Two years ago today, Hurricane Katrina, the costliest disaster in the nation's history, made landfall. Natural storm defenses - barrier islands, wetlands, and coastal forests - that once existed had suffered at the hand of humans, and their demise left coastal communities exposed.

The storm surge Katrina created destroyed southern Louisiana, obliterated the coast of Mississippi, and toppled levees causing catastrophic flooding in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish. People drowned in their houses, billions of dollars of property were destroyed, and cracks in American government and society were exposed.

As the recovery continues two years later, an honest federal commitment to effective storm protection that incorporates coastal restoration and conservation, along with the proper levee alignments, is essential to rebuilding a sustainable Gulf Coast.

The Gulf Coast's natural storm defenses can be rebuilt.

In Louisiana, river diversions can deliver freshwater and sediment to starved marshes. Man-made channels, like the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) must be closed. Oil and gas companies need to take responsibility for wetlands destruction by filling in old canals and funding large-scale restoration projects.

Help in implementing these changes is the best anniversary gift you can give to the future of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, according to the Gulf Restoration Network.

The non-profit group is asking people to take a moment today to commemorate the second anniversary of Katrina and help them "Flood Washington, Not Our Coast" with emails to Congress and the President urging them to make a strong commitment to the Gulf Coast.

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/GRN/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1521

Two years after Katrina, there are still obstacles to overcome, but progress in the revitalization is being made. People and jobs are coming back; defunct political institutions, like fractured levee boards, are being restructured; and lives are being rebuilt.

"Living in New Orleans, I feel a sense of hope breaking through the gloom, but we're paralyzed as we hold our breaths through another hurricane season. Fear of the next disaster will subside only when our levee system AND our natural storm protections are restored," says Dan Favre, Campaign Organizer for the group. "The time to act is now."

The Gulf Restoration Network is a diverse network of local, regional, and national groups and individuals dedicated to protecting and restoring the valuable resources of the Gulf of Mexico. The GRN has members in the five Gulf states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

For more information, visit the group's Website at HealthyGulf.Org.