Two Decades After Katrina: Reflections on Recovery and Resilience

Each resident of New Orleans experienced Hurricane Katrina differently. My own parents evacuated separately on different days and routes, eventually reuniting across the country. Many close friends lost their homes. I observed the levee failures from a newsroom desk in Washington, D.C. Witnessing the destruction through television and online forums was safer—though nearly 1,400 lives were lost—yet the sense of helplessness was overwhelming.

On this twentieth anniversary of Katrina’s landfall, reflecting on what has transpired since reveals a complex picture. The city was virtually uninhabitable for six months, with many residents never returning. Accountability debates culminated in holding the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for the levee failures. Rebuilding efforts have taken years and billions of dollars, resulting in infrastructure that differs noticeably from what existed before. The city’s unique culture has evolved in subtle and profound ways that defy easy quantification.

Above all, hundreds of thousands of people endured a trauma that was both deeply personal and collective. How this trauma has been processed and what meaning has been derived from it continue to shape the ongoing legacy of Katrina.

Learning from such a disaster is the best path forward, though it remains a challenging endeavor.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) remains a focus of criticism locally for its handling of Katrina. In 2005, the agency’s leader lacked disaster management experience, and the delivery of essential supplies and assistance to displaced residents was slow. Congress responded in 2006 by mandating more experienced leadership and improved preparedness. However, recent events suggest these reforms have not been fully implemented.

During his tenure, President Trump advocated that disaster response should be managed primarily by states, even threatening to disband FEMA. Budget cuts and staff reductions have hindered the agency’s effectiveness, with one-third of employees and many contractors dismissed. In the wake of severe flooding in Texas, two-thirds of calls to FEMA’s disaster assistance line went unanswered. Recently, 186 current and former FEMA employees signed a letter warning that the agency is losing the hard-earned lessons of Katrina, and some signatories have faced termination.