--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The big lesson I learned from Hurricane…" description: "\"The big lesson I learned from Hurricane Katrina is that we have to be thinking about the unthinkable because sometimes the unthinkable happens.\" — Mich..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/michael-leavitt-262792_hurricane-katrina_the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane_590348.jpg" --- # The big lesson I learned from Hurricane Katrina is that we… ![“The big lesson I learned from Hurricane Katrina is that we have to be thinking about the unthinkable because sometimes the unthinkable happens.” quote by Michael Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/michael-leavitt-262792_hurricane-katrina_the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane_590348.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/michael-leavitt-262792_hurricane-katrina_the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane_590348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/michael-leavitt-262792_hurricane-katrina_the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane_590348.jpg) > “The big lesson I learned from Hurricane Katrina is that we have to be thinking about the unthinkable because sometimes the unthinkable happens.” Michael Leavitt ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Preparing for unlikely catastrophes is essential because unexpected disasters do occur. **In simple terms:** Plan for the unlikely. Key Takeaway Develop contingency plans. Themes preparedness disaster learning unthinkable resilience Mood cautious pragmatic Type quote personal When to use this quote - community drills - policy making - personal insurance Key Concepts risk assessment emergency planning psychology of fear Questions to Reflect On - What unexpected events could affect you? - How can you balance vigilance with normal life? A Different Perspective May cause undue anxiety if overemphasized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hurricane katrina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurricane-katrina/) [Lesson learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lesson-learned/) ## Related quotes > [I'm trying to trick people into thinking about the unthinkable by using pop culture images.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shirley/i-m-trying-to-trick-people-into-thinking-about-the-unthinkable-by/) [John Shirley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shirley/) > [“People are forever thinking that the unthinkable can't happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-yuknavitch/people-are-forever-thinking-that-the-unthinkable-can-t-happen/) [Lidia Yuknavitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-yuknavitch/) > [Fleetwood Mac was one big lesson in adaptation for me. There were five very different personalities, and I suppose that made it great for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/fleetwood-mac-was-one-big-lesson-in-adaptation-for-me-there-were-five/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [“Theo didn’t die so you could personally learn some big lesson on life.” I can feel my face getting hot. Jackson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/theo-didn-t-die-so-you-could-personally-learn-some-big-lesson-on-life/) [Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/) > [“Some of us don’t. Some of us add up all of the smaller changes into one big lesson, and find our way home as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/some-of-us-don-t-some-of-us-add-up-all-of-the-smaller-changes-into/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [That was the big lesson for all of us. Everything was going great on paper, but we all became miserable because we were so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-hoffs/that-was-the-big-lesson-for-all-of-us-everything-was-going-great-on/) [Susanna Hoffs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-hoffs/) > [I was trying to manage school and training for the Olympics and ended up not doing well at either. That was a big lesson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-was-trying-to-manage-school-and-training-for-the-olympics-and-ended/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [“So there it was. My big lesson of the day, something I’d take with me and never forget. The whole legal system – if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hamilton/so-there-it-was-my-big-lesson-of-the-day-something-i-d-take-with-me/) [Steve Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hamilton/) > [I think the big lesson to the political class is stop listening so much to each other, and start listening to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/i-think-the-big-lesson-to-the-political-class-is-stop-listening-so/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [A big lesson that I'm always having to be reminded of is, you can't control how you feel, but you can control how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xosha-roquemore/a-big-lesson-that-i-m-always-having-to-be-reminded-of-is-you-can-t/) [Xosha Roquemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xosha-roquemore/) > [I spoke to a girl today who had cancer and we were talking about how this is such a hard thing for her, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/i-spoke-to-a-girl-today-who-had-cancer-and-we-were-talking-about-how/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [You get more negative reactions than positive reactions as you go through life, and the big lesson is nobody counts you out but yourself...I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-ebsen/you-get-more-negative-reactions-than-positive-reactions-as-you-go/) [Buddy Ebsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-ebsen/) > [There is a big lesson in experiencing uncertainty and calamity with a sober focus - the most chaotic moments are the ones from which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-stiles/there-is-a-big-lesson-in-experiencing-uncertainty-and-calamity-with-a/) [Tara Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-stiles/) > [The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra/the-big-lesson-in-life-baby-is-never-be-scared-of-anyone-or-anything/) [Frank Sinatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra/) > [Life has taught me one big lesson, always keep the girlies guessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-presley/life-has-taught-me-one-big-lesson-always-keep-the-girlies-guessing/) [Elvis Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-presley/) ## More Hurricane katrina quotes > [Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed levees and exploded the conventional wisdom about a shared American prosperity, exposing a group of people so poor they didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/hurricane-katrina-overwhelmed-levees-and-exploded-the-conventional/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [After a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina, the federal government has a profound obligation to help those in need, .. Right now, the victims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianne-feinstein/after-a-disaster-such-as-hurricane-katrina-the-federal-government-has/) [Dianne Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianne-feinstein/) > [ Hurricane Katrina reiterated the need for \[access to\] medical records, ... ... But there's going to be a lot more needed than $4 million. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carper/hurricane-katrina-reiterated-the-need-for-access-to-medical-records/) [Thomas Carper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carper/) > [Atlanta is a big market for me. They've always supported my music. They took care of my people during Hurricane Katrina, so I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/master-p/atlanta-is-a-big-market-for-me-they-ve-always-supported-my-music-they/) [Master P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/master-p/) > [Fraud is common when you give away billions. Fraud related to Hurricane Katrina spending is estimated to top $2 billion. In addition, debit cards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/fraud-is-common-when-you-give-away-billions-fraud-related-to/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) > [“..I began speaking.. First, I took issue with the media's characterization of the post-Katrina New Orleans as resembling the third world as its poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sothern/i-began-speaking-first-i-took-issue-with-the-media-s-characterization/) [Billy Sothern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sothern/) > [Hurricane Katrina is without question the worst natural disaster in American history,.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-brinkley/hurricane-katrina-is-without-question-the-worst-natural-disaster-in/) [Douglas Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-brinkley/) > [Scientists speak a certain language. Now there are regular extreme weather reports on the news. Hurricane Katrina was a huge connect-the-dot moment for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-david/scientists-speak-a-certain-language-now-there-are-regular-extreme/) [Laurie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-david/) > [I feel like there should be a statute of limitations on scoring political points on the tragedy that was Hurricane Katrina.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/i-feel-like-there-should-be-a-statute-of-limitations-on-scoring/) [Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/) > [I think it is absolutely reprehensible to believe that any member of this House, Democrat or Republican, would want to do anything that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dreier/i-think-it-is-absolutely-reprehensible-to-believe-that-any-member-of/) David Dreier > [Hurricane Katrina has been particularly hard on President Bush, who was forced to end his vacation two days early. He was supposed to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-kimmel/hurricane-katrina-has-been-particularly-hard-on-president-bush-who/) [Jimmy Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-kimmel/) > [I look forward to working with the NAACP in bringing immediate and ongoing aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-foxx/i-look-forward-to-working-with-the-naacp-in-bringing-immediate-and/) [Jamie Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-foxx/) > [My family and I survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005; we left my grandmother's flooding house, were refused shelter by a white family, and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/my-family-and-i-survived-hurricane-katrina-in-2005-we-left-my/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [ I wrote these two songs \["Coming Out of the Dark" and "Always Tomorrow"\] as a celebration of hope. And I want to send it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/i-wrote-these-two-songs-coming-out-of-the-dark-and-always-tomorrow-as/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [Whether we're talking about what the role of the government is, what you think of the United Nations, political leaders or how to respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-dawson/whether-we-re-talking-about-what-the-role-of-the-government-is-what/) [Michael C Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-dawson/) [Browse all 119 Hurricane katrina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurricane-katrina/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The big lesson I learned from Hurricane Katrina is that we have to be thinking about the unthinkable because sometimes the unthinkable happens.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Leavitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leavitt/the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane-katrina-is-that-we-have-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hurricane katrina" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leavitt/the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane-katrina-is-that-we-have-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/michael-leavitt-262792_hurricane-katrina_the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane_590348.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/michael-leavitt-262792_hurricane-katrina_the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane_590348.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/michael-leavitt-262792_hurricane-katrina_the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane_590348.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The big lesson I learned from Hurricane Katrina is that we have to be thinking about the unthinkable because…” — Michael Leavitt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Leavitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leavitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The big lesson I learned from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leavitt/the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane-katrina-is-that-we-have-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leavitt/the-big-lesson-i-learned-from-hurricane-katrina-is-that-we-have-to-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```