The floodwaters retreated. Homes were rebuilt. New Orleans rebounded with Mardi Gras, jazz festivals and even a Super Bowl in 2013.
In the 10 years since Hurricane Katrina smashed the shoreline of the Gulf Coast, the images of despair grew distant.
But for the people who lost everything, they never went away.
In the immediate aftermath of the destruction, survivors opened up to NBC News about their loss, grief and rage.
We reconnected with those same survivors recently ”” and learned how the storm, even a decade later, still shapes their lives.