Crisis Communication & Leadership: Lessons on Ninth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans

Today marks the 9th anniversary of the crisis known as Hurricane Katrina. My contention is that the failure to plan for crisis communications lead to nearly 2,000 deaths in the city of my birth, New Orleans.

Click to view this video

I’ve given many speeches on the topic, focusing on what happens when leadership is lacking in a crisis.  (see video) This is especially true when those who hold leadership positions  fail to be leaders and fail to lead because they are in denial and arrogant, which leads to them blame others for their failure.

A portion of this video is from a news report I did 15 years before Hurricane Katrina. A portion of this video is from a speech done shortly after the hurricane. I still support everything as true.

I only pray that more people in their companies, communities, schools, etc. realize that a crisis communications plan must be prepared and practiced on a clear sunny day. Once the dark clouds come knocking at your door it is too late to try to wing it. God be with the souls who suffered death because of the absence of crisis communications and leadership.

Gerard Braud

August 29, 2014