To the Point

The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

The death toll is rising from Hurricane Katrina, with estimates ranging from 68 to 80, and public officials predicting many more. In New Orleans, with waters 20 feet deep and rising, survivors are still being plucked off rooftops and out of windows. For hundreds of thousands of others, it's still not safe to go home. One of the levees holding back Lake Pontchatrain has suffered a breach that's some 200 feet wide, and electrical power will be out for another four to six weeks. Did a disaster that was predicted have to be this bad? What's to be done now? We speak with experts in emergency preparedness, conservation, national security and public health, as well as a Congressman and oil industry economist, to get updates on damage, relief efforts and growing dangers to public health and safety. Making News: The Situation in Mobile Mississippi is said to have suffered at least 55 deaths, with Biloxi bearing the brunt of the damage. Frances Coleman is across the state line in Mobile, Alabama, where she's editorial page editor of the Mobile Register. Reporter's Notebook: How Hard Will Katrina Hit Insurance? Hurricane Andrew hit Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida in 1992, and it cost the insurance industry $21 billion. How will one of the most expensive storms on record be handled by the insurance industry? We get the latest assessment of damages from Robert Hartwig, chief economist at the Insurance Information Institute.