Summary
St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana is still recovering 20 years after Hurricane Katrina. Flood prevention systems have improved, but the population has not fully returned to pre-storm levels.
Key Facts
- Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana on August 29, 2005, causing severe flooding in St. Bernard Parish.
- The community's population is now about two-thirds of what it was before the storm.
- New flood prevention measures, costing $14.5 billion, include a regional flood protection system.
- The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet channel, which worsened flooding, was closed in 2009.
- A 22-mile levee system to protect the area was completed in 2018.
- Residents like Kevin Potter have spent years repairing and remodeling their homes.
- Climate change increases the risk of more intense hurricanes and flooding in the area.
