Definition of veto for English Language Learners. : 1  a decision by a person in authority to not allow or approve something (such as a new law) : 2  the right or power of a person in authority to decide that something (such as a new law) will not be approved.
Even five years after Hurricane Katrina, the names of hundreds of the dead remain a mystery and the death toll is mired in dispute. Of an estimated 1,464 victims officially recognized by the state of Louisiana, more than 500 names have not been publicly released.
It was one of the largest displacements of a population since the Great Depression, according to the NOAA. According to The Data Center, an independent research organization in New Orleans, the storm displaced more than 1 million people in the Gulf Coast region. [Infographic: Hurricane Katrina History and Numbers ].