DDH_ICONS Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina: Story From a Survivor

I’ll be recovering for the rest of my life.

If you are experiencing emotional distress or other mental health concerns after a disaster, the Disaster Distress Helpline is here for you 24/7/365.

1-800-985-5990

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing ASL Callers: To connect directly to an agent in American Sign Language, Click the “ASL Now” button below or call 1-800-985-5990 from your videophone. ASL Support is available 24/7.

When Katrina hit, Allison Good was a sophomore in high school living in the suburbs. Her family’s home was flooded with 6 feet of water, and along with their possessions, she also lost her two cats. Despite the grief of losing all that—and being displaced for four months—Allison cultivated a deep appreciation for New Orleans culture that she’d never had before. But years later, it became harder to have a rosy outlook on the impact of Katrina. Her parents had sheltered her from news coverage at the time, so seeing photos and video of the horror and devastation the community endured was difficult years later.