After the (media) storm: four recent disasters and where things stand today.

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ASIAN TSUNAMI DEC. 26, 2004

THEN: A 9.3-magnitude earthquake under the Indian Ocean triggered a tsunami--a massive wall of water that raced across the ocean and slammed into the coastlines of 14 countries. Hardest hit were parts of Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka (above). About 250,000 people were killed in a single day, and 2.5 million others Lost their homes and jobs when their communities were Literally washed away.

NOW: About $13 billion has been spent to rebuild the affected areas. The result is that it's possible, aid officials say, to visit many of the once-stricken coastal communities and not realize what happened.

In most places, people have rebuilt their homes and resumed their Livelihoods. In Indonesia, the ruined city of Banda Aceh has been almost entirely rebuilt with better infrastructure than before.

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HURRICANE KATRINA AUG. 29, 2005

THEN: The category-5 hurricane struck New Orleans and the Gulf coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi, killing 1,800 people and causing $75 billion in damage. When the levees failed and New Orleans flooded, entire neighborhoods were destroyed and most of the city's residents fled, largely to other parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

NOW: The city's population has rebounded to about 355,000--75 percent of its pre-Katrina level. The trailers that served as temporary housing for thousands have finally disappeared. Overall, the recovery has been spotty: Many blocks are still pockmarked with vacant lots or abandoned houses.

One positive: New Orleans's public schools, among the nation's worst before Katrina, have improved: There are many new charter schools, more community involvement, and test scores are up.

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CHINA EARTHQUAKE MAY 12, 2008

THEN: A 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan province in southwest China, killing 87,000 people and leaving 5 million homeless. The quake caused so many schools to collapse--7,000 classrooms and dormitories were destroyed--that survivors accused the government of taking bribes to ignore shoddy construction...