Words Whispered in the Water
2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, an event that saw both the devastation of New Orleans and its subsequent rise from ashes, made possible by the countless individuals who rallied around their beloved city, becoming community leaders, rebuilders, and healers.
One such leader is Sandy Rosenthal, whose book Words Whispered in the Water recounts her fight to expose the federal coverup of failing levees, which contributed to just as much, if not more, destruction than the hurricane itself.
Rosenthal and her team of investigators worked to uncover the truth of how the levees, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, had major design flaws.
Words Whispered in the Water quickly reached national success, selling out and becoming the #1 New Release in Civil Engineering & Environmental, Urban & City Planning, Development, and Disaster Relief. It has also received the 2020 Nautilus Silver Award and the 2021 Eric Hoffer Award.
Reprinting the Book
In observance of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Rosenthal is releasing a special edition of Words Whispered in the Water, available for preorder from Octavia Books.
She also founded the non-profit Levees.org, an organization dedicated to educating the public on the faulty levees and why they broke during Hurricane Katrina. Additionally, the organization advocates for safe levees around the country.
"Nearly two-thirds of the American population lives in counties protected by levees," Rosenthal explained in a press release. "What happened in New Orleans could happen anywhere."
Rosenthal also created the Flooded House Museum, which features a diorama of what many houses in New Orleans looked like after the hurricane, and the Levee Exhibit Hall & Garden. Both are located at the site of one of the significant levee breaches.
Rosenthal and Levees.org are hosting a 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on August 9th.
In a culture so vibrant and full of celebration, there is still a haunting remembrance of the tragedy and trauma that the New Orleans community underwent during and as a result of the Hurricane Katrina. But in the midst of that, there are also steps toward healing, justice, and hope.
