Senator Bill Cassidy Reflects on 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Baton Rouge, LA — Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) reflected on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating disasters in Louisiana and American history.

For Cassidy, Katrina’s aftermath was deeply personal. Days after the storm, he was asked to help convert an abandoned K-Mart into a makeshift hospital. Within 48 hours, he and a team of volunteers were treating evacuees who had nowhere else to go.

“That was just my role,” Cassidy said. “But thousands of others stepped up as well. Together, we made recovery possible.”

Since then, Dr. Cassidy has carried that mission into the Senate. After Katrina, $15 billion was invested to rebuild New Orleans’ levee system. As a lead negotiator of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Cassidy secured more than $10 billion for Louisiana, including $1.5 billion for levees and flood protection, $379 million for the Morganza-to-the-Gulf system, and major investments in evacuation routes, power grids, and coastal restoration.

Every dollar spent on flood mitigation saves $2 to $6 in damages, according to the Congressional Budget Office, proving that these investments will save both lives and costs in the long run.

“Louisiana turned tragedy into resilience after Katrina,” Cassidy said. “I remember the loss, but also the strength of Louisianans who came together to rebuild. Protecting our state and strengthening our levees remains my priority.”

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