NEW ORLEANS — Two decades after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on New Orleans, remnants of the disaster serve as profound reminders of the storm’s catastrophic impact.
In the Gentilly neighborhood, a small brick house preserved by Levees.org stands as a testament to the flooding that plagued thousands of homes. Sandy Rosenthal, the organization’s founder, welcomes visitors and points out the ‘trademark X’s’ left by first responders on the house.
Each symbol conveys essential information, including the date of a home’s inspection and the number of deceased found inside.
As dark memories linger within these walls, Rosenthal highlights a carefully orchestrated display of chaos meant to replicate what returning survivors experienced.
Inside the house, furniture is strewn about, presenting a heart-wrenching tableau, including a stuffed teddy bear caked in mud—remnants of a life disrupted.
While this particular home had no fatalities, many others were not so fortunate. The storm surge unleashed by Hurricane Katrina resulted in significant destruction, with reports stating that nearly 1,400 lives were lost, a figure that was later revised from an initial estimate of 1,800.
A short distance away is an outdoor exhibit created by Levees.org, featuring a timeline of Hurricane Katrina and a garden. A monarch butterfly flits around the milkweed, situated on the site of a major levee breach along the London Avenue Canal.
Rosenthal recounted how a 20-foot section of the floodwall failed during the storm, transforming it into a torrent that swept entire homes from their foundations.
For many visitors, this site acts as a cemetery, invoking a sense of quiet reverence as they contemplate the lives lost.
In another part of New Orleans, Robert Green clings to a tangible piece of history—the concrete staircase that remains after his mother’s home was washed away in the flood.
Standing in the Lower Ninth Ward, Green shares his harrowing account of the storm, recalling how floodwaters surged into his family’s home within minutes.
The mark he drew on the wall serves as a haunting reminder of how high the water rose, more than halfway to the ceiling.
Green remembers the frantic rush to the attic, where he and his family—his mother, brother, cousin, and three grandchildren—clung to hope atop the roof.
But hope turned to chaos as the house began to float, forcing them onto unfamiliar rooftops in a desperate struggle for survival.
Tragically, during the turmoil, Green’s granddaughter fell into the surging waters and vanished beneath the chaos.
The battle to survive amid Hurricane Katrina’s devastation has become emblematic of the broader narrative surrounding the storm.
Hurricane Katrina remains among the deadliest flooding events in U.S. history, a disaster anticipated by many who warned about the city’s vulnerability.
In 2002, a detailed series by Mark Schleifstein and John McQuaid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune outlined how New Orleans was at serious risk.
Exactly as they had predicted, Katrina’s impact was catastrophic, resulting in extreme flooding, particularly in areas where the levee systems failed.
Numerous factors contributed to the city’s susceptibility, including geographic placement below sea level and the ongoing loss of wetlands protecting against storm surges.
Ivor Van Heerden, co-director of Louisiana State University’s Hurricane Center before the storm, voiced concerns regarding the levees’ structural integrity.
Scientists, including Van Heerden, consistently communicated the threat posed by the levees to the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies.
Despite their warnings, officials insisted that the federally constructed levees met acceptable safety standards.
A simulation in 2004 called ‘Hurricane Pam,’ funded by FEMA, modeled the likely outcome of a major storm hitting New Orleans.
The results were stark, predicting widespread flooding and thousands of deaths—but the seriousness of these projections was not sufficiently appreciated by federal agencies.
As August 2005 approached, the hurricane season was particularly active, culminating in Hurricane Katrina, which rapidly escalated in intensity.
Mayor Ray Nagin declared a state of emergency just two days prior to landfall, urging voluntary evacuation.
By the morning of the storm, a mandatory evacuation was issued, yet many were unable or unprepared to leave.
An estimated 100,000 residents remained in the city as the storm approached, often without transportation or resources.
A plan to deploy city buses for evacuation did not materialize, leaving vulnerable populations behind.
The Superdome served as the designated emergency shelter for those unable to evacuate, housing around 12,000 people as the storm made landfall.
Food and water supplies dwindled quickly once the levees breached and conditions deteriorated across the city, overwhelming emergency resources.
When landfall occurred on August 29, Hurricane Katrina had weakened but still unleashed a ferocious storm surge that caused widespread destruction.
As reports of water overtaking neighborhoods flooded in, it became clear that the tragedy was imminent.
Green’s ordeal was reflective of numerous families trapped in their homes, subjected to the violent forces of nature.
The floodwaters swept them off their foundations and into a battle for survival amid the chaos of the storm.
In the aftermath, many survivors felt abandoned as local and federal responses faltered in the face of an unprecedented disaster.
Media reports painted a grim picture of desperation, notably when John Burnett from NPR described the harrowing conditions at shelters overwhelmed by evacuees.
Federal officials missed critical signs about the unfolding crisis, leading to accusations that help was insufficient or delayed.
The mismanagement of rescue efforts led to scrutiny at the federal level, particularly regarding FEMA’s readiness.
At that time, FEMA was under the Department of Homeland Security—an arrangement that critics say hampered the agency’s effectiveness.
With a political appointee lacking emergency management experience at the helm, the organization struggled to respond adequately to the unfolding catastrophe.
Mary Landrieu, a Democratic Senator from Louisiana, expressed frustration at FEMA’s lack of preparedness, emphasizing the tragic consequences of their inaction.
Decisions made before and during the security response to Hurricane Katrina were scrutinized extensively.
A comprehensive review by the White House post-Katrina disclosed numerous shortcomings within FEMA and its federal partners.
Many top positions went unfilled, while emergency response plans were insufficiently understood among decision-makers.
Landrieu worries that attempts to diminish FEMA’s role in disaster response by leadership at the time could replicate past failures.
She believes the federal government must play a crucial role in overseeing disaster preparedness and response.
As the 20-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, the city grapples with a fractured legacy, marked by lingering economic, social, and infrastructural repercussions.
The population is still at around 75% of its pre-storm numbers, with many neighborhoods suffering from abandonment and decay.
Hurricane Katrina inflicted a staggering $125 billion in damages, cementing its status as the costliest hurricane in U.S. history.
The lessons learned in the aftermath remind communities that investing in preparedness remains vital, as recovery will always be more challenging and expensive.
image source from：npr
