New Orleans communities rebuilding 20 years after Hurricane Katrina

(NewsNation) — Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged America’s Gulf Coast, some communities in New Orleans are still struggling to fully recover.

Katrina is the costliest and one of the most deadly natural disasters in American history, resulting in thousands of lives lost and nearly $200 billion in damages when adjusted for inflation.

Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., led the small business recovery program in the aftermath of the storm.

He told “NewsNation Live” on Friday that some New Orleans communities “have come back inarguably better than ever” — but noted some areas have not “come back as they were before Katrina.”

In the city’s Lower Ninth Ward, a historically Black neighborhood once home to approximately 15,000 residents, now houses about a third of that number. The community as a whole is still struggling to recover from the storm’s lasting impacts.

Hecht attributes the lack of adequate recovery to the city “not having the right kind of investment programs” in the neighborhood.

He said that in the aftermath of disasters, “the first thing that businesses need is cash flow.”

“You have to give businesses grants very quickly to do immediate repairs and to keep payroll up for their employees,” Hecht said.

Former mayor on America’s readiness for another storm

Former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial and retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, who led the recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina, joined “CUOMO” Friday night to talk about the tragedy and how the U.S. has handled the aftermath.

Morial said he’s concerned by recent cuts to FEMA, which could affect the response to another storm like Katrina.

“I am greatly concerned that the elimination of FEMA will take us back to 50 years earlier. We need FEMA,” Morial said. “We need a federal response, because hurricanes, snow storms, tragedies, don’t respect state lines, county lines, city lines, zip codes, race, creed, color or religion.”

He said he isn’t so sure that the U.S. is ready to respond to a monster storm like the one that ravaged his city.

“I think we’ve learned a lot, but are we ready today? I think that every state, every city that bears a risk, should have a hurricane style drill to review what the evacuation plan is and how to respond the same way we do fire type drills and fire safety,” Morial said.

“I do not see that happening in the coastal states. I don’t see it happening in my beloved hometown.”

He ended his remarks by recognizing the power of the people of New Orleans.

“The strength and the power of the people of New Orleans, notwithstanding bureaucratic delays, insurance company and contractor issues, are the reason the city has indeed come back with still, still many great challenges ahead.”