Cynthia with Sandy Rosenthal founder of the non-profit Levees.org

Sandy Rosenthal founded the non-profit Levees.org in 2005 with 25,000 supporters nationwide. Her book, Words Whispered in Water, is about how––against all odds––she altered the national narrative about the deadly flooding in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. 
A second edition of her book, with a new cover and foreword, will be issued for the 20th anniversary of the catastrophe.


Her group’s current goal is for all students in the U.S. working toward their B.S. in engineering to receive instruction on failures and the lessons learned. 
In March of 2019, Rosenthal unveiled the Flooded House Museum at a major breach site. She initiated the installation of three historic plaques vetted by the state’s preservation office, hosts an annual levee breach bike tour, and much more.


For those efforts, Rosenthal has been honored with numerous awards most recently including Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year from Tulane University and Most Influential Woman from Mount Holyoke College. Rosenthal is an advocate for 62% of the American population living in counties protected by levees. Rosenthal has been married to Stephen Rosenthal since 1979, has three adult children, and has two grandchildren living in San Francisco. She also has two small dogs named Twinkie and Cupcake.
Sandy is also the host of her own podcast: Beat the Big Guys