Disaster After Disaster
Growing Storms, Faltering Aid
The costs of natural disasters are skyrocketing. America’s systems for preparing for them and helping victims are falling short.
Thousands of Katrina Survivors Were Freed From Debt to the State. Those Who Already Paid Are Out of Luck.
Amid outcry, the state said it was no longer suing residents who had improperly used hurricane recovery money. That doesn’t change anything for the 425 who already paid a total of $6.8 million back to the state.
Louisiana to Drop Lawsuits Against Katrina Survivors Over Recovery Grants
Louisiana sued thousands of homeowners for not following the rules in how they spent recovery grants. After a joint news investigation, the governor announced Thursday that the state won’t try to collect the money.
Behind the Key Decision That Left Many Poor Homeowners Without Enough Money to Rebuild After Katrina
National politics spawned a Hurricane Katrina rebuilding program based on pre-storm home values, leading to disparities between rich and poor.
An Exodus Unlike Any Other: Why Half the People in This Community Moved Away After Hurricane Katrina
After Hurricane Katrina devastated St. Bernard Parish, many residents didn’t receive enough money from the state to rebuild. Nearly half made the difficult decision to start over somewhere else.
The Federal Program to Rebuild After Hurricane Katrina Shortchanged the Poor. New Data Proves It.
For years, low-income residents of New Orleans have said the state’s Road Home program paid them less to rebuild their homes compared to wealthier residents. They were right.
This Hurricane-Ravaged Town Has Waited Years for Long-Term Aid. It Could Happen Again.
Homes and businesses still sit in ruins in a small Louisiana city, left behind by the government’s convoluted and unpredictable system for rebuilding communities devastated by natural disasters.
Louisiana Sued Hurricane Katrina Survivors for Misusing Recovery Grants. Now It Has Halted Collection Efforts.
Louisiana sued thousands of homeowners for not following the rules in spending grants after Katrina. After a joint news investigation, the state says it hopes a federal agency will approve a settlement that will allow it to drop the lawsuits.
Katrina Survivors Were Told They Could Use Grant Money to Rebuild. Now They’re Being Sued for It.
After Hurricane Katrina, struggling homeowners said, they were told not to worry about the fine print when they received grants to elevate their homes. Now the state is going after them because they did exactly that.
Did You Get the Help You Needed After a Hurricane or Tropical Storm? We’re Investigating Disaster Relief.
Catastrophes don’t affect all Americans equally. We want to hear about your experiences applying for aid and paying for flood insurance.
