How New Orleans Has Failed Its Workers Since Katrina

Of the millions of people battling Hurricane Harvey in Houston right now, there are no doubt many who ended up in Houston after evacuating New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina 12 years ago. And while there are some apt comparisons between Harvey and Katrina, the reasons why people might turn evacuation into more permanent relocation aren’t all the same. For one, Houston’s floods are the result of pure rainfall, while New Orleans’ floods were the consequence of faulty infrastructure—the infamous breaching of the levees.

Also, the people evacuating Houston are leaving a city where the work economy—its job market, professional industries, and salaries—is quite robust. Houston is listed among the top ten cities for job seekers, according to the jobs blog Indeed, and among the top twenty cities for high salaries, according to Business Insider.