What Was Gained

Even though New Orleans was severely damaged during Hurricane Katrina, not everything ended in disaster.  New Orleans rose and was able to make a comeback in many aspects of the community.

Evacuation Plan

One thing that came out of Katrina was a better evacuation system was created.  They thought they had all the kinks worked out with the threat of two previous hurricanes, but Hurricane Katrina proved there were still issues.

School
The New Orleans public school system is arguably the single-most transformed institution in the city. Since Katrina, most public schools have become public charter schools, which are independently run.

Charter School Statistics

With a higher proportion of students enrolled in charter schools than anywhere else in the country, New Orleans is the first public education system made up mostly of charters. Today, nearly 95 percent of students attend public charter schools. Less than five percent did before Katrina.

Population Recovery

Postal data has been a useful population indicator for the city, since the U.S. Census only does robust population estimates every 10 years. In the last five years, the number of households receiving mail in New Orleans increased by nearly 20,000, and 65 neighborhoods have shown gains. (If mail has been picked up in the previous 90 days, the U.S. Postal Service deems the house as actively receiving mail.)

More than half of the city’s 72 neighborhoods have recovered 90 percent of their pre-Katrina population, and 16 neighborhoods have actually gained population since the storm. According the U.S. Census Bureau, New Orleans grew by 12 percent between 2010 and 2014.

Start Up Culture

One interesting economic outcome of Katrina has been the boom in startup businesses. The number of new businesses spiked after the storm, as entrepreneurs provided services such as  debris removal and construction. But the fact that ten years after the storm the startup rate is 64 percent higher than the national average says a lot about New Orleans’ business climate. (Culturally Gained)

Tourism

There are more restaurants open now than before Katrina. New Music venues have opened.

The city's population is down 18 percent from 2004, from roughly 460,000 to 378,000. But its tourism statistics are almost as high -- and in some cases stronger -- than 10 years ago. (Tourism)

Tourism

Completed by: Ashley Ince