hurricane katrina

Eight years after Hurricane Katrina, the Ferris wheel at the former Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans sits idle. "Closed for Storm" signs are still posted and the abandoned, weed-choked site remains a thorn in the side of officials leading one of the most extensive city-rebuilding projects in U.S. history.

Federal investigators said Wednesday that as much as $700 million in federal aid intended to help some 24,000 Louisiana families elevate their homes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 may have been misspent.

New Jersey recently announced that 2012 was a record year for tourism spending, but because of the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy, 2013 could be one of the worst years for tourism in a long time.

43-year-old David Kollie of Newark was sentenced to a year in prison today. He was convicted earlier this year on charges of illegally depositing Hurricane Katrina disaster relief checks issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the tax refund check of a stranger.