Hurricane Katrina brought disaster to the front rooms of the Western world. However, it was not the hurricane which caused the greatest human damage on America's Gulf coast, but the overwhelmed public services.
The inability of the richest nation in the world to evacuate the poorest in the affected communities was highlighted to the world. What was also on display were the US's inequalities, racism and broken political system.
Hosted by Avi Lewis, this week's Inside USA: New Orleans looks at how these issues are playing out in the swing state of Louisiana in the middle of a dramatic presidential campaign.