Hurricane Katrina News

Brad Pitt’s Foundation Sues Architect Over Defects in ‘Katrina’ Houses

Actor Brad Pitt’s foundation has sued a New Orleans architect, saying defective design work led to leaks and other flaws in homes built for residents of an area that was among the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. The lawsuit says …

Virginia Museum Workers Act Fast to Protect Valuable Collection in Hurricane Florence

The Durand-Ruel sisters didn’t dress for hurricane season. The eldest had on a wide-brimmed hat, the kind one would take to a high-society garden party. Both wore white gowns that looked as though their sheerness would go transparent in a …

Lawsuit Planned Against Brad Pitt Foundation over New Orleans Homes

An attorney plans to sue actor Brad Pitt’s foundation over the degradation of homes built in an area of New Orleans that was among the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. The forthcoming lawsuit against Pitt’s Make It Right foundation will …

Education Is Reason Behind Replica of Katrina Flood-Damaged Home

In a dynamic before-and-after project, a nonprofit organization has partially restored a home ravaged by a catastrophic rush of floodwater when a New Orleans levee failed 13 years ago during Hurricane Katrina, re-creating two rooms to look like a typical …

Appeals Court Reverses New Orleans-Area Flooding, MRGO Ruling

A Washington appeals court has reversed a lower court ruling that held the federal government liable for some of the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina and other major storms — a ruling that could have resulted in damage payments for …

Appeals Court Rejects $586M FEMA Fix for Louisiana Barrier Islands

A federal appeals court has rejected Louisiana’s contention that the federal government should pay $586 million to restore barrier islands and wetlands damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld decisions by …

FEMA Says ‘No’ to Taking Back $2B in Katrina Funds from New Orleans

The Federal Emergency Management Agency should take back $2 billion dollars in grants approved to fix New Orleans sewers and water pipes damaged by Hurricane Katrina, and to repair streets afterward, a federal audit says. FEMA says no. The Department …

Post-Katrina Lower 9th Ward Re-Development a Long Time Coming

Judging by the current empty lots, it’s hard to imagine the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina — a bustling neighborhood where African-American residents knew their neighbors, built their homes with their own hands and shopped at …

Oil Companies Land a Victory in Louisiana Coastal Lawsuit

A federal appeals court on March 3 refused to revive a Louisiana levee board’s lawsuit blaming dozens of oil and gas companies for damage to the state’s fragile coast, a major victory for energy companies and their political supporters who …

Cat Simulations Test London Insurers’ Vulnerabilities to Next ‘Big One’

A major $200 billion loss from a combination of a cyber attack, U.S. hurricane and the failure of a reinsurer could strip insurers of up to 120 percent of their net capital base, tests of insurers in London showed. However, …