On 29 August 2005, Hurricane Katrina, one of the US’ deadliest hurricanes, reached New Orleans. What followed crippled the city, causing loss of life and destroying people’s homes. The levee system designed to protect the city from storm surges failed disastrously and the large majority of Greater New Orleans was severely flooded. Less than a month later, Hurricane Rita added insult to injury.
Recovery and rebuilding efforts drew mass attention, not least for their celebrity spearheading. As well as repairing the damage and restoring the city, projects have tried to ensure greater resilience for the future. One currently in progress is a “hurricane-proof” hospital, designed “upside-down” so the emergency room is above the flood line.
It is now approaching 10 years since Hurricane Katrina. No one wants another major natural disaster to hit, but if it did, what would be its impact? Is New Orleans now stronger and better protected? Is each neighbourhood as prepared as the next?
If you live in New Orleans, share your thoughts, stories, images and videos on whether the city feels stronger since Katrina. What has been done to increase disaster preparedness? Do you feel more protected than before Katrina? What else would you like to see happen to make New Orleans more resilient?
Share your contributions with GuardianWitness and we’ll feature a selection on Guardian Cities. You can also email your contributions to francesca.perry@theguardian.com or tweet us at @guardiancities
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