Episode
A Conversation with Sandy Rosenthal, a Civic Activist Who Educates the Public About the Cause of Catastrophic Flooding
- Podcast
- Becoming Your Best Version
- Published
- Aug 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1659
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Summary
With corporations getting ever larger – and even able to influence the outcome of presidential elections – the power of a single individual might seem lost. But it’s alive and well. Sandy Rosenthal is an experienced community mobilizer, most notable for founding the nonprofit Levees.org , with 25,000 supporters nationwide. Her 2020 book, Words Whispered in Water , explores how she — against all odds — altered the national narrative about the deadly flooding in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. In Words Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina, Sandy gives a first-person narrative of the 2005 flooding and its aftermath, thrusting her into her role as a leading voice for fact-based responses to flood threats. She describes her transformation into an advocate for education on the history of flood control failures after Hurricane Katrina had moved inland, and her subsequent work as a watchdog tracking the responses of government and media in the hours, weeks and years after the floodwalls first gave way. A special Anniversary Edition of her book, featuring a new cover and foreword, went on sale in August 2025, timed with the 20th anniversary of the catastrophe. The catastrophic flooding of New Orleans in 2005 brought levees into the public consciousness. Yet, flooding now seems to be happening almost everywhere. The majority of the nation’s population lives in counties protected by levees. Sandy’s organization brings awareness to the dangers posed by this situation. Her organization has a strong physical presence in New Orleans, including the Flooded House Museum and the Levee Exhibit Hall at a major breach site. The organization has also installed three historic plaques vetted by the state’s preservation office and hosts an annual levee breach bik…