Two decades after Katrina, St. Bernard Parish is still rebuilding, but signs of resilience and renewed optimism are shaping a community that remains deeply connected to its coast and its culture.
When Katrina struck on August 29, 2005, Louis Pomes watched from atop a parish building as a brutal surge pushed debris and trash before it. Twenty years later, the parish has rebuilt much of its infrastructure—oil refineries and sugar plants are back online, schools and hospitals have reopened, and new housing is rising—but the population still hasn’t returned to its pre-storm level. The parish is now home to about two-thirds of the people who lived there before Katrina, and officials and residents say the region’s future will depend on strong flood protections and a resilient economy in the face of rising seas and more intense storms.
A massive flood protection program is underway in the region, funded by about $14.5 billion from the federal government. Still, St. Bernard sits just a few feet above sea level, making climate-driven risks a constant consideration. In Katrina’s wake, the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, known locally as MRGO, funneled storm surge into the parish. MRGO was closed in 2009, and a 22-mile levee system around St. Bernard was completed in 2018, signaling a major shift toward reduced flood risk and greater confidence for residents looking to return or relocate.
Kevin Potter, who lived through Katrina’s devastation and remains in Chalmette, has seen his life come full circle. He and his wife are back in the parish, after years spent rebuilding their home and a daycare business that supported the family while repairs were underway. “I built the daycare center and I had all the receipts,” he recalls, noting how supply costs and labor surged when demand spiked after the storm. Today, he describes being “almost there—about 90%,” with his family focusing on completing the last repairs and settling into a new routine. Yet, even as his home improves, he emphasizes the lingering tension around climate risk and the need for reliable, durable protections.
Population shifts tell part of the story. In 2005, the parish counted about 71,300 residents. The following year, the number plummeted to around 16,500 as thousands left in search of safety, schools, and services. Since then, the community has slowly grown again, reaching roughly 44,800 residents in recent years. The migration pattern reflects both the lure of rebuilt infrastructure and the reality that not everyone has chosen or could afford to return.
Some former parish residents found safety and opportunity elsewhere. Mark Benfatti, who lost much of his family property to flooding and eventually relocated to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, now runs a construction business there. He notes that his current neighborhood sits on higher ground and believes surviving the next big storm will be more manageable from his new location, even as he remains mindful of the parish’s ongoing recovery.
The rebuilding effort has reshaped the community in other ways too. Drive through St. Bernard today and you’ll see more green space where homes once stood, with neighborhoods that were wiped out by flood years ago left as open land or redeveloped differently. Louis Pomes, who was elected parish president in 2023, points to the lack of essential services early in the recovery—no schools, healthcare facilities, or grocery stores—that contributed to out-migration. Since then, investments have begun to pay off: a rebuilt hospital, new schools, and plans to attract more businesses are part of a broader strategy to restore the parish’s economic and social fabric.
Demographics have changed as well. The parish is now home to fewer white residents and more Black and Latino residents. A 2009 ordinance restricting housing to blood relatives sparked legal challenges and led to settlements with civil rights groups and federal authorities; those agreements, totaling millions of dollars, underscored the importance of inclusive growth as the parish rebuilt. Today, the leadership highlights a broader, more diverse community as part of its long-term recovery.
Looking ahead, parish leaders hope to attract tens of thousands more residents to bring the population back toward its pre-Katrina level. Key to that vision are ongoing investments in a modern hospital, updated schools, and a more inviting business climate. New and returning residents like 22-year-old Belle Landry, who works in her family’s store and restaurant in Arabi, say the updated levee system and the parish’s resilience help ease fears about future storms, while the rich local culture remains a strong draw.
On August 29 this year, St. Bernard Parish will mark the anniversary with a mass at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church and a traditional reading of 164 names of those who died in the storm at the Katrina Memorial in Shell Beach. The ceremony serves as a reminder of the community’s losses and the progress that has followed, from a shattered landscape to a more hopeful, rebuilt parish.
Additional value for the article:
– SEO keywords to consider: Katrina anniversary, St. Bernard Parish, Chalmette, MRGO, flood protection, levee system, climate resilience, population changes, parish redevelopment, Katrina Memorial.
– Potential pull quotes: “We have a lot of new families that moved into Saint Bernard Parish,” “If the new levees hold, I think we’ll be okay,” and “We’re almost there—about 90%.”
– Sidebar ideas: a timeline of key milestones (MRGO closure, levee completion, hospital and school reopenings), and a map showing pre- and post-Katrina population shifts.
– Context for readers: brief explainer on how the MRGO project and levee upgrades changed flood risk, plus how the regional flood protection system supports long-term resilience.
Summary:
Twenty years after Katrina, St. Bernard Parish has rebuilt much of its infrastructure and seen new growth, but the population remains far below its pre-storm levels. A sweeping flood protection program, the closure of MRGO, and a completed levee system have reduced risk, while new hospitals, schools, and economic development efforts aim to draw residents back. The community’s resilience—and its desire to attract new families—remains the central thread tying this anniversary to a hopeful, more secure future.
Positive takeaway:
Despite the long road to recovery, the parish is showing steady progress with major flood protections, rebuilding of essential services, and a growing, diverse population that signals a renewed opportunity for renewal and community strength.
If you’d like, I can tailor this further for a specific WordPress layout, craft a shorter summary for social media, or add a sidebox with key statistics and a map caption.