Hurricane Katrina In New Orleans: Then And Now

The 13th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina brings a national moment of reflection on the damage and devastation that happened in Louisiana. The storm made landfall on August 29, 2005, destroying homes and upending the lives of many of New Orleans’ Black residents. Speeding winds and heavy floods spread as Katrina barreled through the city. After the storm was over, an estimated 1,577 people had lost their lives in Louisiana, with about 1,300 deaths directly related to flooding or wind, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm reached other states as well: Another 238 people died in Mississippi. There were 14 related deaths in Florida, one in Kentucky and two each in Alabama and Georgia. The total number of deaths was 1,833. In terms of financial costs, Katrina was responsible for $41.1 billion of insured losses in the United States, according to the American Insures Services Group (AISG). The estimated insured loss from flooding was $25.8 billion, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reported. An estimate of $108 billion in total damages was caused by Katrina. Dozens of people were displaced, with 1.2 million people along the northern Gulf coast from southeastern Louisiana to Alabama under some type of evacuation order during the storm. Many had no home to return to after the hurricane. Here are some snapshots from Katrina.