Press Release - Background on the President's Event in New Orleans for the Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Sunday, August 29, 2010

On Sunday, August 29, the President, the First Lady, and members of the Cabinet will travel to New Orleans to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. While there, the President will deliver remarks at Xavier University of Louisiana. The audience will be comprised of members of the public, Xavier students and faculty, state and local elected officials, and community leaders.

In his remarks, the President will commemorate the lives lost and the shared sacrifice that the Gulf Coast experienced because of Katrina. He will celebrate the resiliency of the people of the Gulf and the progress that has been made to rebuild stronger than before. And he will recommit the nation to the Gulf region and to all those still working to rebuild lives and communities.

Cabinet and senior agency leaders expected to attend the Xavier event include Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and CNCS CEO Patrick Corvington.

BACKGROUND ON XAVIER UNIVERSITY
The recovery at Xavier University of Louisiana is exemplary of the efforts throughout New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. When Katrina hit, floodwaters brought by the storm covered the entire campus with several feet of water for two weeks. Katrina scattered Xavier students, staff and faculty across the nation, and its aftermath cast the very survival of the university into serious doubt.

Yet, because of the determination of the students, faculty, staff, and community, the school reopened after just five months. After intensive cleanup and reconstruction, Xavier welcomed nearly 80 percent of its students back to campus in January 2006 – far better than estimates that only half of the school's pre-Katrina enrollment would return. Today, enrollment is very close to what it was before the hurricane.

"What happened to New Orleans represents the greatest disaster this country has ever had," said University President Norman Francis. "That we were able to come back in such a short period of time is a credit to the faith, commitment, and passion of our staff and faculty, who put aside their personal losses and problems to make this miracle happen."

BACKGROUND ON ADMINISTRATION EFFORTS TO ACCELERATE KATRINA RECOVERY
Since taking office, the Obama Administration has cut bureaucratic red tape to provide residents of the Gulf Coast with the tools that they need to recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In total, the President, Vice President, Cabinet-level officials, and other key agency heads (FEMA, SBA, Navy, CNCS, NOAA) have visited the Gulf Coast more than 155 times. The Administration has eliminated red tape that delayed assistance, including obligating nearly $2.42 billion in Public Assistance funds for Louisiana and Mississippi that had been stalled for years. The Administration also has worked to improve overall disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, so that the Gulf Coast and all of the country will be more resilient and better able to handle future disasters.

While families have returned to area, houses have gone up, schools have reopened, and businesses have been rebuilt, there is more work to do. This Administration is committed to working with the people of the Gulf region to get the job done.

For a more complete look at the Obama Administration's recovery efforts, visit http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/katri....