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Hurricane Katrina: 20 Years Later, From Survival to Service
Aug 26, 2025
A Personal Recollection from LRA SVP and Head of Communications, Wendy Waren
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and like so many New Orleanians, I can still remember the days leading up to it with painful clarity.
On Saturday, August 27, 2005, I wanted to evacuate early. Katrina was already being called the big one, a once-in-a-lifetime storm. My now-husband, Drue, had a different idea. He wanted to go to Galatoire’s for lunch.
I looked at him in disbelief: “What the hell are you thinking?” His response has stayed with me ever since: “It might not be there when we get back.”
Thankfully, Galatoire’s was still there when we returned. Our refrigerator, however, didn’t survive. The leftovers from that lunch sat inside for weeks, and the smell alone was enough to retire the whole appliance. That ruined fridge became a symbol for me of Katrina’s destruction, everyday things we counted on suddenly gone.
The scale of loss was staggering. Katrina and Rita temporarily closed more than 4,000 restaurants, displacing over 100,000 employees and crippling an industry that represents the heart and soul of Louisiana. Some iconic establishments were gone forever; others became gutted shells of what they once were. But even in the darkest days, restaurants and their people rose up, feeding their communities, volunteering, speaking before congressional committees, and reminding the world why Louisiana’s hospitality industry matters.
Like many, I came back unsure what the future would look like, or even whether I’d still have my job. To keep busy and generate some income, I picked up early morning shifts at a hotel on St. Charles Avenue, washing dishes for the restaurant that was feeding a security company staying onsite. At $15 an hour, it was hard, necessary work, and my first lesson in the rhythm of a three-compartment sink.
In the evenings, I bartended at Savvy Gourmet on Magazine Street. It became a beloved spot in those months, one of the few places with Wi-Fi, a gathering space where neighbors and friends could reconnect, swap stories, and cling to the feeling of community. Looking back, those jobs weren’t just survival, they were preparation for what was to come.
I just remember that every time a restaurant reopened, we flocked to it. It wasn’t just about a meal; it was about reclaiming our city one table at a time. For my 30th birthday that October, we went to K-Paul’s in the French Quarter. We parked right in front of the restaurant because there was hardly anyone in town. That night, I met Chef Paul Prudhomme for the first time, and a jazz band played to mark the reopening. It felt like New Orleans was still alive, still ours.
In December 2006, just over a year after Katrina and Rita, I joined the Louisiana Restaurant Association. By then, the industry was still fragile but fiercely determined to rebuild. The LRA was on the front lines, having launched the Members Helping Members program so restaurants across the country could “adopt” Louisiana establishments by covering dues or sending assistance. Through the LRA Education Foundation, the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund provided financial support to help displaced restaurant staff return home and get back to work. Job fairs linked employers with eager workers, while member forums gave restaurateurs a place to share hard-won knowledge about insurance battles, rebuilding kitchens, and finding customers again.
What I had witnessed in returning home, restaurants as anchors of hope and normalcy, I now saw magnified across an entire industry. The LRA wasn’t just supporting businesses; it was helping rebuild lives, neighborhoods, and New Orleans itself.
Now, 20 years later, I look back on that Galatoire’s lunch with deeper appreciation. Drue was right, it wasn’t just about a meal. It was about holding onto the places that define us, praying they’d still be there when we came back. And thanks to the strength of Louisiana’s restaurant community and the members of the LRA who refused to give up, many of them were.