A quote from Michael Novak on National Review Online, 14 September 2005

It would be wise for Europeans to look at the aerial photographs of the southern third of the state of Mississippi, [...]. Katrina hit there with more fury than it hit New Orleans. (Despite that, the governor and the state's citizens kept far better order than in Louisiana.) [...]

The physical toll on buildings, trees, bridges, railroad lines, etc., is stupefying, for hundreds of miles east-west and north-south. But so far, that relatively low death toll seems to me almost miraculous. Jack Kelly has reported that the federal response to Katrina was at least as fast as that during the last six major hurricanes — and that far more goods and materials were delivered into the area hit by Katrina during the first 72-96 hours.