Six Months After the Floods, Thousands Are Still Waiting for Help

Six months ago, the floods came. In a matter of hours, entire neighborhoods were underwater. Homes were destroyed. Businesses were wiped out. Lives were upended.

The cameras came too — for a few days. Politicians made promises. Relief organizations mobilized. The world watched.

Then the cameras moved on. The politicians went home. And thousands of families were left to navigate a bureaucratic nightmare that has left many of them still without a permanent home, six months later.

I have filled out the same forms 12 times, says Denise Williams, 58, who has been living in a FEMA trailer since the floods. Every time I call, they tell me my case is under review.

The failure is systemic. FEMA's disaster relief program is chronically underfunded and understaffed. Insurance companies have denied thousands of claims on technicalities. And local governments, overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, have struggled to coordinate the response.

But amid the bureaucratic failures, there are stories of resilience. Community organizations have stepped in where government has failed. Neighbors are helping neighbors.