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In the five years since Hurricane Katrina (quickly followed by Hurricane Rita) ravaged the Gulf Coast, USA TODAY has written extensively about the rebuilding efforts there. In this project, we try to sum up where we stand, half a decade after the storms hit. Has life there changed forever? Are people coming back? Although this is neither the first — nor the last — look at the lasting effects on the Gulf Coast, we hope this multimedia project helps answer those and other questions.

flickery, c'est comme iPhoto, mais pour Flickr...

Utility and clean up crews on Saturday morning worked to repair traffic lights, remove fallen trees and haul away tons of debris left on downtown Atlanta streets when a tornado swept through the city.

wow gold Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work wow gold . Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows." Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow awaywow gold . The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew. MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.

San Francisco is exposed to a wide variety of hazards, both natural and man-made. Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, power outages, and acts of terrorism are just some of the potential emergencies we may encounter. Imagine that you have no electricity, n

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