Hurricane Katrina Commemorations and Related News - August 25, 2025

New Orleans, LA & Beyond - Today marks a momentous day in the 20th-anniversary observance of Hurricane Katrina. Communities across the Gulf Coast and the nation convened to honor the resilience of survivors, reflect on lessons learned, and spotlight ongoing challenges in disaster preparedness.

Gulf Coast Commemoration Events Kick Off

The City of New Orleans launched a week-long series of events today to recognize “the Resilience of Our People, How We Have Evolved, and Are Now Empowered for the Future.” The festivities began with a Day of Service at Oliver Bush Playground (2500 Fats Domino Ave.), bringing together neighborhood volunteers and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement to refurbish the historic park.

WXXV News 25 in Gulfport, Mississippi, also commenced its anniversary coverage, featuring daily stories and interviews at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. CT throughout the week, highlighting survivor testimonies, local leadership perspectives, and the region’s recovery over the past two decades.

Documentary Premiere on FOX Weather

This evening at 8:30 p.m. ET, FOX Weather debuts “Hurricane HQ: Katrina’s Wrath 20 Years Later,” a four-part documentary anchored by hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross, correspondent Robert Ray, and meteorologist Janice Dean. The series intertwines first-hand survivor accounts, expert analysis of levee fortifications, and reflections on the city’s rebuilding efforts two decades after landfall.

New Research on Hurricane Risk

A new Reuters-reviewed study warns that if Katrina were to strike today, its impact would be compounded by rising sea temperatures and eroding flood defenses. Meteorologist Mark Bove of Munich Re cautioned that accelerated hurricane intensification patterns and subsidence in the Gulf Coast region could render post-Katrina levee upgrades insufficient against a future storm of similar magnitude.

Special Programming and Podcasts

In Mississippi, Magnolia Tribune’s “Mississippi Legends” series will broadcast a special segment on Katrina tonight, featuring interviews and documentary excerpts that revisit the storm’s landfall on August 29, 2005, and its lasting imprint on Gulf Coast communities.

Community Gathering in Texas

At 4:00 p.m. CDT, The Pelican House Restaurant in Duncanville, Texas, will host “Remembering Katrina - 20th Anniversary,” featuring traditional New Orleans-style red beans & rice, live music, and storytelling sessions. The event aims to foster solidarity and remembrance far beyond the Gulf Coast.

Looking Ahead: Commemorations continue through August 29, culminating in memorial ceremonies, film screenings, art exhibits, and community panels that will revisit the lessons of Katrina and chart a path toward more equitable and resilient emergency response systems.