Video: Echoes of Katrina – Two decades of struggle and strength

On Aug. 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, one of the largest and most destructive storms in U.S. history. In New Orleans, the storm surge broke numerous levees flooding 80% of the city and killing hundreds and trapping thousands of people.

Twenty years of recovery from “The Storm,” as people call it, the population has not fully recovered. Large swaths of the city have been rebuilt with many houses elevated in preparation for the next hurricane. However, the hardest hit parts, like the historically Black Lower 9th Ward still struggle to regain residents and homes.

I am originally from New Orleans and most of my extended family still lives in the area. I traveled back to Louisiana to document the aftermath of Katrina for National Geographic Magazine, and have returned often to see how friends and family were doing.

This video explores the perspectives of some New Orleanians who were greatly affected by Hurricane Katrina, people who survived the tragedy but whose lives are forever marked by The Storm and the failure of the levee system. Their reflections mirror the experiences of so many in my hometown.