Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina was not only one of the deadliest and costliest disasters in U.S. history, it was also a story of warnings ignored, engineering failures, and racial injustice.
In our special anniversary episode, I speak with Ivor van Heerden, the former deputy director of the LSU Hurricane Center, who led the infamous Hurricane Pam exercise. He sounded alarms about New Orleans’ vulnerability long before Katrina — only to watch those warnings come true when the levees failed.
We talk about:
🌊 Why Katrina was a largely manmade disaster
⚠️ How federal officials dismissed clear science and preparation
🏚 The Lower 9th Ward, inequity, and environmental justice
🌡 What climate change and sea level rise mean for New Orleans’ future
Ivor’s reflections are raw, urgent, and still painfully relevant today
It’s an honor to share this story as part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative, where powerful writing meets urgent issues. Follow along:
