Hurricanes Katrina + Rita 10 Years Later
As Louisiana observes the 10th Anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, this is a time to look back and reflect on these two events and their impacts. Each citizen and every community across our State in 2005 was touched in some way, as were many individuals, organizations and communities beyond our borders.
Today - while there is still work to do to achieve full recovery - Louisiana is well on its way to a stronger, safer, more resilient future. Many who were evacuated have returned to their former communities. Businesses have reopened; new ones have joined them. We have repaired or rebuilt schools, hospitals, public facilities, our communities and our homes.
Louisiana proud!
Louisiana’s response and recovery would not be possible without the help of thousands of individuals, hundreds of groups and, of course, the technical assistance and funding we received from the Federal government through FEMA, HUD and other Federal and State agencies.
People from across America worked alongside those from all 64 Parishes here at home - providing our citizens and displaced residents and shell-shocked communities with shelter, food, medical aid and assistance, starting our State on the road to recovery.
There are more people to thank than we will ever be able to list - some we know and many we will never know. Louisiana citizens continue to benefit from their acts of compassion following our nation's worst disaster.
We thank all who helped for your generosity and commitment. We are grateful for the combined strength of our Nation which stood by us during such a terrible time. We will be forever in your debt.
The story of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita can also be told as America's greatest recovery. These events have forever changed our State's and Nation's approach to planning and preparation for - and response to and recovery from - catastrophic events. State and Federal policies, regulations and statutes continue to be re-thought - and in some cases revised - as a result of what we and the Nation learned in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Over the past 10 years Louisiana has, together, with the support of our Federal partners, learned to rebuild in ways that are smarter, stronger and safer so we are better prepared to meet the challenges of future emergencies or disasters. Our people, businesses, governments, organizations and entire communities are more resilient than ever before!
How we pay it forward
Louisiana has become the Nation’s largest living laboratory for emergency management - to prepare for, prevent where possible, respond to, recover from and mitigation against future emergencies or disasters. We are capturing the knowledge we've "earned" as a result of Katrina/Rita and sharing it through the development of job aids, teaching tools, policy recommendations and more, that benefit Louisiana grant recipients as well as grant recipients across the country.
We export our expertise, embedding staff and responding to needs in communities like New Jersey and New York, when they were hit by a catastrophic hurricane event. We offer our experience and demonstrate systems and business practices we created out of necessity that might help others in their recoveries.
Join in memorial + celebration events across the State
Katrina/Rita Anniversary Events
Storm impacts
Status of the recovery