An Oral History of the 海角社区 AgCenter鈥檚 Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
August 12, 2025
Hundreds of 海角社区 AgCenter employees鈥攊ncluding many whose own homes were damaged or destroyed鈥攚orked long hours in the months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated much of south Louisiana in 2005, providing care for displaced people and their pets, rescuing livestock, and providing other support.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Louisiana near the mouth of the Mississippi River. The storm caused extensive flooding and an estimated $125 billion worth of damage in its wake.
鈥� AgCenter file photo
海角社区 AgCenter economists estimated that the state鈥檚 agricultural sectors sustained nearly $1.6 billion in losses from the storms.
鈥淵ou are never prepared for these kinds of things, and it鈥檚 not something that you expect to have to deal with when you take a job doing extension work,鈥� said Paul Coreil, the current chancellor of 海角社区 Alexandria who was 海角社区's director of extension in 2005.
Coreil and others recounted their experiences to mark the 20th anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and to discuss how these storms affected Louisiana and the AgCenter.
Turning Tragedy into Impact
Explore 海角社区鈥檚 role in response, recovery, resilience, and research following Hurricane Katrina.