20th Anniversary
Remembering Hurricane Katrina
Remembering Hurricane Katrina: Honoring Resilience and Loss
Hurricane Katrina forever changed the lives of our Tulane community and the city of New Orleans. We remember the profound losses endured and honor the strength, resilience, and compassion that carried us through. This page serves as a space to reflect on the impact of the storm, pay tribute to those we lost, and recognize the enduring spirit that continues to guide our work and our community today.
Hurricane Katrina forever changed the lives of our Tulane community and the city of New Orleans. We remember the profound losses endured and honor the strength, resilience, and compassion that carried us through. This page serves as a space to reflect on the impact of the storm, pay tribute to those we lost, and recognize the enduring spirit that continues to guide our work and our community today.
A Campus and a Community Underwater
Courage and Compassion in the Darkest Hours
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane physicians lived the words of their oath in the most trying of circumstances. With hospitals flooded, power lost, and resources scarce, they placed their patients’ well-being above all else—working by flashlight, improvising treatments, and even sacrificing their own safety to continue providing care. Their courage and compassion embodied the highest traditions of medicine: to heal the sick, to prevent suffering, and to serve humanity without prejudice or hesitation. In those darkest days, Tulane doctors stood as a beacon of resilience and humanity, honoring their sacred duty to their patients and community.
I do solemnly swear before all that is holy and sacred
that I will honor the profession of medicine and practice with conscience and dignity for the good of humanity.
Carrying Forward the Lessons of Katrina
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane medical students were dispersed across the country, welcomed into new classrooms and clinical rotations while their own campus remained in recovery. The disruption was profound—students carried the weight of uncertainty, separation, and loss—yet they remained steadfast in their pursuit of medical knowledge. Guided by their oath to honor their teachers and to seek lifelong learning, these students embraced the chance to continue their training, absorbing wisdom from new mentors and peers alike. Their resilience in the face of upheaval became a living testament to Tulane’s tradition of passing knowledge forward, even in the most trying of times.
I will give my teachers the respect and gratitude that they deserve
and pass my knowledge to those who follow in the art of medicine.
Honoring What Was Lost, Preserving What Remains
Our memorial boards stand as a solemn tribute to the lives, places, and moments forever altered by Hurricane Katrina. While nothing can restore what was taken, we honor the memory of those losses by carrying them with us—etched into our history and our hearts. These memorials serve not only as a place of remembrance, but also as a reminder of our shared resilience and responsibility to preserve the stories that must never be forgotten.
Remember. Reflect. Give Back.
This week, join us in honoring the memory of Hurricane Katrina by contributing to our community. Non-perishable food donations for Second Harvest Food Bank can be placed in the Hutchinson and Murphy lobbies, where message boards are also available to share your thoughts and memories. Together, we carry forward the spirit of resilience through remembrance and giving.
This week, join us in honoring the memory of Hurricane Katrina by contributing to our community. Non-perishable food donations for Second Harvest Food Bank can be placed in the Hutchinson and Murphy lobbies, where message boards are also available to share your thoughts and memories. Together, we carry forward the spirit of resilience through remembrance and giving.
