"Hurricane Katrina this past week was certainly the worst episode in what has become an all-too-familiar and tragic cycle, and our nation is now faced with a set of unprecedented challenges"

This quote by Jo Bonner speaks with the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina and the obstacles that the nation now deals with. It acknowledges that this is not the very first time that the country has actually had to deal with a natural catastrophe, but that this one is particularly devastating. It also implies that the country is now faced with a set of challenges that it has actually never ever needed to face previously. This could describe the magnitude of the destruction, the number of individuals affected, or the amount of resources needed to restore. It is a pointer that the nation should come together to face these challenges and to help those impacted by the cyclone. It is a call to action to help those in need and to collaborate to restore.