When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in August 2005, Lakeita Williams, her partner, and their infant son found themselves trapped for days by rising floodwaters. Pregnant with her second child, Williams watched as their neighborhood disappeared beneath water. Food was gone, diapers were running out, and hope was fading.

Then an unexpected rescuer arrived.

An elderly man paddling a canoe appeared and offered to take the family to safety. Williams never learned his name, but she has never forgotten him.

“He basically saved our lives,” she said. “He didn’t want anything except to help.”

As the nation marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina, many survivors remember not only the devastation but also the countless acts of kindness that helped them endure one of the deadliest natural disasters in American history.

Katrina claimed more than 1,800 lives and caused over $100 billion in damage. While news coverage often focused on the chaos and suffering, many survivors recall strangers stepping forward to help when government aid was slow to arrive.

Journalist Wil Haygood, who reported from the Gulf Coast after the storm, witnessed both destruction and generosity. Among the stories he remembers is that of Anya Maddox, a young woman who lost nearly everything. After escaping New Orleans, she found refuge in a Waffle House. Though she wasn’t an employee, she began sweeping floors and helping out. Impressed by her initiative, the restaurant hired her, providing stability during a time of uncertainty.

For attorney Roy Rodney, kindness came from complete strangers after he evacuated New Orleans with family and coworkers. While sheltering in Lafayette, Louisiana, a neighbor’s family moved out of their home so some of Rodney’s overcrowded group would have a place to stay.

“I was blown away,” Rodney said. “Those acts of kindness stay with you.”

Roxene Thompson Kastens experienced a different kind of compassion. After the storm, her elderly grandfather lost the military medals and honors he had spent decades fighting to reclaim. Learning of the loss, Navy leaders replaced the medals and invited him to the Pentagon, restoring treasured symbols of his service.

“It meant everything to him,” Kastens said.

Today, Williams’ children are thriving. Her son is now 20, and the daughter she carried during Katrina attends Spelman College. Looking back, Williams says the storm taught her the power of human compassion.

“When we finally got to safety, people kept helping us,” she said. “Without the kindness of strangers, I don’t know how our story would have ended.”

For many Katrina survivors, the memories of loss remain painful. But so do the memories of ordinary people who chose to help others when they needed it most.