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Six Months After Katrina As New Orleans celebrates a bittersweet Mardi Gras, the city and the Gulf Coast mark the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow. Follow NPR coverage of the region's efforts to rebound and the many obstacles to recovery that remain.
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Six Months After Katrina

As New Orleans celebrates a bittersweet Mardi Gras, the Gulf Coast marks a half-year since Katrina.

Sunday

Katrina Took Deadly Toll on Elderly

Nearly 40 percent of the people who died during Hurricane Katrina and the ensuring floods were over age 71. Relatives of three elderly victims recall the decisions that preceded their loved ones' deaths.

Katrina Took Deadly Toll on Elderly

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Friday

The Bordelons and Ronald Lewis: Mardi Gras Update

Steve Inskeep checks in with some New Orleans residents with whom he has been in touch since Hurricane Katrina hit. The Bordelon family lives in St. Bernard Parish. Ronald Lewis is the president of a Ninth Ward social club.

The Bordelons and Ronald Lewis: Mardi Gras Update

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New Orleans Awaits FEMA Flood Maps

New Orleans is waiting for important news from FEMA later this month: new flood maps. They'll tell homeowners how high off the ground they should build depending on local elevations. Being any lower than that might make flood insurance prohibitively expensive or unavailable.

New Orleans Awaits FEMA Flood Maps

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'A Studio in the Woods' Offers Hope for New Orleans

Joe and Lucianne Carmichael say nature's post-Katrina burst of renewal on their land in Orleans Parish offers important lessons to humans trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

'A Studio in the Woods' Offers Hope for New Orleans

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Sharon White Regains Her Determination to Rebuild

New Orleans resident Sharon White is more determined than ever to rebuild her home. In January, she was devastated to learn that the city had decided against reviving her neighborhood. But now she has a building permit and she wants a FEMA trailer so she can begin the restoration.

Sharon White Regains Her Determination to Rebuild

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Will Government Bulldoze New Orleans-Area Homes?

Steve Inskeep asks Polly Boudreaux, clerk of council for Louisiana's Saint Bernard Parish, whether the rumors that Colleen and Donald Bordelon have heard about bulldozing large parts of the parish are true.

Will Government Bulldoze New Orleans-Area Homes?

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Thursday

Dr. John: 'We're Gonna Be Back' in New Orleans

One of New Orleans' best-known native sons, the piano professor Mac Rebennack, a.k.a. Dr. John, was back in town for Mardi Gras this week. In a tour of devastated neighborhoods, he expresses fear that the city's unique grassroots culture has been uprooted.

Dr. John: 'We're Gonna Be Back' in New Orleans

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New Orleans Regains Its Famous Appetite

As New Orleans comes back to life, the restaurants that have reopened their doors are hopping. Michele Norris visits Li'l Dizzy's Cafe, where owner Wayne Baquet cooks up breakfast for about a hundred customers every morning.

New Orleans Regains Its Famous Appetite

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Laundromats Are Hopping in Post-Katrina Mississippi

Hancock County, Miss., has 8,000 temporary FEMA trailers with electricity, water and sewer. These are small travel units, with a kitchen and a bathroom but no washer or dryer, so keeping a family in clean clothes means a visit to a crowded laundromat. Rich man, poor man -- quarters are what really count.

Laundromats Are Hopping in Post-Katrina Mississippi

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Poet on Call

Sudden Growth Brings Obvious Changes to Baton Rouge

Commentator Andrei Codrescu tours Baton Rouge, the city where he teaches, and comments on the changes since Hurricane Katrina. The city absorbed a large population of New Orleans residents who were displaced by the storm. The sudden growth has forced Baton Rouge to accept that it's a big city now.

Sudden Growth Brings Obvious Changes to Baton Rouge

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Housing Shortage Hurts New Orleans Hotels

The smaller-than-normal crowds at Mardi Gras this week symbolize the lingering impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans' economy. The city's hotels are struggling to recover, but a shortage of workers is hampering their comeback.

Housing Shortage Hurts New Orleans Hotels

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Louisiana Governor Reviews Lessons of Katrina

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco talks with Michele Norris about how her state is faring post-Katrina. She says more money is needed to rebuild neighborhoods and to build stronger levees, but that the reconstruction is a chance to do things right.

Louisiana Governor Reviews Lessons of Katrina

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Baton Rouge Economy Absorbs Displaced Population

After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of displaced New Orleans residents fled to Baton Rouge, changing the city's economy overnight. Stephen Moret, president and chief executive officer of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, talks with Robert Siegel about the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina on his city.

Baton Rouge Economy Absorbs Displaced Population

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