Hurricane Katrina: The Truth About the Levee Failures with Sandy Rosenthal

What happens when one person refuses to accept the official story?

As the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, Denise Griffitts talks with Sandy Rosenthal, founder of Levees.org and author of Words Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina.

Sandy shares what happened after the catastrophic flooding of New Orleans, why she began questioning the explanation for the levee failures, and how her determination eventually helped expose the role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But this conversation is about much more than Katrina. Sandy talks about what it takes to mobilize people, stand up to powerful institutions, handle criticism, and keep going when others want you to back down.

Her message is simple and powerful: You can change the world from your own backyard. As we remember Katrina, Sandy reminds us that asking difficult questions, demanding accountability, and refusing to be intimidated can create lasting change.

If you have ever thought, “I’m just one person. What can I possibly do?”—this conversation is for you.

Show Notes

Welcome back to Your Partner in Success Radio. I’m Denise Griffitts, and today we’re talking about something that happened more than two decades ago, but whose lessons are still very much with us.


August 29th marks the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a catastrophe that changed New Orleans and the Gulf Coast forever. My guest today knows that story from a very personal perspective.


Sandy Rosenthal is the founder of Levees.org and the author of Words Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina. After Katrina and the catastrophic flooding that followed the federal levee failures, Sandy refused to simply accept the official explanation for what had happened. She began asking questions, digging for answers, and ultimately helped expose the role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the disaster.


And what I find particularly compelling about Sandy’s story is that she demonstrates something we all need to remember: you can change the world from your own backyard.


Find Sandy online: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Amazon


SPONSORED BY: Today’s episode is sponsored by Dr. Anna Marie Frank, The Mindset Doctor™.


Dr. Anna Marie is a brain-health expert, keynote speaker, and Doctor of Natural Medicine who helps high-performing leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations overcome burnout, reconnect with their purpose, and create sustainable performance. Through mindset transformation, brain-health strategies, coaching, and speaking, she helps people get unstuck, think more clearly, lead with greater impact, and create meaningful change in both their personal and professional lives.


Dr. Anna Marie is also the founder of Happy Whole You, a holistic wellness center dedicated to helping people become healthier, happier, and more whole.


To learn more about Dr. Anna Marie and her work, visit DrAnnaMarie.com.


We appreciate you tuning in to this episode of Your Partner In Success Radio with Host Denise Griffitts. If you enjoyed what you heard, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners and create even better content!

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