Nonprofit Leadership Podcast:

The Story Behind the Real Cause of Hurricane Katrina’s Devastating Impact

Host: Dr. Rob Harter
Guest: Sandy Rosenthal (Founder of levees.org, author of "Words Whispered in Water")
Date: December 14, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Rob Harter interviews New Orleans resident and activist Sandy Rosenthal to uncover the real cause behind Hurricane Katrina's destruction in 2005. While most assumed the hurricane’s devastation was a natural disaster, Sandy reveals that the failure of federal levees—rather than the hurricane itself—was responsible for most of the impact. The discussion details Rosenthal’s journey from concerned citizen to national grassroots leader, the challenges she faced in shifting the public narrative, and the lessons she learned about advocacy, leadership, and resilience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Katrina: The Reality vs. The Narrative

[00:01–06:31]

• Initial Impact: Katrina was initially believed to have devastated New Orleans as a result of a natural disaster—almost 1,400 deaths and $125 billion in damage.
• What Made Katrina Unique: Unlike other major hurricanes, Katrina’s storm actually passed east of New Orleans as a Category 2. The French Quarter and high ground were largely spared, but significant parts of the city remain unrecovered even years later.
  • Quote: “New Orleans flooded not because of the wind and the water coming out of the sky. New Orleans flooded because the protective levees that were supposed to hold the water back did not and actually failed at half the pressure they were designed to hold.” (B, 05:54)
• Persistent Impact: Large areas of the city, especially to the east, are still empty or slow to recover.

Uncovering the Truth: Sandy’s Investigation

[07:11–12:23]

• Becoming A First Investigator: Sandy, not an engineer, started noticing inconsistencies by consuming news obsessively during and after evacuation. She realized the levees were recently built and should have withstood pressure.
  • Quote: “I had the luxury... I could read the news, you know, watch tv, listen to the radio, which I did obsessively and quickly I began to see that no, the flooding... it was the levees broke. And here's the critical thing: that they should have held.” (B, 08:51)
• Official Responsibility: Discovered that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a federal entity, was responsible for designing and building the levees, not local authorities.

Facing Pushback and Building Persistence

[09:53–14:31]

• Resistance: Faced dismissal—“So you're an engineer all of a sudden?”—and opposition, even ridicule from media, engineers, and the Army Corps.
• Consequences for Whistleblowers: Engineers avoiding criticism so as not to lose Army Corps contracts (“if you did speak out, your engineering company was banned from getting any work or you were fired.” B, 11:40)
• Perseverance: Despite the backlash and lack of attention, Sandy persisted—especially after discovering the Army Corps disparaging her online (which she tracked using IP addresses).
  • Quote: “If the Army Corps is going after me, a nobody, just a citizen of this city, I must be onto something.” (B, 11:43)
  • National media finally noticed after Sandy presented proof of the online attacks (WWL TV coverage).

Mobilizing a Movement and Changing the National Narrative

[14:31–22:00]

• From Local to National:
  • Levees.org was founded, quickly gaining support from the Katrina diaspora across the U.S.
  • National attention grew after CBS picked up the story, especially once it was clear the Army Corps used federal money for PR rather than public safety.
• The Turning Point: In 2015 (10 years later), major media adopted the correct narrative: the Army Corps’ levee failures—not just Katrina’s natural force—were responsible. This followed research retractions and coverage in Water Policy and The New York Times.
  • Quote: “After that day, all the major media... started saying, the Army Corps of Engineers levees failed. It took a decade. [But] it was 10 years. And it's worth it because the survivors... deserve for everyone to know the truth.” (B, 21:53)

Building a National Grassroots Organization

[22:00–24:58]

• Expansion: Levees.org grew via chapters in other at-risk states; almost two thirds of Americans live in counties protected by levees.
  • Quote: “Almost overnight [levees.org] turned into a national organization, which was very, very well-received and respected...” (B, 24:13)

Advocacy, Empathy, and Broadening the Mission

[26:31–30:35]

• Making Connection: Used statistics from the Freedom of Information Act to reveal that over 130 million Americans are at risk from levee failure, enabling national empathy and support.
  • Quote: “Look for commonalities. Look for something they can appreciate as well because they're in the same boat as you are.” (B, 27:56)
• Current Focus: Advocating for engineering curricula to mandate instruction on design failures. If schools do not comply, they could lose their accreditation.
  • Quote: “We want for all 200 engineering schools in the country… to be required to receive instruction in engineering failures and lessons learned.” (B, 30:35)

Personal Motivation and Overcoming Obstacles

[30:55–32:32]

• Book: "Words Whispered in Water"
  • Sandy’s account of the Katrina disaster, activism journey, and overcoming personal challenges—such as being born profoundly deaf—so others can see what’s possible.
  • Quote: “If I could do this, anybody can do anything they set their mind to.” (B, 31:32)

Advice on Resilience, Mobilization, and Effective Advocacy

[34:21–37:12]

• Self-Reliance: Education means both advocating for systemic change and ensuring personal/family preparedness.
• Mobilizing a Cause:
  • Expect the journey to be harder and longer than anticipated, but ultimately worthwhile.
  • Criticism is invaluable—embrace it and learn; “Arrogant people make mistakes… and when they do, they're big. They're big mistakes… fear not. Press forward.” (B, 35:22)
  • It’s okay not to have all the answers at the start: “All you have to do is keep asking the questions.” (B, 37:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On uncovering the truth:
  “Why would they trouble themselves with me? They had work to do, like rebuild these levees. So that told me I was on the right... I just kept on talking. And still am.” — Sandy Rosenthal [11:43]

• On the national shift in narrative:
  “After that day, all the major media... stopped blaming the storm... started saying the Army Corps of Engineers levees failed. It took a decade.” — Sandy [21:53]

• On approach to advocacy:
  “Welcome criticism... they're inadvertently giving you useful information...” — Sandy [35:19]
  “Arrogant people make mistakes. And when they do, they're big. They're big mistakes.” — Sandy [36:06]

• On personal motivation:
  “If I could do what I did—I'm not... an engineer, no political experience, no advocacy experience, and I'm born profoundly deaf... anybody can do anything they set their mind to.” — Sandy [31:19]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:54] – Defective levees, not the storm, caused New Orleans flooding
• [08:50] – Sandy’s investigation as a non-expert citizen
• [11:40] – Consequences for whistleblowers; resistance from local engineers
• [13:36] – Army Corps caught disparaging Sandy and her supporters online
• [16:21] – CBS National picks up the story
• [21:53] – Major media acknowledge Army Corps responsibility (10 years later)
• [24:10] – Levees.org expands to a national organization
• [27:49] – Reveals 130+ million Americans are at risk from levee failure
• [30:35] – Advocacy for engineering education reform
• [31:19] – Overcoming adversity and empowering others
• [35:19] – Embracing criticism as a tool for advocacy success

Resources Mentioned

• Book: “Words Whispered in Water” by Sandy Rosenthal
• Organization: levees.org
• Learn more about Sandy and her projects: sandyrosenthal.net

Takeaways for Nonprofit Leaders

• Stay persistent, even amid rejection.
• Make personal stories and local issues relatable to broader audiences through data and shared risk.
• Build movements by empowering others, especially diaspora communities.
• Advocate for systemic change and education to prevent future disasters.
• Welcome criticism as fuel for refining your strategy and message.

For more resources and episodes, visit nonprofitleadershippodcast.org