Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina whirled through numerous cities, but New Orleans was undeniably devastated. The city was wounded and the hurricane cast a darkness over the once lively city.I remember the panic that ensued as Katrina began to approach New Orleans. There was constant speculation as to whether or not New Orleans could survive a Category 3 hurricane. Being below sea level put the city at a significant disadvantage.

Ever since Katrina left her mark on the Crescent City, there have been many efforts to clean up, repair, and re-strengthen the city.

The Wall Street Journal provides information that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are working on rebuilding a stronger, and hopefully more effective flood-protection network. The $15 billion project is facing some scrutiny. Is there enough being done to protect New Orleans from another disaster? And has enough progress been made in five years?

I am among those who believe that the current plans of rebuilding are not enough, and disagree with those who believe that adequate progress has been made in the span of time since Katrina hit.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the new protective measures being built are only effective for defense against Category 3 hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported warmer temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean, which will most likely fuel more and stronger storms.

Due to the chances of more and stronger storms, shouldn’t we be working to over-protect New Orleans, rather than take the chance of leaving it vulnerable again?

Jacquelyn Hood, a young woman who recently visited New Orleans, does not believe enough has been done.

“There’s a lot to fix, anything they would try to fix would be almost invisible,” said Hood. “It was amazing how it went from city to overgrown used-to-be-neighborhood.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that 87 percent of people interviewed believe that more progress has been made in making the city a tourist and convention site, compared to the 65 percent that believe there has been “some” or “a lot” of progress on the repairs of the city. Almost half of that believed that something had been done about the crime control.

New Orleans saw a spike in crime after the hurricane. Law enforcement was drawn thin in order to help search for survivors. Buildings were not only destroyed by the hurricane, but by the people that ran around the beat-up streets, stealing and defacing whatever they came across.

Getting a better handle on the crime would be of great help in the re-building of the city. As people continue to run around destroying property, they are also dampening other’s spirits. Seeing your belongings destroyed by nature is one thing, but when other people are the destructive forces, you begin to lose hope.

Yes, there has been progress made. Yes, the protective measures are effective. What we need to keep in mind, however, is the extent of the progress made and the overall effectiveness of the defenses.

I believe that New Orleans is still wounded and the shadows of the hurricane still loom. We should be working harder to stitch those wounds and expel the shadows.