Hurricane Matthew tests U.S. response lessons from Katrina

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Acting on lessons learnt from the botched response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, government authorities this week rushed to get aid to states in Hurricane Matthew's path, from drinking water and generators to helicopters and emergency planning experts.

After Katrina struck New Orleans and other parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast, local residents suffered for days with little help as the devastating hurricane exposed glaring failures in U.S. readiness for natural disasters. In the decade since, emergency planners have sought to adopt a forward-looking approach.