On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused record-breaking devastation across a 144 mile swath of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. A less often told story is that Hurricane Katrina sparked a mass migration of people. More than 1.5 million Hurricane Katrina survivors evacuated to all 50 states representing one of the largest and most abrupt relocations of people in U.S. history. As of 2015, Center for American Progress reported that 40% of the 1.5 million evacuees, or 600,000 people, were not able to return home. While the idea of “climate migration” is often talked about as an issue that exists only outside of the United States, Hurricane Katrina teaches us that climate migration is also a domestic issue that is already underway.

Excerpt from Remain. Migrate. Return.: What Hurricane Katrina Teaches Us About Climate Migration, PDF publication by Taproot Earth, USA, August 22, 2025, p. 6.

In the featured 2025 Taproot Earth report, Remain. Migrate. Return.: What Hurricane Katrina Teaches Us About Climate Migration, the term “climate migration” refers broadly to the movement of people because of climate change—whether gradual or sudden, voluntary or involuntary, temporary or permanent (p. 8).

Community responses to Hurricane Katrina (2005) taught them that the standards for climate migration are rooted in the Right to Remain, the Right to Migrate, and the Right to Return.

The Right to Remain is grounded in the principle that people have self-determination, power, and resources to remain on their lands and in their communities (pp. 9-11).

The Right to Migrate includes the principles of cooperation and solidarity, as well as legal protections (pp. 12-13).

The Right to Return includes principles of reclaiming power and culture, repairing and restoring the land, plus re-awakening and repairing the spirit (pp. 14-15).

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Taproot Earth is a nonprofit organization, registered in Slidell, Louisiana, USA. Their work is rooted in the community responses to Hurricane Katrina (2005), BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Drilling Disaster in the Gulf (2010), and Hurricane Ida (2021). They honor and build on the efforts of Black and Indigenous communities by invoking accountability, abundance, and justice. Together, they are forging connections that strengthen and sustain frontline climate leaders across the Gulf and Global South.