It was nearly three years later, but the damage left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans’ lower ninth ward was painfully obvious.

Only one or two houses on every block were occupied, surrounded by other homes left vacant and damaged by the hurricane. Concrete slabs where houses once stood were left in yards as reminders of the powerful punch Hurricane Katrina packed.

While I viewed all of this, I sat comfortably in an air-conditioned tour bus. My wife, Elizabeth, and I were one of the many that day that took a Gray Line tour of the destructive path left by Hurricane Katrina.

It was educational, and emotional. Your heart sank as you drove through neighborhood after neighborhood on the two-hour tour. Images viewed on television were now right in front of us, and it was depressing to think three years later homes were still empty, and lives were still on the mend after the storm.

As Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast, I couldn’t help but be thankful that it did not pack the punch that Hurricane Katrina did.

The people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast needed a break, and this time Mother Nature complied. As of Tuesday morning, only eight deaths were attributed to the storm in the U.S., according to The Associated Press. The toll from Katrina exceeded 1,600.

The improved levee system kept the streets dry, and nearly 2 million people were evacuated safely away from the storm.

The damage from Gustav is still serious. Flooding and wind damage has caused tens of millions worth of damage, according to officials. Nearly 80,000 homes and businesses in the New Orleans area were still without power as of Tuesday morning. The city’s sewer system was damaged.

While these are all major issues, we as a nation must breathe a sigh of relief that we did not have another Katrina on our hands.

During our tour in July, I will never forget riding the bus through the lower ninth ward.

Stores that once thrived with business were shuttered and closed — three years later.

Parks where children once played were damaged and barren — three years later.

Streets that once bustled with traffic were nearly empty except for a few cars and a tour bus in the middle of the day — three years later.

New Orleans had not yet recovered from Hurricane Katrina, and we can only hope the damage left behind by Gustav— while not as severe as Katrina — will not further delay the rebuilding process.

Rick Rogers is the publisher of the Daily News. E-mail him at rrogers@neoshodailynews.com.