US President George W. Bush predicted Wednesday that it will be a long time before the country could fully recover from the devastating Hurricane Katrina.

With cabinet members gathering around, Bush made the remarks soon after he returned to the White House from his working vocation.

Describing the hurricane as "one of the worst natural disasters " in American history, the president said the recovery will take " years."

"This recovery will take a long time. This recovery will take years," he said.

On his way back to Washington earlier in the day, Bush observed hurricane-ravaged areas in US Gulf Coast aboard Air Force One.

Bush has cut short his vacation in Texas by two days to coordinate rescue efforts in the aftermath of the hurricane disaster.

He is expected to set his foot in the ravaged US Gulf Coast region this weekend, but details of the trip are still undecided.

Source: Xinhua