By Ben Smilowitz

Executive Director, Disaster Accountability Project

The Disaster Accountability Project exists because of the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina.  On the storm’s fifth anniversary, we take some time to think about everyone affected by the devastating storm and its even more devastating aftermath.  And we ask the same question we ask every day, how can we prevent a Katrina response from happening again?

Many are reminded of Katrina every day because life never returned to “normal.”  All of a sudden, our news media is dominated by “five years later” stories.  If we only focus on these “Katrina issues” on the storm’s anniversary, maybe we haven’t learned so much at all.  The key is to ensure systems are fixed and governments and relief organizations are more accountable and transparent.  We cannot achieve those changes through annual news coverage.

Some reporters “get it” and have dedicated significant time to spotlighting problems and solutions over the last five years.  Many organizations across the gulf coast are dealing with the Katrina aftermath every day.  However, the systems that failed when Hurricane Katrina slammed into Mississippi and Louisiana were only partially locally based.  FEMA is responsible for coordinating 20+ federal agencies, numerous nonprofit organizations, and oversees countless private sector relationships and contracts.

As reporters point out successes and failures and outstanding issues that have yet to be addressed on this year’s anniversary, those on the hot-seat know that in a couple weeks, the media spotlight will shift elsewhere and, if history is any measure, it won’t return for another year.  Phew!  We all know this is unacceptable and that disasters can happen anywhere: Hurricanes in the gulf coast or along the east coast, earthquakes on the West Coast, midwest or even in the east, floods, tornados, wildfires, and terrorists could strike.  We need dedicated, full-time oversight to ensure we are learning from the past and systems are working.

On the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we stop to think about all of those affected and we strengthen our resolve to prevent what happened from happening ever again.  And we continue our work.