NATIONAL NEWS
September 8, 2005
Recovery After Katrina
As hurricane relief efforts grow, engineers make progress pumping water out of New Orleans
 Hurricane survivors sit on cots at the Astrodome, a stadium turned shelter in Houston, Texas. |
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Across the country and all over the world, people are working hard to help the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. As recovery efforts grow, people affected by the hurricane are facing a more hopeful future.
Water Level Falls
One sign of improvement is the lower water level in New Orleans, Louisiana. Earlier this week, engineers repaired breaks in
levees. The breaks caused 80 percent of the city to disappear under water. Soon afterward, workers began pumping about 60,000 gallons of water per second out of the city.
|  Temporary pumps move floodwaters through a repaired levee in New Orleans. |
The floodwaters pose a serious health risk to anyone still in the city. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said everyone is required to evacuate, or leave, the city. Officials say that people who do not leave are at risk from the toxic water, which now carries oil, chemicals, garbage, and human waste.
Helping Out at Home
Much of the help for hurricane survivors is coming from people all across the country. Kids are raising money through fundraising, lemonade stands and bake sales. Many are donating clothes, food and school supplies. Artists and musicians are using their talents to raise money. People in nearly every state are opening their homes to families displaced by Katrina.
|  Thirteen-year-old Cassie Cox looks for a pair of shoes in a pile of donated clothes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. |
Right after Katrina hit, the federal government was criticized for its slow response. Now, the government is working in many ways to help survivors. On Thursday, Congress approved $51.8 billion in new hurricane relief. The government had already used $10.5 billion for disaster relief fund approved by Congress last week. In addition, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is handing out cards worth $2,000 in cash to thousands of survivors.
The World Responds
At least 94 nations have offered to help relief efforts. Countries all over the world, including the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Latin America, are sending money and supplies. Singapore, a nation still recovering from the tsunami tragedy, sent planes to carry survivors to safety. Greece is sending cruise ships to house survivors. For the first time ever, Mexico is sending disaster relief to the U.S.
For the first time ever, the United Nations is helping the U.S. with relief. A branch of the international body, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, is working with the U.S. government to make sure the needs of Katrina’s youngest survivors are met.
