I have not seen a more mournful landscape than the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina. We had bought a cottage in Bay St Louis Mississippi in March of 05 and the owners vacated in August. We were set to spend our first night around Labor Day. It was not meant to be. 

On September 9th we drove down, after finding our house on a NOAA satellite photograph with debris pile up to the door step and 'cockeyed'. We took the storm bucket we had prepared for the church in hopes that we could scrub it down. But when a storm surge is 30 feet and your house is 22 feet above sea level, the rest of it is math and waterline. 

Eventually, I  took 18 trips over 62000 miles and repaired it to perfection with my best friend. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world nor would I wish Katrina on anyone in the world.