10 Years Later: How Hurricane Katrina Changed New Orleans

How are Black people in Crescent City doing since the storm?

A Decade Since Destruction - A decade ago, Hurricane Katrina stormed through the Gulf Coast, destroying the New Orleans area as many lost relatives while others were forced to relocate and start their lives over in new cities. BET marked the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with the BET News special Katrina 10 Years Later: Through Hell in High Water, which aired on Aug. 26. You can watch the full special here. Here we take a look at the socio-economic changes African-Americans have faced since the natural disaster. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Black Population Is Dropping - Recent Census data shows that African-Americans are growing in population in suburban areas surrounding New Orleans as prices of living in the city increases with its popularity. Black residents previously were two-thirds of the population. They are now 58.8 percent. Presently, white residents are 31 percent of the population, growing from a quarter of the population a decade ago. The city council is currently working with developers to set aside affordable housing in new apartment complexes in effort to curb the growing crisis of gentrification. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Crime Harms African-American Males - In 2004, before Katrina hit, the Crescent City saw 264 murders. Following the hurricane, the number of homicides in Crescent City dropped to zero for a brief time. But in 2006, the year following, it shot back up to 162. Of the neighborhoods with the most crime in New Orleans, young African-American men, 16 to 24, are most likely to commit and be victims of violent crimes, according to data collected by a team of researchers in 2014, when the city saw 150 murders.  (Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)Homelessness Has Decreased Drastically - Homelessness in New Orleans was at its peak post-Katrina in 2007, when an estimated 11,600 people did not have a place to call home. That number has now dropped drastically to 1,703, according to UNITY, a collective of homeless agencies. (Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

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A Decade Since Destruction - A decade ago, Hurricane Katrina stormed through the Gulf Coast, destroying the New Orleans area as many lost relatives while others were forced to relocate and start their lives over in new cities. BET marked the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with the BET News special Katrina 10 Years Later: Through Hell in High Water, which aired on Aug. 26. You can watch the full special here. Here we take a look at the socio-economic changes African-Americans have faced since the natural disaster. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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