Hurricane Katrina 20 Years Later:

A Message from Walt Leger III, President and CEO of New Orleans & Company

Twenty years ago, the Gulf Coast experienced one of the worst natural disasters to ever hit this country – Hurricane Katrina. Compounded by engineering and design failures, New Orleans and surrounding communities were almost entirely underwater, nearly two thousand lives were lost, tens of thousands of people lost their homes and everything in them, and some outsiders asked why we would even consider re-building.

Well, not only did we rebuild … we executed one of the greatest turnaround stories in American history. Today, New Orleans stands as a symbol of hope and recovery and is celebrated as a must-see cultural destination that hosts some of the most iconic events on the planet!

Today, New Orleans has emerged as one of the top convention, conference and meeting destinations in the country with billions of dollars of investment, new products and hotel brands, a new airport, a redeveloping riverfront, multiple destination awards and recognitions, prominent global events, and a long-range vision plan that will continue to set us up for future success.

Thank you for reviewing this website, with information from New Orleans & Company and the tourism industry as well as our partners. If you are a journalist on deadline, please contact our talented team of PR Professionals here.

City of New Orleans K20 Website

New Orleans & Company Hurricane Katrina 20th Anniversary Press Release

Hannah Babcock's School Essay about her Grandmother's, Deidre Ross, Experience Bringing the American Library Association's Conference to New Orleans in June 2006

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New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Pedestrian Park

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(1) New Canal Lighthouse on Lake Pontchartrain, (2) New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, (3) Hyatt Regency New Orleans, (4) Caesars Superdome