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E. Dwight Franklin helps with the gutting of his parents’ home in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina. Virginia Tech student Ivy Gorman (background) was part of a team from her school working through the Louisiana United Methodist Storm Recovery Center during their spring vacation. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
E. Dwight Franklin helps with the gutting of his parents’ home in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina. Virginia Tech student Ivy Gorman (background) was part of a team from her school working through the Louisiana United Methodist Storm Recovery Center during their spring vacation. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Finding hope beyond the storm.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast in August of 2005. Over the past two decades, UM News has visited with those affected by the storm and reported on rebuilding and relief efforts. This year, a team from UM News returned to some of the hard-hit areas to talk with church leaders and members who recall the devastation and the power of the United Methodist connection. Through photos, videos, interviews and podcasts, see how the people of The United Methodist Church have brought and sustained hope out of an unthinkable tragedy. We will highlight the resilience of individuals and congregations, the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief and countless volunteers, and all those who chose to dig in and bring light and healing. Join us as we find Hope Beyond the Storm.

Hurricane Katrina Recovery. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.
Hurricane Katrina Recovery. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News.

Video stories

Browse video stories reported by Lilla Marigza from the UM News team. Hear and see those who lived through Hurricane Katrina and led the way to hope and recovery that continues today.

A crew from Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, builds a wheelchair ramp for a homeowner in Slidell, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina. Video image courtesy of Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church by UM News.

It took a decade to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. An Ohio church came back more than 100 times to help over the years.

Marylin Mestayer explains that while she lost her home in Hurricane Katrina, her 150-year-old church remained standing. Main Street United Methodist in Bay St. Louis, Miss., became a vital part of the recovery of the community after the 2005 disaster, housing several families. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Members of a historic church in Bay St. Louis recall the storm that destroyed their homes but spared their church.

The Rev. Terry Lynn Hilliard talks about the challenges people in her Mississippi community faced after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hilliard stepped into the role of United Methodist disaster response coordinator for the Mississippi Gulf Coast area and also directed the construction of the volunteer center at Gulfside Assembly. Video image by Lilla Marigza, UM News.

Mississippi pastor recalls how Hurricane Katrina touched the hearts of both survivors and volunteers.

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