NEW ORLEANS – A decade after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast and nearly wiped out New Orleans, Mayor Mitch Landrieu will report on New Orleans’ recovery efforts and progress ensuring the city’s long-term resilience at a National Press Club luncheon on Tuesday, August 18, 2015, in Washington, D.C. at 1 p.m. EST.
Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall on August 29, 2005, is the costliest disaster in U.S. history. When the levees failed, 80 percent of the city flooded, more than 1,800 people died and hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes. On top of Katrina, New Orleans weathered Hurricanes Rita, Ike, Gustav and Isaac, the BP oil spill and the national recession – all in the last decade.
In the aftermath of Katrina, Mayor Landrieu and the City of New Orleans have said they ensured the recovery, growth and long-term survival of the city by working toward building its resilience capacity, not only through infrastructure, but also through major reforms to the city’s social fabric. Today, they said New Orleans is one of the fastest growing major cities in the nation, the economy is growing and diversifying, home values have increased 50 percent, schools are rapidly improving and the city is better protected better from flooding than before the storm.
Despite the major challenges that still exist from violent crime, poverty and income disparities and coastal erosion, Landrieu will declare at the luncheon New Orleans is poised to be a global model for urban resilience.
Remarks will begin at 1:00 p.m. EST, followed by a question-and-answer session ending at 2:00 p.m. EST.
To submit a question in advance, put LANDRIEU in the subject line and email to president@press.org before 10:00 a.m. EST on the day of the luncheon.
