Writer and Reporter
https://twitter.com/rileymcallanan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/riley-callanan-barnardcollege/
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Riley Callanan
Writer and Reporter
Riley is a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
Aug 29, 2025
20 years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, killing nearly 1,400 people and destroying thousands of homes in the predominantly Black Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. While Katrina remains the costliest US storm in history at $200 billion, it is just one of the increasingly frequent category 5 hurricanes to hit North America over the last 50 years.