Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast and forever changed New Orleans. It killed over 1,800 people, and more than 200,000 people evacuated to Houston. Many of them end up staying. Even with time, the storm's legacy lingers, and many Houstonians still remember how our city stepped up to help our neighbors.
Hurricane Katrina Devastates New Orleans
Before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, there was an evacuation order. But an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 New Orleans residents stayed in the city. Some residents didn’t have a way to get out, or didn’t want to leave their pets or belongings. Then the levees failed, putting more than 80% of the city under water. The devastation quickly became deadly. Thousands of New Orleans residents took shelter at the Superdome, but conditions were bad with no air-conditioning, dirty bathrooms, and reports of trash everywhere. On Aug. 31, Houston was only given 24 hours to welcome 75,000 evacuees to the city.
New Orleans Residents Evacuate to Houston
Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels had already been preparing. About 25,000 people were sent to the Astrodome and more went to other shelters across the city. Eckels recalls seeing the first bus drive up to the Astrodome. It was an Orleans Parish school bus, and the young driver had never driven before. Busloads of people continued to show up for days. They prepared meals to serve a stadium full of people, as if it were a football game. Doctors flew in from all over the world to assist. They negotiated with phone carriers to turn cell phones back on for displaced New Orleans residents whose bills were unpaid.
Meanwhile, Mayor White made it his mission to “treat your neighbors the way you’d want to be treated.” Although FEMA offered to set up thousands of temporary trailers and hotel rooms for evacuees, White instead set up a housing voucher program with help from the private sector. “I thought that what was needed was to get people back on their feet,” White told City Cast Houston. White said he took a lot of leaps of faith during that time, working with landlords to provide housing for evacuees — and unsure when the federal government would reimburse the city. The hard work paid off. About 35,000 families found housing across Houston.
New Orleans’ Lasting Legacy in Houston
Initially, there were some pockets of tension between New Orleans and Houston residents. For example, in February 2006, 74% of Houstonians said that Katrina evacuees had put a strain on the city, according to the Kinder Houston Area Survey. But, the overwhelming feeling was one of compassion as tens of thousands of Houstonians helped volunteer, earning our city a reputation for generosity, something we still pride ourselves on today. In fact, when residents were surveyed again in 2008, 46% of Houstonians said they would want the city to help if a storm like Hurricane Katrina happened again.
Two decades later, New Orleans residents have immersed themselves in Houston. New business ventures from New Orleans evacuees popped up and have stuck around like the beloved Heights bookstore Kaboom Books, the one-of-a-kind White Linen Night, and the popular paint and sip class, Pinot’s Palette. Our food scene became even more delicious – it’s not hard to find crawfish, boudin, or gumbo. Kermit Ruffins, a prominent New Orleans trumpet player, made his home in Houston for a time after the storm, regularly playing at Axelrad. He recently came back for a benefit concert for the July 4 flood victims. If you look around, you can see how New Orleans’ flair has etched its way into the diverse fabric of Houston. And, I don’t think we would have it any other way 💟
What memories do you have from Hurricane Katrina? Did you evacuate to Houston or help out those affected by the storm? I want to hear from you ✨
