At landfall, Katrina's maximum winds were about 125 miles per hour (mph) to the east of its center. Benelli says his team investigated two attempted rapes inside the Superdome, and two additional reports of rapes that happened in the city, one of which was the 25-year-old hairdresser. They lost 15 high-water trucks with mobile communications packages. These defenses held for Hurricane Ida, a category 4 storm, in August 2021. Web Site Copyright 1995-2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast, Congress appropriated an unprecedented $126.4 billion for relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts. A Louisiana State University computer model of a 115 mph storm strike shows the overtopping of levees protecting New Orleans and nearby areas. Michael Brown, FEMA director: And nothing happened. We've all feared a catastrophic hurricane striking New Orleans. They lost power. I n the HBO documentary Katrina Babies, young teen Meisha Williams recollects her experience surviving the 2005 hurricane that displaced approximately 200,000 New Orleans residents. Rescue efforts are delayed because of the inability of rescuers to communicate with each other. The Louisiana National Guard's Jackson Barracks flood. Watch it: To understand what went wrong in the governments response to Katrina. And Mayor Nagin expressed his concerns. The Louisiana Superdome, once a mighty testament to architecture and ingenuity, became the biggest storm shelter in New Orleans the day before Katrina's arrival Monday. And then they'd gone around the room, and everybody's talking to the president and giving their opinions. Airborne debris will be widespread and may include heavy items such as household appliances and even light vehicles. Their communications center was useless. The account of her rape was verified by a trained forensic nurse at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, where Lewis sought treatment. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen. There are still areas that look like Katrina hit yesterday. Patrice Taddonio. The choice was either run the risk of becoming stranded or take a detour to wait the storm out for a day or two in the Superdome. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. hurricane katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast, claiming 1,800 lives. One of the victims is Ms. Lewis, a 46-year-old home health-care worker from New Orleans East, who asked that her first name not be used. August 28, 2015, 2:21 PM. Hurricane Katrina first made landfall on Aug. 25, 2005, in Florida, weakening to a tropical storm as it briefly passed over land. Photos: Hurricane Katrina | CNN ", Leo Bosner, FEMA watch officer: "We're not downsizing anything," Benelli says. In fact, at the headquarters of the Louisiana National Guard, located in the Lower NinthWard, soldiers were not yet aware that the levees were giving way. The police department -- reeling from desertions, flooding and the immensity of the disaster -- was in a survival mode itself. ". I aint about to leave, Gettridge said. Benitez and others interviewed for this report believe that police authorities -- who were anxious to discount initially exaggerated reports of mayhem -- are downplaying violent crimes that happened in the anarchy after the storm. "A close eye will be kept this system could strengthen ". More than four days after the storm hit, the caravan of at least three-dozen camouflage-green troop vehicles and supply trucks arrived along with dozens of air-conditioned buses to take refugees out of the city. By the end of the day, the projected storm surge is 18 to 22 feet, locally as high as 28 feet. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. Because of the ensuing . Hurricane Katrina: 10 Facts About the Deadly Storm and Its Legacy New Orleans's flood-protection system was improved by increasing in the heights of earthen berms and upgrading floodwalls and floodgates. The two of us are going to leave. TV-PG. "We're all looking at each other like, 'Why aren't we getting orders to move on this? Police Chief Eddie Compass admitted even his own officers had taken food and water from stores. Kathleen Blanco: She says she tried to report the assault at the time, but authorities weren't listening. When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. The National Guards didn't want to hear it.". Panels blew off and the roof was severely damaged, but it was the only shelter . We could either go with your suggestion' -- which, my suggestion was, if you don't give me the final authority give it to Gen. [Russel] Honor. The population of New Orleans was about 400,000 by 2020, some 20 percent below its population in 2000. Several parishes and the city of New Orleans announce emergency responders will stop venturing out once the wind exceeds 45 mph. Then, the airman hesitated a minute, and asked Landreneau to hold. His death came nearly two years to the day after his wifes passing. Hurricane Katrina, in 7 essential facts - Vox It is 45 miles northwest of Florida Keys. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. "All I know is on Wednesday night I was convinced that there were no FEMA buses. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. I probably should have asked sooner. A New Orleans house submerged in floodwaters. By the end of the day, it is upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina, with 50 mph maximum sustained winds. Hurricane Katrina Horror Stories ". A scene from 2006s 'When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts' (Photo: Everett Collection) This week marks a . And it was a very good meeting, I thought. The storm has ripped a hole in the Superdome where the power has gone out. The Superdome is an intrinsic part of the city of New Orleans. And at that time I took some liberties I probably shouldn't take. Pack as though you're going on a camping trip. At a press conference in Baton Rouge, 80 miles away, Gov. But while the Superdome has been reclaimed, those stories of trauma remain, and some roil pretty close to . Trapped on Airline Drive in a traffic jam in his gas-depleted pickup truck, he didn't think he would reach his destination of Baton Rouge. Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: It has been nearly six years since Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf of Mexico cutting a swathe of devastation and shock through the psyche of the American people. We were moving school buses in. And New Orleans itself has worked to rebuild. Copyright All rights reserved. "[On Air Force One] we gave the president a briefing on everything that had gone on. Gov. Remembering the Superdome's role during Hurricane Katrina Four were wounded, and 17-year-old James Brisette and 40-year-old Ronald Madison were killed. The National Weather Service writes that Hurricane Katrina is "one of the five deadliest hurricanes to ever strike the United States." Hurricane Katrina caused up to $161 billion worth of damage, largely due to the fact that the breached levees led to flooding in 80% of New Orleans. The networks all-original programming slate features a roster of hit series, epic miniseries, and scripted event programming. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. 11.1.2005. "I'm telling you the number of reported rapes we had.". Military planners are considering setting up a permanent rapid reaction unit designed to respond to domestic disasters. [Mayor Nagin] was upset with everything. So I finally just walked up to Danny and said, Mr. Every little thing helps. As of Nov. 22, 2005, more than 900 people are known to have died in New Orleans. William E. Brown Jr. -. In television interviews, Michael Brown, FEMA director, states that he only just heard about the suffering at the Convention Center, when in fact, he tells FRONTLINE, he misspoke; he was told the previous day about the situation. He had been shot by a rookie police officer while walking through the parking lot of a run-down strip mall, and his brother had brought Glover who was curled up and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest to a temporary SWAT compound seeking medical attention. Crime is at an all-time high. There are still gangs of armed criminals roaming the city; police and National Guard, now numbered at 16,000, have a better handle on the situation than earlier in the week. Exploring the experiences of a black member of the New Orleans Police Department and assorted other New Orleans residents during their stay in the Louisiana Superdome during and after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. Marty Bahamonde/FEMA. But problems persist. I don't know why. background photo copyright 2005 corbis "Drug and alcohol use is another contributing factor, and no police presence to prevent them from doing whatever they wanted to, to whomever they wanted to.". Issues of race, class, government response and responsibility, and political rivalries . At 7 am Katrina is a Category 5 with 160 mph maximum sustained winds. Michael Brown, FEMA director: I was able to get Governor Blanco to sit with me several times in the office that she had and talk about what needed to be done. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is a landmark in the city of New Orleans. "Coastal residents jammed freeways and gas stations as they rushed to get out A direct hit could wind up submerging New Orleans in several feet of water At least 100,000 people in the city lack transportation to get out Louisiana and Mississippi make all lanes northbound on interstate highways". / HBO Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. Hurricane Katrina - 64 Parishes Thousands of troops poured into the city September. We go to Sam's and Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie and gather up food and water and start distributing it because we had 60 hours' worth of resources that we had stored, but now we're out of it. The death toll in the city is not known, but the dying continues as people succumb to illness, exhaustion and days without food and water. FRONTLINEs documentary The Old Man and the Storm followed Gettridge for 18 months as he worked to rebuild his home, which took on 10 feet of water when the levees breached. And I said, "We're doing one in the morning.". Lewis says she was raped on Monday, Aug. 29, the day of the storm. By the evening of August 25, when it made . On Sept. 15, 2005, in an address to the nation, President Bush declares, "It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces -- the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment's notice.". The only person I saw from FEMA was basically this guy named Marty [Bahamonde]. Mayor Nagin estimates 50,000 to 100,000 people remain in the city. In September 2006, the New Orleans Saints marched into the Superdome for their first game since Hurricane Katrina, providing the spark for a revival. More women are coming forward with stories of sexual . Mississippi and Louisiana governors declare states of emergency. In the six weeks since the Web site has been up, with almost no publicity, it has received 42 reports of sexual assaults. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. The film a raw and gripping investigation of the Katrina response, its tragic consequences and its political ramifications includes candid interviews with key Katrina decision-makers, including the first televised interview with former FEMA Director Michael Brown since his resignation two weeks after Katrina hit. The California Disaster Medical Assistance Team spent 24 hellish hours inside the Superdome. An estimated 25,000 angry and exhausted people are still at the Convention Center; buses begin arriving to evacuate them. "I didn't see any police officers -- I could have gotten away with murder," she says. We need you to take over logistics, distribution of commodities, etc. According to the New Orleans Data Center, racial disparities in income and employment are more pronounced in the city than they are nationally; the poverty rate is 11 points higher than the national average; and the incarceration rate is approximately three times the national average. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and . Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New . On that first night after the storm, the city had lost power, and she was sleeping in a dark hallway, trying to catch a breeze. He co-wrote the novel,"The Spencer Haywood Rule," and he was co-producer of the "Katrina Cop in the Superdome," a 2010 documentary about the experiences of a black New Orleans police officer and other citizens as they sheltered in the Louisiana Superdome during the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005. And I forget whether it was on Saturday or Sunday, I told my staff that I was sick to my stomach because I could see that some things weren't looking quite right. FEMA Situation Update: And then somebody came and called me and said, 'The president would like to see you.' Buckles' intimate connection to the people he interviews many of them family members, friends, and former . "What you had was a situation where you've got a tremendous number of vulnerable people, and then some predatory people who had all of the reasons to take their anger out on someone else," Benitez says. Why Hurricane Katrina Was Not a Natural Disaster For my part, I am still going out into the streets every day to talk to people about their experiencesI call it getting phyllisophical. Other people call me the Dr. Phil of the streets. I went to the Adjutant General [Landreneau] and I went to Gov. HBO. With all due respect, Mr. President, if you and the governor don't get on the same page, this event is going to continue to spiral down, and it's going to be a black eye on everybody -- federal, state and local.' Find out in the 2015 documentary Outbreak, newly available to stream on FRONTLINEs YouTube channel. Get as many people out as possible. It hit land as a Category 3 storm with winds reaching speeds as high as 120 miles per hour. Thats just one of the chain of catastrophes at the local, state and national level brought to vivid life in FRONTLINEs Emmy Award-winning 2005 documentaryThe Storm. Civil order had completely broken down. Some parishes order mandatory evacuations. At least one half of well constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. Some parts of the city already showed slipping floodwaters as the repair neared completion, with the low-lying Ninth Ward dropping more than a foot. Widespread looting continues. Before Hurricane Katrina hit, New Orleans residents gathered to ride out the storm in what seemed like a pretty safe place, the Superdome, the city's football stadium . And when I saw it then, and watching it again now, I think that Trouble the Water is an amazing accomplishment, and something everyone should see about the people who had to live through what we all went through here in New Orleans. A hurricane warning is issued for north central Gulf Coast including New Orleans. The Katrina survivors who fled devastation only to freeze in Texas We do our video conference calls before and during disasters. Bring enough to sustain yourself, your family, your children. The eye of Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras in Plaquemines Parish at approximately 6:00 a.m. on August 29 as a Category 3 hurricane. She requests President Bush to declare a state of emergency in Louisiana. ', We immediately did turn to the military and mission-assigned them to start doing airlifts, start bringing things in. New Orleans residents are still trapped by the floodwaters, and dispatchers receive about 1,000 emergency phone calls from people needing to be rescued. Years after Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary asks: What happened to But the problem was that because of the fear that resulted from the civil unrest, the bus drivers said, 'We're not going in there to pick these people up unless you put a law enforcement official on every one of the buses, because we're afraid. What I hope people will realize when they see Trouble the Water is that we still have so much to do here, and that Katrina really changed so many lives, but we are a really resilient people and we want our city to come back. Dave Cohen was one of the few reporters to stay in New Orleans as Katrina bore down on the city, and continued broadcasting as the . On August 28, 2005, at 6 am, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced that the Superdome would be used as a public shelter. I said, 'We need to do this.' By the end of the day, there are 30,000 people at the Superdome. Since many New Orleans streets are still filled with stagnant, fetid waters smelling of garbage and raw sewage, the military was considering using planes to spray for mosquitoes.". "Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks perhaps longer. Saints came marching in: How football helped Katrina revival - CNBC The Army Corps of Engineers renews work to fix the breach in the 17th St. Canal. That she could turn this 15 minutes of footage into an Oscar-nominated documentaryIm amazed by it. "With the evacuee situation stabilizing somewhat, and increasing numbers of armed soldiers and police on the streets, officials said Saturday they would start aggressively dealing with the bands of armed looters who pushed the city to the brink of complete breakdown. But there were also profane jeers from many in the crowd of nearly 20,000 outside the Convention Center, which a day earlier seemed on the verge of a riot, with desperate people seething with anger over the lack of anything to eat or drink. Katrina becomes a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph maximum sustained winds. The storm that would later become Hurricane Katrina surfaced on August 23, 2005, as a tropical depression over the Bahamas, approximately 350 miles (560 km) east of Miami. As a shocking New Orleans documentary airs on HBO tonight, Phyllis Montana-LeBlancbestselling author and gutsy survivorexplains why the city is still drowning. Thousands of displaced residents take cover from Hurricane Katrina at the Superdome in New . Within five hours I start to get reports from my staff members, who are out doing assessments, the water's rising. Flew into the city. Timeline: Rebirth in New Orleans - NFL Years after Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary asks: What happened to Around 9:30 a.m. Mayor Ray Nagin issues a mandatory evacuation. And that rap song she sings at the end of the film about growing up so poor, with her mother on drugs and being forced to stealit just shows that she is a strong woman, and so honest, real, determined, courageous, and intelligent. One woman told me she was going to commit suicide after Katrina, and that she saw Spike Lees documentary, and I saved her life. And the president comes, and we have this meeting. At least 1,800 lives were lost in Hurricane Katrina, often considered one of the worst hurricanes in US history. 11:09. National Hurricane Center director Max Mayfield tells the Times-Picayune newspaper, "This is scary this is the real thing." And why it wasnt stopped sooner. There's this lunch. Here in New Orleans East, we desperately need a hospital. Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned - Chapter Five: Lessons - Archives A shaft of light falls throught an opening in the fully evacuated Superdome on Sept. 5, 2005 in New Orleans, La. Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: Richard Falkenrath, Homeland Security Adviser (2001-2004): In Fight Against ISIS, a Lose-Lose Scenario Poses Challenge for West. And he said definitively, "Mr. Mayor, the storm is headed right for you. City officials say 80 percent of New Orleans is flooded. '", Mayor Ray Nagin Your email address will not be published. More than four days after the storm hit, the caravan of at least three-dozen camouflage-green troop vehicles and supply trucks arrived along with dozens of air-conditioned buses to take refugees out of the city. And he had flown in a helicopter. 49 But it was the subsequent flooding of New Orleans that imposed catastrophic public health conditions on the people of southern . He also announces that the Superdome will be "a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs." Blanco tours the area Tuesday evening and announces that the Superdome should be evacuated. So many people have Katrina Fatigue, as I like to call itthe hurricane is four years out, and I applaud anything that brings another testimony into the public conversation; that shows people how bad it was, and how bad it still is. Her husband [Raymond Blanco] is there. I began to believe that no buses had been ordered. Years after Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary asks: What happened to Blanco and said, 'We've got to move National Guard troops in there. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. Having largely emptied the cavernous Superdome, which had become a squalid pit of misery and violence, officials turned their attention to the Convention Center, where people waited to be evacuated as corpses rotted in the streets. There was all kinds of crime taking place on a much higher level than usual. FEMA National Situation Update: "To cries of 'Thank you, Jesus!' "Media reports attribute Katrina with four fatalities [in Florida], more than a million customers were without electricity". The numbers are not dramatic, but they are significant when seen in light of the official number of post-Katrina rapes and attempted rapes: four. A spokesperson with the Resource Center said the number is steadily growing. In all, more than 1,500 died either duringthe storm or inthe famouslybungled aftermath which saw local, state, and federal officials uncoordinated and overwhelmed. They didn't have communication. Some 11,000 National Guardsmen are now on duty in Louisiana and increased security begins to have an effect on lawlessness in New Orleans, although some violence continues. 'Nobody asked if we were okay': The lost children of Hurricane Katrina Under the best of circumstances, rape is one of the hardest crimes to solve. Stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina rest inside the Superdome September 2, 2005 in New Orleans. Mississippi and Louisiana governors declare states of emergency. Where is water? New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. Issues of race, class, government response and . FEMA organizes 475 buses to be sent in to transport many of the estimated 23,000 people from the Superdome to the Houston Astrodome. The film features 15 minutes of live hurricane video shot by Kimberly Roberts, an aspiring rapper whose family was too poor to leave New Orleans, and follows Kims family and others through the horrific aftermath of the storm. I gave the governor two options. "We'd heard the story of a man killing himself, falling . Review: The hellish Hurricane Katrina scenario of 'Five Days at Memorial'