September 9, 2005

On September 8 – 10, 2005 Romanian Ambassador Sorin Ducaru traveled to Houston, Baton Rouge and New Orleans to meet Romanians living in the town affected by Katrina hurricane and that have been evacuated.
Ambassador Ducaru was accompanied by the honorary consul of Romania to Huston, Nicholas Florescu.
In Houston they met Romanians that have been evacuated in the area after the hurricane hit the coast and Ambassador Ducaru offered his support to help Romanians in need.
After leaving Huston the Romanian Ambassador and honorary consul Florescu went to Baton Rouge and met the Romanian community in the area, students and professors at the Tulane and New Orleans University, as well as Romanian volunteers that helped the Romanian Embassy locate and offer support after the devastation. The Romanian official thanked all Romanians that offered support to the Romanian community and the American people in these most difficult times.
Ambassador Ducaru also traveled to New Orleans where he visited the devastated areas and met the American authorities, discussing about the reconstruction of the area and offering his support.
According to the 2000 census, more than 550 Romanian origin citizens live in the New Orleans area and more than 950 in the entire Louisiana state. No Romanians were victims of the disaster but many of them lost their houses and jobs.