This week marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and costliest storms in U.S. history. As officials and survivors reflect on the devastation, questions about disaster preparedness and federal funding remain central.

Katrina, which struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in August 2005, claimed more than 1,800 lives and caused widespread infrastructure collapse. The federal response, particularly the performance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was widely criticized, prompting reforms aimed at improving emergency management and intergovernmental coordination.

Today, experts note that many of those lessons are still being tested. The Trump administration’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year has included reductions to FEMA’s disaster

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