[StBernard] The Word from Washington: Rep. Melancon Recognizes the Fourth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

[Westley Annis]

This morning, I joined students, teachers, and residents of St. Bernard
Parish in recognizing the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall
with the community's Annual Day of Reflection breakfast.  The memorial
event, hosted by the St. Bernard Parish School Board, was held at Chalmette
High School and is an opportunity for the community to remember the losses
they suffered because of Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures, while
also celebrating the rebuilding progress and unity of spirit evident in St.
Bernard today.  

This weekend marks a solemn anniversary for the people of south Louisiana
and the entire Gulf Coast. Four years ago, a monster hurricane slammed into
our coast, leaving hundreds of miles of destruction in its wake.  But the
even greater disaster, the disaster that made Katrina the worst catastrophe
in U.S. history, began when the levees built to protect our homes and
communities failed on a massive scale, and the floodwaters poured in.
Today, we gathered at Chalmette High, where almost 1500 people took refuge
from Katrina and the floodwaters, to remember the many lives that were lost
or irrevocably changed, the homes and memories that were washed away, and
the scores of communities, like Chalmette, that were devastated by the levee
failures.

But on this anniversary, we should also celebrate the progress we have made
individually and as a state in rebuilding what was lost to the storms.  The
people of south Louisiana have refused to allow their communities to be
wiped off the map.  What was once a slow trickle of pioneers returning to
rebuild has grown to a flood of citizens and families eager to recreate the
thriving communities they once called home. 

While the recovery has often seemed frustratingly slow and new roadblocks
keep going up in our path, life is returning to normal, thanks to the
determined and optimistic spirit of the people of south Louisiana. Today we
celebrate that spirit and recommit to building a better future for our
families and communities.
    
In 2006, when St. Bernard held their first Annual Day of Reflection, I
attended with a group of Congressmen and women who were visiting south
Louisiana to see the progress of our recovery a year after Katrina and Rita.
As we listened to the young people recall the heartbreak they had endured
because of the storms, there was not a dry eye in the room.  But we were
also inspired by the students' love for St. Bernard, and their determination
to persevere and rebuild their community.  For many of the visiting members
of Congress, meeting these young survivors was the most memorable experience
of their three-day visit to the Gulf Coast.

While much progress has been made since that first anniversary, we know our
work is far from being done.  As long as some of our coastal communities
don't have the strengthened levees and comprehensive hurricane protection
they need, our work is not done.  As long as our wetlands are threatened and
our coastline is washing away, our work is not done. And as long as our
people face hurricane season with apprehension, instead of confidence, our
work is not done.  We in south Louisiana are proud Americans, and we will
fight to protect our homes, our communities, and our way of life.

Regards,

Charlie Melancon