This is the first comprehensive book on the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. It covers race and class, housing and redevelopment, the past history of urban disasters and the future of economic development in the region.

1. Pre-Katrina, Post-Katrina 2. A Matter of Choice: Historical Lessons for Disaster Recovery 3. Oral History, Folklore, and Katrina 4. Towards a Transformative View of Race: The Crisis and Opportunity of Katrina 5. Abandoned Before the Storms: The Glaring Disaster of Gender, Race, and Class Disparities in the Gulf 6. Katrina and the Politics of Later Life 7. Where is Home? Housing for Low-Income People After the 2005 Hurricanes 8. Reclaiming New Orleans' Working-Class Communities 9. A New Kind of Medical Disaster in the United States 10. Double Jeopardy: Public Education in New Orleans Before and After the Storm 11. An Old Economy for the 'New' New Orleans? Post-Hurricane Katrina Economic Development Efforts 12. From Poverty to Prosperity: The Critical Role of Financial Institutions 13. The Role of Local Organizing: House-to-House with Boots on the Ground 14. Rebuilding A Tortured Past or Creating A Model Future: The Limits and Potentials of Planning