It has been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, causing the deaths of more than a thousand people and leaving hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of damage in its wake.
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later In this satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurricane Katrina is seen at 1:15 PM (EST) August 29, 2005 over the Gulf Coast. (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)
Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Empire, Louisiana, at around 6 a.m. CT on Aug. 29, 2005, as a Category 3, according to The Associated Press.
The federal levee system separating Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans failed because of the storm, drowning nearly 80% of New Orleans in floodwaters. People took refuge on their roofs waiting to be rescued. More than a million people were displaced by the storm, the “Today” show reported.
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later FILE PHOTO: NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 30, 2005: A woman is rescued from a school rooftop after being trapped with dozens of others in high water in Orleans parish during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
When the floodwaters finally drained, weeks after the storm, damage estimated at $108 billion, or $200 billion when adjusted for inflation, was left behind. It is still the costliest U.S. storm, the AP reported.
It was also one of the five deadliest storms to hit the U.S. with 1,833 people killed across the region, according to the National Weather Service. The AP set the number of deaths at about 1,400 people. The “Today” show said more than 1,300 people died in New Orleans.
The storm formed as a tropical depression in the southeastern Bahamas on Aug. 23. The next day, it strengthened to a named tropical storm. It intensified to a Category 1 with at least 80 mph winds on Aug. 25. It went across south Florida and became fueled by the Gulf’s warm waters to a Category 5 as it went northwest on Aug. 28. By the time it made landfall the first time, it was a Category 3 with 125 mph winds on Aug. 29. It made a second landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with sustained winds of 120 mph. By the time it hit central Mississippi, it had weakened to less than hurricane intensity, the National Weather Service said.
Hurricane Katrina track (Office for Coastal Management Digital Coast/NOAA)
Storm surge from the hurricane also damaged much of the area, destroying homes in areas such as Bayou La Batre, Alabama. One end of Dauphin Island was totally underwater, with the surge washing away most of the homes there, the NWS said. It caused an oil rig to break free and become lodged under a bridge in Mobile Bay.
Katrina storm surge (NWS)
Over the past 20 years, the recovery continued but the hurricane’s impact is still seen.
Before Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans, there were almost half a million people living there. Now the number is 384,000 residents living in the city, the AP reported.
The levee system was rebuilt, but public housing projects were demolished. A local hospital also closed its doors. The Lower Ninth Ward still has steps that lead to a home that was no longer there.
But The New York Times reported: “By the fifth anniversary of Katrina, residents were getting back on their feet, and by the 10th, the city was gradually rebuilding, with positive momentum as more people returned.”
Tourism has returned to NOLA, with the city hosting the Super Bowl in the Superdome, which had served as an emergency shelter nearly two decades before, “Today” said.
But people are still concerned living in the Big Easy, with home and auto insurance ballooning to what the Times called “unaffordable levels,” and the home ownership gap between Black and white residents is growing once again.
Still, the communities have come together this week to mark that time has passed and remember those and what was lost.
There was a collection on display at the city’s library called “Weathering the Storm: Reflecting on New Orleans’ Past,” a display that is available to be experienced online, according to NOLA.com.
Other shows and art exhibits can be found here.
An interfaith prayer service was held at St. Louis Cathedral on Thursday to remember those whose lives were lost, and to some attendees to celebrate how the city has rebounded, WVUE reported.
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: A palm tree lies on Canal Street during the heavy rain and wind from Hurricane Katrina August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina has been down graded to a category 4 storm, tracking to the east of New Orleans. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later BILOXI, MS - SEPTEMBER 04: Parishioner Chloe Guice Wise (R) hugs Mark Washburn at the conclusion of services at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer (shown in background) which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina September 4, 2005 in Biloxi, Mississippi. The congregation gathered on the ruins of the church for the first service since the hurricane struck. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 31: A stranded dog runs on a church rooftop in high water after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area August 31, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Devastation is widespread throughout the city with water approximately 12 feet high in some areas. Hundreds are feared dead and thousands were left homeless in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida by the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later GULFPORT, MS - SEPTEMBER 1: Firefighter Jerome Crenshaw wipes sweat away during a break from the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina September 1, 2005 in Gulfport, Mississippi. Crenshaw is from the Miami, Florida area and he came along with other firefighters from across the country to assist in the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Caldero plans to work for a couple of weeks before transitioning out. (Photo by Ross Taylor/Getty Images) (Ross Taylor/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 09: Holdout Holly Gee cooks a meal for other holdouts September 9, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A group of holdouts in the community have banded together following Hurricane Katrina as they vow to remain in New Orleans despite orders to evacuate. Most in the community feel they are better off staying in their neighborhood than in a faraway shelter. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 09: Holdout Harold Gee waves to a military helicopter as he stands on the deck of a partially destroyed club that now serves as the de facto community center September 9, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A group of holdouts in the community have banded together following Hurricane Katrina as they vow to remain in New Orleans despite orders to evacuate. Most in the community feel they are better off staying in their neighborhood than in a faraway shelter. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later BRAITHWAITE, LA - SEPTEMBER 9: A statue stands outside of a house while rescue workers from the Orange County California Task Force 5 check for people after Hurricane Katrina on September 9, 2005 in Braithwaite, Louisiana. Thousands of residents of the Gulf Coast are still without electricity or access to basic amenities after the devastating hurricane swept through the area twelve days ago, likely claiming the lives of thousands. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 5: In this handout from the Federal Emergency Managment Agency (FEMA), former U.S. President Bill Clinton visits Hurricane Katrina evacuees at a Red Cross shelter in the Reliant Center at the Reliant Park September 5, 2005 in Houston Texas. Clinton and former U.S. President George H.W. Bush have launched a fund raising effort to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Andrea Booher/FEMA via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 09: Holdout Kevin Hanson jumps into the murky pool of a partially destroyed club that now serves as the de facto community center September 9, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hanson occasionally puts chlorine in the pool in an attempt to keep it clean. A group of holdouts in the community have banded together following Hurricane Katrina as they vow to remain in New Orleans despite orders to evacuate. Most in the community feel they are better off staying in their neighborhood than in a faraway shelter. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 30: Damage is evident in the Lower Ninth Ward near the broken levee along the Industrial Canal September 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The levee was breached by Hurricane Katrina and by Hurricane Rita causing massive flooding in the area. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later IN FLIGHT- AUGUST 30: The damaged roof from Hurricane Katrina of the Louisiana Superdome is seen August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Approximately 100 people are feared dead and estimates put the property loss at nearly $30 billion as Hurricane Katrina could become the costliest storm in US history. It is estimated that 80 percent of New Orleans is under flood waters as levees begin to break and leak around Lake Ponchartrain. (Photo by Dave Einsel/Getty Images) (Dave Einsel/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 30: People walk through high water in front of the Superdome August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Thousands of people are left homeless after Hurricane Katrina hit the area yesterday morning. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images NA)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 1: Evacuees from the New Orleans area take shelter in the Reliant Astrodome September 1, 2005 in Houston, Texas. Red Cross officials claimed 5000 evacuees had made it to the Astrodome by early afternoon. Thousands of people left homeless by Hurricane Katrina will be moved to the stadium as shelters, including the Superdome in New Orleans, become untenable. (Photo by Dave Einsel/Getty Images) (Dave Einsel/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: People come out of their homes to a flooded street after Hurricane Katrina hit the area with heavy wind and rain August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina was down graded to a category 4 storm as it approached New Orleans. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 30: A woman is rescued from a school rooftop after being trapped with dozens of others in high water in Orleans parish during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. The school, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology in the Lower 9th Ward, closed since Katrina swept through in 2005 leaving it under 14 feet of water. The school finally re-opened August 13, 2007 to older students and on August 20 served as the first day for kindergarten and pre-K. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 30: People on Canal St. use a boat to get to higher ground as water began to fill the streets August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Thousands of people are left homeless after Hurricane Katrina hit the area yesterday morning. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later In this satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurricane Katrina is seen at 1:15 PM (EST) August 29, 2005 over the Gulf Coast. Katrina, now a Category 2 strom with 105 mph winds, made landfall close to Empire, Louisiana at about 6:00 AM (CDT). (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 31: A Military truck drives down a flooded Canal St. August 31, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Devastation is widespread throughout the city with water approximately 12 feet high in some areas. Hundreds are feared dead and thousands were left homeless in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida by the storm. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images NA)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: A dog waits on the side roof of a house to be rescued by workers after Hurricane Katrina tore though the area with high wind and rain on August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina was down graded to a category 4 storm as it approached New Orleans. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: In this handout photo, Flooded neigborhoods can be seen as the Coast Guard conducts initial Hurricane Katrina damage assessment overflights August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Others watch from below as the children are among many New Orleans citizens to be rescued from their rooftops due to flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. (Photo by Kyle Niemi/US Coast Guard via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 7: A traffic light hangs over floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina September 7, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The mayor of New Orleans ordered out the remaining holdouts in New Orleans, and said force would be used if neccessary. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images) (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: In this handout photo, flooded roadways can be seen as the Coast Guard conducts initial Hurricane Katrina damage assessment over flights August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. (Photo by Kyle Niemi/US Coast Guard via Getty Images) (Handout/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 28: New Orleans residents sit in the Superdome, which is being used as an emergency shelter, before the arrival of Hurricane Katrina August 28, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina has sustained winds of 175 mph and is expected to make landfall in the Gulf Coast as early as August 29. Katrina killed at least seven when it moved through Miami-Dade County in Florida. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 28: People walk down a flooded street after Hurricane Katrina hit the area August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina was down graded to a category 4 storm as it approached New Orleans. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 31: Two men paddle in high water in the Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area August 31, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Devastation is widespread throughout the city with water approximately 12 feet high in some areas. Hundreds are feared dead and thousands were left homeless in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida by the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: People come out of their homes to a flooded street after Hurricane Katrina hit the area with heavy wind and rain August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina was down graded to a category 4 storm as it approached New Orleans. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: Rescue workers pull a woman from the water who was hanging onto the roof to escape the rising flood waters from Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina was down graded to a category 4 storm as it approached New Orleans. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 02: Stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina rest inside the Superdome September 2, 2005 in New Orleans. Thousands of troops poured into the city September 2 to help with security and delivery of supplies in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images NA)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 30: A woman is carried out of flood waters after being trapped in her home in Orleans parish during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 01: Survivors walk to high ground after being evacuated from high water to a highway September 1, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rescue efforts continue as officials in New Orleans fear the death toll from Hurricane Katrina could be in the thousands. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: Water comes up to the roof of homes after Hurricane Katrina came through the area with high winds and water on August 29, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina was down graded to a category 4 storm as it approached New Orleans. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later BILOXI, MS - SEPTEMBER 04: Parishioner Junius Cotten sits near the remnants of the bell tower at the conclusion of services at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina September 4, 2005 in Biloxi, Mississippi. The congregation gathered on the ruins of the church for the first service since the hurricane struck. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later BILOXI, MS - SEPTEMBER 1: Biloxi resident Sherry Finkelstein (L) bathes in an open fire hydrant September 1, 2005 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Residents are still without electricity, water or communications for a third day after Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, leaving a trail of destruction. Hundreds are feared dead in Biloxi after being trapped in their homes during the storms. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: AUGUST 30: People rest on a school rooftop after being trapped there in high water after Hurricane Katrina August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS, LA - SEPTEMBER 12: Neighborhoods are flooded with oil and water two weeks after Hurricane Katrina went though Louisiana September 12, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. U.S. President George W. Bush, on a tour of devastated New Orleans, rejected charges that the government was slow to respond to Hurricane Katrina because the nation's military was over-extended in Iraq and denied race component to Katrina response. Hurricane Katrina hit the region on August 29, 2005, causing numerous deaths and severe property damage in Louisiana and Mississippi. (Photo by Carlos Barria-POOL/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 16: A church remains standing amidst destroyed houses in the Lower Ninth Ward September 16, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rescue efforts and clean up continue in the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina nineteen days after the deadly storm hit. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later EMPIRE, LA - SEPTEMBER 09: A truck hangs against a tree after Hurricane Katrina passed through, September 9, 2005 in Empire, Louisiana. Most of the area throughout the Plaquemines parish are destroyed or heavily damaged. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later BILOXI, MS - SEPTEMBER 1: A car rests partially submerged in a swimming pool outside an apartment building destroyed by Hurricane Katrina September 1, 2005 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Residents are still without electricity, water or communications for a third day after Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, leaving a trail of destruction. Hundreds are feared dead in Biloxi after being trapped in their homes during the storms. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later WAVELAND, MS - SEPTEMBER 19: A patriotic display can be seen in the ruins of a home September 19, 2005 in Waveland, Mississippi. Scenes like these dot the landscapes where homes once stood. Rescue and clean up efforts continue in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina three weeks after the deadly storm hit. (Photo by Marianne Todd/Getty Images) (Marianne Todd/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 09: Houses are seen submerged under water September 9, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Thousands of residents of the Gulf Coast are still without electricity or access to basic amenities after the devastating hurricane swept through the area twelve days ago, likely claiming the lives of thousands. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: AUGUST 30: Mark Benton (R), of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, helps to rescue young family members after they were trapped on a school rooftop with dozens of others in high water after Hurricane Katrina August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 31: Two men paddle in high water after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, August 31, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Devastation is widespread throughout the city with water approximately 12 feet high in some areas. Hundreds are feared dead and thousands were left homeless in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida by the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images NA)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: AUGUST 30: A young child is lifted onto a truck after being rescued and brought ashore in a boat after Hurricane Katrina August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: AUGUST 30: Mark Benton, of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, helps to rescue three month old Ishmael Sullivan from a school rooftop after he and his mother were trapped with dozens of others in high water after Hurricane Katrina August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 30: Jason Biggs pushes his wife Diane on a raft down Canal Street, flooded by Hurricane Katrina, August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sixty people were dead and thousands left homeless in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama when Katrina roared ashore yesterday, cutting off power and leaving much of New Orleans flooded by water up to 20 feet deep in some areas. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 31: People leave the Superdome in the hopes of catching a ride out of town after Hurricane Katrina August 31, 2005 in New Orleans. Thousands of others were looking for a place to go after leaving the Superdome shelter. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 30: A military vehicle takes people to the Superdome as water begins to rise in the area August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Thousands of people are left homeless after Hurricane Katrina hit the area yesterday morning. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: AUGUST 30: A mother and her child are rescued by boat from the Lower Ninth Ward during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina August 30, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds in excess of 135 mph. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 20: U.S. President George W. Bush (C) walks with U.S. Army Lt. General Russel Honore (L) and U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Thad Allen on the flight deck of the USS Iwo Jima September 20, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. President Bush traveled to the Gulf Coast to survey damage from Hurricane Katrina as rescue efforts and clean up continue in the areas hit by the deadly storm over three weeks ago. The Iwo Jima is expected to move to safer waters along with four other Navy ships as the region braces for Hurricane Rita. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
A look back: Hurricane Katrina 20 years later BILOXI, MS - SEPTEMBER 2: John Sanders of Biloxi spends a quiet moment on the once quiet, pristine stretch of Biloxi beach on September 2, 2005 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Officials say the damage left by Hurricane Katrina could take years to undo. (Photo by Marianne Todd/Getty Images) (Marianne Todd/Getty Images)