20 Years Later - Reflecting on Hurricane Katrina

August 29, 2025

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most defining moments in local and national history. For many, this date brings back vivid memories of destruction and loss. Like the rest of our community and region, Delgado Community College was deeply impacted in many ways; our students, faculty, and staff lost homes and possessions, our facilities suffered severe wind and flood damage, and our community suffered immeasurable changes that would have an impact on the way we operate for years to come.

We remember our college leadership who gathered in Baton Rouge in the days immediately following Katrina to begin the process of reopening the college. Through the leadership of then-Chancellor Alex Johnson, paychecks were distributed despite a reopening date. Longtime leaders Harold Gaspard and Debbie Lea set up our temporary administrative headquarters at "The Little House" in Baton Rouge, jump starting our daily operations. Our academic team quickly pivoted to online instruction, a widely unknown technology at the time that would pay dividends in our future learning modalities. We worked to reopen available facilities in a timely manner to allow our students and staff to return to some familiarity and structure. The College's quick return to the damaged City Park Campus served as an anchor for our neighbors to return home and strengthen our shared commitment to rebuild. Together, the Delgado family slowly began the largest rebuilding effort and renaissance in the College's history.

In the two decades that have passed, Delgado Community College has experienced unprecedented growth, expansion, and change. Our enrollment increased in record numbers, our facilities were updated and expanded, and new buildings have changed our landscape across our five campuses and sites. We have endured the challenges of economic uncertainty, additional storms, and a global pandemic. As always, we answered the call to serve our students and our community as a whole. Through it all, Delgado's mission never wavered. Our college family has continued to shine through some of the most challenging and difficult chapters of our 104-year history. 

Each anniversary brings back vivid memories to us individually with each of us having our own personal stories to share. This week, the College helped share stories of determination. Stories like Ms. Patricia Berryhill, a Nursing instructor, who was featured on CNN this past Sunday reflecting on converting her damaged home into a neighborhood health clinic. USA Today Sports published a full-page story in today's edition highlighting the amazing renaissance story behind Delgado Baseball's post-Katrina rebirth. Earlier this week, WWL-TV visited our Sidney Collier site, highlighting its role as an anchor in the surrounding neighborhood and how our students continue to literally rebuild their community. Today, we launch the inaugural episode of Delgado's new podcast that reflects on our shared hurricane journey. Each story is unique but shares our common threads of resilience and rebirth that helped us share our college, neighborhoods, and region over the past twenty years.

Today, we reflect on our past challenges and our future with a renewed sense of appreciation for everyone who has brought Delgado Community College to this point. Delgado's future is bright, thanks to each of you who continue to cultivate and expand our shared legacy each and every day. Together, we embrace the next chapter of our evolving story.

Larissa Littleton-Steib, PhD
Chancellor