Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst tragedies to hit the United States in the early 21st century.  The storm and subsequent floods left the city of New Orleans in shambles.  While the New Orleans Saints remained an important symbol for their city, the team was also forced from its home during Katrina’s aftermath.

On this day, September 25th, in 2006, the first game was held in the Superdome more than a year  after Hurricane Katrina.   The Superdome had extensive damages following Katrina and cost a total of $185 to repair.  The Saints’ Monday night home opener was a large city-wide celebration and featured the greatest ESPN audience ever at the time.  The Saints won the game 23-3.

The Saints took the energy from their Superdome return to have one of the franchise’s most successful seasons.  The Saints reached the NFC Championship game for the first time in franchise history at the end of the 2006-2007, helping to uplift a still devastated city.