Four years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans still needs us

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We all know there was poor preparation by local agencies (mostly Democrats) and a famously botched response by federal emergency officials (mostly Republicans).

We know that heroic media reporting, particularly by the Times-Picayune newspaper, was accompanied by wild, false rumors of cannibalism and vigilante violence.

Four years later, New Orleans has taken impressive steps toward recovery. Following a drastic reduction in population, the number of households in the city now stands at 77% of its pre-hurricane total.

While blight remains a problem - 31% of New Orleans' residential housing stock remains unoccupied - the city issued 1,420 permits for new construction in May this year, nearly double the number issued in the same month last year.

That's some of the good news.

The bad news is that the city's system of protective levees and canals remains inadequate.

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