Five Years After Katrina, Most Say Nation is Not Better Prepared

Five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, a majority of Americans (57%) say that the nation is no better prepared for hurricanes and other natural disasters than it was in 2005. However, the public does see progress in rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf region: 69% say there has been a lot or some progress made rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf, up from 56% in 2006.

The national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Aug. 19-22 among 1,003 adults, finds that midway through the 2010 hurricane season, there is broad skepticism about the nation's preparedness to deal with hurricanes and other natural disasters. Majorities of most political and demographic groups – including 57% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans – say the nation is not better prepared for such disasters than it was when Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast.  

College graduates are an exception; those with college degrees are about equally likely to say the country is better prepared (46%) as to say it is not better prepared (49%).
 
By contrast, just 35% of those who have not graduated from college say the country is better prepared, while 61% say it is not.

Read the full report, Five Years After Katrina, Most Say Nation is Not Better Prepared on the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press' Web site.