Twenty Years Later: How Hurricane Katrina Changed the Coast—And the Birds That Call It Home

"What's good for birds is good for people." That phrase has long guided the National Audubon Society's approach to conservation. Along the Gulf Coast—where the ecosystems, people, and birds are deeply intertwined—those words ring truer than ever now, as we reflect on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

On August 29, 2005, Katrina made landfall in Louisiana and parts of Mississippi, forever altering the region's landscape, communities, and ecosystems. The storm exposed gaps in infrastructure, weaknesses in disaster response, and the overwhelming force of a changing climate. It devastated cities, uprooted lives, and reshaped ecosystems—but it also ignited movements for healing, restoration, and resilience.

Two decades later, Gulf Coast communities are still rebuilding. Organizations like the National Audubon Society and its partners across the region have stepped up to steward the land, support their neighbors, and protect the birds and people that call the coast home.

A Landscape Transformed—For Birds and People

"We're on the front porch," said Charles Allen, Audubon Delta's Director of Community Engagement. "New Orleans is a coastal city. We are on the front lines of sea level rise, hurricanes, and everything in between."

Charles has spent nearly two decades advocating for coastal restoration in Louisiana and says the work remains urgent. "We've still got critical restoration work to do. Despite the cancellation of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, projects that reconnect the river to the wetlands remain our best solution to save our vanishing coast."

Wetlands act as natural barriers to potential disasters: absorbing floodwaters, protecting infrastructure, and serving as habitat for countless species of birds and wildlife. But building true resiliency along the Gulf Coast requires more than restoring nature—it means listening to and investing in communities that have lived closest to the storm.

The Bird's-Eye View: How Coastal Birds Were Affected

In Mississippi, Abby Darrah, a senior coastal biologist with Audubon Delta, sees the legacy of Katrina from an ecological perspective.

"I still see the aftermath,” Abby said. "There are still empty lots and changed landscapes. You can see how the storm disrupted everything—including our bird populations."

The Least Tern, a small, charismatic bird that nests in Mississippi, was heavily impacted by the storm. These shorebirds nest right on the sand, leaving their eggs vulnerable to storms and human disturbance. "After Katrina, people weren't able to monitor bird populations,” Abby said. “They had more immediate concerns like rebuilding their homes and lives. And the data reflects that. Populations dropped."

Since then, Audubon's Coastal Bird Stewardship Program helped Least Tern populations rebound in parts of Mississippi. But erosion and habitat loss continue to pose significant threats.

"Erosion is one of the primary problems here and in Louisiana," Abby said. "We're losing a lot of habitat, and that affects not just birds—but people too. They're losing their beaches and their storm protection."

Abby also studies how bird populations respond to hurricanes and other extreme weather.

"Birds and storms have always coexisted," she said. "Storms can even create new habitats. But in today's world, there are fewer places left for birds to move. If they keep getting hammered by the same storms, at what point does it become a population problem? That's the question we're trying to answer with our data."

Abby emphasizes that science alone won't solve the crisis—community engagement is essential. Through outreach programs like Kids Science, where children design educational signs to protect beach-nesting birds, Audubon is helping build a grassroots conservation ethic for the next generation.

Restoration Rooted in Community

The Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) was founded to help residents recover in one of the New Orleans neighborhoods hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina. CEO Arthur Johnson sees the grassroots organization as a hub for the citizens and the voice for the next generation.

"We started as a funnel for recovery grants," explained Arthur Johnson, chief executive officer for CSED. "Now we're building youth leadership through environmental research internships, educating students about stormwater, heat, sea-level rise, and sustainability."

Darrell Esnault, Senior Graduate Fellow at CSED, leads efforts to restore the Lower Ninth Ward’s local wetlands and engage young people in hands-on environmental work, like planting cypress trees and handing out disaster preparedness kits for residents. "Coastal restoration is a big part of what we do," he said. "We want young people to understand how to protect and sustain their neighborhoods."

Mississippi's Comeback: New Sand, New Life

Across the state line in Mississippi, Melinda Repperger, Audubon Delta's Senior Manager of Coastal Restoration, is watching a hopeful transformation unfold in Harrison County, where 97% of Mississippi’s Least Terns nest.

"This fall, Harrison County and the surrounding coast will receive a full beach nourishment—tons of new sand pumped back onto our beaches," she shared.

Another success story: Round Island, an artificial island created in 2016 using dredge material. It's now a thriving habitat for Wilson's Plovers and large terns.

"It's proof that big, nature-based projects work," Melinda said. "And what helps birds helps people. More land means more protection from storms. It's that simple."

A Legacy That Looks Forward

Twenty years later, the Gulf Coast still carries the memories and momentum of Katrina. Its scars remain—but so do its lessons. Communities have learned to plant deeper roots, both in the soil and in each other.

From cypress trees and shoreline restoration to youth internships and affordable housing, a new generation of leaders is carrying forward the work of recovery and resilience. Because on the Gulf Coast, birds and people rise together.