Twenty years ago today, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast, triggering massive flooding in the New Orleans region that resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and catastrophic property and infrastructure damage.  Within months of the disaster – ranked among the worst in U.S. history – a committee of the National Academies was on the ground to examine what caused New Orlean’s levees to fail, resulting in a series of seminal reports that identified ways to strengthen flood protection infrastructure and other steps to improve disaster resilience in the region.

In the years that followed, several National Academies projects and activities have examined how to improve disaster planning, response, and recovery in the Gulf region and across the nation.  In addition, our Gulf Research Program, which was founded in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, continues to develop, translate, and apply science toward a safer, more resilient, and sustainable future for the Gulf region and its people.  Learn more about our disaster resources below. 

Resources:

• Community-Driven Relocation: Recommendations for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region and Beyond (2024)

•  Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities 2020-2021

• Advancing Health and Resilience in the Gulf of Mexico Region: A Roadmap for Progress  (2023)

• Evidence-Based Practice for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response  (2020)

• Strengthening Post-Hurricane Supply Chain Resilience: Observations from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria  (2020)

• Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative (2012)

• Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Management Collection

• Flood Resilience: Preparedness and Recovery Collection