Hurricane!

Two months ago, President Bush took an ax to budget funds that would have helped New Orleans prepare for such a disaster. The New Orleans branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers suffered a "record $71.2 million" reduction in federal funding, a 44.2 percent reduction from its 2001 levels. Reports at the time said that thanks to the cuts, "major hurricane and flood protection projects will not be awarded to local engineering firms. … Also, a study to determine ways to protect the region from a Category 5 hurricane has been shelved for now." (Too bad Louisiana isn’t a swing state. In the aftermath of Hurricane Frances — and the run-up to the 2004 election — the Bush administration awarded $31 million in disaster relief to Florida residents who didn’t even experience hurricane damage.)