Brooklyn, N.Y. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement to commemorate the Tenth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

“As we remember the Tenth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, let us remember the thousands of families that were displaced, some of whom have not yet returned – and might never return – to their homes. Let us remember  the people who were killed or suffered in the hurricane, often because the agencies responsible for their safety failed to prepare for the hurricane and, even after the crisis had occurred, failed to provide assistance to individuals in need. And let us resolve that we as people of conscience will never allow such a disaster to occur ever again. We know that the devastation of Hurricane Katrina was not inevitable. Rather, the devastation was a consequence of the failure to prioritize the needs of the predominantly African American families who were living in the areas that were most vulnerable to a hurricane. As the rebuilding of New Orleans continues, the federal government, the State of Louisiana, and the City of New Orleans have a moral responsibility to eliminate the disparities that persist as well as the failures of public policy that created the disaster of Hurricane Katrina.”

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the House of Representatives, a member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, as well as the Committee on Ethics and the Committee of Small Business. She represents many neighborhoods in central and southern Brooklyn, NY which include Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, parts of Park Slope and Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.