Hurricane Katrina Anniversary
Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast! with catastrophic storm surge and flooding, New Orleans marked the storm’s anniversary Friday with solemn memorials, uplifting music, and a parade that honored the dead, the displaced, and the determined survivors who endured and rebuilt.
Dignitaries and longtime residents gathered under gray skies at the memorial to Katrina’s victims in a New Orleans cemetery where dozens who perished in the storm but were never identified or claimed are interred.
“We do everything to keep the memory of these people alive,” said Orrin Duncan, who worked for the coroner when Katrina hit. He comes to the memorial every year, opening the cemetery gate and making sure the grass is cut.
The Storm’s Devastation
A Category 3 hurricane when it made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2005, Katrina inflicted staggering destruction. The storm killed nearly 1,400 people across five states and racked up an estimated $200 billion in damage, flattening homes on the coast and sending ruinous flooding into low-lying neighborhoods.
Two decades later, it remains the costliest U.S. hurricane on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The failure of New Orleans’ federal levee system inundated about 80% of the city in floodwaters that took weeks to drain. Thousands of people clung to rooftops to survive or waited for evacuation in the sweltering, under-provisioned Superdome football stadium.
Community Response
In New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, a predominantly Black community ravaged by flooding when parts of the protective levee collapsed, hundreds watched Friday as an ensemble of white-clad children atop the levee wall sang a song of sorrow and survival.
“We are the children of the ones who did not die,” they sang. “We are the children of the people who could fly. And we are the children of the ones who persevered.”
Mayor’s Message
At the cemetery memorial, revered jazz clarinetist Michael White played “When the Saints Go Marching In” as a procession carried several wreaths to lay beside mausoleums of the storm victims. Mayor LaToya Cantrell recalled the city’s sacrifices and projected optimism for its future.
“New Orleans still stands,” Cantrell said. “New Orleans came back better and stronger than ever before.”
Challenges and Triumphs
But other community leaders said the decades after the storm have deepened the city’s challenges: growing gentrification and an affordable housing crisis, ailing infrastructure, and ongoing disregard for the city’s poorest neighborhoods like the Lower Ninth Ward, where a community Katrina memorial had fallen into disrepair. After public outcry earlier this month, a work crew had finally been dispatched to restore it and was laying bricks as anniversary events commenced.
Still, a sense of exuberance and communion filled the streets where hundreds joined a brass band parade known as a second line. The beloved New Orleans tradition has its roots in African American jazz funerals, in which bands accompanied grieving families marching beside a loved one’s casket, followed by friends and bystanders.
Katrina’s Lasting Impact
In Mississippi, where hundreds perished as Katrina’s storm surge demolished homes overlooking the Gulf, residents and officials gathered to mark the anniversary in Gulfport.
Haley Barbour, Mississippi’s governor when the hurricane struck, recalled the “utter obliteration” he witnessed from a helicopter after the storm passed.
“It looked like the hand of God had wiped away the coast,” Barbour said.
The population of New Orleans, nearly half a million before Katrina, is now 384,000 after displaced residents scattered across the nation. While New Orleans remains a majority Black city, the exodus disproportionately affected its Black residents. Tens of thousands were unable to return after Katrina. A federal rebuilding program favored the city’s predominantly white and wealthy neighborhoods and failed to reach many in need.
Rebuilding and Recovery
After the storm, the levee system was rebuilt, public schools were privatized, most public housing projects were demolished, and a public hospital known for serving the city’s poor was shuttered.
New Orleans resident Gary Wainwright said he never misses the cemetery memorial service on Katrina’s anniversary. On Friday, he wore a frayed red necktie, covered with the phrase “I love you.” He salvaged it from his battered home in the storm’s aftermath.
“It’s a little bit tattered, like the city,” Wainwright said. “But it’s still beautiful.”
Conclusion
The anniversary of Hurricane Katrina serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of natural disasters and the importance of community resilience and rebuilding. While New Orleans has made significant progress in recovering from the storm, there is still much work to be done to address the ongoing challenges faced by the city and its residents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What was the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans?
A: Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic damage to New Orleans, with flooding affecting about 80% of the city and resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,400 people.
Q: How has New Orleans recovered since the storm?
A: New Orleans has made significant progress in recovering from the storm, with the levee system being rebuilt and many homes and businesses being restored. However, the city still faces challenges such as gentrification, affordable housing crisis, and ailing infrastructure.
Q: What is the significance of the second line parade in New Orleans?
A: The second line parade is a beloved New Orleans tradition that has its roots in African American jazz funerals. It is a celebration of life and a way to honor the dead, and has become an important part of the city’s cultural heritage.
Q: How has the population of New Orleans changed since Katrina?
A: The population of New Orleans has decreased significantly since Katrina, from nearly half a million to 384,000. The exodus has disproportionately affected the city’s Black residents, with tens of thousands unable to return after the storm.
