Is the Worst Yet to Come?

Abstract

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, public officials pledged that the nation would rise to the challenge and ensure that the country would not suffer such a disaster again. Almost exactly four years later, however, Hurricane Katrina inflicted a devastating blow on the Gulf Coast. Many of the problems that surfaced during 9/11 returned yet again to plague the Katrina recovery efforts. Moreover, as bad as the problems were in the Gulf, they could have been even worse had the storm been stronger or had it scored a direct hit on New Orleans. More disasters—from earthquakes and floods to bird flu and terrorist attacks—are likely and perhaps inevitable. Unless we take to heart the lessons that Katrina teaches, especially improved systems for communication and coordination, we are likely to repeat the Katrina problems. The worst is yet to come, without a substantial investment of political capital.