Spring 2025 is finally here in March 2025. We are witnessing unique times in our history. I lived during the time when Ronald Reagan was President, but I have never experienced times like these now. Trump is even worse than Reagan, and that says something. So, we have to embrace faith and hope to carry onward in our dreams and aspirations without apology. We witness a person, Donald Trump, who wants to use the Alien Enemies Act to illegally deport people without due process of law. It is important to make this point. I made this blog for 20 years now. It being the 20th year anniversary of this blog is very historic. After all of this time, I'm still here. I feel so happy that my core convictions remain the same. I still believe in being against imperialism, I believe in religious freedom, I still believe in equality and justice for all, I still believe in Black Love, I still believe in economic justice, I agree with learning about my family history, and I still agree with protecting the environment. After 20 years, I am in my early 40s. Soon, in less than 10 years, I will be 50 years old. I have lived on this Earth for almost a half of century, and that is surreal to me, but I am thankful to Almighty God for my life. I want the younger generation to put in the work to be great, treat human beings right, never give up, save your resources, and stand for real principles.
2025 is a year filled with massive anniversaries too. For example, this year is the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, the 80th year anniversary of the end of World War II, the 20th year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the 60th year anniversary of Bloody Sunday including the Voting Rights Act, the 100th year anniversary of the birth of Malcolm X, the 30th year anniversary of the Million Man March, the 30th year anniversary of the end of the O.J. Simpson Trial (the trial of the 20th century), the 50th year anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, the 50th anniversary of The Jeffersons, and the 160th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. In our generation, the far right movement has increased, even brainwashing some people in Generation Z. The Trump agenda is not only about promoting xenophobia, sexism (as promoted by the red pill crowd, Hoteps, and other bigots from Andrew Tate to Anton Daniels), racism, and scapegoating of progressives. They believe in the myth of laissez-faire capitalism where they desire legitimate government institutions to be gone and nearly all regulations (even legitimate regulations to promote health and environmental standards) to be eliminated from society. The big lie is that Trump is independent of the elites when the billionaire elites fund Trump from the start like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. Also, one lesson is don't take the bait. Many agents want to bait people into going out in the street to cause chaos, so people's lives can be ruined, and the authorities can pass more fascist policies. Don't do unjust violence against people or property. Always maintain your views and be constructive in opposing fascism. Using peaceful means to express yourself always. The racist Elon Musk using DOGE to try to sell the historic Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, Alabama outlines the MAGA cult's hatred of black history. The enemy wants to erase black history. They use the term of DEI to promote the colorblind view that all of history should be whitewashed of references of race, sex, culture, and any forms of identity. The truth is that DEI (or diversity, equity, and inclusion) just means all human identities should be acknowledged, and justice is mean for all people, not the few. That is why we must focus on working in our communities to build solutions. We must oppose evil. We're adults here, so this work is not a politically correct work. It's an authentic work that deals with diverse subjects with grown folk content.
During this Spring of 2025, it is important to promote real things that matter. What matters isn't about ego, materialism, or clout. What truly matters deals with family, friends, community, health, investments, institutions, generational wealth being passed down through generations, fighting for justice almsgiving, and other important topics that should be discussed worldwide. Reading literature, appreciating the environment, growing social skills and emotional maturity, improving health (including knowing your family health issues, eating healthy foods, getting checkups, and exercising on a regular basis), etc. will create a long-term legacy is vital in living a much more successful life than the status quo. There is nothing wrong with men and women to have their own spaces to express their views, to have therapy, and find ways of empowerment in a progressive fashion too. Then, you have Trump saying it sounds good for the U.S. to have membership into the British Commonwealth (as King Charles desires). We know the history of the British Royal family and the legacy of colonialism in the world (spanning centuries resulting in rape, abuse, and the genocide of millions of innocent human beings in multiple continents). America was in existence, because we rejected the concept of the Monarchy. Trump views himself as having the right to have the executive branch to have nearly unlimited power. I reject that argument. The agenda of harming democracy and freedom is bigger than the words of the fascist Donald Trump. Many tech CEO like Curtis Yarvin, Nick Land, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and others desire radical neoliberal capitalism, authoritarianism, and Yarvin went as far as saying that democracy has failed (wanting CEO monarchs to run governments like corporations). We have to call the names of these Utopian technocrats who desire oligarchy not real liberty for humanity. My work has been banned in many platforms, many of my words on YouTube have been unjustly censored, and I'm not ashamed of my core convictions. I take these bans as a badge of honor, and that is a sign that I'm on the right track. No censorship can stop the truth. I will continue to write the truth forever and ever. Trump hypocritically describes free speech censorship but allows the Pentagon and other sites to ban information about black people and other social minorities in America. We should speak our minds and not back down from tyranny.
Trump wants to abolish a crucial library and museum service called the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This is the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services. He made this executive order on March 14, 2025. The American Libraries magazine said that the President can't fully eliminate the IMLS without Congress's approval. Trump wants to cut financial investments in museums and libraries as many of them are underfunded. 75 percent of the staff of the IMLS will lose their jobs. IMLS helped to improve library services and resources in libraries nationwide. It helps to digitize historical documents and collections, support workforce development within libraries and museums, etc. The institute also gives grants to large state libraries and smaller local ones plus museums and historical societies in all 50 states. The IMLS also helps to invest in Native American libraries and museums. Libraries and museums are institutions that help grow our democracy, and Trump wants the people to be in ignorance and superstition. That is why we must reject fascism in all of its manifestations. The Agriculture Department cancels millions of dollars' worth of food bank deliveries. This is evil and sick. This is what Trump is doing. Any Trump supporter supporting this policy is callous and evil. This will harm rural people, farmers, poor people, and human beings in general. Many billionaires love it, because some of them desire to pay no taxes and the social safety net gone. This is not moral to cut legitimate food services from human beings. Trump has signed an executive order to start ending the Department of Education. This cruel act of extremism makes him so much worse than Ronald Reagan. I was alive when Reagan was President, and we suffered a great deal during his 2 terms. Trump is like Reagan on steroids with his massive cutting of jobs, his threatening to impeach judges, and his obsession with dismantling the federal government. The Department of Education helps low-income students to have free speech, helps many college students to pay for their student loans via FAFSA, invests in helping students with disabilities, and helps fight against discrimination based on color and sex. The DOE also supplements funds to help state and local school systems. Attorney General Pam Bondi is lying saying that judges are trying to uproot the executive branch's authority when the judicial branch has every right to check the executive branch's power. Trump threatening to impeach judges because they disagree with his political views is fascism. Threats against judges rise which is evil. Many schoolteachers have protested the attack on the Department of Education done by Trump.
The 20th Year Anniversary of Katrina
This is the year of massive anniversaries. This year is the 20th year anniversary of the Katrina disaster in New Orleans and many areas of the Deep South. The tragic event took place when I was in my early 20s. I remember that terrible situation just like yesterday. Hurricane Katrina represented many things from the increase of climate change to the class oppression and racism found in American society. After 20 years, we still have a long way to go. Problems of infrastructure and an adequate government response are the fault of local, state, and federal governments. We know how the Bush administration flown over the city of New Orleans while people were suffering. The suffering among black people and poor people were so intense that Kanye West (before he was a MAGA extremist) said his comments about George W. Bush (about Bush not caring about black people. To this day, George W. Bush disagrees with that comment). The levees failed because of years of infrastructure neglect in the name of fiscal conservativism. Many people forget that at least 1,580 people died from Hurricane Katrina, 70 percent of these human beings were senior citizens. Many racists and even some neoliberal politicians said that most black people in the Superdome acted criminally. There was the Danziger Bridge incident when plainclothes cops attacked a crowd without warning, killing two people and wounding four people. The police kicked a disabled man to death. Racist white vigilante groups stopped and forced black people to not cross the bridge to go to the Algiers Point neighborhood. For years, people warned about the water disaster that would come to New Orleans. Neoliberal and far-right economic and political policies contributed to the disaster of Katrina. The Hurricane caused health issues in New Orleans and many places in the Deep South too. Katrina was one of the costliest Hurricane disasters in American history. Deregulation, gentrification, and issues of housing rights deal with the legacy of Katrina also. The legacy of Katrina is that while more people talk about natural disaster preparedness than years ago, we still have to oppose the system of oligarchy more obsessed with property than the human rights of the people.
The Delta
New Orleans and other places of the Deep South represent the culture of the Delta. The Mississippi River Delta is one of the most important environmental locations on Earth that has more than 2.7 million acres of coastal wetlands and 37 percent of the estuarine marsh in the conterminous U.S. The coastal area is the nations' largest drainage basin and drains about 41 percent of the contiguous United States into the Gulf of Mexico at an average rate of 470,000 cubic feet per second. New Orleans is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River with a population of 383,997. It is a city of the most populous city in the state of Louisiana. Being part of the Gulf Coast region of America, it has a large cultural influence in overall American society. The Mississippi Delta (found in Mississippi, parts of Arkansas, and parts of Louisiana) represents a key part of Southern culture too. Planters are found in the region. Many black and white Americans came to sell timber on the land. Also, Chinese families, Italian Americans, Latinos, and other people lived in the Delta too. It has been a region where black Americans fought poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and other evil actions done by Jim Crow apartheid. Jim Crow apartheid was backed by the U.S. government back then too. African Americans fought hard to make the Civil Rights of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to be realities. The Mayor of New Orleans now is the Democratic leader LaToya Cantrell. New Orleans also has 169.42 square miles in land and 180.43 square miles in water. Since New Orleans is located in the Mississippi River Delta, south of Lake Pontchartrain, on the banks of the Mississippi River, it is heavily close to large bodies of water. There is a levee system done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with both natural and man-made levees to control flooding in New Orleans. New Orleans has an average elevation of 1 and 2 feet below sea level. Some parts of the city are as high as 20 feet at the base of the river levee in Uptown. Some of the city is as low as 7 feet below sea level. There is a debate on the reason for the magnitude of the subsidence potentially caused by the draining of the natural marsh in the New Orleans area and southeast Louisiana. The culture of New Orleans deals with music, foods, black American culture, Afro-Caribbean culture, French culture, Spanish culture, and cultures from all people. Native American culture is found in New Orleans too as the Choctaw, Houma, and other Native Americans tribes originally lived in the region. New Orleans has always been an epicenter of Creole music, Zydeco music, Jazz, hip hop, and Delta blues. New Orleans perfected the dishes of gumbo, etoufee, jambalaya, crawfish, chicory, beignets, and red beans and rice. Some of the greatest restaurants on Earth reside in New Orleans with a lot of hospitality and delicious cuisines.
Warnings for Years
Involving Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans for decades has been mistreated by the powers that be. There were structural issues in the design of the levee system that compromised the safety of the city long before 2005. Back in the day, the coastal wetlands provided a natural barrier protecting the city from storm surges. The problem was coastal erosion over the years. The rising sea levels caused the natural wetlands to be gone. When transportation canals went over the wetlands over the 20th century, many constructed them to be used by the oil and gas industry. This increased the rate of erosion. The canals connected many port cities, introduced salt water into freshwater marshes (killing marsh grasses that anchor the soil), and an average of 34 square miles of South Louisiana wetland disappeared each year over 50 years (according to the U.S. Geological Survey or USGS). From 1932 to 2000, the state of Louisiana lost 1,900 square miles of land to the Gulf Coast. The Flood Control Act of 1965 was passed by Congress during the time of Hurricane Betsy. The law mandated the Army Corps of Engineers to work with the Sewage and Water Board (SWB) and Orleans Levee Board (OLB) to fortify New Orleans' hurricane protection at its outfall canals. The Corps was responsible for 30 percent of the funding and according to a spokesperson for the American Society of Civil Engineers, sought to cut costs each step of the way. The Corps made the mistake of making the underground sheet pilings of the system's wall being too short. A Katrina-like catastrophe was predicted as recently as 2004. In 2004, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness conducted the Hurricane Pam Exercise. The exercise modeled a Category 3 hurricane hitting New Orleans, overtopping the levee system and flooding the city with up to 20 feet of water. The Pam models showed levees being overtopped, but it didn't predict that the levees would break. In the Times-Picayune's 2002 series of Washing Away, it said that experts predicted that a worst-case scenario storm would trap storm water inside for weeks, thousands of people would be homeless, and it would take months to dry out the area and begin to make it livable.
The Katrina Disaster
The Katrina disaster happened in stages. By Tuesday, August 23, 2005, Katrina started as a tropical depression 12. It formed over in the Bahamas by 5pm. It existed partially from the Depression 10. The low-level circulation to Ten was completely detached and dissipated with only the remnant mid-level circulation moving on and merging with a second tropical wave. By Wednesday in August 24, 2005, 12 strengthened into Tropical Storm Katrina. By Thursday in August 25, 2005, Katrina had strengthened into a Hurricane. Less than two hours later, Katrina made landfall in Keating Beach, just two miles south of the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Sustained winds were 80 mph (130 km/h), and the pressure was 989 mbar. During its passage, the eye of the tropical storm moved directly over the office of the National Hurricane Center, which reported a wind gust of 87 mph (140 km/h). The strongest sustained winds in Florida was a report of 72 mph (116 km/h) on the roof of the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science in Virginia Key. The same station recorded a gust of 94 mph (151 km/h). Unofficially, wind gusts reached 97 mph (156 km/h) at Homestead General Aviation Airport. Katrina lasted six hours on land over the water-laden Everglades as a tropical storm before reaching the Gulf of Mexico just north of Cape Sable. So, Katrina landed in Florida and moved into the Gulf of Mexico. By Friday, August 26, 2005, Katrina had decreased to 70 mph. It was a tropical storm at the time. It traveled into the Gulf.
At 5:00 AM EDT, the National Hurricane Center officially shifts the possible track of Katrina from the Florida Panhandle to the Mississippi/Alabama coast. Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco declared a state of emergency for the state of Louisiana. The declaration included activation of the state of Louisiana's emergency response and recovery program under the command of the director of the state Office of Homeland Security and Emergency. Preparedness to supply emergency support services. Following the declaration of a state of emergency, federal troops were deployed to Louisiana to coordinate the planning of operations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 922 Army National Guard and 8 Air National Guard are deployed. By 4:00 PM EDT, Katrina was upgraded to a Category 2 storm when it was at Buras-Triumph, Louisiana, 66 miles (106 km) southeast of New Orleans. Katrina became a Category 3 storm by August 27, 2005. At 10:00 AM EDT, officials in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, St. Tammany Parish, and Plaquemines Parish ordered a mandatory evacuation of all of their residents. Jefferson Parish and St. Bernard Parish ordered voluntary evacuations, recommending that all residents evacuate, particularly those living in lower areas. Jefferson Parish officials did declare a mandatory evacuation for the coastal areas of Grand Isle, Crown Point, Lafitte, and Barataria. Tolls were suspended on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway as well as the Crescent City Connection, to speed up the evacuation process.
At 11:00 AM EDT, The National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Watch from Morgan City, Louisiana to the LA/MS border including New Orleans. At 5:00 PM EDT, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced a state of emergency and called for a voluntary evacuation. He added that he would stick with the state's evacuation plan and not order a mandatory evacuation until 30 hours before the expected landfall. This would allow those residents in low-lying surrounding parishes to leave first and avoid gridlocked escape routes. However, he did recommend that residents of low-lying areas of the city, such as Algiers and the 9th Ward, get a head start. Nagin said the city would open the Superdome as a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs. He advised anyone planning to stay there to bring their own food, drinks, and other comforts such as folding chairs. "No weapons, no large items, and bring small quantities of food for three or four days, to be safe," he said. The Louisiana National Guard had delivered three truckloads of water and seven truckloads of MRE's to the Superdome, enough to supply 15,000 people for three days. The Hurricane Watch was expanded to Intracoastal City, Louisiana to the east and AL/FL border to the west. At 11:00 PM EDT, the Hurricane Watch was upgraded to a Hurricane Warning from Morgan City, Louisiana to the AL/FL border. In the forecast discussion, the National Hurricane Center stated that Katrina "is expected to be an intense and dangerous hurricane."
Governor Blanco sent a letter to President George W. Bush asking him to declare a major disaster for the State of Louisiana, in order to release federal financial assistance. In response to Governor Blanco's request, President Bush declared a federal state of emergency in Louisiana under the authority of the Stafford Act, which provided, "means of assistance by the Federal Government to State and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to alleviate the suffering and damage which result from such disasters..." The emergency declaration provided for federal assistance and funding, as well as assigned, by law, the responsibility for coordinating relief efforts with those government bodies and relief agencies which agree to operate under his advice or direction, to the FEMA federal coordinating officer (FCO). It also provided for military assets and personnel to be deployed in relief and support operations, although the Posse Comitatus Act imposes strict limitations on the use of Active Duty soldiers in law enforcement. 1701 Army National Guard and 932 Air National Guard are deployed (2633 total). That night, National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield briefed President Bush, Governor Blanco, Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi, and Mayor Nagin on the status of Hurricane Katrina.
By Sunday, August 28, 2005, the Hurricane Katrina increased to Category 5. New Orleans Mayor Nagin wanted a mandatory evacuation of people in New Orleans. Katrina is about to land soon. Authorities used the Louisiana Superdome as a place of last resort for residents unable to obtain safe transport out of the city of New Orleans. 20,000 people entered the Superdome. The Louisiana National Guard delivered three truckloads of water and seven truckloads of MRE's to the Superdome, enough to supply 15,000 people for three days. 4444 Army National Guard and 932 Air National Guard are deployed (5,736 people total). President Bush declared a state of emergency in Alabama and Mississippi, and a major disaster in Florida, under the authority of the Stafford Act. By Monday on August 29, 2005, the levees on Industrial Canal near the I-10 bridge failed. Storm surge entered the canal. The Superdome's power went out. Hurricane Katrina made its second landfall near Buras, Louisiana. It was 125 mph.
Katrina continued north into St. Bernard Parish, crossed Lake Borgne, and made its final landfall near the mouth of the Pearl River on the Louisiana-Mississippi border as a Category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph. Waters began to rush through the Mississippi Gulf Outlet and Lake Borgne converging at the "Funnel" with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, north of the Lower Ninth Ward. Levees along the eastern portion of the Mississippi Gulf Outlet began to be overtopped and/or destroyed causing waters to start rushing to the Lower Ninth Ward. By 6:30 AM CDT (1130 UTC), power was lost in much of New Orleans. At 6:30 AM CDT (1130 UTC), Levees at the Funnel were overtopped. Waters in the Lower Ninth Ward began to rise faster while waters rushed into the Industrial Canal. At 6:50 AM CDT (1150 UTC), levees all along the Industrial Canal were overtopped. Water surged into the Lower Ninth Ward as levees on three sides of the neighborhood had failed. At 7:45 AM CDT (1245 UTC), the levees on the eastern side of the southern end of the Industrial Canal explosively break sending 20ft. of water into the Lower Ninth Ward. Houses in the vicinity of the break were destroyed or pushed off of their foundations. By 8:00 AM CDT (1300 UTC), water was seen rising on both sides of the Industrial Canal in New Orleans. Mayor Nagin says that a pumping system in the Lower Ninth Ward had failed. At approximately 8:14 AM CDT (1314 UTC), the National Weather Service's New Orleans office issued a Flash Flood Warning for Orleans and St. Bernard parishes, citing a levee breach at the Industrial Canal. The National Weather Service predicted three to eight feet of water and advised people in the warning area to "move to higher ground immediately."
At 8:30 AM CDT (1330 UTC), it was reported that a "twenty-foot tidal surge" had "breached...the canal." By 9:00 AM CDT (1400 UTC), there was 6–8 feet of water in the Lower Ninth Ward. At 9:30 AM CDT (1430 UTC), levees along the eastern end of the London Avenue Canal near the Mirabeau Avenue Bridge break sending waters into the Gentilly. At 9:14 AM CDT (1414 UTC), the Transportation Security Administration also reported a levee breach on the Industrial Canal. At 10:00 AM CDT (1500 UTC), Hurricane Katrina made its third landfall near Pearlington, Mississippi and Slidell, Louisiana, with sustained winds of 120 mph (193 km/h) after crossing Breton Sound. Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Long Beach, Gulfport, and Biloxi, Mississippi were decimated. At the same time, President Bush, who was at a Medicare event in El Mirage, Arizona, said, "I want to thank the governors of the affected regions for mobilizing assets prior to the arrival of the storm to help citizens avoid this devastating storm." Levees along Lake Pontchartrain near the New Orleans Lakefront Airport were overtopped. At 10:30 AM CDT (1530 UTC), another breach occurred on the London Avenue Canal, this time on the western portion near the Robert E. Lee Boulevard Bridge (present day Allen Toussaint Avenue Bridge). Waters cascaded into the Fillmore neighborhood and surrounding areas. The 17th Street Canal on the western side of the city also suffered a break on the eastern side of the canal near the Metairie Hammond Highway on the very north side of the canal. Water poured into the West End and Lakeview neighborhoods.
By 11:00 AM CDT (1600 UTC), there was approximately 10 feet (3 m) of water in St. Bernard Parish. Many of its rooftops were submerged and could not be seen. NPR reporter John Burnett reported from his hotel that there was a levee breach in the Lower 9th Ward but stated "...it was the best eventuality of the worst possible scenario. They dodged the bullet, but they still got a sound bruising," downplaying the events that were taking place. At 11:51 AM CDT (1651 UTC), a breech on the 17th street canal is reported by FEMA Special Assistant Michael Heath. At 2:00 PM CDT (1900 UTC), New Orleans officials confirmed a breach of the 17th Street Canal levee. In a press conference at 3:00 PM CDT (2000 UTC), New Orleans Homeland Security Director Terry Ebbertt said that "Everybody who had a way or wanted to get out of the way of this storm was able to. For some that didn't, it was their last night on this earth." Emergency workers had answered a number of calls from people trapped in trees and attics, and in some cases, had been disconnected with those pleading for help. Police fanned out across the city to assess damage and rescue people before nightfall. Governor Blanco sent 68 school buses from surrounding parishes to begin evacuating survivors in New Orleans. 6,908 Army National Guard and 933 Air National Guard were deployed (7,841 total). The hardest-hit areas of the city were the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans East, Gentilly, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, and Lakeview. FEMA Director Michael Brown asked United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to dispatch 1,000 Homeland Security workers to the region to assist with disaster relief from the "near catastrophic event." DHS personnel were told to "establish and maintain positive working relationships with disaster affected communities" and "collect and disseminate information and make referrals for appropriate assistance." In addition, they were supposed to identify "potential issues within the community" and report them while conveying "a positive image of disaster operations to government officials, community organizations and the general public." President Bush declared a major disaster for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama under the authority of the Stafford Act. Katrina caused almost two thousand people to die in the Deep South.
The Aftermath and Reconstruction
On Aug. 28, 2005, at 7 a.m., Katrina became a Category 5 storm with winds at about 160 mph. On 9:30 a.m., New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin orders first-ever mandatory evacuation for New Orleans residents. Shelters such as the Superdome are listed as "refuges of last resort." All lanes of I-55 opened to northbound traffic near Brookhaven, Miss., on Aug. 28, 2005, as people evacuated ahead of Hurricane Katrina. By 11:30 a.m., President George W. Bush vowed support to help those affected and said he signed disaster declarations for Louisiana and Mississippi. During the afternoon of August 28, 2005, National Weather Service warns a significant storm surge could send water over the top of some levees in New Orleans. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley declares a State of Emergency. By 6 p.m., Nagin orders a 6 p.m. curfew. About 25,000-30,000 New Orleans residents seek shelter in the Superdome. On August 29, 2005, at 6:10 a.m., Katrina made landfall as a Category 3 on the Gulf Coast. On 9 a.m., a levee is breached in the Lower Ninth Ward, and more breaks are reported in the Industrial Canal and 17th Street Canal. Water begins pouring into eastern New Orleans, the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish. Thousands of people were trapped on rooftops and in attics. By 11 a.m. — Katrina's strongest winds reach 125 mph as the peak storm surge hits Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi. Ronald Wood was rescued from his home in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005. The storm rips a hole in the Superdome, putting sheltered victims at risk. Bush declares an Emergency Disaster for Louisiana and Mississippi.
On August 30, 2025, at 7 a.m., Katrina is downgraded to a tropical storm while passing over Tennessee. Katrina dissipates with winds down to 35 mph. About 80% of New Orleans is covered in water as high as 20 feet. Looting begins, and officers are redirected from rescue operations to stop violence. Blanco orders an evacuation of the Superdome, which is surrounded by water and houses about 15,000 to 20,000 people. On August 31, 2005, Louisiana Governor Blanco ordered a total evacuation of New Orleans. Texas Gov. Rick Perry opens the Houston Astrodome for evacuees coming from the New Orleans Superdome. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt declares a public health emergency in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. A man pulls people in a boat down a flooded street in New Orleans on Aug. 31, 2005, two days after Hurricane Katrina struck. Water levels have equalized between Lake Pontchartrain and New Orleans. Rescue crews try to reach those stranded on roofs and in hospitals, but communications are limited or out. On September 1, 2005, Nagin sent out an SOS for more help and buses to get people out stuck in the convention center. They are running out of food and shelter. FEMA rescue operations suspend as violence and gunshots at emergency helicopters threaten workers' safety. FEMA Director Michael Brown says he has finally learned about the evacuees stuck in the convention center, but a Frontline interview later reveals he knew about the people there Aug. 31.
On September 2, 2005, Congress approved a $10.5 billion aid package for rescue and relief. Bush signed the bill and toured the Gulf region. Bush concedes that the recovery is not proceeding well. "I am satisfied with the response. I am not satisfied with all the results," he says. Airlines begin shuttling people out of the region. Decomposing bodies lie unattended on the streets. By Sept. 3, 2005, Forty thousand personnel from the National Guard worked on the Gulf Coast. The American Red Cross cared for about 96,000 people in nine states. Many police officers have walked off the job. On September 4, 2005, Five New Orleans police officers shot six unarmed residents on Danziger Bridge in the city. Two are killed. By September 5, 2005, the 17th Street Canal breach is repaired. The Army Corp of Engineers starts worked on the London Avenue Canal breech and begins pumping out the water. Floodwater starts to recede in New Orleans. The Ninth Ward is about a foot down. The death toll remains unofficial and estimated. On September 6, 2005, engineers estimated it could take 80 days to pump out the water. About 20,000 people have been flown out of the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport since the storm.
On September 7-9, 2005, Bush requests an additional $51.8 billion in federal aid. Congress approved the bill. Foreign aid donors get frustrated with how their nearly $1 billion is distributed. Katrina damage estimates hit $125 billion. On September 12, 2005, FEMA Director Brown resigned in response to critics saying he sent aid too late and was uncoordinated. Bush appoints his replacement, career firefighter R. David Paulison. Michael Brown resigned as FEMA director in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Sept. 12, 2005. On September 15, 2005, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood sued five insurance companies to force them to pay for storm-surge damage related to Hurricane Katrina. A dispute over the cause of damage — wind-driven rain or flooding — slows or stalls the distribution of funds to victims. By September 22, 2005, Hurricane Rita roars toward Texas and Louisiana at Category-4 wind speeds. About 1.8 million fleeing residents clog highways, and many run out of fuel on the road. On September 24, 2005, Houston was spared expected damage from Rita. The storm's impact is less than anticipated. On September 28, 2005, about 1.3 million people were dispersed in all 50 states from Katrina, according to the first official accounting. On October 3, 2005, rescue crews stopped the search for victims and bodies in Louisiana. The death toll sits at 964. On November 21, 2005, the estimated death toll rose to 1,306 people. Most of the dead were elderly. At least 1,000 of the 6,644 people unaccounted for are children. On December 17, 2005, Congress agreed to send $29 billion in additional aid for Katrina victims. The funds will go to schools, levee protection in New Orleans, and homeowners who won't receive flood insurance money. On January 24, 2006, the White House stopped its staff from answering questions or handing over documents to Senate and House investigations into the Katrina response. On April 16, 2007, a federal judge awarded a Louisiana man $2.8 million in a lawsuit against insurance company Allstate. This sets a new standard for others who have filed against insurance companies in the state for damage not paid for in Katrina's aftermath.
On August 12, 2007, about 66% of the pre-Katrina population has returned to New Orleans. Delays in federal funding keep basic services limited, including schools, childcare, and city buses. The city's economy shows signs of recovery: Revenue from sales tax sits at 84% of pre-Katrina levels. On August 29, rebuilding the city's houses and infrastructure bounced between privately funded efforts by communities and slow federal aid two years after the hurricane. None of the 115 critical priorities identified by city officials has been completed — the New Orleans police superintendent and most of the city's firefighters work out of trailers. In November 2005, the Army Corps of Engineers remained short of clay to rebuild the levees. They need 145 million cubic yards and have acquired 20 million in the two years since the storm. On February 14, 2008, thousands of people living in FEMA-provided trailers were asked to evacuate because of unhealthy levels of the chemical formaldehyde in the units, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announcement. After complaints of residents waking up with nosebleeds, hacking coughs, and headaches in late 2005 and early 2006, journalist and activist Becky Gillette tests 32 FEMA-issued emergency trailers for formaldehyde. She discovered 30 of the trailers registered unsafe levels and prompted the CDC and FEMA to take action. In May 2009, about 1,400 people died in Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Numbers aren't completely clear because of bodies left unidentified and those that are not accounted for. New studies reveal data on who died and why.
On August 5, 2011, a federal jury convicts five current or former New Orleans police officers of civil rights violations for the shooting deaths of a teenager and a mentally disabled man as they crossed the Danziger Bridge in search of food and help. Four others were wounded. April 4, 2012, was when the five former New Orleans police officers that shot six unarmed residents in the days after Katrina are sentenced. They receive a range of prison terms from six to 65 years. August 29, 2013, was when residents of Waveland, Miss., open a Ground Zero Hurricane Museum on the eighth anniversary of the storm. "After Katrina, we lost all of our history," Waveland Alderwoman LiLi Stahler said. "For many of our residents, the bricks and mortar of this building are all they have left of their childhood." September 2013 was when more than 1,000 restaurants operated in New Orleans, up from the 800 that existed in 2005. That number grows by the month. December 28, 2013 was when a U.S. district judge in New Orleans dismissed any remaining cases against the federal government for Hurricane Katrina-related levee failures and flooding. More than 500,000 residents, businesses, and governments filed claims.
February 12, 2014, was when Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin is found guilty of fraud, bribery and related charges involving crimes that took place before and after Katrina devastated the city. Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin leaves federal court Feb. 12, 2014, after his conviction in New Orleans. He was found guilty on charges that included bribery, money laundering and fraud. July 9, 2014, was when former Mayor Nagin is sentenced to 10 years in prison and is ordered to pay $82,000 in restitution. He was convicted of taking bribe money for free vacations, funds and free granite. July 28, 2015 was when despite the $10 billion that has gone to reconstruction from Katrina damage, $2.5 billion set aside remains untouched as projects stay open. FEMA has not set a timetable for all-project completion. August 29, 2015, was the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The storm killed at least 1,833 people and residents are still rebuilding the ravaged cities.
Lessons Learned
20 years after Katrina, we have learned many lessons. Like Andrew, we have increasingly known about the value of weather and climate change. Since the days of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, experts have warned the public back in the 1960s about increased overall temperatures globally as a product of greenhouse gases. That is why in the 21st century alone, hurricanes have increased their intensity and power over the world's oceans. Also, we have to reckon with the economic, environmental, and social challenges still plaguing New Orleans and poor areas of America. There are still toxic locations in America wherefore the chemicals on the ground have contributed to high cancer rates. Environmental racism is very real, which is why activists have fought against toxic, environmentally dangerous chemicals being promoted in communities, especially in black communities. Since Katrina, there has been a higher consciousness of understanding about storm warnings, our technologies have improved in predicting storm surge and other components of a hurricane, and flood and disaster insurance has grown. The problems even in 2025 are the threats of gentrification, privatization, and housing displacements still in existence. With cuts to NOAA and the whitewashing or black contributions by extremists, we have to be keenly aware of what we are up against.
We are up against a seriously nefarious oligarchy that seeks privatization at all costs, no equality for certain people, and a distorted view of what America truly ought to be. America is meant to embrace diversity, fight for justice for all, and have a sense of humility to show the world that we are living examples of righteousness. Unfortunately, you have evil people who want the opposite for America. One legacy of Katrina is that we have to reckon with the trauma and mental health issues of the victims of that disaster. A lot of people suffer in silence, and we have to show empathy and promote programs to build up people who experience anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic disorder. We have to confront pollution, lead contamination, and real environmental issues. The Caesars Superdome is now restored, new restaurants have existed, and its population is nearly close to its original population numbers back in 2005. Yet, more work is needed in New Orleans. Katrina caused more human suffering, and the massive economic inequality and racial injustice still present in America. Our people (and other insightful people of every color) already knew of these realities, and we have the responsibility to fight for real change.
A distraught Angela Perkins screams "Help us, please!" outside the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. A cloud of desperation settled over the hundreds of hungry, homeless people at the Convention Center, creating an atmosphere of fear and hopelessness after floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina inundated New Orleans. The source of the image is from Brett Duke/The Times-Picayune.
Epilogue
In memoriam, Hurricane Katrina changed America and the world today. Katrina caused almost 2,000 human beings to die in southeast Louisiana and coastal Mississippi plus Alabama. From Monday, August 29, 2005, it was one of the top ten strongest hurricanes in American history. Levees failed and most of New Orleans was completely flooded. For days, innocent residents in the Gulf Coast region were not able to evacuate and begged authorities to save their lives (as many elderly and poor people didn't have cars). Many human beings had to be rescued from the rooftops or lived in the Superdome where conditions deteriorated. The victims literally begged the world for immediate assistance as human beings were hungry for basic food. For decades, the powers that be didn't do enough to improve the infrastructure of New Orleans and improve the hurricane warning system. That among other factors contributed to high casualty rates from Katrina. Witnesses have exposed police brutality, harsh responses by the police and local authorities, and other problems with the federal government response too. The massive social systems were ruled mostly by select giant corporations who desire profit beyond human need. FEMA has been rightfully criticized for its response. Also, while Wall Street banks have been given billions of dollars in bailout money, thousands of people have been displaced without just compensation. Climate change has increased the power of hurricanes, and we have to know about Hurricane Katrina to make sure that meeting the needs of the people matters more than an obsession with profit. Back in 2005, I was 22 years old witnessing the Iraq War, political debates, and tons of cultural changes. Now in 2025, I am 41 years old seeing the rise of more fascism, the protests against oligarchy (being promoted by AOC and Bernie Sanders), and a crossroads in American history. Hopefully, the future will be better than the present, and we must defend our freedoms in a courageous fashion.
By Timothy
