The world watched helplessly as thousands of New Orleanians were caught in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. While some blamed public officials for not responding soon enough, others blamed the victims for not evacuating when they knew the hurricane’s arrival was imminent. One fundamental insight of social science is to understand the illogic of blaming the victim (Ryan 1976). Without understanding social stratification in the city of New Orleans – a city with one of the highest levels of income inequality in our country – it is difficult to understand the strategies people employed to survive the storm and that they are using to restart their lives in its aftermath. Inequality in education and income, residential segregation, and discrimination contribute not only to social stratification among individuals, but also to stratification between social networks – that is, the group of family, friends, and associates to which people can turn for help. Both factors shaped people’s strategies to leave New Orleans or not, and how they are rebuilding their lives in the hurricane’s aftermath. [...]