Media coverage after the storm focused on New Orleans, but the damage was just as bad, and sometimes worse, in Mississippi. Ten years on, slow recovery in places like East Biloxi has left many behind.
Ten years ago, tiny Pearlington, Miss., got hit with a 30-foot wall of water, inundating homes that hadn't flooded in 50 years. Some rebuilt — repeatedly — but for others, the incentive isn't there.
The hurricane virtually flattened the entire town, destroying or damaging nearly every home. Rebuilding efforts took another hit in 2010 with the BP oil spill.
Tiny Pearlington, Miss., was obliterated 10 years ago. In a town of 1,700, only two houses stood relatively unscathed. Volunteers did most rebuilding, for better or worse, and recovery has been slow.
Mississippi has long ranked near the bottom of the states in educational performance. In a bid to change that, 21 school districts are suing the state for more than $200 million in education funding.
Many couples have traveled to states where gay marriage is recognized to get hitched. Those who do have a much harder time getting divorced once they get back home.