Thompson Statement on the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina:
Ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated our gulf coast and changed our lives forever. The immensity of human suffering that took place – much of it preventable – haunts us to this day. Failures at all levels of government dragged out relief efforts and exacerbated the suffering the storm inflicted. The American Red Cross also struggled to meet the needs of hurricane survivors.
In the years that have followed, Congress has undertaken significant efforts to overhaul how disaster response and recovery activities are carried out to prevent the kind of suffering we saw after Katrina. We have made important progress in improving interoperable communications, emergency alerts and warnings, and incident command structures, but challenges remain. Federal disaster housing policies are not what they should be and the American Red Cross continues to struggle to carry out its disaster response mission. I will continue to honor those who suffered the impact of Hurricane Katrina by working to address problems that continue to undermine disaster response and recovery efforts.
Please also see Congressman Thompson's op-ed in the Jackson, Mississippi Clarion-Ledger today
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