U.S. Government Sued by Katrina Victims for Quadrillions

August 29, 2006, marked one of the worst days in the history of our nation. That was the day a Category 3 hurricane, "Katrina," touched down on the city of New Orleans, LA and devastated the area. Not only was Louisiana affected, but also Mississippi and parts of other Gulf Coast states. Katrina claimed 1600 lives and left even more displaced.

Now, two years later, the victims of Katrina are still seeking restitution. Many are still displaced. Businesses, families, individuals are homeless or bankrupt. Collectively, they are suing the U.S. Government for $3 quadrillion in damages.

Our current National Debt is $9,202,838,674,179.59. That's $9.2 billion, roughly. Our human brains can wrap around the definition of "billion." Bill Gates' current net worth is $29.53 billion. That is a lot of money. A List actors can make $1 billion, at least, for one movie. That kind of money can buy a mansion in Hollywood and keep you comfortable for a while.

In 1918, Milton S. Hershey secretly donated $60 million in company stock to a trust fund for the students of the Milton S. Hershey School. Since then, the Hershey Trust Company has grown to an astonishing $5.9 billion. Each student that graduates from the Milton S. Hershey School is given a laptop computer, a scholarship to the school of his choice, and a few other seemingly costly items-if the student has maintained a C average or better.

All of these figures, we as humans can grasp. But the idea of $3 quadrillion seems lost and a bit far-fetched. Written out numerically, that figure looks like this: $3,000,000,000,000,000. That figure is 326,000 times the National Debt. That is more than Bill Gates' Net Worth.

What, exactly, is that money for? The 489,000 claims are for businesses that lost everything (including insurance companies), families displaced and scoffed at by FEMA, irreparable damages, wrongful deaths. And who, exactly, is being sued? The Army Corps of Engineers. According to an article in the Sherevport Times, The Army Corps of Engineers stepped up and took the blame for the failure of the levees during the flood. FindLaw.com sites FEMA as the defendant.

But, can these entities be sued? According to an article in the Washington Post, the Federal Government is immune to lawsuits for flood damage and suits that "threaten the discretion of government officials to act." The victims of Hurricane Katrina have been through the worst trauma imaginable and now, they may not be able to receive the compensation they deserve-the support they deserve-as U.S. Citizens and taxpayers.

In the same article, the law suit is said to cite two incidences in which the U.S. Government is to be held responsible. They are the building of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a channel for shipping which created a "hurricane alleyway," and improper dredging of the 17^th Street Canal that caused the flood walls to become weak. If these two situations can be proved, the U.S. Government may still hold immunity for the negligence.

The figure may be a long-shot. The victims have been through much. Each of the claims means something to the individual making it. Perhaps some seek a monetary compensation. But many have joined the case to express their anger at the government for its seeming negligence and lack of corporation in the aftermath of the tragedy. The bottom line is the people thought they were safe. They had reason to believe the Army Corps of Engineers when they said the levees would hold. Clearly, the Corps was mistaken.