We all knew it was going to happen one day...we just didn't think that day would be in our lifetime. Each generation before us had survived one hurricane after another, and we assumed history would repeat itself.

While the blame game continues....I see the Gulf Coast struggling just for a sense of normalcy.

As for Louisiana....you can blame almost everything on politics. It's our trademark, ever since the days of Huey Long. This is also the same state that almost elected a Klansman as Governor less than 15 years ago.

The Times-Picayune did a remarkable series a few years back almost writing the script as to what would happen in a "what if" scenario. Too bad no one paid attention then....I hope they re-read it now.....http://www.nola.com/hurricane/?/washingaway/

I'll post the entire photo library from our trip soon.

Morale with our group is good….I think our days are running together at times, but we’re really proud of the stories we’ve covered in the past few weeks.

We’ve made the trip back and forth from Mississippi to Louisiana a few times now – and we’re pretty familiar with which roads are open and which areas to avoid. We’ve also become a lean-mean storytelling machine – everyone knows their roles and we’re self-sufficient.

We went back to Gulfport today – and the damage is just amazing. We went to a different part of Gulfport – further down Hwy 90 along the beach. The line of damage that Katrina left basically stretches from New Orleans all the way to the Mississippi/Alabama border (east to west) – and about 50-80 miles inland (north to south). Unfortunately, Katrina may now become the standard for hurricanes when it comes to damage.


We hope to be back at some point this week. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put...

We're back in Gulfport, Mississippi today...Got a chance to walk around the neighborhoods a little bit. It's still amazing to me how complete the destruction is. Homes were moved a quarter mile inland by the storm surge. There are piles of debris everywhere- an effort to clear the streets, but the homeowners seem to be doing little to cleanup. Clearly it's an overwhelming task. Personal belongings are what really make you pause as you walk through the debris- a high school yearbook from the 1940's complete with notes from friends- albums, photographs that are torn, and waterlogged, but still clear enough to make out. Today alone I saw a wedding photo, a picture of a woman in a naval uniform, a school picture of a little boy. Helicopters fly over us every few miniutes and military in humvees roll by. There are American flags everywhere- tied to trees, debris, whatever anyone can find to hold them up. Many of the homes that are still partially standing have notes on them in spraypaint-"We...

New Orleans- We got lost today on the way to our story and ended up in New Orleans. Access to the city is supposed to be blocked, but clearly there are ways to get in, even by mistake. It’s a ghost town. Abandoned cars and trash are everywhere. The military and police line the streets. The water is gone, but what’s left is a lot of destruction. On every block you see smashed storefronts and debris. It’s eerie to be in such an urban environment and see so few people. As you drive in and out of the city the Superdome looms with its damaged roof, an ominous reminder of mistakes made. On Highway 10 just below the Superdome there are chairs, tables, bottles of water, places where people were living after the flooding.

Orleans Parish/Ninth Ward: This community just southwest of the city limits was completely under water. The streets are filled with mud and sewage several feet deep It’s the worst damage I’ve seen anywhere in the Gulf states- it’s actually the worst...