After Katrina, What’s Next?

To the Editor:

As the articles in your August 23 issue (“Struggling Toward Recovery”) point out, things are still not O.K. in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast two years after Katrina struck. All of us knew from the beginning that recovery would be a long-term task. But I’m not sure anyone knew how long, or how hard.

The second anniversary of Katrina gave us a chance to assess where we are and where we’re going. From the perspective of someone who grew up in this community, here’s what I see: For all the progress we have made, and all the truly outstanding support we have received, our needs are still critical. It will take many more years and the continued commitment of all the players — public and private; local and national.

It’s easy to forget that the hurricane leveled coastal Mississippi. More than 70,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Families saw their neighborhoods, jobs, schools, and churches demolished.

Katrina and its 30-foot storm surge claimed the lives of 230 Mississippians. Two major bridges fell like dominos, and all 20 of our municipal wastewater treatment plants went down for extended periods. Roads and communication lines were out of commission.

In the past two years, we’ve made great strides. Our recovery would be impossible without extraordinary help from generous people, organizations, churches, and businesses from across the country. National nonprofit agencies, foundations, and more than half a million volunteers have come to our aid.

Organizations that had little or no presence here before the disaster are still here two years later. Kaboom has built 50 playgrounds and has plans for 50 more. Hands On Network, Habitat for Humanity, and many others continue working tirelessly.

The Chronicle’s coverage tapped into a slice of the recovery aid. Foundations and charities across the country have been generous and intelligent. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding libraries and housing, while Oxfam focuses on grass-roots coalition building. My organization, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, has invested heavily in community planning, civic leadership and the arts, with significant investments still to come.

Most of all, the recovery of our region has been fueled by the energy and dedication of our residents, who have worked through unimaginable hardship to pull this community and their lives back together.

But after two years, the stresses of the recovery are plain to see. All around, we find divorce, violence, homicide, suicide. Mental-health experts tell us that even in extreme conditions, most people can hold on for a while, but eventually our resilience just gives out.

Looking ahead, we still see acute needs, especially when it comes to:

• Providing affordable housing.
• Rebuilding the nonprofit sector.
• Strengthening regional leadership.

Katrina damaged the entire coast. To rebuild effectively, we must look at the big picture.

For two years, the coastal area has made a noble effort. We’re still hurting, but we’re certainly not giving up. We will continue to depend on assistance from outside our region — those funders that support disaster recovery and the coastal area, plus those that address the crises we face: poverty, housing, health care, environment, and social justice.

All these needs have been magnified tenfold by Katrina.

Two years from now, we know things will look better. We’re optimistic that the challenge will grow less daunting as we progress. The Gulf Coast community is deeply grateful for the help of a generous America. We pray that help will continue.

Adele C. Lyons
Program director for Biloxi, Miss.
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Miami