From the ABC .....

Govt has learnt lessons from Katrina, Bush says. 

As the first anniversary of hurricane Katrina approaches, US President George W Bush has promised Americans that his administration has learnt its lessons from the storm.

US authorities have warned that if the same storm were to hit New Orleans today, the city's levees would again fail.

In his weekly radio address, Mr Bush acknowledged his government did not respond quickly enough to hurricane Katrina, put promised he was committed to the long-term restoration of New Orleans.

"Unfortunately, Katrina also revealed that federal, state and local governments were unprepared to respond to such an extraordinary disaster," he said.

"And the floodwaters exposed a deep-seated poverty that has cut people off from the opportunities of our country.

"So last year I made a simple pledge, the Federal Government would learn the
lessons of Katrina.

"We would do what it takes and would stay as long as it takes to help our
brothers and sisters build a new Gulf coast, where every citizen feels part
of the great promise of America."