By Ruthie Frierson, via Nola.com

Katrina changed everything — and every one of us. More than 80 percent of our city was under water for more than three weeks. Our infrastructure was almost completely destroyed – public facilities, schools, homes and businesses. More than 1,800 of our citizens lost their lives, and many others were displaced.

Why would people return and rebuild homes and businesses if they didn’t feel safe from flooding? To rebuild New Orleans, citizens needed their trust restored.