One year after Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast under water and tens of thousands of people without homes, food or water, the future of the area remains uncertain. The one-year anniversary of one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history may be a time for many to put some of the pain of the past year behind them and start looking to not only rebuild their homes but their lives.

"I'm hoping this is a step forward," said Carolyn Bozzetti, 60, whose 83-year-old father died in the storm. "I've been crying for a year. I'm tired of crying."

 "I felt like I needed to be here. It's like a funeral," said Gayla Dunn, 33, of New Orleans.

"We're not well. We're not finished, but I will say this: We've made it," Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr said. "Let's move on, let's move forward, and let's do that together."

"I know you love New Orleans, and New Orleans needs you," Bush said. "She needs people coming home. She needs people she needs those saints to come marching back."

What will they be returning to?

“The reminders of the destruction and how far the city still has to go are everywhere. White trailers still line driveways in neighborhoods where piles of debris and unchecked weeds have overtaken abandoned houses. Only half the population has returned. Emergency medical care is doled out in an abandoned department store, while six of New Orleans' nine hospitals remain closed. Only 54 of 128 public schools are expected to open this fall.”