Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has issued a statement to mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in Louisiana. The storm, which struck in August 2005, resulted in significant loss and damage across the state.
“It seems like yesterday. It’s very hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana. I do, I remember like it was yesterday.
“For many Louisiana families, today marks 20 years since their worlds were turned upside down. More than 1,800 lives lost, 200,000 homes destroyed and $108 [billion] in damage. It was devastating.
“I was serving as Treasurer of Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. I remember fielding calls from credit-rating agencies and other financial institutions. They wanted to write Louisiana off. They thought we were finished, done. They didn’t know Louisianians. They doubted our ability to come back from Katrina’s destruction.
“But they didn’t know Louisiana like I do, and they didn’t know the people of Louisiana like I do. They didn’t understand the grit and the resilience of Louisiana’s families.
“They didn’t realize that hard times only make us stronger. They didn’t believe we could come back swinging and rebuild from this storm—and it was a mighty storm—and the major storms that have followed in the 20 years since that fateful day.
“It wasn’t easy. It was far from easy, but Louisianians pulled through the destruction. We didn’t let it break us. We might have been bowed a few times, but we never broke.
“On this 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I am proud to be a Louisianian.
“To the families who are facing their 20th year of missing a loved one that they lost in the storm, Becky and I are praying for you. All of Louisiana is sending its love.”
Kennedy also referenced his role as state treasurer at the time of the hurricane and described interactions with financial institutions concerned about Louisiana’s future following extensive losses caused by Katrina.
