The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) released “Riding Out the Storm: 20 Years After Katrina,” a short documentary marking the agency’s recovery and growth since Hurricane Katrina. 

The film features past and present RTA employees sharing their experiences during the storm and the critical months that followed. 

“August 29 marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina changed our city and our transit system,” said Lona Edwards Hankins, CEO of the New Orleans RTA. “This film honors the employees who worked to restore service, reconnect communities, and stabilize the agency during one of its most difficult times. Their efforts laid the foundation for the progress we’ve made since.” 

20 Years after Katrina

Hurricane Katrina devastated RTA’s operations, destroying 202 of the agency’s 365 buses, the agency said.

Today, the fleet stands at 108, reflecting both the lasting impacts of the storm and RTA’s ongoing push to modernize. Lessons from 2005 have shaped RTA’s approach to emergency preparedness, and the agency continues to pursue federal funding to expand and upgrade its fleet.

Riding Out the Storm utilizes firsthand accounts and archival footage to showcase employee dedication and chronicle RTA’s evolution from emergency response to rebuilding and modernization.