Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy visited areas hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina, including New Orleans and areas along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. McCarthy was a part of a delegation of 36 members of Congress to tour the region and receive briefings from local, state and federal officials working to clean up and redevelop areas devastated by Katrina, which made landfall in August 2005.

"Even six months later, the damage in New Orleans and Mississippi is beyond description," McCarthy said. "In parts of Mississippi, debris from houses, cars and anything else you would find in a neighborhood are spread across the landscape as if somebody just picked up all these things and threw them."

McCarthy said her view that the federal government failed in its response to the storm was reaffirmed by her visit. "FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security simply weren't prepared for a storm and aftermath of this magnitude," McCarthy added. "People's lives were devastated by the federal government's lackluster response and six months later people are still struggling in their day to day lives because of this lack of preparation."

However, McCarthy sited the perseverance and charitable works of the people living in the region. "It never fails to amaze me how the worst of times brings out the best in people," she said. "I met dozens of individuals who have spent months volunteering to help families who stayed in the area get their lives back together."

Many of the local officials are concerned about FEMA's plan to begin charging local governments for 5 to 10 percent of the cost of their operations. Some communities would be charged millions of dollars by the federal government. "These communities have lost everything, most report that 80 percent of their tax base has relocated and many of those who remain are out of work because so many businesses that were destroyed in the storm have not reopened," McCarthy continued. "The federal government cannot push even more financial burdens on these local municipalities."

McCarthy stressed her determination to keep federal aid coming into the effected areas. "Congress cannot allow these devastated communities and families to fend for themselves," she said.

McCarthy hopes federal and local governments learn the lesson of Katrina before the 2006 hurricane season arrives this summer. "It's only a matter of time before a large scale hurricane effects Long Island," she said. "We must learn from what happened with Katrina and prepare accordingly. I will continue to work with our local officials on Long Island to make sure we have a plan should the worst occur.

"As we learned in Mississippi and Louisiana, communication and education will be essential in successfully responding to a large scale emergency," McCarthy continued. "People will need to know where to turn for help and federal, state and local officials must develop strategies to get help to those in the most need."