As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly when they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky. So up to the house-top the coursers they flew with the sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas too.

Anyone who says they're not afraid at the time of a hurricane is either a fool or a liar or a little bit of both.

We're learning as we go. We're a lot smarter this time. We understand what it takes to mobilize away from the threat of a hurricane.

What happened with Hurricane Katrina was the American electorate was forced to look at what lay behind the veneer of chest-beating. We all saw the consequences of having terrible government leadership.

There are more than 300 000 families in the Gulf region that lost their homes and are waiting for peace of mind. The hurricane exposed the sad reality of poverty in America. We saw in all its horrific detail the vulnerabilities of living in inadequate housing and the heartbreak of losing one's home.

Corporations often partner with government after natural disasters as many companies did in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As a rule however long-term civic/corporate partnerships are still rare .But this need not remain the status quo as many opportunities are available for such partnerships.

Music was your real passion this thing you held dear even above family. It was this relationship that never betrayed you. Once it became your job - this thing that was highly visible this thing that became about commerce - that's when you were holding onto music like it was a palm tree in a hurricane.

In my home State of Louisiana several institutions of higher education have been impacted by both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita literally dozens across the entire State.

Through the harsh design of fate Florida was dealt the unfortunate circumstances of bearing the brunt of not one but two hurricanes and it appears more dark clouds are poised to visit the Sunshine State.

As everyone in Louisiana knows there was often no communication or coordination between the state and federal government in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.