Houston reflects on welcoming Katrina survivors 20 years later

This is the incredible story of how Houston welcomed storm survivors with open arms — and why so many chose to stay permanently.

HOUSTON — 20 years later and I’ll never forget when the first buses from New Orleans rolled into Houston.  I stood at the Astrodome as families stepped off.  I hugged survivors, held back tears, helped them find their way, and shared their stories with Houston and the nation.

This past week, I hosted a powerful panel at the University of Houston-Downtown reflecting on Katrina’s legacy.  Voices from inside the storm and the front lines of recovery remembered the harrowing days and Houston’s incredible response welcoming more than 200,000 displaced neighbors.

I had never been so proud of my hometown. As former Mayor White said, 20 years ago as a guest at a church service, “Aren’t we graced by God to be caregivers rather than victims in these circumstances?,” Amen!

It speaks to our resilience, compassion, and community… then and now.

Friday marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina and the levee breach devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, prompting more than 200,000 displaced New Orleanians to seek refuge in Houston, where many found not just temporary shelter but a permanent home.

A recent panel at the University of Houston Downtown brought together survivors and recovery workers to reflect on the massive humanitarian effort that transformed Houston into a beacon of hope for storm victims. The discussion highlighted how the city’s response created lasting bonds between the two communities.

Dr. Deborah Bordelon, now faculty at UHD, was among those who evacuated New Orleans before the storm’s full impact became clear. 

“We were watching the news and we were getting ready to come back to New Orleans when we saw on the news that the levees had broke and then we knew that we were not coming back to New Orleans anytime soon,” Bordelon recalled.

The levee failures particularly devastated historic communities of color and impoverished neighborhoods, forcing thousands to seek shelter at locations like the Superdome and convention center. However, as UHD faculty member Kionna LeMalle explained, these facilities offered limited safety.

“Making it to the Superdome or the convention center wasn’t necessarily, that didn’t necessarily mean survival. There were lives lost inside of the Superdome as well as inside of the convention center,” she said.

LeMalle, who evacuated to Houston with her young family before the chaos unfolded, faced the harsh reality many survivors experienced. 

“I distinctly remember we were 30 that year and the amount of money we had in savings was $200. And in that moment we lost our home and we also lost our source of income because the entire infrastructure of the city was destroyed,” she shared.

Houston’s response was swift and comprehensive. Former Mayor Bill White noted the city’s practical role as a destination for evacuees. 

Francisco Sanchez served on Harris County’s Command Staff during Katrina, led Joint Information Center efforts, and opened the Astrodome to storm survivors. He described the remarkable speed of the operation. 

“We built a city at the Astrodome in a matter of days,” he said. “What you saw is a huge contrast between what was happening at the Superdome and convention center in Louisiana and what was happening in Houston.”

The Astrodome became the epicenter of Houston’s humanitarian response, housing more than 60,000 people with the help of 6,000 Houston volunteers. The warmth of the city’s reception left a lasting impression on survivors. One woman sheltered at the dome praised the community spirit,

“The people in Houston… they open their heart… they open their arms… the people in Houston are so wonderful.”

Houston ultimately welcomed an estimated 200,000 storm survivors, many of whom chose to make the city their permanent home. Twenty years later, the sense of gratitude remains strong among New Orleanians who rebuilt their lives in Houston.

“On this other side of Katrina, what matters most are individual lives and people and what we can do for one another,” LeMalle said.

LeMalle is the author of the Katrina inspired book Behind the Waterline. She takes readers to the home of a teenager and his grandmother in a New Orleans neighborhood on the eve of Katrina, where there are few resources and little warning of what is about to happen, in this novel that mixes magical realism with reality.

See the full panel below: