U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy visited the New Orleans area to mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, joining local officials and community leaders in commemorating those who died and recognizing the progress made since the disaster.
Cassidy began his visit in Chalmette, where he acknowledged the recovery efforts of the St. Bernard Parish School System following widespread flooding during Hurricane Katrina. Nearly every building in St. Bernard Parish, including public schools, was affected by floodwaters at that time. Since then, the school district has implemented free preschool for all four-year-olds and reported a record $21 million in scholarship offers for its graduating high school class of 2025.
“After Katrina, St. Bernard’s citizens were determined to recover,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Today, schools are open, seniors are earning scholarships, and all of their students are benefitting from a great education. There is hope again in St. Bernard Parish.”
Superintendent Doris Voitier of the St. Bernard Parish School District expressed appreciation for Cassidy’s support: “We are grateful for Senator Cassidy coming to our breakfast to congratulate our teachers, principals and community on our recovery from Hurricane Katrina,” said Superintendent Voitier. “Despite the devastation wrought by Katrina, we have made great strides in rebuilding our school system, and take pride in the accomplishments of our students and teachers. We appreciate Senator Cassidy’s friendship and support of our efforts.”
Cassidy has worked to secure federal funding for infrastructure improvements in St. Bernard Parish through legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684), which provided over $1.8 million for road projects like LA 39: Orleans P/L – North Avenue project and $4 million through a Senate appropriations bill for a new fire station.
Later in New Orleans, Cassidy joined representatives from Rebuilding Together New Orleans and United Way of Southeast Louisiana at a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new resiliency center on St. Claude Avenue. The facility will function as a hub for disaster preparedness and response efforts.
“When hurricanes strike, people need help right away,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This resiliency center will be enormously helpful in quickly getting food, clean water, and other resources to people in need. Thank you United Way and Rebuilding Together for your forethought and commitment to New Orleans.”
The resiliency center aims to foster collaboration among organizations such as HandsOn New Orleans, Ride NOLA, New Orleans ToolBank, LA GreenCorps as well as United Way and Rebuilding Together.
William Stoudt, Executive Director of Recovering Together, commented on the broader goals behind the project: “This project is about shifting from recovery to readiness,” said Mr. Stoudt.“We can no longer use the term ‘resiliency’ to sidestep the broader, serious challenges facing our community.We are flipping the narrative.What if we didn’t have to be ‘resilient’ after every disaster because we were already equipped and prepared? By bringing trusted partners together under one roof, RTNO is proud to build a future where our community can thrive before and after disaster strikes.”
