Katrina: How It Changed the Psyche of America

(CBS)  You can measure the cost of Katrina in lives and treasure. But there is another cost of that disaster, less obvious, but in one sense, just as damaging: What it did to America's sense of what kind of country we are.

Our very beginnings defined us as a "can-do" people: We literally conceived a new nation, and then set out to conquer a continent.

We defined rights as individuals, but we worked together to raise a neighbor's barn, or to link a continent with rail.

We were oceans apart? Build a canal.

Did a mighty river plague us with floods and droughts? Dam it up with the biggest public works project in history. And that same Hoover Dam provided the power to the California defense plants that helped win a world war.

We were hungry for homes of our own? Build them by the millions in the suburbs, and link them to work with 60,000 miles of interstate highways.

Should our reach exceed our grasp? But the moon itself was in our grasp. And we led the way in making the world a click of the finger away.

And we were rich enough, powerful enough, to lead when disaster struck others: Herbert Hoover became a hero after the First World War by leading a massive relief effort in Europe.

After the Second World War, America sent everything from CARE packages to billions of dollars to put Europe's ravaged economies back on their feet.

The Berlin airlift of 1948 saved that beleaguered city; and Americans joined the Peace Corps decades later. And in the 21st century, this nation was half the world away when the tsunami struck Indonesia.

But when Katrina hit . . . nothing - not our wealth, our strength, our impulse to lend a hand - could prevent disaster. The experts warned this could happen; our leaders promised mobilization; and a major American city drowned.

Katrina, I think, was a portent that one of this country's most basic articles of faith was now in doubt. The failure to keep New Orleans from being overwhelmed by floodwaters was almost a precursor of our failure to keep our economy safe from near-collapse.

As much as any event in recent history, Katrina triggered a question we are still asking: "What has happened to our country?"

[addict42]

Why is it the same thing cannot be said for Grand Forks, North Dakota when the floods in the 90s totally destroyed their city, not only with water but many buildings caught fire and burned because of ruptured gas lines. Granted the population of Grand Forks is a fraction of New Orleans, but it's citizens were smart enough to evacuate and help one another first and foremost. Sadly the people of New Orleans didn't take heed and let's face it northerners are just more prepared and have a "can-do spirit" lacking in southerners.

[smitvict]

Man is not all powerful and mighty. A category 5 hurricane is a creation of nature that will destroy most anything in its path, regardless of how well man builds it.

When your city is below sea level, populated by many on government assistance and who believe the government will take care of all of their needs, you have a disaster in the making.

Katrina was a predictable disaster. The levees are a product of man, subject to destruction by nature. The people depended on the government, and expected to continue to do so. Many did not heed warnings to have food and water set aside (on their own) and many did not evacuate. Maybe next time folks will remember the lesson. I hope that is the psyche that is changed.

[PatriotPaul]

Why do some people who comment continue to perpetuate myths about Katrina? Does it fit some racist agenda? Do they get all their news from Fox "News"? Is the truth simply too painful for them to acknowledge?

About 1/2 of NOLA is actually above sea level while there are many more vulnerable cities in the U.S. that are below sea level and "protected" by vulnerable levees. NOLA was founded in 1718. How long has your city been around?

Since someone will probably bring up the flooded busses as well I'll address that. Of those 100 flooded buses only about 1/2 were operable. Assuming then that those were used it would have made a small dent, relocating about 5,000 of 50,000 people. And who was going to drive those? The drivers had almost all evacuated with their own families.

And most are still unaware the Airport, Amtrak, and Greyhound all shut down a day before the mandatory evacuation. Many of us could not get out in time. Still, evacuation experts rate the 85-90% evacuation rate as one of the highest ever.

The supposed rapes and murders at the Superdome and the shooting of helicopters outside the Dome. Authorities could not substantiate any, but it sure can demonize a City when the media perpetuates these rumors.

And finally, yes Katrina did obliterate many communities along the MS Gulf Coast, but for New Orleans it was the failed Army Corps of Engineers' levees that caused most of the death and destruction in the City.

Paul Harris
Author, "Diary From the Dome, Reflections on Fear and Privilege During Katrina"

[Dad_of_4]

I am an American of several ethinic heritages and the Spanish side of my family has been here since the 1500's.

We have a stupid motorist law in the west. If a motorist drives into a flooded wash and needs to be rescued, the motorist pays the cost!

If people are stupid enough to build in a flood zone, and storm floods them out, they should pay for the costs of repairs themselves.

The federal government for years has been buying out people in flood zones and relocating them to high ground. Those who choose to stay are on their own...not really they can buy federal flood insurance and if they can't afford federal flood insurance, they shouldn't live there--they are stupid...just like the stupid motorists here in the west.

[Dustin83v]

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency handled tranfers of funds from FEMA to Louisiana. The commonwealth's lead grants officer, Ron Killins personally supervised grants to the devastated region. PEMA expedited money for an immediate recovery effort.