Fourth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS - Four years ago today, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near the border between Louisiana and Mississippi wreaking devastation all along the gulf coast.

President Obama is remembering the victim's of Hurricane Katrina today.

In his weekly address, the president said today's anniversary is a reminder that the country must be prepared for a broad range of dangers, including natural disasters, terror attacks and pandemic disease.

He says government red tape should not get in the way of rebuilding after disasters such as Katrina.

"I have also made it clear that we will not tolerate red tape that stands in the way of progress, or the waste that can drive up the bill. Government must be a partner - not an opponent - in getting things done. That is why we have put in place innovative review and dispute resolution programs to expedite recovery efforts, and have freed up hundreds of millions of dollars of federal assistance that had not been distributed. This is allowing us to move forward with stalled projects across the Gulf Coast - building and improving schools; investing in public health and safety; and repairing broken roads, bridges and homes," President Obama explains.

President Obama also said that he will visit New Orleans later this year to see first-hand how the recovery is going.