worst. But you know what we don't need alot of attention, because we really never got too much attention on the news unless it was for something negative like those kids in Pearl, MS shooting up the school or WorldCom going under. MS is full of positive people doing positive things, like those good folks down by the coast of MS. The whole state came together to lend them all a hand, because we know that we can always depend on our neighbors to lend a helping hand. Thanks alot to everybody that gave and to everybody that helped the best you could. I just want to let the world know that MS will be alright as long as we have eachother to depend on. To all those that were affected by hurricane Katrina, GOD BLESS and thank you MSNBC for telling the country that we also was hit by the hurricane.

The storm hit all the world, It just settled in those states the hardest..I think if a simple nail job can lift the spirits of those few that care to indulge, GO FOR IT...For all those that feel it is a waste of money, try losing your all..Any little light that can be gained is a blessing. Just think, that person with those shiny nails maybe the person that takes care of your elderly or sick in those states..Just be grateful it wasn't you..

If a manicure eases the soul, then do it. Most of these people are performing demolition and construction jobs they are not skilled to do because STILL there is little skilled labor in Mississippi - and a lot of peope who are skilled have scammed so many. Skilled labor is now the major debilitating factor in the rebirth of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans.

How does everything go back to republicans? gee, or the President?....that ain't right...did the President or Repubicans cause the storm?....if either done it they are GOD!!!!....and if they are GOD they can run my country always....think about that!...I did say IF

This bickering between the residents of the two states is so childish...reminds me of my children!

1. More than New Orleans was devestated in LA. St. Bernard parish was wiped out. 11 small towns on the LA coast were wiped out. You don't hear about Plaquemines parish at all!

2. The failure of the levees was a federal problem. It was up to congress to provide the funds. While it is true that LA's delegation did a poor job of securing funds, that does not excuse the rest of congress for not providing the money! New Orleans is a MAJOR port city, and the LA coast is vital to the country for oil & gas. That makes it a national interest to protect the city.

The loss of St. Bernard parish is the direct result of the MRGO. The residents of St. Bernard did not build the MRGO, and they objected to it because many predicted the funnel efffect it would have. This was a Federal govt project, and it is still open.

The average citizen has no choice but to believe that the levees are being built safely. Everyone in the nation paid for those levees, and everyone should be outraged!

3. WETLANDS! Everyone harps on the fact that N.O. is below sea level and the levee problems. Levees are (were) only part of the city's protection. The other part was the wetlands, which have been destroyed by the canals built by the oil industry. Comapare a map of LA from 1970 to before Katrina. The additional loss from Katrina makes the city even more vunerable. We can thank Bush Sr. for his "no net loss" of wetlands policy for that. Large farm ponds qualify as wetlands! Build a 5 acre pond and it offsets 5 acre loss of wetands! Outrageous!

4. The MS gulf coast was heavily dependant on people from LA. Did you miss the huge number of tour buses at the casinos from LA? Before the casinos the coast was someplace to go quick and cheap for people in the New Orleans area. The grand homes along the beach were built as summer homes by people from LA.

5. MS did recive more federal aid per person than LA. If you belive politics had nothing to do with that, I have some property to sell you.

6. The MS coast is not a homogenous area. Biloxi and Gulfport sit side by side, but the cultural differences were significant. Biloxi had more in common with New Orleans, and Gulfport was more like the rest of MS. The coast as a whole was different than the rest of the state.

7. The coastal parish of LA likewise are not the same as New Orleans.

The key is that we are all tax paying Americans and the entire coastal area provides many essential goods and services to the rest of the nation.

If everyone moved to higher ground the rest of the country would feel the pain! Perhaps that is what we should do? Everyone in the devestated area from Mobile to Texas should leave for 30 days and then see if our fellow Americans are willing to shell out the money to repair and protect the area. We would have to quit fighting amongst ourselves first though.

I too lost evrything to Katrina,,I lived in the city of New Orleans. But to see the devastation in Mississippi was heart wrenching. New Orleanians came back to homes that could be gutted and repaired,,and to some items that could be salvaged. The Mississippi gulf coast however returned to slabs,,absolutely nothing left. Months after the storm I witnessed people still living out of tents and it warmed my heart to see people gathering to help one another there. There is a huge difference between the people there and the people of New Orleans. The devastation brought that community to ban together,,here is status quo,,,I, me,,to heck with evryone else,,,how sad!!!!!!!!! And yes I think it is terrible that my Mississippi neighbors have not gotten the recognition in which they deserve,,,,,God Bless to all there,,you are in my prayers.

To andy, ms: File them at home....save your money?! It is a good thing when women return to their normal routine. And the women there do need a break and a return to normalcy, don't you think? Are men not supposed to have their hair cut at the barber shop? Cut it at home....save your money! If it is something that most of the women in this country do, why should the women in Bay St. Louis not return to normal and start to do their nails. Did you not read the article? Some of them had had enough and NEEDED to go to the nail salon. I can think of better reasons to not have them done...it weakens your natural nails, for one, but I do not tell them to do them at home, where the devastation has been overwhelming!

March 2006 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x31i8_mission-of-hope2

November 2005
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9wg_hflo-mission-of-hope-2005

You are a bitter man Mr. Haywood. Mississippians should be proud of the way we have helped our fellow neighbors and come together in the spirit that God truly desires. I volunteered at the Coliseum in Jackson for 6 days after the storm and I could not have been more proud of the way we handled the thousands of people that fled from the storm. It was unlike anything you could imagine. As difficult as it may believe, the physical toll was not the worst damage done. It was the emotional toll on these families that really devastated them. Please keep these families who are just beginning to rebuild and find their way back to 'normal' in your prayers. And as for you Mr. Haywood, it is sad to know a man like you can sleep at night with that much hate in your heart. I'll be praying for you.

Being from New Orleans, I was happy to have my wife get something little like that. Even just to take her mind off of the HARD work we have been doing to get our house back. It was a stress reliever for a small price. (Ladies love to feel pretty now and then) It was also nice just to see some of the small businesses coming back to the area.

Sure it is a waste to a man, but not if it makes your wife happy (which means you will be happy too)

We know what Mississippi has gone through and hope that they recover as well. God Bless and God Speed to Mississippi and its victims. New Orleans prays for you too.

I am a Mississippian and a Louisianan. I was born and raised in Picayune, MS and I have lived in New Orleans since 1974. My mother had 6 ft. of water go through her house in Diamondhead. My house in the Lakeview section of New Orleans had 7 ft. of water inside and 11.5 ft. outside from the break of the 17th Street Canal. I have family and friends in New Orleans, Chalmette, Slidell, Perlington, Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Pass Christian, Long Beach, etc. that lost there homes. The Priest that married my wife and I, and resided in St. Catherine is still missing. Not once did I ever say it is worse here than it is there. We have all lost a lot.

We are not in a contest to see who was damaged more. The more we argue amongst ourselves, the easier it becomes for others to dismiss us. We are an area of the country that has experienced the largest catastrophe this country has ever seen. Regardless of where we resided prior to the storm, we are now all the same, "Victims of Katrina".

In March my mother was able to return to her home on Friday July 28, my wife, daughter, and I returned to our Lakeview home. We did not do this with government help. We did this in spite of the hurdles the government placed in front of us. We still have a considerable amount of work left to do, but we will be doing it from home.

The hardest part of this entire experience for me so far is that I am currently unable to help others because I have spent every free hour trying to return home. Now that I am home I am wishing for my neighbors return. Neighbors that lived next door to me, neighbors that a few miles from me, and neighbors that lived in another state from me.
I hope that in the coming months I will be able to offer some of my time and effort to help them achieve this. We are all in this together whether we like it or not. If we work together we will be able to regain some sense of normalcy much sooner.

As long as there are different people with different opinions, experiences and morals, you will have bickering and fighting. I am just proud that I live in a country where I am allowed to voice my opinion and not be locked up for it!! I am also very proud of my fellow Mississippians who came together after Katrina to help each other. Everyone who had a little extra gave to help someone who had nothing. It is a comforting feeling to know that when you really need help, the bickering can stop for a while so that others can be helped! Isn't that what Jesus would do?

I was a volunteer in Waveland/Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for about 6 months. During my time there I was struck not only with the absolute devastation from Katrina, but with the resillience of the people and their determination to not only overcome the havoc reaked by the hurricane, but also by the bureaucratic nonsense that seemed to be the "new way of life". While I applaud the President for his efforts and those of the Federal Government, I can understand the frustration that still exists. Were it not for and many THOUSANDS of people like myself who went there to volunteer, Waveland and Bay St. Louis would NOT be as far along in their efforts as they are today. For me, the experience was not only humbling, but very fulfilling. My thanks goes out to all of the wonderful and gracious people I was blessed to come to know as friends.

LOL!!!! Kathryn....I have'nt paid for a haircut since 1990....you barked up da wrong tree

Thank You MSNBC! You continue to share the truth about the goodness and love shared in these areas to devestated by Katrina and the others storms after her!

My prayers continue to go out to ALL of those in need of more help everyday! If only they had the connection to the internet needed to help them earn more online today! God Bless all who are helping and teaching others to share all they have in working togehter in faith.

I am truly inspired by the courage and love shown in the South and in seeing the outpouring of help by so many there and in the future those ministries being sent forth to assist those needed it in the South!

Stephen Rene
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You know the hurricanes hit the Florida Keys also. People tend to forget about that. You don't see any news reports on the progress of their re-building. But I hear it first hand as my brother just finished re-storing the $200,000 damage done to his house.

WE are all affected. I was in the military and used to live in Gulfport at Keesler. During Katrina I lived in New Orleans. My daughter's father (also in the military) was at Keesler during Katrina. He called us when it made landfall, for seven days after that we heard NOTHING. Our child would call his cellphone and get a busy signal or dead silence. You cannot imagine the hell the child went through, not knowing if he was dead or alive. My point? Before, during, and after the storm Mississippi and Louisiana connected thousands of families together in love and hellish circumstances. Stop the fighting and the cruelty. There are people dead in both states, homeless in both states, fraudulent claims in both states, wonderful volunteers in both states... We all have negatives and positives. Make your choice what you will be.

I'm proud of the coastal communities in Alabama that were wiped out by Katrina! And you NEVER hear about them on MSNBC or any other news source! They were just as devastated as New Orleans and the coastal communities in MS. They are still struggling to rebuild too!

Praise God! I agree wholeheartedly! It IS about time we hear about Mississippi and other areas ravaged by Katrina other than New Orleans. Believe it or not, there are areas that ACTUALLY got hit by Katrina that need to be recognized and helped. Katrina did NOT hit New Orleans directly and yet anyone listening to the media would think they did take a direct hit and it was the only area hit. I was born in New Orleans and I feel for Louisiana, but I for one am sick of only hearing "New Orleans" when you hear "Katrina". Not only this, but has everyone forgotten Rita and that she destroyed Lake Charles and other areas? I never hear about Hurricane Rita anymore, guess that's because New Orleans wasn't involved!

Do you people realize how childish you sound by fighting over the internet about who has had it harder? YES New Orleans was destroyed and the 9th ward to the brunt of it. YES ALOT of people died in N.O. due to the irresponsibility and mishandling of the government helping its people exacuate that would not have been able to any other way. YES ALOT of people in N.O. lost everything including loved ones. BUT at the same time you have to keep in mind that people in MS lost EVERYTHING including loved ones. While the water has gone back down in N.O. and residents that decided to come back and pick up their lives and the city has revenue coming back in, there are cities in MS that still have nothing and will not for years. I used to live in Gulf Shores and still have family that lives there and some places are still recovering from IVAN. You did not hear Alabama arguing with Flordia over who deserved more money and bickering like a bunch of childern over the last popcicle. People in MS. and N.O. my heart goes out to you and I pray that you can get over your bitterness with one another and move on with your lives.

To all of those people in the Gulf Coast, God Bless you all. We were in Pasgagoula, MS during Hurricane Katrina, and luckily we made it out ok. All of the people on the Gulf Coast, and the surrounding areas are such wonderful, and generous people. Thank you so much to all of you who came and donated so much of your time and energy. You are gratly appreciated, and will never be forgotten!!

New Orleans was not "hit" by Katrina, although it did suffer a near-miss. New Orleans was "hit" by flooding brought on by multiple levee failures, two and a half days after Katrina came ashore, and when Katrina was an ill-defined depression over the northeast US and southern Canada. New Orleans did suffer some damage directly from Katrina but was unscathed enough to prompt either the president or the mayor (sorry don't remember which) to state that New Orleans had "dodged a bullet" one day after the storm, before the levee failures and massive flooding.
My point is, everyone has had it equally bad. Whether your home or community was destroyed by the 30 ft tidal surge, high winds, tornados or by flooding from failed levees, it was still destroyed. Everyone's in the same boat, as far as that goes. I spoke with a group of teenage volunteers down here with a church group from New York state; none of them had ever even heard of Bay St Louis or Waveland before coming on this trip, and most of them did not even know that South Mississippi had been hit by Katrina. None of them had even heard of this website and they were getting all their info about the aftermath of Katrina from the ever-dwindling television reports. But they DID remember people on the roofs of their flooded homes in New Orleans, and crowds at the Superdome, and frenzied looting in the French Quarter- that was the image of Katrina in their minds, as in the minds of nearly every American. Bay St Louis, Waveland, Long Beach, Biloxi, Gulfport...you are never going to be America's image of Katrina. That's not necessarily a bad thing though- think about it; do you really want all the national scrutiny over your recovery and rebuilding that New Orleans is getting?

Rev. Richards - Thank you so much for coming to the Bay/Waveland and helping - it's because of people like you, that we are progressing like we are.
For those of you who are mad because N.O. has gotten all the media coverage, you will love this: true story: a friend of mine who works for the local gov't got a phone call from a lady who lives up North and owns land here in the Bay area - she asked my friend if the Bay received much damage from the Hurricane (Katrina) that "hit" New Orleans - is that not unbelievable - this kind of stuff enraged me for a long time after the storm, but I have come to realize there is absolutely nothing any of us can do to change what the media wants to portray - if the thousands and thousands of people who have come to this area to help us has not gotten the coverage they deserve, then nothing will!! It's not a battle I choose to fight - I have enough to fight that are worth it!!

Missipians have a spirit and sense of self that the rest of the country would do well to emulate, a charactistic in evidence in that great state for 200 years. A manicure is not a frivolous thing. Bemoaning ragged nails or stringy hair will not repair a damaged home, but looking up, even if on a personal level to improve what you can, sets you apart from those who sit only and complain about the government. Bravo to the Mississipians. I live in California, but if I ever move it will be the Mississippi. I appreciate its people, their intelligence, sense of humor and courage.

Has anyone heard of Slidell, Louisiana? It is 25 miles from New Orleans and 15 miles from Waveland, MS. Well about half of that town got wiped out. Many people died during and after the storm. Alot of this was never covered by the media. What should be covered is that the people of Slidell have worked hard to rebuild their town without crying for help. They are still rebuilding. All of the areas should get equal coverage because they were all victims of Hurricane Katrina. This was a tremendous diasaster for all of the Gulf Coast area. Life will NEVER be the same for any of these areas. This storm has separated my family. My husband now works in California and the kids and I have moved from Slidell to upstate New York to be near his family. I know what it means to miss home and a normal family life. We have all suffered from this event.

Hey, if you want to get your nails done, do it in good health. Whatever makes you happy.

Louisiana was hardest hit by last year's storms--both Katrina and Rita. As for Rita, the forgotten storm, she affected Louisiana's southwest coast with a storm surge, the same way Katrina affected Mississippi--causing such damage to her picturesque fishing villages it looked as if they'd been hit by a nuclear bomb.

Now for Katrina's aftereffects--Even though the breaches of New Orleans' levees were a manmade disaster, the worst thing about it is that the people of New Orleans had trusted that these levees built and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers would hold and protect them and their property.

I read where some seem to think that New Orleans' flooding doesn't count as being due to Katrina because it happened due to levees' breaking which would have happened sooner or later anyway--but Katrina did bring about the "tipping point."

Anyway, Louisiana lost about 80% of her major metropolitan area--a vibrant, vital city which aside from her well-known cultural and historic ambiance had great economic importance as the Port of New Orleans through which oil, natural gas, and other valuable products enter America's heartland. (Imagine the "pain at the pump" were New Orleans' port to shut down.)

Not to mention the social upheaval--New Orleanians being forced to disperse throughout the nation so the city even now is a mere shadow of her former self with about half of her former population. Now Baton Rouge is the largest Louisiana city in terms of population.

I noted where one poster said New Orleanians' homes were left standing by the flooding while in Mississippi homeowners were left only with slabs--however, how about those New Orleanians that are now having trouble fixing up their homes because they got the shaft from their insurance companies so they must wait months for relief from the federal government. Or New Orleanians who may have had homes left standing, but deemed unsafe by the city, so they ended up being demolished?

Not to say I don't also feel for everyone in Mississippi who also had tremendous losses, perhaps having to live in tents or FEMA trailers, and must work hard to rebuild, but based on what I've read they are having an easier time of it then are those in Louisiana. I'll leave it to those more familiar with state and local politics, politicians, and bureaucracy to debate why.

At any rate, New Orleans at 11 months after Katrina is a devastated city looking worse than Beirut or Baghdad, with her city services in war zone-like conditions. I don't believe as some people do that this is due to New Orleanians slacking off--I believe that this just due to the difficulty and the costs of bringing back such a large city, especially under arduous circumstances such as problems with the water and electrical systems, the shortage of medical facilities, and other basic amenities and services people expect. Louisiana, unlike Mississippi which aside from the recovering Gulf Coast communities is still in good shape, needs a great deal of help to nurse her back to health. Her being made whole would be advantageous to Mississippi as well. Both states are in this together--Louisiana needs a virile, vigorous, and potent Mississippi, and Mississippi needs a strong, healthy, happy Louisiana.

Hey, if you want to get your nails done, do it in good health. Whatever makes you happy.

Louisiana was hardest hit by last year's storms--both Katrina and Rita. As for Rita, the forgotten storm, she affected Louisiana's southwest coast with a storm surge, the same way Katrina affected Mississippi--causing such damage to her picturesque fishing villages it looked as if they'd been hit by a nuclear bomb.

Now for Katrina's aftereffects--Even though the breaches of New Orleans' levees were a manmade disaster, the worst thing about it is that the people of New Orleans had trusted that these levees built and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers would hold and protect them and their property.

I read where some seem to think that New Orleans' flooding doesn't count as being due to Katrina because it happened due to levees' breaking which would have happened sooner or later anyway--but Katrina did bring about the "tipping point."

Anyway, Louisiana lost about 80% of her major metropolitan area--a vibrant, vital city which aside from her well-known cultural and historic ambiance had great economic importance as the Port of New Orleans through which oil, natural gas, and other valuable products enter America's heartland. (Imagine the "pain at the pump" were New Orleans' port to shut down.)

Not to mention the social upheaval--New Orleanians being forced to disperse throughout the nation so the city even now is a mere shadow of her former self with about half of her former population. Now Baton Rouge is the largest Louisiana city in terms of population.

I noted where one poster said New Orleanians' homes were left standing by the flooding while in Mississippi homeowners were left only with slabs--however, how about those New Orleanians that are now having trouble fixing up their homes because they got the shaft from their insurance companies so they must wait months for relief from the federal government. Or New Orleanians who may have had homes left standing, but deemed unsafe by the city, so they ended up being demolished?

Not to say I don't also feel for everyone in Mississippi who also had tremendous losses, perhaps having to live in tents or FEMA trailers, and must work hard to rebuild, but based on what I've read they are having an easier time of it then are those in Louisiana. I'll leave it to those more familiar with state and local politics, politicians, and bureaucracy to debate why.

At any rate, New Orleans at 11 months after Katrina is a devastated city looking worse than Beirut or Baghdad, with her city services in war zone-like conditions. I don't believe as some people do that this is due to New Orleanians slacking off--I believe that this just due to the difficulty and the costs of bringing back such a large city, especially under arduous circumstances such as problems with the water and electrical systems, the shortage of medical facilities, and other basic amenities and services people expect. Louisiana, unlike Mississippi which aside from the recovering Gulf Coast communities is still in good shape, needs a great deal of help to nurse her back to health. Her being made whole would be advantageous to Mississippi as well. Both states are in this together--Louisiana needs a virile, vigorous, and potent Mississippi, and Mississippi needs a strong, healthy, happy Louisiana.

Mr Haywood of Baton Rouge; I can assure you that the Miss Gulf Coast does not exist as the result of summer homes and vacationers from New Orleans. The Miss Gulf Coast was growing community with a vibrant economy before the storm and will be again in the aftermath, while New Orleans was and remains a dying city, and has been dying since the oil boom of the 70's burned out. The population of New Orleans has steadily decreased since the late 70's as its tax-base citizens move out to the suburbs and Miss Gulf Coast to escape the crime, bad schools and high taxes of incompetent administration after incompetent administration. I'd say we have more New Orleans citizens living in Mississippi now as a result of those reasons, than we have for the reasons you described. No pious frauds here; the pious frauds are YOUR elected officials taking every opportunity to go on national TV to berate the Gov't response to the avoidable, inevitable catastrophe that they and their previous comrades-in-arms created through mismanagement, fraud, and downright incompetence and larceny. Direct your future diatribes towards them, please.

For all of the "Momma's" in the Katrina plagued area I'm sure this saying is true.

"If Momma ain't hapy - no one's happy".

Congratulation's to all of the Momma's - Maybe life is a little better now, God only know's you deserve it!

Why is having a manicure a big deal? Let me tell you:
We rode out Katrina in our home. Our son and many of our friends lost everything. For so long we struggled with basic survival. The sight and smell of the devastion is still depressing; trying to get things done that normally required only minutes now takes hours and days. So many women just washed their hair and let it do whatever, didn't even wear lipstick or worry about how they were dressed for many months after the storm. To have your hair cut, nails done, find a restaurant that uses real dishes (instead of paper), having a movie theatre open -- all sorts of things that we didn't even think about before because it was part of our normal lives. One friend, who manicures her own nails, was feeling better simply because she sat down and had the time to actually read a book. We work hard and help one another -- sometimes you just need a little relief.
If you haven't been to the Mississipi Gulf Coast -- come on down -- our casinos and other attractions are opening again but you can still drive for many hours and be overcome by the devasation.
It isn't politics that have helped us receive financial aid -- it is an outstanding Governor (Haley Barbour) that has done that.

Olivia from Peoria, IL--for your information--Katrina came ashore at Long Beach, so there was more than storm surge that damaged the coast! Katrina was a far worse storm than even Camille in the 70s, so that is the reason it looked like a bomb went off. My dad lives in Gulfport and I went to visit last month and the beach (Hwy 90) still looks devastated. Some of the older antibellum homes are no longer there--just the slabs remain. That is not just "storm surge". And Mississippi's insurances are not paying off too much for the damage either; they just say it was water damage, not wind damage and unless a person has flood insurance they don't want to cover. The good people of the gulf coast are just trying to get their lives back to as near as normal as possible--but with their homes, businesses, schools, and everything else either gone or damaged, it is an uphill battle.

Sandy from Glen Allan, MS--I'm sorry I made the mistake of saying Mississippi had been hit only by the storm surge--I did know there had also been wind damage and should have mentioned that.

I've read quite a bit about the insurance rip-offs and how they're also going on in Mississippi with the companies' saying it's just water damage which they don't cover. That's shameful of those companies--after people paid their premiums, in some cases for many years, they should pay people's claims for wind damage and not try to fob them off as water damage. And these are not little fly-by-night insurance outfits, but well-known, often-advertised national name brands.

I'm aware of the lawsuits on this matter against the insurance companies and hope the people suing have every bit of luck in collecting. After what they've been through, they need it.

Olivia from Peoria; funny you should describe the "picturesque" towns and villages of South Louisiana as looking as if they had been hit by a nuclear bomb, because that's the same description that people who've viewed it firsthand, use to describe the cities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As far as New Orleans being a "vibrant vital" city pre-Katrina, I'm not sure where you are getting your info but New Orleans has been steadily decreasing in population since the 70's and was no longer even considered a "major" US city even before Katrina. By all accounts New Orleans is considered to be a "dying" city, not only because of its major decrease in its tax-base population, but because businesses are also leaving in droves due to the high-tax, unfriendly business climate created by too many Ray Nagins, Marc Morials, Cleo Fields, and Edwin Edwardses (See? I named a white guy, so don't go calling me racist). As a matter of fact, a lot of those former New Orleans residents who had enough of the crime, high taxes and bad schools chose to drive an hour east and settle right here in South Mississippi. As for the "pain at the pump" you describe, the cost of keeping the portion of New Orleans that's below sea level now as an inhabitable city in the near future will become astronomical and prohibitive...even without another cat 3 hurricane overwhelming the levees, the best-case-scenario projections call for a minimum of three feet rise in oceans worldwide by 2100. Oh, and if it seems that Mississippians are having "an easier time of it" than Louisianians, its not so much that we are having an easier time of it, as it is our elected officials have a well-thought-out plan and are cooperating and working toward common goals. The elected officials in Louisiana are too busy pointing fingers, backbiting, and blaming the Federal Gov't for not cleaning up quick enough, the mess that decades of their incompetence and corruption created.

Gee,no one seems to understand New Orleans was the only place damaged!...{satire}...Texas, the rest of Louisianna,Mississippi and Alabama...wasn't hurt...dangitt

Mike from Long Beach, Miss.--One thing you said made me curious--that the cost of keeping the below sea level portions of New Orleans inhabitable in the near future will become astronomical and prohibitive. Because according to the best-case scenario, there will be a minimum 3-foot rise in the oceans by 2100.

While New Orleans is in the vanguard regarding this because of her below sea level areas, what does this portend for New York, Miami, and other lower-lying cities on or close to the sea? That's what I'm curious about--how these major cities would deal with rising seas. If seas are going to rise that much, shouldn't those cities be considering long-range plans to move inland?

Another threat to New Orleans' existence--Louisiana is literally falling apart, losing her coastal wetlands at a rate of a football field every half hour. Since 1930 she has lost the equivalent of the state of Delaware. This was accellerated by Katrina and Rita which caused Louisiana to lose an additional 185 square miles. Her wetlands not only serve as a buffer cushioning the blows of storms headed for New Orleans, they're also ecologically precious, serving as a nursery for fish and shrimp and a wintering area for waterfowl. A way needs to be found not only to stop their rapid vanishing but to restore and strengthen Louisiana's coastline against further erosion. If this can be accomplished perhaps New Orleans would get a new lease on life.

As for pre-Katrina New Orleans being considered a "dying" city--she did have her flaws which besides the declining population, businesses leaving, and high taxes you mention also include a high rate of murder and other violent crime (which unfortunately has been coming back), bad public schools, deep poverty...not to mention corruption and bad management.

But many urban areas have been struggling with similar issues--even Peoria which has only 100,000-110,000 residents. Families have been moving out of our school district because several nearby smaller districts reputedly have better schools. And so far this year, there seem to have been more murders here than in past years. Regarding taxes--the whole People's Republic of Illinois is tax hell for businesses. They've been leaving for places like Mexico. And I'm not kidding about Mexico--several years ago the Benson-Maytag plant left Galesburg for that country--where not only are taxes much lower, they can pay their workers much less.

Back to New Orleans--would it be too much to hope that she can come back with a minimum of her pre-Katrina woes, but retain her distinct personality and cultural ambiance which make her unlike any other city in America? And by the way, when I called New Orleans "vibrant," I was thinking in terms of culture.

It's admirable the Mississippi's elected officials have such a well-thought-out plan and are cooperating and working towards common goals. I must add that just from reading "Rising from Ruin" I see how Mississippians have been pulling together and helping each other rebuild. And of how strong they are and how proud they are of being self-reliant and not "whining." I've also read how there are places in Louisiana outside New Orleans where people are doing the same. And for Mississippi it doesn't hurt to have powerful members of Congress who can ensure that what Mississippi wants, Mississippi gets.

I'm sorry if I seemed unaware of your many challenges or even callous when I opined that Mississippians are having an easier time of it. I know you have an uphill battle and I wish you every bit of luck. I'd like to add that it's great to be self-reliant, but if you encounter any roadblocks or hardships too big to manage by yourself don't be too proud to ask for help. That wouldn't be whining, a sign of weakness, or anything else to be ashamed. Sometimes it's something that needs to be done when we can't accomplish something by ourselves. We're all in this together..

Thank you for your well-thought-out and even better articulated response, Olivia. I may come across as harsh from time to time, but it's usually after reading posts from less informed and more judgemental persons, eager to offer opinions, impune our character and integrity, or else just simply call us deadbeats, or stupid.
Being not too familiar with the whole "global warming" concept I decided to research it some. While the doomsday scenario of the entire planet being inundated by melted polar ice is highly unlikely, (for that to happen the avg temp of Antarctica, -40 degrees F, would have to increase 72 degrees to melt the ice, and if avg world temp increased 72 degrees equally, life as we know it would be impossible!) there is a very real probability of a 3 foot rise in the oceans in the next 100 yrs. I found an informative interactive map online, showing the effect of a 3 ft rise in the oceans on the US, and cities like New York and San Francisco and Seattle would be affected adversely, but could adapt and continue to function, while cities like New Orleans, surrounded by water on three sides and below sea level, could not. PLease don't get me wrong, I like New Orleans- I'm a Saints fan, go to Jazzfest, visit for Mardi Gras, go to the French Quarter on occasion, have family there, even married a girl from the West Bank- many areas of New Orleans and thankfully even some of the areas of vibrant culture you describe, like the Garden District and French Quarter, would be able to survive even a three foot rise in sea levels, as they are above sea level and not as reliant on levees. However the city as a whole, as it was before Katrina, is lost and will be no more. For New Orleans as a city to survive into the next century, it will have to abandon some of the lower-lying areas- areas that flood chronically even during severe thunderstorms, much less major hurricanes, and "shift" to the suburban communities on higher ground and not as dependant on a levee system, like Gretna, Marrero, or Laplace. This is not good news to the people who moved to the suburbs from metropolitan New Orleans to escape the bad schools, crime and high taxes though.
All big metropolitan areas have their problems with crime, taxes, schools, roads, etc, but New Orleans has a worse track record than any other city in the US has ever had, with the possible exception of Chicago during the Capone era. The federal gov't has had to investigate the public school system, the police dept and now the levee board because of rampant corruption, graft and incompetence. I know of no other city that has had to have that much federal investigation and involvement in its affairs.
I do agree that so much of Louisiana's economy and identity lie with preserving her wetlands, and I recognize this to be a daunting task in the face of both erosion, and rising sea levels. I can offer no suggestions to ameliorate this evolving crisis.
In closing, to address our "powerful" members of Congress, Mississippi has had a tradition of weak national representation which has only recently reversed itself. While I sympathize with our cajun neighbors to the west who do not currently enjoy such strong representation, please do not fault us for expecting our representives to exert any and all influence they may possess to get Mississippi the best possible deal, recovery-wise. I could say something snide here about the repercussions of New Orleans re-electing the likes of Ray Nagin, or Louisiana paying the piper now for all those Edwin Edwards administrations, but I'll let it go.

Olivia and Mike, very good posts and observations. I don't think N.O. will ever recover but I pray Mississippi will! Mississippians work, half of N.O. was on welfare. Now they draw a check from a differant State. While Mississippi rebuilds!

Well said Mike, I am also from Long Beach, I have lived in Louisiana for a few years now.(on west bank now)

NOLA wants something for nothing. Reply and say that you don't and your either lying or in the 1%. I work in the construction business so I know better. The attitudes of the two states is completely different. You see how people from Louisiana attack this subject online? That is how they are period in real life. I really think this whole state needs an attitude adjustment and to realize they have to do things for themselves. The people here are disgusting. They want someone else to foot their bill. Hell, look at the La. governments. They can't stop fighting between themselves. They should be fighting for us.(the people who live here) People from this state are greedy, rude, and self centered. I have met maybe 10 people here that understand "Treat others how you want to be treated". I miss Long Beach and may move home. Its hard to go and see massive damage, but when I do go home I see "destruction under positive reconstruction". (if that makes sense) In New Orleans its so negative. I really just can't stand to live here anymore even though it looks almost normal. I'd rather live on the Coast with the destruction and the positive friendly people. I thank my lucky stars everyday that my family made it through the storm. I saw ONE picture of Mississippi on the news. I went 2 weeks thinking my family was dead in Long Beach. That was crazy. I plan to move home by Christmas and won't let the door hit me on my way out of Louisiana.

Well, d, without attacking the residents of New Orleans specifically (although I've never lived among them as you have), I can say that there seems to be a difference in attitude. Also, there were entire neighborhoods in New Orleans that before the hurricane were blighted with houses falling down, that were going to be torn down. That was one of Nagin's campaign promises, to "tear down the crack houses and rebuild the blighted neighborhoods". I've noticed that some of these same neighborhoods that were blighted and slated for removal before the storm, have re-emerged after the storm being described as valuable viable neighborhoods that were lost by the flooding, and part of the "city's rich heritage", that need to be restored but since they flooded during the levee washout FEMA and the US gov't should foot the bill. I think I smell the rat of political opportunism, in this. There was no plans to rebuild the blighted areas before the storm, only to remove the dilapidated buildings and encourage new construction on a private scale. Now since the storm, the state elected officials want the Federal gov't to foot the bill for all this construction. And why, if we are going to pump massive amts of money into rebuilding New Orleans, is there not an OUTCRY to remove the responsibility for maintaining the levees on which the city depends for survival, from the organization that through its nearly-unprecedented incompetence and corruption betrayed the very city it was supposed to protect? I'm speaking of the levee boards, who the Feds are investigating as we speak. Take the levee boards out of the local political process and federalize them, before making any kind of substantial investment in New Orleans; as long as the levee boards are part of the local politics, the levees will not be maintained, and the money they are budgeted will continue to be misallocated, or simply stolen.

MSNBC, we are grateful for this blog....But could update a little more often?

Mike--Your idea about removing New Orleans' levee boards from the local political process and federalizing them makes a lot of sense--perhaps there hasn't been an outcry to do so because this is the sort of issue that's arcane to a lot of people and if they were better informed about it, there would be an outcry. I'll have to say I hadn't even heard of the levee boards until after Katrina happened, and their workings sound complicated to me. It's sad that so much money had been misallocated or even stolen--perhaps had the money been used for levee upkeep, the massive flooding would not have happened.

d--I'm profoundly saddened by your characterization of Louisiana as needing an "attitude adjustment" and of Louisianians as "disgusting," and "rude, greedy, and self-centered." Such remarks seem to betray a lack of empathy and sensitivity appalling in one who has lived there for 4 years. I can only learn about and analyze what's going on in Louisiana from afar--but am still extremely sensitive to what people there are going through and can easily imagine myself in their shoes. Thinking of what they must be dealing with can bring tears to my eyes.

Regarding your comment that the "whole state needs an attitude adjustment"--wholistically speaking, Louisiana is deeply wounded both physically and emotionally after having survived 1 of the 2 most traumatic things to have happened in America in recent memory. Katrina and the failure of the levees snapped Louisiana's life in half and had a shattering impact on her spirit. In New Orleans she endured apocalyptic "shock and awe"--the wiping out of 80% of that city, fires that could not be put out despite ironically being surrounded by toxic floodwaters, the breakdown of law and order...Louisiana saw the Superdome and Convention Center metastasize into 2 hot, humid, dark, filthy festering sores where rapes and other violence took place and from where hungry, thirsty, sick, suffering people cried for help on national TV. And last but not least, the diaspora of many New Orleanians to other cities in Louisiana and around the US.

And about her leaders who keep "fighting between themselves"--this was a disaster that was off the charts, nothing like which has happened in recent history--so it's easy to imagine how they couldn't get together on how to handle it. If as you say Louisiana needs an "attitude adjustment," it's because she has been through an overwhelming nightmare no state should have to experience.

I'm not trivializing the fact that Mississippi caught hell from Katrina's ferocious winds and tsunami-like storm surge. But after the storm moved on, Mississippians were free to begin the monumental tasks of cleaning up and healing their damaged communities. No wonder, as you put it, you see "destruction under positive reconstruction." And I know that even after that "head start" a lot of work still needs to be done. (By the way, I'm glad to hear your family came through the storm O.K.) But in New Orleans first floodwaters had to be pumped out of the "bowl." So nothing could even be started until she was pumped dry...

Fast forward to nearly a year after 8/29. Louisiana is still in a world of hurt. I gather from your remark that "it looks almost normal" that you haven't seen much damage there. But--have you visited the Lower 9th or Lakeview? They look worse from Beirut or Baghdad. I'm also aware that even in the more "normal"-looking parts of New Orleans, water, sewerage, and electrical power are unreliable to non-existent. Add to this the difficulty of finding such basics as groceries. And people's issues involving insurance, FEMA, etc. I've read enough "war stories" by people in New Orleans or who have gone there to help out in her most devastated areas to know that things are a long way from "almost normal" there.

If as you say Louisianans are "rude, greedy, and self-centered," it could be that they're under a lot of stress or could even be suffering from anxiety and/or depression. These behaviors are a cry for help. You also mention that "in New Orleans it's so negative." Negativity can also be a sign of depression. All of this could be a reaction not only to their own traumas and losses but also to the frustrations of living under war zone-like conditions.

Unlike the storm's physical damage, the emotional devastation wracking Louisiana with pain is not confined to the disaster zone. New Orleans evacuees who fled to Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and elsewhere in Louisiana carried with them their traumas and losses and other "baggage." So Louisiana is being tortured by a spirit-shredding epidemic of anxiety, depression, and suicides, with insufficient resources to ease the suffering of the afflicted. For since Katrina, Louisiana's mental health system has been on the verge of a breakdown. If it were possible for a state to cry out in agony, Louisiana would...

(Not to say folks in Mississippi haven't been having problems. It was extremely touching to read about how a lot of the customers at a nail salon had been coming in with bitten nails--a tell-tale sign of the tension they'd been under.)

What the suffering people of Louisiana need at this trying time is compassion, sympathy, and kind, supportive words. Please don't call them "disgusting." I wish you could be more empathetic and understanding of what they're going through. But if you find yourself unable to do so, go back to Long Beach in good health. (Oh, and about seeing only 1 picture of Mississippi on the news--I hope you watched NBC Nightly News last night--Ron Mott did a report on how storm survivors are faring along Rt. 90.)

D,

Like you I am from Mississippi also, and I have been residing in New Orleans since 1974. Unlike you I have a different perspective of my fellow citizens than you do. Everyone I have talked to just wants information, they do not as you put it "want something for nothing".

Statements such as "The people here are disgusting", "They want someone else to foot the bill", "People from this state are greedy, rude, and self centered" serve no purpose but to inflame others. Also, that seems to be your perspective rather than a fact.

Since November when I was finally able to return to the area, I have been working with one purpose in mind, TO RETURN HOME. I gutted my home by myself and with the help of others. I began rebuilding, once again by myself and with the help of others. After months of working on my home at night and on weekends my family was able to return at the end of July. Throughout the process as I would meet neighbors returning I offered my help even though I had more than enough work to do. I did it because I wanted them to know that help was there.

Do I believe that we should be compensated for our losses? Yes I do, the negligence of the Corps, which acts under the authority of the Federal Government resulted in the loss of my home and thousands of others. It is no different than if you had rear-ended my car, I would expect you to pay for the damages.
Tell me where I am wrong in believing such.

The magnitude of the destruction is unrivaled both here and in Mississippi. I have family in Mississippi and I have friends in Mississippi. Like others I complain about our local leaders and they do the same. Throughout all of this we all have helped one another though. I could care less what state someone is from, the point is we have we all have suffered major losses.

If anyone seems to have an attitude problem it is you. I hope you are able to return to Long Beach and I wish you the best.

I second what andy,ms said--this is a great blog and I'm grateful to MSNBC for it, too. It's an excellent source of news I don't think I'd be able to find elsewhere. I only got into the habit of reading it recently and would also like to see more frequent updates.

My heart and prayers have been going out and still do to all who have been affected, directly or indirectly, by the past storm season. I can't remember a time of more destruction and upheval along the entire gulf coast than this past hurricane season. From TX to FL families have been facing loss of lives, homes, and livlihoods, while some have been torn apart and uprooted. There are those who have begun new lives elsewhere, while others begin the process of rebuilding, often from nothing.

I read the initial story line of the manicure and fully understood just what that bit of normalacy can mean. I am a life long resident of a rural parish along the gulf coast of Louisiana and am located just where the hurricane force winds for both Katrina and Rita ended. Thankfully we had only minor damage and were able to have others stay with us while I worked. Because of where we're located we were able to assist at an emergency staging area for evacuees as they came through our parish.

Anyone who wanted to assist only had to show up...and show up they did. From the men who brought their boats and traveled from Slidell to Lake Charles joining in on the search for survivors to the local gas station owner who used his vehicle to bring gas out to stalled cars and those running low on gas on US 90 in the bumper to bumper traffic because all the access ramps were closed up by the police. We all couldn't do big things, but we found little things to do that could help; bring a hot meal, offer to watch kids so parents could take showers and naps, rock crying children, help neighbors cut fallen trees or to patch up walls and fences. Sometimes just sitting down and saying nothing at all was required.

The way we treat others is the way we should expect to be treated in return. Human kindness is like a muscle, it must be exercised or it will grow weak and be of no use whatsoever.

The loss of hope is the biggest thing to endure. It has to be the worst of mankind's miseries. I live on the coast of N.C., and have been through Donna in 1960, Bertha, Fran, Dennis, Dennis II, and Floyd (the last three in three weeks time),and many others I can't recall quickly. I don't think anybody else in the world except North Carolina knew about the terrible flooding and aftermath of Floyd. I was trapped away from the coast, 90 miles inland, for five days due to flooding. It was so tragic, so devastating, and for a time everyone lost all hope that we would ever be normal again. All of Eastern North Carolina was under flood waters - yes, we were trapped in attics, on rooftops, had to be floated out, helicoptered out, lost loved ones and pets, had to do without food and water for many days. But thanks to a great state government, the Salvation Army and the loving kindess of many others as well as the will of the people to overcome, we did. But it does something to you, inside, that you cannot explain to outsiders, something that takes a long time to heal. Before Katrina and Rita, eastern N.C. was hit by Isabella and parts of the east were flooded badly, homes destroyed, people devastated, and three years later some have still not been replaced. Florida folks could surely tell you about that. Shortly after Katrina, eastern NC was hit by a small hurrican, Ophelia, that did much damage, and again flooded parts of eastern NC badly. It makes me wonder over and over WHY all the attention to New Orleans. Are they more special or deserving than the folks in eastern N.C. (we get hit by hurricanes large and small almost every year). You learn. My heart goes out to all those affected by all these storms. But tell the media that they would do better to report ALL the news, fairly and unbiased, regardless of politics. I think all citizens deserve that.