Barrier islands like the Chandeleur Islands are constantly building, eroding, and shifting under the normal actions of wind and waves. A powerful storm like Katrina can produce changes that otherwise may have taken many years, and most of the changes seen here are probably the result of Katrina.
California experienced the largest decline in the number of people experiencing homelessness, 25,034 fewer since 2007. Other states with large declines included Texas (11,293 fewer people), Florida (6,527), New Jersey (5,643), and Oregon (5,426).
While most states saw their homeless veteran populations drop an average of 17 percent in the past year to a total of 39,471, Colorado was one of only eight states going in the opposite direction with increasing numbers, according to the the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's annual report on homelessness, which was released Thursday.