Hurricanes have been leaving paths of devastation along American coasts for decades.

But the tragedy of Katrina has been unfathomable — to witness such immense and immediate suffering in this country in this day and age is shocking.

Caught within the natural and man-made disasters of Katrina is the small community of Koreans that have built themselves into the fabric of New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast with dry cleaners and convenience stores. Like all in the region, Korean Americans have suffered immeasurably. They have lost their homes and small businesses, which they poured their life

savings into. But while inadequate shelters are filled with thousands of their black neighbors, Koreans have benefited from being able to rely on their ethnic community.

Senior Editor Corina Knoll traveled to Louisiana, arriving two weeks after Katrina hit and the levees broke. She spent four days in the Gulf Coast area, where the story had changed from one of screaming chaos to muted sadness. Now the issue is no longer food, water and necessities, but people facing a precarious future.