Airs Sunday, August 30, at 6 p.m. What difference has a decade made?
Ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina swept through Southeast Louisiana, triggering what would become the nation’s costliest disaster. Less than a month later, Hurricane Rita inundated Southwest Louisiana forever altering the landscape. The storms uprooted residents, while the rest of Louisiana and its neighboring states welcomed them with open arms.What affect did the storms have on economic development along the I-10 corridor? A decade later, how have public services changed? How prepared is Louisiana to handle hurricane evacuees and how did the hurricanes change the demographics of the state?
The program includes interviews with Jason El Koubi, One Acadiana; Chris Guilbeaux, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP); Kathy Kliebert, Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals; Allison Plyer, Executive Director of the Data Center; John White, State Superintendent of Education; and Christopher Bohnstengel and “Byrdie” Lane, owners of Byrdie’s Gallery and Café in New Orleans.
The panelists are:
Andy Kopplin, Office of New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu
Paul Rainwater, Rainwater Consulting, LLC
Stephanie Riegel, Greater Baton Rouge Business Report
Nihal Shrinath, The Data Center
LPB CEO Beth Courtney and LPB news anchor Charlie Whinham moderate the discussion.