Katrina archives: Before the storm, New Orleans levee inspections only scratched the surface

20 Years After Katrina, New Orleans Still Faces Racism and Climate Injustice

Independent journalist Jordan Flaherty was in New Orleans in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina first hit, and both supported and reported on relief efforts in the aftermath of the storm. Flaherty explains how Katrina’s devastation to the city’s infrastructure accelerated the existing dispossession of its primarily Black residents, how corruption and mismanagement in the years following the storm diverted aid, and how racist media narratives contribute

Katrina archives: Before the storm, New Orleans levee inspections only scratched the surface

This story, headlined "Levee inspections only scratch the surface," was originally published Nov. 25, 2005. It is being republished for the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina as part of The Times-Picayune's Pulitzer-winning coverage.