This August will mark 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf South and changed New Orleans forever. Yet the government has failed to make sufficient improvements to storm preparedness and response since 2005. The City of New Orleans pours millions into tourist infrastructure while leaving residents with roads in disrepair, bottleneck traffic, dangerous flood zones, and a lack of transparency. Hurricanes are becoming more severe and more frequent as a result of climate change, and working people are bearing the brunt.
New Orleanians are tired of being thrown under the bus. And with the future of FEMA and other federal aid hanging in the balance, it is crucial that New Orleans take immediate action to protect its residents during hurricane season. We demand system change!
To build a better New Orleans—one that puts its people and their safety first before all else—we demand:

1. Cut the check! In 2015, New Orleans received nearly $2 billion dollars from FEMA to make sorely needed infrastructure repairs after Hurricane Katrina, yet $600 million of that funding remains unspent. We demand that the city complete all remaining Katrina-related repairs by 2027.

2. Increase funding to local emergency preparedness efforts. Agencies like the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (NOHSEP) should have proper funding to expand their work. We demand that NOHSEP receive 10% more funding at minimum to prepare the city for rising floodwaters, hurricane-force winds, or other dangers that hurricane season might bring.

3. Expand the City Assisted Evacuation Program. One of the greatest injustices of hurricane season is that some residents cannot afford to evacuate, even if they want to. Currently, New Orleans' City Assisted Evacuation Program, the only public option for evacuation. We demand that the number of evacuation sites be increased by at least 50% from 17 to 26, specifically in low-income areas of the city. Currently, only be mobilized during a Category 3 storm or higher. We also demand that the City Assisted Evacuation Program be expanded to include Category 2 hurricanes.

4. Real accountability now! It is no secret that New Orleans has let its residents down before through broken promises or outright corruption. That's why it is crucial that residents have ample opportunities to participate in political processes, give public comment, and receive honest updates about progress. We demand full transparency and accountability around disaster preparedness and response.

We call on our elected representatives in the City Council to take urgent measures to adopt these demands and to include them in the upcoming annual city budget. Additionally, we are calling on all New Orleans mayoral candidates to sign onto these demands and pledge to make real change.

Now is the time to act before another storm blows through and catches New Orleans unprepared. We demand immediate action to protect our city and the people who live here!