The former governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, has died aged 76 from complications from cancer.
Ms Blanco, who was elected in 2004, was the first woman to lead the state.
Hurricane Katrina, which hit just 20 months into her tenure, was blamed for more than 1,800 deaths in the region.
Hundreds of thousands were displaced and most of New Orleans was left under water when its levee system failed. Politicians, including Ms Blanco, were criticised for their slow response. Read more