Kathleen Blanco

Hurricane Katrina Address to La Legislature

"Tonight I speak to the brave and resilient people of Louisiana: those of us thankful to be here at home, those in Louisiana shelters, and those temporarily dispersed across the nation in shelters from Texas to Tennessee and in homes and hotels in faraway states."

"The destruction is almost beyond comprehension: We've lost hundreds of our loved ones. Entire communities have been destroyed. Businesses, wiped off the map. Families separated. More than a million people displaced from their homes."

"We all know that there were failures at every level of government: state, federal and local. At the state level, we must take a careful look at what went wrong and make sure it never happens again. The buck stops here and, as your Governor, I take full responsibility."