2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and the often misunderstood events that followed. In 2010, author Josh Neufeld released his graphic non-fiction classic, A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge. A masterful portrait of a city under siege that depicts seven extraordinary true stories of survival in the days leading up to and following Hurricane Katrina.
Now, on the 20th anniversary of Katrina and the 15th anniversary of his graphic novel, Neufeld reflects on the tragedy and why he choose the medium of comics to tell these stories:
“When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, I was living in New York, watching heartbroken as New Orleans — and the greater Gulf Coast— was devastated. Not long after, I deployed with the Red Cross as a disaster response worker, based in Biloxi, Mississippi, about 90 miles from New Orleans. I also visited the city itself, shortly after the floodwaters had finally been pumped out. That experience brought me face to face with survivors and volunteers and planted the seed for A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge.
A.D. follows a diverse group of real people — shopkeepers, social workers, teenagers, families — some who stayed, some who evacuated, all of whom had their lives upended. Over more than three years, I visited Denise, Leo, the Doctor, and the other characters, interviewed them again and again, and worked closely with them to understand and honor their experiences. The book isn’t about heroes or villains; it’s about regular people wading through floodwaters, losing homes, possessions, and keepsakes, and trying to piece their lives back together. It also confronts the systemic inequities and government failures laid bare by Katrina — and helps correct the record about what really happened at the Convention Center, the Superdome, and beyond.
I chose comics because, yes, the form is built for big moments of drama and action—but it also lets us linger in quiet, everyday beats: the ones that reveal fear, hope, anger, and resilience. Though A.D. is rooted in Katrina, the experiences it portrays echo through every major hurricane since — Harvey, Sandy, Ian, and more. What began as journalism has, with time, become a kind of history. These stories are real, and they still matter.
Whether this is your first time reading A.D., or you’re returning to it—thank you.”
—Josh Neufeld
A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
ISBN: 9780375714887
Price: $25.00
On Sale: 8/24/2010
Author Josh Neufeld
Pantheon
Trade Paperback | 208 Pages
As beautiful as it is poignant, A.D. presents a city in chaos and shines a bright, profoundly human light on the tragedies and triumphs that took place within it.
Keep scrolling to view interiors from A.D., as well as quotes from major authors and outlets on the importance and impact of Neufeld’s masterpiece.
Interior Spreads
Quote Cards
