Posted on August 31, 2025
Baton Rouge, La. – On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) is highlighting progress and proven results in storm surge risk reduction and coastal restoration.
Created in 2005 in direct response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the CPRA was charged with integrating hurricane protection and coastal restoration efforts across Louisiana’s coast. Since its creation, the agency has secured $21.6 billion in funding, utilized 226 million cubic yards of fill, benefitted 93,298 acres of land, improved 396 miles of levees, and constructed 71.6 miles of barrier islands and berms.
“Twenty years after Katrina, we can say with confidence that Louisiana is safer, stronger, and more resilient,” said Michael Hare, CPRA Executive Director. “The investments we’ve made have protected countless lives and livelihoods, and we are committed to building on this progress for generations to come.”
In the lead-up to the 20th anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the CPRA’s Coastal Master Plan team sought to explore how investments in building land and restoring ecosystems, improving structural risk reduction systems, and supporting flood risk mitigation through nonstructural risk reduction efforts have reduced flood risk across Louisiana’s coast.
To answer this question, CPRA requested that The Water Institute (TWI) and Purdue University conduct a retrospective hindcast analysis using previously developed risk assessment models. The study compared current conditions to a “no investment” scenario, simulating what the coast would look like today if post-Katrina protection and restoration projects had never been built.
The hindcast confirmed that the investments made by CPRA and its partners have been transformative. By comparing today’s risk reduction systems and restoration projects to a world without them, the analysis shows that flood damages have been cut by nearly 60% statewide.
“The devastation of Hurricane Katrina was a turning point and this study shows what’s possible when science, leadership, and sustained commitment come together,” said Beaux Jones, President and CEO of TWI. “The science is clear. These projects are reducing risks for communities today and building a stronger foundation for the future.”
Designed and constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in partnership with CPRA, the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS, a network of levees, floodwalls, gates, and pumps completed in 2018 to reduce risk for the Greater New Orleans region from storm surge and flooding, is one example of the successes of coastal protection and restoration efforts in Louisiana.
The hindcast shows that during Hurricane Isaac alone, the largely-complete HSDRRS prevented up to $165 billion in damages, more than paying for its $18 billion price tag in just one storm. Without the risk reduction system improvements made following 2005, Hurricane Isaac could have produced levee failures, flooding, and damages on par with those seen following Hurricane Katrina.
This success is not confined to the Greater New Orleans area. Upgrades and new projects across coastal communities are also providing strong returns. Throughout Louisiana, benefit-cost ratios for projects range from 4:1 to 10:1, demonstrating that each dollar invested yields many times more in avoided damages.
As Louisiana reflects on the disasters of 2005, CPRA and its partners are also marking the successes that followed. CPRA’s efforts demonstrate that with vision, science, and sustained investment, the future of Louisiana’s coast can be more secure and resilient than ever before.
