What the president is expected to tell the nation:

President Bush was expected to tell the nation Thursday night the government would pay most of the costs of rebuilding the hurricane- ravaged Gulf Coast in one of the largest reconstruction projects the world has ever seen _ estimated to cost $200 billion or beyond. He was also expected to acknowledge his administration had failed to respond adequately to the disaster.

"There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans, and this great city will rise again," the president planned to say in remarks prepared for an address to the nation.

Bush was to commit the federal government to covering "the great majority of the costs" of rebuilding critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and water systems wiped out by Hurricane Katrina.

"Our goal is to get the work done quickly," Bush was to say.

Trying to make up for a flawed disaster response that embarrassed his administration, Bush was also expected to say he considers detailed emergency planning a "national security" priority.

Bush was to say Katrina "was not a normal hurricane _ and the normal disaster relief system was not equal to it."

Government must have clear, up-to-date plans for responding not only to natural disasters, but to outbreaks of disease and terrorist attacks, he was to say. Bush was also to say the plans must encompass the evacuation of large numbers of people and providing adequate food, water and security.