. I'm 39 and cannot think of a Natural Disaster (in the United States) that can come close to Katrina. Maybe the Tornadoes from the 1999 season,
I was in OK City (Moore) for the EF 5 that went thru, and to tell you the truth, what i saw last year was worse
The 2011 Tornado season was the costliest, over 12 billion in damages. (AM Best estimates of insd losses, also figures obtained from reinsurance companys, ie companys that insure insurance companys) This is a figure that will still rise for years to come pending lawsuits and the like.Estimates are in the 18 to 22 billion dollar range when all is said and done. As a Large Loss Property Adjuster for over 20yrs, and a Large Loss Catastrophy Adjuster (for a major insurance company) ,I was down in Alabama and Mississippi for the 2011 tornados...It was quite literally..Hell on Earth , ( I was supposed to go to Joplin but was just mentally exhausted)
Hurricane Irene just a year ago yesterday cost over 15 Billion to date, and many of those losses arent settled yet, Irene once all is said and done very well may be up in the area of what Andrew cost. Reason being, the population density of areas hit. We (my company) got over 45,000 claims in NY and PA alone
I was also down for Katrina appx a week (or 2 cant remember) after it hit and handled hundreds of property claims down there, one thing i will say is people need to know the hazards of where they live, and dont be suprised when something like this happens, you live in a low lying city on the Gulf of Mexico, the most active area in the northern hemisphere for hurricanes, dont be shocked, or blame someone else when things go bad..... Govts can plan as much as they want...but mother nature ALWAYS WINS....period.....
Thaat said, every person i met down there was disgusted by what they were seeing on TV with the looting, and were heartbroken that the national news made it appear that this is what the rest of America should take from this disaster. 99% of those people were the best, hardest working and true blue type of person that makes this country great. Im just glad that what i took from Katrina is that i saw entire communitys without a pot to pee in give their neighbor or a complete stranger the shirt off their backs. The residents of NOLA, and Louisiana should be proud to be a member of that community, after what i saw, i sure would be.
