Since Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29, NBC Nightly News has reported in great detail about the devastation wrought on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast — the people displaced, the government response, the relief efforts, and the rebuilding plans that, one way or another, will affect every American. This week, reporters Carl Quintanilla and Martin Savidge each take a road trip across the region to check in on how the recovery effort is going. Quintanilla starts in Port Arthur, Texas, where the impact of Hurricane Rita was made more severe by the chaos and drain on resources Katrina caused. Savidge begins his journey in a part of western Alabama where reporters haven't been before, and where the damage from Katrina was quite severe. From there, Quintanilla travels east and Savidge west, until they meet in New Orleans on Friday. This map tracks their travels using cell phones equipped with GPS technology. Yes, we're working on making it a smaller scale so you'll see more movement.
Both correspondents are blogging in "The Daily Nightly" from the road, which you can read and comment on, here. They'll also respond to e-mails from our viewers urging us to visit places that have been undercovered, or not covered at all.