White House Plans Katrina Anniversary PR Blitz

New Orleans is about to get hit with another storm, this one made up of administration officials showering attention on city's recovery on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In a well-organized campaign to play up what the administration has done for the city and for the state of Louisiana, President Obama will cap the parade of top officials visiting the area from today to Sunday.

Here's the White House schedule of events:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 25, 2010

NEW DETAILS: President Obama and Administration Officials to Mark 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with Travel to Gulf Coast, Project Site Visits

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, President Obama and Administration officials will travel to the Gulf Coast to mark the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Since taking office in January 2009, the Obama Administration has cut bureaucratic red tape to provide residents of the Gulf Coast with the tools that they need to recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In total, the President, Vice President, Cabinet-level officials and other key agency heads have visited the gulf coast upward of 155 times since January 20th 2009. In addition, President Obama has also worked to improve disaster preparedness, response, and recovery nationwide, so that the Gulf Coast and all other regions of the country will be more resilient and better prepared for future disasters.

On Sunday, August 29, President Obama will travel to New Orleans, La., to mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The visit will include remarks by the President at Xavier University of Louisiana. Further details and media credentialing information will be announced shortly.

Members of the President's Cabinet and other Senior Administration officials who have worked to speed recovery and restoration efforts will also be in the region to mark the anniversary.

Cabinet Travel planned for the Gulf Coast, August 25 – August 29 includes the following:

Wednesday, August 25

• FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate will visit St. Bernard Parish schools.

Thursday, August 26

• Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will visit J.S. Clark Elementary School in Monroe, LA, with Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. The focus of the visit will be the importance of nutrition and exercise. Open press.

• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan will attend a "Welcome Home" Event hosted by Rebuilding Together in New Orleans, LA. Open press.

• Secretary Donovan and Administrator Fugate will participate in a field hearing in Chalmette, LA on Katrina recovery, hosted by Senator Landrieu. Open press.

• Secretary Donovan and Patrick Corvington, Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service will deliver remarks at the St. Bernard Project's 50-Hour Build Kick-Off Event, New Orleans, LA. Open press.

• Administrator Jackson will deliver the keynote at a conference, Fighting for Survival: The Vulnerability of America's Gulf Coast and the Caribbean Basin, at Tulane University.

• Administrator Fugate will tour three FEMA-funded recovery projects in New Orleans – a school, a transportation project and a hospital. Open press.

Friday, August 27

• Secretary Duncan will visit the Kids College at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS. The focus of this event will be teacher recruitment. Open press.

• Secretary Duncan will visit George C. Hall Elementary School in Mobile, AL. The focus of this event will be turnaround schools. Open press.

• Secretary Donovan will deliver remarks at the Silver Lining Breakfast sponsored by the Louisiana Recovery Disaster Foundation. Open press.

• Administrator Jackson will meet with volunteers at the "Wave of Green" in City Park.

• Administrator Jackson will speak at the TEDxNOLA conference in Le Petit Theatre.

• Administrator Jackson will speak at a summit with students at the Wilson School. She will discuss her background and the work of EPA in the gulf.

• Administrator Fugate will tour recovery projects in Biloxi, MS including a fire station, Biloxi Light House, and a highway project. Open press.

• Mr. Corvington will deliver opening remarks at the Louisiana Organization of Non-profit Organizations conference focusing on community service and volunteerism.

• Mr. Corvington will participate in a Community Dialogue. The Dialogue will gather together community stakeholders to inform the Corporation's five year strategy.

• Mr. Corvington will participate in an event to celebrate the efforts of Reach Out and Read, an organization that has given out 1 million books to children through doctors who mentor parents and their young children on the importance of reading at a young age.

Saturday, August 28

• Mr. Corvington is participating in a ribbon cutting hosted by Rebuilding Together. The event will commemorate and celebrate all of the work that AmeriCorps and other volunteer organizations have done to rebuild communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

• Mr. Corvington will attend an event at Tulane University where he will address a group of 1200 volunteers, thanking them for their service to the community.

• Mr. Corvington will attend a ceremony with the Greater NOLA Habitat for Humanity at a site where the organization will commemorate the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by building five homes in five days.

Sunday, August 29

• Secretary Napolitano and Deputy FEMA Administrator Rich Serino will travel to Mississippi.

• Administrator Jackson will attend an interfaith service in New Orleans, LA.

• Administrator Jackson will attend a candlelight vigil in New Orleans, LA.

--See a slide show of the 10 keys to an Obama comeback.

--Check out our editorial cartoons on the 2010 campaigns.