Thousands of people in New Orleans have no baby pictures. They were lost in the flood 20 years ago. On August 29, 2005, hurricane Katrina ripped through the South, creating havoc everywhere. But New Orleans was changed forever when the levees, holding back water from the city that lies below sea level, failed. An evacuation order had gone out the day before, and thousands of people fled the city. But even more had no transportation, or no money at the end of the month, or stayed with the sick and elderly who couldn't leave. Flood waters covered 80% of the city. More than 1,300 people died, and more than 200,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.
The Louisiana State Museum today opened their new, expanded exhibit on Katrina and its aftermath. The exhibit includes artifacts gathered after the storm, photographs, and accounts from those who lived through it. Read some of those accounts, and see plenty of images, at Smithsonian.
(Image credit: NOAA)
