Katrina to Corona: Surges Urge United States to Learn

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), presents monumental challenges on multiple fronts and on a global scale. Since the first report out of the Wuhan district in China in December 2019, the pandemic has resulted in nearly 75 million cases worldwide. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported more than 16 million cases and more than 300 000 deaths domestically as of December 17, 2020, making the United States the most affected country.1 When catastrophic events occur, public institutions, especially government agencies, find ways to mitigate injury and loss to their citizens. Katrina, one of the costliest hurricanes to hit the United States, caused an estimated $200 billion in damage, mostly concentrated in the Gulf Coast region.4 Fortunately, the rest of the US economy was relatively stable and could support the region's recovery.