LPB Explores Katrina 20 Years Later in a Louisiana: The State We’re In Special
Lasting Impact, Lesson Learned, & an "Unwanted Muse"
(LOUISIANA STATEWIDE – August 26, 2025) - Twenty years have passed since Hurricane Katrina devasted the Gulf Coast, forever changing the lives and landscape of Louisiana—especially in New Orleans. In KATRINA 20 – A LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN SPECIAL, Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) revisits the storm’s enduring impact through the voices of those who lived it, while also looking ahead to the lessons learned and the changes still unfolding.
KATRINA 20 – A LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN SPECIAL premieres Friday, August 29 at 7:00pm on LPB’s statewide network and WLAE-TV in New Orleans. It will also air at 7:30pm on WYES-TV, serving New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.
Hosted by LPB’S Karen LeBlanc and Dorothea Wilson, the program explores how Katrina reshaped Louisiana both geographically and demographically. Thousands displaced by the storm carried Louisiana’s culture across the country—some never to return. The special also features an exclusive interview with Governor Jeff Landry, who discusses the state’s preparation for future storms and areas still in need of improvement. And since art reflects life, viewers will meet Louisiana artists who found in Katrina an unexpected and “unwanted muse.”
The program also revisits LPB’s vital role during the disaster, when its unprecedented collaboration with WWL-TV gave the nation a critical window into the unfolding emergency, a partnership that endures to this day.
“That’s what we do in Louisiana during times of trouble; we show up for one another,” says Clarence “C.C” Copeland, LPB President & CEO. “Katrina left scars, but it also revealed our resilience as a state. That’s the spirit we want viewers to carry with them from this special one-hour expanded edition of Louisiana: The State We’re In.”
KATRINA 20 – A LOUISIANA: THE STATE WE’RE IN SPECIAL will stream live at lpb.org/livetv concurrent with the premiere and will also be available on demand at lpb.org/lswi and on LPB’s YouTube channel.
For more information, contact Colleen Spillane, Promotions Manager, Louisiana Public Broadcasting at (225)-767-4453 or 1-800-272-8161 ext. 4453 or by email at cspillane@lpb.org.
About Louisiana Public Broadcasting: Since 1975, Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) has served as the statewide public television network for Louisiana, with stations in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, and Shreveport as well as our affiliation with WLAE-TV in New Orleans. In addition to producing award-winning documentaries that celebrate the history, culture, and people of Louisiana, LPB is committed to educational service. Through a wide range of outreach programs, LPB helps children across the state build essential literacy, math, and science skills, ensuring that learning extends beyond the classroom.