The Ongoing Impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans

It’s been two decades since Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, making landfall in the city as a Category 3 storm. The massive storm surge broke through levees and the flood walls.

Some 80 percent of New Orleans flooded. Entire neighborhoods were wiped out. The official death toll totaled nearly 1,400 people. And what happened in the storm’s wake changed the face of emergency response in this country forever.

We mark 20 years since Hurricane Katrina hit. We take you back to that time, look at what rebuilding has meant for New Orleans, and what lessons were learned.

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy