The Katrina disaster in New Orleans has been one of the worst disasters of our decade. The damage it has caused has been catastrophic. During my lifetime there have not been many large acts of destruction in America. However, along with Katrina, another disaster comes to everyone’s mind when we talk about this decade: the September 11th attacks. The Katrina disaster in New Orleans is like the September 11th attacks on New York City. [Very nice introduction. In addition to establishing your topic, you draw a very specific reason for considering it]

When Katrina struck New Orleans, the entire town was devastated. Many people were killed. There was a great deal of damage done to the city of New Orleans. Many people had to relocate. Katrina was the biggest disaster that New Orleans has ever seen. It will take a great deal of time for New Orleans to recover from Katrina.

During the September 11th attacks, New York City received the most damage the city has ever seen. Thousands of people were killed. The debris from the plane crashes caused many people to relocate. It took New York City a great deal of time to recover from the attack.

Not only did the Katrina disaster and the September 11th attacks affect the cities they occurred in, but they also affected the entire United States. Katrina has caused the price of gasoline to dramatically increase. This has caused a financial hardship on many Americans across the country. The residents of New Orleans were forced to relocate into other parts of the country. Many of them went to Texas. College students of the New Orleans area had to find new colleges to go to. In one of my classes, there is a student that was forced to transfer to Penn State after his college and home were destroyed in New Orleans. Many Americans had to deal with the loss of their friends and family members that died in New Orleans. The September 11th attacks were the most influential disaster that America has ever faced. The World Trade Center, and the area around it, was a big place of employment for many Americans. These people had to find new jobs. Many Americans had to deal with the loss of their friends and family members that died in the September 11th attacks. A friend of mine from high school lost his dad during the September 11th attacks[, for example].

Some may disagree with my comparison. After all, the New Orleans disaster was caused by a hurricane, while the September 11th attacks were caused by terrorists. However, a hurricane is part of nature, as are terrorists. Terrorists are people. People are animals. Animals are part of nature. Therefore, both disasters were caused by nature. In addition, many people feel that hurricanes are an act of God. The terrorists felt that they were doing the work of God. [nice]

New Orleans and New York City have been two of the cornerstones of American culture for many years. The disasters that have occurred in these cities have been devastating. Their impact has echoed across the nation. It has caused a diverse group of Americans to unite in overcoming the hardships the disasters have caused. Both of these disasters will be remembered for many years to come.

[This paper is a bit weak on support, but, overall, is well reasoned and clearly written. The introduction and conclusion are both especially excellent]