THE STORM MADE LANDFALL IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH RIGHT NEAR BURAS. THAT’S ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. WDSU REPORTER SHAY O’CONNOR EXPLAINS WHY, 20 YEARS LATER, THE TOWN SAYS IT IS PERSISTENCE AND PERSEVERANCE THAT IS KEEPING THEM STRONG. SHAY. YEAH, THERE WAS A CEREMONY RIGHT HERE AT THE FORT JACKSON MUSEUM NOT TOO LONG AGO WHERE COMMUNITY MEMBERS PRAYED TOGETHER, THEN REFLECTED ON JUST HOW MUCH HURRICANE KATRINA HAS IMPACTED THIS AREA. THE CANES FROM THE LEVEE WENT STRAIGHT INTO MY DOOR IN MY HOUSE. IT WAS TO THE ROOF. IT WAS LIKE THIS, MUCH FROM THE ROOF, AND EVERYTHING LOOKED LIKE A WASHING MACHINE. INSIDE ACCOUNT. IT WAS DEVASTATING. IT REALLY WAS A TOUGH EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE. AFTER A FROM PEOPLE WHO NOT ONLY LIVED THE DEVASTATION OF HURRICANE KATRINA, THEY CAME BACK AND REBUILT. SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY, OKAY, KATRINA’S GONE, BUT IT’S NOT THAT WE’RE REMEMBERING KATRINA. WE’RE REMEMBERING THE RESILIENCE OF THE PEOPLE AND TO HONOR ALL THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS THAT DID NOT COME BACK, INCLUDING ABOUT A THIRD OF THE PARISH’S POPULATION, BECAUSE THE EAST BANK, WE’RE FORCED TO ELEVATE OUR HOUSES 18FT. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE GOT 40% OF OUR PEOPLE NOT ABLE TO COME BACK. REVEREND TYRONE EDWARDS SAYS HE USED HIS PAIN FROM HURRICANE KATRINA TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE. LINDA BANTA SAYS THE BURAS WATER TOWER FELL DIRECTLY ON HER OFFICE AMID KATRINA, AND MOST OF HER POSSESSIONS WERE NO MORE. EVEN WITH NOT A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA SINCE THE STORM, BANTA SAYS THIS IS STILL HOME. I CALL IT LIVING IN PARADISE, AND THAT’S WHAT I CHOOSE TO SAY. KATRINA TOOK THE MATERIAL THINGS, BUT NOT THE SPIRIT OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH. AND SHE’S NOT ALONE. WE THANK GOD BECAUSE HE BROUGHT US FROM A MIGHTY, MIGHTY LONG WAY. THE FACT THAT WE CAN STILL SAY WE LIVE IN THE GREATEST PLACE ON THE PLANET EARTH. PLAQUEMINES PARISH IS A PRIDEFUL THING TO SAY. 20 YEARS LATER, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WITHIN BURAS TELL ME WHAT THEY’D LIKE TO SEE MOST IS MORE GROCERY STORES. AS MANY OF THEIR GROCERY STORES WERE WIPED OUT DURING HURRICANE KATRINA. REPORTIN
New Orleans still rebuilding population 20 years after Hurricane Katrina
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Updated: 8:41 AM CDT Sep 6, 2025
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Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has 100,000 fewer residents than it did when the storm made landfall. The winds of Katrina scattered many residents to all corners of the United States, but in the middle of a crisis, others saw opportunity. Samantha Castillo moved from Lubbock, Texas, to the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina, driven by the images she saw on television and a desire to help the city recover. "My heart broke," Castillo said. Her motivation to relocate was to assist in the rebuilding efforts. She saw an opportunity to make a difference during the city's crisis, offering her help wherever it was needed. Whether it was cleaning, cooking or watching children while their parents rebuilt their lives, Castillo was there. Castillo saw the sadness of displaced families, which further fueled her commitment to help. While helping others, Castillo found herself in the right place to start a new family of her own. "I ended up meeting my husband, my husband here," said Castillo. Despite the language barrier, they fell in love and made it work. "We raised our kids here in a beautiful culture," Castillo said. Her oldest is now heading off to college. Over the past 20 years, the culture in New Orleans has shifted, with researchers from the Data Center finding a 15% increase in the Hispanic population, including diverse Spanish-speaking cultures from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. "You're finding a lot of Hondurans and people from El Salvador, people, people from Guatemala, it's very rare to run into, like, Mexicans. So when I do find a Mexican here in Louisiana, New Orleans, like, 'Whoa, hey fam,'" said Castillo. Castillo has not only established roots in New Orleans, but she has also made an economic impact."Louisiana loves to snack on every street corner," she said, which inspired her to start Saborcitos, a business offering traditional Mexican snacks. Her best-seller, the Nachos Locos, originated as what she called a struggle meal for her family. "Louisiana has something about, like, you meet somebody and, right away, you feel connected. Right away, you feel like family. They just make you feel, like, so loved like that," said Castillo. Castillo's journey to New Orleans was driven by a sense of divine enlightenment and a calling to help others. "That's what we are called to do; we are called to help and give a helping hand," said Castillo. PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has 100,000 fewer residents than it did when the storm made landfall.
The winds of Katrina scattered many residents to all corners of the United States, but in the middle of a crisis, others saw opportunity.
Samantha Castillo moved from Lubbock, Texas, to the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina, driven by the images she saw on television and a desire to help the city recover.
"My heart broke," Castillo said.
Her motivation to relocate was to assist in the rebuilding efforts. She saw an opportunity to make a difference during the city's crisis, offering her help wherever it was needed. Whether it was cleaning, cooking or watching children while their parents rebuilt their lives, Castillo was there. Castillo saw the sadness of displaced families, which further fueled her commitment to help.
While helping others, Castillo found herself in the right place to start a new family of her own. "I ended up meeting my husband, my husband here," said Castillo.
Despite the language barrier, they fell in love and made it work. "We raised our kids here in a beautiful culture," Castillo said. Her oldest is now heading off to college.
Over the past 20 years, the culture in New Orleans has shifted, with researchers from the Data Center finding a 15% increase in the Hispanic population, including diverse Spanish-speaking cultures from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
"You're finding a lot of Hondurans and people from El Salvador, people, people from Guatemala, it's very rare to run into, like, Mexicans. So when I do find a Mexican here in Louisiana, New Orleans, like, 'Whoa, hey fam,'" said Castillo.
Castillo has not only established roots in New Orleans, but she has also made an economic impact.
"Louisiana loves to snack on every street corner," she said, which inspired her to start Saborcitos, a business offering traditional Mexican snacks. Her best-seller, the Nachos Locos, originated as what she called a struggle meal for her family.
"Louisiana has something about, like, you meet somebody and, right away, you feel connected. Right away, you feel like family. They just make you feel, like, so loved like that," said Castillo.
Castillo's journey to New Orleans was driven by a sense of divine enlightenment and a calling to help others.
"That's what we are called to do; we are called to help and give a helping hand," said Castillo.
