Wendell Pierce Compares LA Wildfires to Hurricane Katrina

Wendell Pierce, known for his roles in *The Wire* and *Suits*, has drawn parallels between the devastating Los Angeles wildfires of 2025 and Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans in 2005. In a series of posts on X/Twitter, Pierce, who experienced both disasters firsthand, highlighted the widespread devastation, displacement, and insurance challenges faced by residents.

“The fires of Los Angeles 2025 are exactly like Hurricane Katrina 2005,” Pierce wrote. “I have been in both. Devastation across the entire city. Tens of thousands evacuated and displaced. Danger is ever present. All citizens are in peril. Lives have been lost. Insurance companies abandoning clients.”

Pierce emphasized the disparity in how insurance companies treat affluent versus middle-class neighborhoods. “The affluent Pacific Palisades will have their insurance honored. Will the Altadena neighborhood, middle class, receive the same?” he questioned. He shared his personal experience with Allstate after Katrina, where his family, despite paying premiums for 50 years, received only $400 in compensation.

The actor urged Los Angeles to learn from the mistakes made during Katrina, particularly in how recovery efforts were handled. “Citizens in Altadena should receive the same treatment as the affluent citizens of Pacific Palisades. Citizens of Lakeview in New Orleans had their insurance honored. The disparity was clear. Los Angeles, heed the lessons of Katrina,” he added.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the wildfires began as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on January 7, 2025. Nearly 180,000 people were ordered to evacuate as the Eaton, Hurst, and Lidia fires spread rapidly across Los Angeles County. As of January 10, the fires have claimed at least 10 lives.

Pierce concluded his posts with a message of resilience. “I’m in Los Angeles in the middle of a great disaster. It feels the same way it did 20 years ago in New Orleans. Pray for us. The lesson learned from back then and today: love those around you and create loving memories. They will sustain you in difficult times.”