Twenty years ago, on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the surrounding area. That disaster made the reality of climate change visible, and it revealed how disasters expose and amplify existing inequities. It also revealed how critical it is that we build proper local infrastructure for those who choose to return to their homes after temporary displacement, as well as for those who decide to permanently relocate to new communities — neither existed for people displaced by Katrina, and not enough of it exists today.

Preparing for “climate-related mobility,” in other words the movement of people due to the forces of climate change, is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Over the last three years alone, more than 16 million Americans were displaced by climate disasters. That’s more than six times the number displaced by the Dust Bowl (about 2.5 million). The number of disaster displaced individuals in 2024 alone was 11 million, the highest single-year total of disaster-displaced residents ever recorded for any country.

Despite the urgent and rapidly accelerating need, most communities in the U.S. are still not fully prepared to support displaced populations. Nevertheless, some communities are beginning to take steps to become more resilient, equitable, and welcoming to the displaced. We must support these early adopters and find ways to accelerate the building of strong and equitable “climate mobility infrastructure.” This infrastructure, which includes everything from passing inclusive policies that facilitate the integration of newcomers to the construction of affordable housing, will be essential for avoiding future tragedies, and for ensuring that the tens of millions of future displaced Americans can succeed and thrive.

Hard Climate Mobility Lessons From Where We Fell Short in Responding to Katrina

When Hurricane Katrina hit, some cities, like New Orleans, that were in the eye of the storm, were not sufficiently prepared to support the hundreds of thousands of displaced residents who tried to return to their homes after the storm, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized residents.

Read the full article about climate mobility by Taryn Higashi and David Lubell at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.