Previous research has found elevated levels of psychopathology, compared to normative samples, among survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Such research is limited, however, by a lack of baseline data and therefore cannot conclusively assert that levels of psychopathology increased since the storms and their aftermath. This study seeks to fill such gaps by using a dataset including both pre- and post-hurricane measures of psychological distress. The sample consists of 402 community college students, the majority of whom are African American single mothers. Participants were assessed in the weeks prior to Hurricane Katrina and approximately one year after the storm. Results of the K6 screening scale of anxiety-mood disorders show that levels of psychological distress did, indeed, significantly increase after the hurricanes (t=3.83, p<.001). In addition, a post-hurricane assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised reveals a high prevalence rate (49.5%). Further analyses demonstrate that, among participants with clinical levels of psychological distress or post-traumatic stress, less than 15% sought mental health care and over 40% did not receive necessary medical care due to financial constraints. These findings are supplemented by qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews of 57 participants from the same sample. Findings therein confirm that financial considerations were a deterrent to mental health treatment and suggest additional barriers to treatment, including perceived lack of cultural competence of providers, lack of interest in counseling, time constraints, and preferences for alternative forms of support and coping. The clinical and policy implications of these results are discussed.