Still standing after Hurricane Katrina
Most people are familiar with the stories of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction along the Gulf Coast last year, but fewer know the stories of resilience and survival. To highlight success stories about how mitigation efforts helped protect property and lives, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency has released a series of Mitigation Best Practices. The online collection details steps residents, businesses and governments in the region have taken to build more strongly and safely and that ultimately reduced their financial losses from the storm. For example, Mandeville, La., raised the town’s building standards to reduce flood risk. To view the descriptions of more than 30 mitigation projects in Gulf Coast states, visit www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/bestpractices/katrina.shtm.
