Lessons learned in wake of Hurricane Katrina

August 29, 2007 When Hurricane Dean formed earlier this month as the first major hurricane in the Atlantic basin since the 2005 season ended, the networks leapt into action using plans that have been honed and honed again since Katrina made landfall Aug. 29, 2005, leaving nearly 2,000 people dead and 1 million or more displaced. "Katrina was a particularly poignant and compelling appraisal of what we do," said Paul Slavin, senior vp news coverage at ABC News. NBC's Brian Williams, who this week made his 14th visit to the region for "NBC Nightly News," said it's a significant resource commitment that hasn't been easy but has been worthwhile.

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