On the morning of Aug. 29, Hurricane Katrina made history, hitting the Gulf Coast with such force that it flooded a city and flattened entire towns - and the impressions still run deep for many of those victims.
Within hours of Katrina's first impact, several sections of the New Orleans system of levees had collapsed.
Two days later, at least 55 people were reported dead across the Gulf Coast. The official death toll from Hurricane Katrina now stands at more than 1,300 people across five states.
And the aftermath from the historic hurricane extended much further than a body count.
Criticism of the Bush administration's slow response to the disaster led to the resignation of Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
As the Gulf Coast continues to rebuild, costs are projected to exceed $200 billion in federal spending. The first schools are just reopening in New Orleans and everyday aspects of life, from sports teams to the region's trademark blues, are being slowly lifted back up.
