In the Media

Katrina’s Legacy: Louisiana Fortifies Itself Against the Next Storm

September 2, 2025

As the Gulf South marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Former Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, who is now Special Counsel with McGlinchey, spoke with the Insurance Journal about the ways in which that storm and its successors changed the insurance industry forever.

Jim Donelon, the former Louisiana Insurance Commissioner, credits Blanco for having the political will to push statewide building codes through the legislature.

“That was a heavy lift, because half of our 64 parishes didn’t have building codes,” said Donelon, Special Counsel with McGlinchey Stafford law firm in New Orleans. “They didn’t have permitting offices. They didn’t have inspectors on the payroll. All of that was going to be expensive for them to stand up.” …

Donelon, as insurance commissioner, pushed lawmakers to establish a program that would give grants to residents to retrofit their roofs to standards set by the IBHS. …

In Louisiana, lawmakers were slower to act. It took until after the 2020-21 storms for the legislature to fund the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program.

“As is typical, the wolf was not at the door when we passed the bill the first time,” said Donelon. “But in the aftermath of Laura, Delta, Zeta and Ida, we needed insurance companies to come do business. Giving grants out, in particular to folks on coastal areas, is a long-term answer to our huge exposure to catastrophic events.”

Read the full article here.