Twenty years ago, on Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, exposing the nation’s deepest racial and economic divides. While Katrina was an American tragedy, its most acute impact was felt in New Orleans. Yet, from Houston’s perspective, the story of Katrina—then and now—is a tale of two cities.
Houston became the landing ground for tens of thousands of displaced New Orleansians, reshaping the city’s demographics, culture and future. As filmmaker Ryan Coogler highlights in his new documentary, Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (2025), Katrina was more than a storm—it was a collision of policy failures, resilience and migration. Long before Coogler, Spike Lee chronicled this reality in his 2006 masterpiece When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.
Two decades later, survivors, Houstonians and those who built new lives across Texas reflect on that defining moment.
New Orleanians remember
For many survivors, the memories of August 2005 remain seared into their spirits.
Trena Douse recalls that she didn’t want to evacuate at all.
“When we got the warnings about Hurricane Katrina, I didn’t think it was necessary to leave. I was willing to stay because all the years that we experienced hurricanes, it wasn’t that bad,” said Douse.
Her brother convinced her otherwise. The family packed essentials, including vital records they kept ready after surviving a house fire years earlier, and fled New Orleans before the rain began.
But their journey wasn’t straightforward. After stopping in Baton Rouge, they pressed on to Port Arthur. There, they briefly stayed in a shelter until it was evacuated ahead of Hurricane Rita.
“We stayed in Marshall for about 60 days,” Douse remembered. “Then we migrated to Houston. The entire family migrated—over 50 of us.”
For her son, Isaiah, the memories are even more haunting. Just 10 years old at the time, he was with his father, grandfather, brother and uncles. They were trapped in the Superdome before being bused to Dallas.
“The winds were whipping through everything, tearing stuff apart. I was scared,” Isaiah said.
Eventually, rising floodwaters forced them to the roof of their Seventh Ward building before rescue arrived.
For others, the storm meant immediate upheaval.
Hiram Smith, a successful New Orleans event promoter, carried the burden of protecting his mother and sisters.
“It was the most devastating experience of my life,” he said. “Being the only male in the family at the time, I didn’t know where to go or what to do. Moving to Houston was a walk of faith.”
Smith drained his savings to sustain his family and keep hope alive.
“I didn’t care about money. I cared about survival,” he recalled. That survival instinct eventually birthed his Houston-based business, Hiram Style, a premier event design and management firm.
Meanwhile, educator and New Orleans native Christine Moline had just closed on her first home—after a grueling seven-month process—days before the storm.
“We always treated hurricanes like an evacuation vacation,” stated Moline. “But this time it was different.”
Moline evacuated, spending one night in Houston before heading to Austin, where she has lived ever since.
Houstonians respond
For Houstonians, Katrina was an unexpected test of compassion, infrastructure and resolve.
Rachel Graham, who then worked in Mayor Bill White’s office, remembers the city’s rapid mobilization.
“When the levee was breached and the city was underwater, I called my sister and said, ‘Oh my God, it’s all gone,’” Graham recalled.
Within days, she was tasked with helping co-lead Houston’s recovery operations.
She helped transform the George R. Brown Convention Center into a temporary city for the displaced.
“We set up a clinic, sections for men, women, children and a space for the LGBTQ community,” Graham said. “We had a library, haircut stations, food and clothing. It was all done in less than 24 hours.”
Graham’s children (daughter, 8, and son, 5) accompanied her to work daily. One day, Graham’s daughter offered a sobering reminder.
“She asked me, ‘Mommy, why don’t [the children survivors of Katrina] know where their parents are?’” recalls Graham, her voice heavy with the memory.
Community members also rose to meet the moment. SisterMama Sonya, an activist and healthcare advocate, organized a network of Black women to collect and distribute toiletries, diapers and food. She later worked as a City of Houston case manager, listening to stories of survival and trauma. One story still haunts her—that of her co-worker Keith, who, as a large man, had been forced to move bodies in New Orleans.
“He said he has to live with that,” Sonya said quietly.
For educators like Kathy Gunter, the crisis reshaped their roles.
“I remember seeing the videos, hearing Kanye say, ‘The president doesn’t like Black people,’ and thinking—why are they calling them refugees?” said Gunter.
Later, Gunter helped Katrina survivors, including Trena Douse and her children, adjust to Houston schools and life.
And for Houston faith communities, the moment was transformative.
Joyce Johnson of the Shrine of the Black Madonna remembered housing and caring for more than 150 evacuees.
“That experience was profoundly life-changing,” she said. “I had never been involved in anything of that magnitude in real time.”
New lives in Houston and beyond
Two decades later, Katrina’s survivors live with the scars and resilience the storm demanded.
Trena Douse eventually settled in Dallas, though she still feels connected to Houston.
“This journey has brought out the character of triumph, resilience, confidence and not being fearful,” she said.
Her son, Isaiah, now lives in Houston but admits the trauma of Katrina shapes his choices.
“A lot of people ask me why I don’t move back. I tell them I don’t want to face the fear of starting over and going through that again,” shared Isaiah.
In Austin, Moline has flourished in tech, cyber-security and real estate, though her heart is tied to both cities.
“Austin is perfect,” she said. “It’s close enough to visit friends in Houston and family in Dallas.”
For Smith, Houston became both refuge and launchpad. He built Hiram Style into a premier event firm and is credited with designing corporate and other events. The Fountain of Praise church and its pastor, Dr. Remus Wright, gave him his first major opportunity to showcase his skills in Houston, which grew into a thriving business.
He also gave back by creating the Fashion Lab initiative in New Orleans to inspire youth through design.
“I didn’t want to just leave the city,” Smith said. “I wanted to be a part of the rebirth, especially for our youth.”
For some Houstonians, welcoming New Orleanians has turned into a permanent shift in the city’s identity.
“My family members who came here never went back,” said Johnson. “A lot of people never went back.”
