Mr. Williams,
Some have questioned NBC's footage of New Orleans, and surrounding areas, thinking that the pictures are not current. They just do not realize that in many places, little has changed.
Perhaps, you could somehow get across to your viewers that, at the rate debris is being cleared, it will take ten years for this region to be clear of Katrina damage.
An example: While feeding the birds this morning (they, too, lost their homes), I counted dozens of fallen trees criss-crossing the property adjoining mine. It is uninhabitable wetlands, so this will likely be my permanent view. Similar situations stretch for two hundred miles, east to west, and north to south. Besides trees felled by wind, tornadoes spawned by the hurricane broke hundreds of thousands of huge trees as if they were matchsticks.
In contrast to the suffering of so many, this seems, I suppose, to be of little consequence. But, people in this region are still dying from falling limbs. Despite warnings, children regularly play in these woods.
Why, some ask, do not locals clean up the debris and trees? We have cleaned up mountains of it, most at our own expense (insurance has a limit on debris removal). We just do not have the tools, resources, or, in many cases, the health and strength. Most are stretched to the limit in that they are dealing with bureaucracy, insurance companies, lost income, lost schools, lost neighborhoods, broken or lost homes, lost friends and family. Triage has become a way of life here. We must do what we can, as best as we can, and pray that assistance will eventually come for the rest. The scope of this catastrophe is just beyond human imagination.
So many have done so much, and for that, I am sure that I speak not for myself only, when I express genuine gratitude. We are so thankful to all the good people around the earth who have shared their resources, time, and energy on our behalf.
To those who doubt the pictures, we invite you to come see this for yourself. It will break your heart.

I wrote today and just had to finish with a little Katrina humor. When Mayor Nagin ,(I graduated with him in High School), yelled that the city of New Orleans will be a chocolate one. Why I know I heard a man say, no the flavor needs to be Butter Pecan. And a soft voice in the back of the crowd(estimated to be less than 70), softly said, "Strawberry will do, nicely." But I knew better, only Pistachio and nuts would work. For we would only have to look in the distant sky, you know for those littly green men to arrive. They would survey the damage, and together as one ,come up with a solution that would actually work! My what a marvel idea! With a touch of their green finger the levees would rise so we would never have to fear again. And the schools they would build would run quite well without a school board. What a novel idea! And what would we do with all those nuts? Why just feed them to those ole politicians that got us in this mess!!!

Hi, it's me again after working today at the hospitol. It still is so vivid in my mind, and I feel sometimes that I might lose it, I mean to the point of just yelling. It starts with the feeling you can't breathe, then sounds sound so loud, and all you want to be is 5 years old and have your mom hug you. The one bright message one can take with the hurricane are those wonderful eccentric Katrina moments. We all have them. When Mayor Nagin said that the city will be a chocolate one, I swear I heard a man yell, "Make it butter pecan!" Then a small voice said, "I like strawberry." If I would have been there, I would have yelled 'Pistachio and Nuts.' Then we would only have to wait, you know, till those funny little green men come in their saucers! They would only have to touch the levees and they would rise to the sky. And the schools they would build, why they would actually work and work without a schoolboard, for the board has been a thorn in the city too long. And what would we do with all those nuts in the icecream? Simple, feed them to all those politicians who for years knew what might be and sadly when it happened began to blame everyone else!

I feel as tho' I am being ridiculously obvious when I say this is THE LARGEST NATURAL DISASTER TO HIT THIS COUNTRY. If you are tired of hearing about it, imagine how the people who are living it every day, day in , day out feel! Think about how you would feel if your home burned down and then, if that wasn't enough, all of the homes of your neighbors burned down and those of your children, your siblings maybe some cousins and your parents. If that weren't enough, throw in your place of employment and the place of employment of all those people you know who lost their homes. Your entire support network is gone!!! Do you think, maybe, just maybe, you might think that there could not be ENOUGH talk about the subject, much less too much??!!! Whatever happened to the golden rule?

When you all have actually seen and smelt the devastation, then no one has the right to put their moral pundits on the gulf coast and Katrina. I am a RN, was sent with mental patients to a forensic facility. It was not fun, but it can't even begin with what people in all the states in the coastal region have felt, and are feeling. We need decent leadership, one where the billions of dollars won't be funneled into the good ole boys account. This is such a sad story. Most of my friends who are psych nurse's are now on antidepressants and antianxiety meds just to be able to care for our patients. Just so sad......

Thank you for your kind words Brian. I can't tell you how many times I have felt like post katrina reality is like life in OZ. Everything is different, little is familiar, and very few understand what you have been through. The whole time you are wishing you could click your heels and wish your way back to home again. It is a wonderful thought to have that you can always go home. For many, that is not a reality, and what is left for those that do have a home in the area, is a very different and saddening/ maddening reality.

I am sitting in my rental apartment in New Orleans right now, with all my bills and financial statements spread around me, trying to figure out how my husband and I are possibly going to keep from filing for bankruptcy. When Katrina hit, I lost my home and my job. My husband lost 90 percent of his clients. We came back to New Orleans to try and help rebuild our beloved city, and are doing so at great personal cost to ourselves. We've drained all our savings. We don't get a break from any of our creditors, even though our income is less than half of what it was before the disaster. We're struggling just to pay for our basic expenses -- forget about even small luxuries or trying to save money.

Boy am I sick of people sitting in their comfortable homes with their comfortable lives, talking about how tired they are of hearing about Katrina. My life, and the lives of everyone around me are disrupted beyond measure, and through no fault of our own. "There but for the grace of God ..."

Thanks Brian for keeping people reminded of this.

Mr. Williams, on January 25, you referred to the mail that you have received that thinks enough has been said about the effects of Katrina. I disagree--strongly--with this idea. If the media do not continue to cover the effects of this catastrophe, the hardships of those most affected will be both ignored and forgotten.

One could say that Mississippi has Senator Trent Lott, but even Lott is dissatisfied with the assistance that his state has received. Perhaps, if former Senator John Breaux was still in Washington, Louisiana and New Orleans would fare better. Other than the officials in various levels of government, who else can act as the voice for those in need?

If you and NBC abandon your excellent follow-ups on Katrina, who or what will serve as the conscience for what was not done before Katrina struck as well as what is yet to be done to restore New Orleans and the other areas devastated by this storm? By all means, continue to cover this story!

Dennis Hastert, where are you? As speaker of the House of Representatives you need to come to the Gulf Coast and visit New Orleans and all of the affected areas of Mississippi. Yes, you are from suburban Chicago but you took on the speaker's job in the U.S. Congress. You now represent ALL the people of America. Therefore, it is you job to come down to place you wondered about during that first week in September when the Associated Press quoted you on September 2, 2005 as follows:

WASHINGTON (AP) — It makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's 7 feet under sea level, House Speaker Dennis Hastert said of federal assistance for hurricane-devastated New Orleans.

"It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed," the Illinois Republican said in an interview Wednesday with the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Ill. Asked whether it made sense to spend billions rebuilding a city that lies below sea level, he replied, "I don't know. That doesn't make sense to me."

Speaker Hastert, have you changed your mind since then? Is this region of America to be bulldozed? Should NBC Nightly News stop bringing this story to Katrina-fatigued nation and the world? Nearly 2 million inquiring Katrina victims want to know. A trip down here might change your views… You could ask Brian Williams and NBC Nightly News to come along with you to cover the trip… the gumbo is waiting for you and anyone in the Congress who wants to help their fellow Americans get back on their feet.

Bravo to Brian Williams and the crew at NBC for continuing to cover the devastation that was Katrina. I visited the Mississippi Gulf shore and New Orleans in late December and was horrified to see how little had been done to rebuild the affected areas. To say that there was debris left is an understatement. There was little left of hundreds of thousands of lives but debris.
I think Katrina may be one of the most important news stories of my lifetime, both because of the scope of the disaster and the fact that it highlights shortcomings in a country that is supposed to have so few. As sad as it may be, the long road back for so many in such a priveledged place has become more of a story than the original damage could ever be. I suspect that it may be disturbing just because of the serious questions it provokes. It will seem tired to those who prefer to be spectators to human tragedy instead of hoping for genuine solutions to the problems that have been brought up.

Thank you for continuing to be our voice NBC. Many people may think that it is over for us, but it is indeed far from it. Thanks again to all of you.

I agree with Brian's comments. I would have added...the reason we are still covering the story is because IT IS STILL NEWS. The story is not over!!! I would urge you to be careful, however, about using old footage. When we see piles of debris along the streets, are they current piles? While some historical footage may be ok, you should keep it at a minimum and identify it as such. I want to know what New Orleans looks like NOW. That is the news, not photos immediately after the hurricane.

Brian Williams & the NBC nightly news staff,

I wanted to take the time to applaud you for your efforts of keeping the victims of Katrina in our thoughts! Do the individuals making negative comments not realize that the people devistated by Katrina & Rita lost their hopes, dreams, loved ones, and EVERYTHING and to be so heartless to say 'ENOUGH'...

I was absolutely appauled when you read some of the comments on 1/25/06 airing that our fellow brothers and sisters have to say regarding the victims. As a nation with a crisis we are to come together and help our friends and neighbors! Whether it's a week later, 6 months later, or 3 years, it does not matter. These are fellow American's in need! Please keep Katrina victims in our thoughts!

Thank you for your nightly reminder of everything that I have to be thankful for and please keep up the good work

While fellow Americans are still suffering some consider the story overplayed is worse than appalling; it is sickening. That so many are still not being helped and that not all the dead have been identified are two stories that should be on the front page of papers daily. That new information about our government's incompetence and lack of care is still being revealed should be story number one.

Dear Brian,
My school, about 80 miles north of New Orleans, suffered over $50,000,000 damage from Katrina. When classes resumed three weeks after the storm, many still were living without electricity or phone service. Sadly, a huge proportion of our enrollment were living without their homes.
The first assignment in my English Comp. I class was to write an essay on Katrina's impact. For the good people of New Orleans, my hometown, and for all other victims of violent weather everywhere, I would like to use this venue to share a portion of my report.
"Unless one has been a resident of that fanciful town, it is impossible to explain the ardent loyalty of New Orleanians, the faith in and the love of a place called home. How even a brief visit to that city leaves an imprint on one is testimony to its spirit. So, for New Orleans to be missed in a literal and figurative sense evokes a baffling array of emotions for those displaced...Fitting or not, Katrina brought a flood of confusion equal to her phenomenal size.
The storm over government disregard in the face of unprecendented suffering of an American population will likely be examined for years...Worse still, is the thinking that the residents of New Orleans are the "dregs of society". Those exact words, unkind in themselves, are even more offensive because they were used in a Sunday School class of a church in Arkansas, a church used as a shelter. A friend (from a town north of N.O.) there for refuge was dismayed to hear those words invoked as a reason for not aiding helpless victims.
...One wonders if the displaced of the Crescent city will carry on the tradition of cooking red beans on Monday...while one does the wash, also a Monday tradition. The enigma of Katrina is that, morally and spiritually, she dredged up dirty laundry on a Monday in New Orleans. That Katrina agitated the waters of the Gulf and shifted the sands beneath is a fitting metaphor for what was exposed in the response to her. True feelings and attitudes deep within the hearts of many of our leaders (and citizens) were stirred up, dislodged, exposed like dead bodies. The ensuing gulf between the privileged and the needy is indicative of the shifting sands of our society.
There are some, however, who truly grieve with the living who left New Orleans, and who wish them well in every respect. It is certain that they will find a way to honor their dead in a worthy manner... One wonders if the nation will be forever changed by the 'lost' population of the city 'that care forgot', a people who truly know in every sense 'what it means to miss New Orleans'."-written Sept. 26, 2005.
Even though I too am a victim of Katrina, I still have my battered, livable home, my neighborhood, and my small Mississippi community which has welcomed 30,000 evacuees into an area that had a population pre Katrina of 23,000.
Ironicaly, many professionals have had to leave the region. Our daughter, who was a Special Ed. teacher in New Orleans, has had to relocate to western Louisiana. Though her home suffered little damage, she lost her job (and school). We are left without the company of our only child who lived nearby, and two beautiful grandchildren.
All of us left here in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are tired of the story, tired of the devastation that, despite constant cleanup, seems to expand, tired of the broken faces of our fellow citizens, tired of the traffic, the crowded stores, long lines, news that yet another dead body has been found, etc.
The story is not over. Thank you for keeping it alive.

Katrina is my 2nd flood in 10 years. The May, 1995 flood came from a heavy spring rain that put 10" of water in my old Metairie home. It took us 3 months of hard work to recover from that one. So 3 years ago we bought a week-end house near Picayune, Ms because I knew a bigger flood would come one day and it did. The difference is the 17th St. Canal water that bought 32" of water to our home was toxic, oily and sat there for 3 weeks. Our trees, garden, and grass are dead. Even though our area is back, our block for the most part is "dead". We went through the eye of Katrina in MS. but we didn't flood and had minimal damage from trees. We're here for good and I can only dream about my home of 34 years and the wonderful memories left behind. We know how lucky we are but we'll always be New Orleanians. Never let this tragedy be forgotten. Thank you!

Dear Brian,

We would like you to continue coverage of Katrina and hope we hear that they get some money soon from the government which has neglected them shamefully. Eighty five million dollars sounds good. They gave money to Iraq for the elections, hoping that they'd vote democratic but they voted for Hamas and that bunch of murders. Let's take care of our own. Keep us informed on our people in New Orleans.

Thank you and God bless you Brian

Thank you Brian Williams and NBC News for keeping New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in the news. It is unfortunate that some Americans including many of our elected representatives have short attention spans and need to be reminded of the tragedgy that is the Gulf Coast. Today, I drove out to the lakefront to take my dog for a walk. As I drove out Franklin Avenue, I passed the destruction once again. I saw the holes in rooftops where Americans clawed their way through to escape the rising water. I saw the numbers painted on houses that indicate the number of dead Americans found there. I am reminded everyday just as all Americans need to be reminded EVERYDAY, until we can all say NEVER AGAIN will we allow this to happen in America. Those who have written to complain about your extensive coverage probably don't want to be reminded about starving children in Africa or AIDS or global warming or anything else that makes them feel guilty. Shame on them!

In regards to the wire tapping, our government new that the people that crashed into to the twin towers were here, and niether administration did anything about it till it was to late, so what good is it now? also how far are we as a free country (?) willing to give this president the freedom to look into our private lives, any fool knows that you must monitor every phone call within the U.S in order to find these people, because the 9/11 attacks came from within the U.S. this president has allot of people fooled, and if we are not carefull we will be in a war that we do not want, America versus the world, this is a war we cannot win, when japan struck pearl harbor we went after japan, when binladdin hit the towers we went after saddam, will we attack another country like saudi arabia if pakistan hits us? THINK ABOUT IT.

The largest displacement of American citizens since the Civil War warrants extensive media coverage. Anyone tiring of having to witness the pathetic response of government at all levels should consider another news source--perhaps one with a rosier view of our situation here--something like FOX News.

Thank you,Brian Williams, for your outstanding continued coverage of Katrina.

For those of you who are tired of hearing about Katrina you really should visit the region and see it for yourself. You cannot really get an idea of the extent of the devastation and suffering until you see it face to face. Then you can decide whether it is still newsworthy or not. The people of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast are some of the most gracious, generous, kindhearted people that I have ever come across. If you were in their situation you would not want to be forgotten.

I have lived all over the world and the country and have been a resident of New Orleans for many years now. I fell in love with its history, its unique culture, and most of all its people. Many of my friends lost everything they ever owned. Some of them just have a concrete slab left where their house once stood. My parents house which had never flooded had 4 feet of water. My father, a cancer patient on chemo, had to wait 4 months for a trailer. In the meantime he and my mother drove 3 hours every day to work on their house while staying with a friend in Mississippi because there was no place closer to stay. All motels and hotels were full. Their neighbor across the street, a 78 year old widow with heart problems, is still living in her gutted house waiting for a trailer. Every time she called FEMA to inquire about it she was told it would be coming. So she waited. 5 months have gone by she finally decided to call again, they had lost her name in the system. Another friend in Pearlington, Mississippi, who also happens to be a widow, lived in a 250 year old house that had withstood every hurricane up until now. The tidal surge swept through her entire first floor (which is about 4 feet high off the ground). It is one of 4 houses left standing in that town. They are just a few of the hundreds of thousands in the same situation.

So for those of you who are tired of hearing about it, please just come down here and see it for yourself, then see if you can forget it.

Kudos to Brian Williams and NBC. As a freelance television producer, I have spent some 10 weeks in New Orleans covering the aftermath of Katrina (for a competing network.) In 17 years in the business, this is the only story which television cameras cannot capture. The damage extends 90,000 square miles. People need to STOP and THINK. Imagine losing everything you had - your home, your car, your belongings, your job. EVERYTHING! Imagine your house still stands but is unliveable. Nearly five months after the storm, life there is anything but normal. Every time I'm called back for work I think it's going to be a little better, and it's literally like a time warp. Brian Williams is right. Hurricane Katrina categorically changed America. And the rest of the nation needs not to turn its back on New Orleans. It is the nation's number one port in shipping tonnage. One third of the nation's seafood comes from the region. 18% of the nation's oil and 24% of the nation's natural gas is processed within the region. In fact, every time those in the Northeast turn on the heat this winter, they need to think about New Orleans. Not only am I a journalist, this region is my home and I hope and pray that the country I live in will help rebuild the South because the South cannot do it alone. New Orleans is the crown jewel of the South. It is to the region what New York is to the Northeast -- and this country was there for New York after 9/11. It's time we back the Big Easy!

Mr. Williams,
In 1969 my husband and I left our birthplace, New Orleans, so that we could raise our family in the countryside. We never considered moving back, but we loved to visit. Our parents were there, beignets and cafe au lait, City Park, Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium, the French Market.
We spent anniversaries there, took our children on river cruises, sat on the seawall with our Barq's and Manuel's tamales, savored Po-Boys from Parkway Bakery. We celebrated our parents' 50th anniversary at Joe Brown Park (the largest park in the city, not open yet, perhaps never), and have pictures of the herons and alligators that joined in the celebration. It was a wonderful place to grow up, and a great place for family fun. Our grief over its devastation permeates every fiber of our being.
Even though we also still have severe damage in our little country town, we did not have flooding. We went from 23,000 residents to 53,000 overnight. Imagine Wal-mart's shelves being practically empty for months because evacuees needed to fill up pantries and refrigerators, and needed entire new wardrobes. Every other business has been overwhelmed by the demand for services. Remember, we were just a sleepy little town. The traffic is incredibly tiresome.
To this day, however, I have not witnessed one instance of rudeness to our new residents. We miss the way it was here before Katrina, but we welcome all these dear people who need our comfort and understanding, and a place to begin anew.
Our daughter was a Special Education teacher in New Orleans. Her home on the Northshore was spared severe damage, but she and her two small children had to move to western Louisiana, because she no longer had a job (not even a school) in New Orleans. So we have lost the company of our only child that lived nearby, and our precious little grandchildren. Ironic, that with all our new population, that we have also lost so many.
We are all tired of the aftermath of Katrina, but we cannot get away from what she brought. Thank you, Brian, for sticking close to us. We deeply appreciate your gentle reminders to the rest of the world that this story isn't over. We wish it was.

You work is important.

You continued drive to report on Americans in dissarray is honorable and inspiring to us all.

Again, I tell you it is plainly important.

The response of our elected officials and our government to a catastrophic event of any kind in this country is the responsability of every American to at the very least pay attention too, and follow the results. What happens to them happens to us all and the day may well come when its our turn, where ever you live could be the next need for massive help and reconstruction. I can promise you that the people of the south effected by katrina will be the first to offer their hand to help. It can all be summed up with the simple saying, If not by the grace of God go I. If it is not your part of the country that was affected then it was YOUR country that was.It is our duty to see it through to the end. It is all of duties to make the next disaster reconstruction go better and to see the laws are passed to see this kind of response is improved upon. Mean while I hope to be kept informed about such improvements by our national News. (Brian)keep up the great job.