Modern Erin Brokovich

Sandy Rosenthal founded the non-profit Levees.org in 2005. The group’s focus is educating the public that the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina was due to federal engineering mistakes, not the wrath of nature.

Her upcoming book, Words Whispered in Water, is about how––against all odds––she changed the national narrative about the flooding disaster. Mango Publishing, based in Miami, will be releasing it in August of 2020.

In March of 2019, Rosenthal unveiled the Flooded House Museum at a major breach site. She initiated the installation of three historic plaques vetted by the state’s preservation office, hosts an annual levee breach bike tour, and much more.

For those efforts, Rosenthal has been honored with numerous awards most recently including Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year from Tulane University and Most Influential Woman from Mount Holyoke College. Rosenthal is an advocate for the 63% of the American population living in counties protected by levees. 

Sandy’s powerful message is bringing to light a mostly unknown yet dangerous situation in many parts of our country and she’s an inspiration on how to truly mobilize citizen participation.