In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, California politicians and flood control agencies are crying out for billions of dollars to reinforce 1,600 miles of levees and modifications to a key dam that protects the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Southern California’s water system.

"This is a wakeup call, I think, for every state in the country, to not postpone things," says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). "If we know there is vulnerability, let us fix it now."