Speech #1140046799

With sustained winds up to 140 miles an hour and a storm surge over 9 meters high in some places. the impact to the gulf region was very devastating. While the economic cost of the storm is very difficult to measure. some estimates have put the damage over $100 billion. Hundreds of thousands of refugees scattered across the country. Most importantly. no price tag can be assigned to the loss of the nearly 2.000 lives that were lost. In the aftermath of the tragic storm. there were many hearings. there were many inquiries. studies. investigations. reforms. and policy changes that were conducted. and most of those were for good reason.