"About the same number of people died as doing 9 11 at the Titanic. This is every bit as big a event in our nation's history and our world's history. 20 years ago, New Orleans levies failed catastrophically. Floodwaters inundated 80% of the city. The levy that you see here is the new levy bill after the creatures. Problems with the levies go all the way back to the 18 hundreds. Some of the earliest levies were barely speed bumps, small mounds using whatever material was handy, not the hard clay. The core eventually used when it raised those levies. The levies could not withstand the enormous pressure Katrina's surge exerted on them and sheet pilings driven into the earth turned out to be too short. When the water came up, the water went through the unsuitable material, which was deep beneath the earth, put pressure against the canal or the levy and the levy slid towards people's houses and broke into pieces in the aftermath. The core spent nearly $15 billion, installing 150 miles of improved levies and flood walls. Two decades later, New Orleans is a safer place during hurricanes. It's a whole different world than what it was when Hurricane Katrina hit. Oh, it's vibrant. It's moving. It's very popular now."