Overview

• Survivors, officials and artists gathered in the Lower Ninth Ward for prayers, performances and a second-line parade, with wreath-laying for unidentified victims, a 11:20 a.m. moment of silence and a renewed push to make the date a state holiday.
• Katrina remains the costliest U.S. storm on record at roughly $200 billion in damage, with about 1,400 deaths across five states after federal levee failures flooded about 80% of New Orleans and left thousands stranded on rooftops or in the sweltering Superdome.
• The city’s population stands at about 384,000 versus nearly 500,000 pre‑storm, as displacement hit Black residents hardest; recovery reshaped housing and schools, with most public housing demolished and public schools largely privatized.
• Post‑storm protections include the $14 billion Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, yet experts warn the region remains exposed due to rapid coastal land loss, sea‑level rise and stronger storms.
• Researchers have documented enduring trauma among young survivors, including a Harvard study finding roughly one in six children with persistent mental-health problems, as museum exhibits and documentaries sustain public memory and debate.