Tragedy and triumph: Saints help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina found its way to New Orleans. This city happened to be one of the worst places for a storm to hit since roughly 50% of it lies below sea level.

By the time it had passed, 80% of the city was flooded. 

Today, parts of New Orleans are still left uninhabited. In fact, workers are still trying to drain water from the city. 

The mass destruction of Hurricane Katrina wasn’t just physical, though; it also took a toll on the city’s morale. Thousands of people lost their homes, their loved ones and their overall stability. 

New Orleans’ maintenance workers worked long hours repairing the city, but the damage ran deeper than superficial wounds. 

For the city, the healing truly began on Sept. 25, 2006 when the New Orleans Saints – the city’s National Football League team – defeated the Atlanta Falcons 23-3. 

Even before the Saints began winning, though, the team held a special place in the city's heart. In fact, the team became New Orleans' safe-place during the storm. 

On Aug. 30, one day after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the National Guard turned the Superdome – the Saints' NFL stadium – into a shelter for residents that had not evacuated the city. 

Thus, the Superdome – and the Saints – became the heroes of Hurricane Katrina. And the Saints expanded this legacy with their successful NFL season. 

At the start of the season, it didn't look like the Saints would have a strong – or even decent – season. Finishing the 2005 season 3-13, the nation expected another low win-percentage for New Orleans. 

The residents didn't let this discourage them, though. As bleacherreport.com puts it, "[the city was] going to root for these guys no matter what because they were literally all that [they] had to cling to." 

And New Orleans was right to cheer on the Saints, because the team did not disappoint. The Saints made this clear in their opening game against the Falcons. 

Fans piled into the Superdome to watch the Saints. Jonathan Babineaux, a defensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons at the time, told sbnation.com, "the atmosphere was like none other."

"It felt like the whole city brought their energy into the building that night, and it was just something, as a player, I'd never felt before and I still remember to this day." 

And the energy only increased as the game went on. Only 90 seconds into the game, the Saints blocked a punt by the Falcons, recovered the fumbled ball and ran the field for a touchdown. 

The Saints continued to dominate the game, with their defense forcing two fumbles and sacking the Falcons' quarterback five times. Their strong offensive and unstoppable defense helped the team secure a 20-point win. 

When the Saints blew out the Falcons on Sept. 25, it was more than just a win, though. For New Orleans, it signified a rebirth of the city. 

This was the first event in the Superdome since it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina over a year ago. As the Superdome was repaired, the spirit of New Orleans was too. 

The hope and momentum the Saints gave New Orleans on Sept. 25 was carried on throughout the season. 

The Saints ended up finishing the season with a 10-6. In the first round of the playoffs, the team defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24 to win their first National Football Conference Championship title. 

The Chicago Bears then defeated the Saints 39-14 in the final game before the Super Bowl. The Bears advanced to the Super Bowl and lost to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17. 

While the Saints fell short of a Super Bowl title, their 2006 season is nothing less than successful. Not only did they improve from a 3-13 to a 10-6 in the span of a year, they also helped rebuild the broken city of New Orleans. 

After Hurricane Katrina took everything from New Orleans, the Saints reminded the city that a rebirth is possible. 

The 2006 New Orleans Saints embody the concept that adversity only makes you stronger, and they helped their damaged city realize it too.