This month marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated Mississippi, Louisiana, and much of the Gulf Coast. For those of us who lived through it, the memories are still raw: entire towns wiped off the map, families left with nothing but a slab where their homes once stood, businesses and schools destroyed, lives lost.
Mississippi bore the brunt of Katrina’s winds and storm surge, but we also witnessed something remarkable – neighbors helping neighbors, churches and charities mobilizing, volunteers pouring in from every state, and governments at every level working side by side with the private sector to respond and rebuild. The people of Mississippi showed a resilience and grit that I still believe changed the image of our state forever.
One of the most enduring lessons of Katrina is that the American people are at their very best when others are at their very worst. Within hours of the storm, we began to see an outpouring of generosity and manpower. Forty-six states sent people or resources. Churches from across the country adopted devastated congregations on the Coast. Businesses donated trucks, food, and equipment. More than 960,000 people volunteered to help with recovery in Mississippi – 600,000 in the first year alone. Many gave money, but countless others gave something even more valuable: their time and sweat, helping clear debris, rebuild homes, and comfort the hurting.
These volunteers didn’t just rebuild structures; they rebuilt hope. I will never forget meeting people from places like Minnesota, Ohio, and California who took vacation time or left their jobs for weeks to come muck out houses or hammer nails for families they had never met. That spirit of service carried us through the darkest days and is a big reason Mississippi recovered faster and stronger than many predicted.
Still, there were painful challenges we must learn from. One stands out to me clearly: The healthcare workforce is as essential to disaster response as electricity or clean water. After the storm, hospitals and nursing homes in Mississippi were crippled, yet surrounding states called our nurses and doctors, offering them jobs. It was “poaching,” but who could blame them? The reality is that when disaster strikes, healthcare workers become some of the most valuable – and most vulnerable – assets in the country.
That is why the STORM Act, introduced by Sen. Tedd Budd (R-NC), is so important. This bipartisan proposal creates a framework for public-private partnerships to ensure that the next time disaster strikes, we have the ability to quickly mobilize healthcare professionals where they are needed most. By streamlining licensure issues, clarifying liability protections, and coordinating with FEMA and state authorities, we can make sure that qualified doctors, nurses, and other professionals can cross state lines and step into action without delay.
When Katrina hit, we were fortunate to have a strong unified command structure and courageous citizens who did not wait for Washington to tell them what to do. But our systems for healthcare response were makeshift at best. We cannot afford to leave this to chance again. There are private sector companies that are filling this gap and ensuring that we can mobilize workers quickly, often even before the disaster hits. Imagine being able to proactively move and allocate resources, rather than having to react in the moment.
Hurricanes will come. So will wildfires, floods, and other disasters. The question is whether we will be prepared – not just with debris removal and rebuilding, but with the capacity to care for the sick and vulnerable in the days and weeks after. The STORM Act gives us that opportunity.
Twenty years ago, the people of Mississippi got knocked flat, but they stood up, dusted off, and got to work helping their neighbors. On this anniversary, let us honor their example not just with remembrance, but with action. Let’s be ready for the next storm.
This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.