Hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected hundreds of thousands in southern Louisiana. To say that they touched people of every stripe and color dramatically is a gross understatement. Aside from the loss of life and property damage, families were uprooted, traditions disrupted, and one of the largest migrations in American history forced on a state with traditionally the lowest outmigration rate. Still, as hurricane survivors know, a large difference separates standing battered versus lying destroyed. What Katrina and, more significantly, Rita dealt the United Houma Nation and other tribes of southeastern Louisiana was a harsh strike but not a death blow. On the contrary, Katrina and Rita were only the last in a series of hurricanes that have shaped Indian settlement and culture. Through all those storms the Houmas have persevered, helped each other, and used tempests to reaffirm who they are. This article describes how hurricanes have affected Houma history and culture. (Contains 21 notes.)