City adrift : New Orleans before and after Katrina / Jenni Bergal ... [et al.] ; foreword by Dan Rather ; a Center for Public Integrity Investigation.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-156) and index.

The storm / Jenni Bergal -- The environment / Sara Shipley Hiles -- The levees / John McQuaid -- Emergency preparedness / Jim Morris -- Social services / Katy Reckdahl -- Health care / Jenni Bergal -- Politics / Curtis Wilkie -- Housing and insurance / Frank Koughan.

"At least 1,100 Louisianans died in Hurricane Katrina, more than half of them from New Orleans, and hundreds of thousands more were displaced, many still wondering if they will ever be able to return. How could all of this have happened in twenty-first-century America? And could it all happen again?" "To answer these questions, the Center for Public Integrity commissioned seven seasoned journalists to travel to New Orleans and investigate the storm's aftermath. In City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina, they present their findings." "They interviewed homeowners and health officials, first responders and politicians, and evacuees and other ordinary citizens to explore the storm from numerous angles, including health care, social services, housing and insurance, and emergency preparedness. They also identify the political, social, geographical, and technological factors that compounded the tragedy."