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The National Guards didn't want to hear it.". We have got to start getting people out.' 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. And he said: 'Mr. After suffering heavy damage during Hurricane Katrina, the Superdome was re-opened on September 25, 2006 for the Saints' Monday night game against the Falcons. And it was a very good meeting, I thought. Military planners are considering setting up a permanent rapid reaction unit designed to respond to domestic disasters. Hurricane Katrina first made landfall on Aug. 25, 2005, in Florida, weakening to a tropical storm as it briefly passed over land. Kathleen Blanco: Mayor Mitch Landrieu last week hailedNew Orleans as Americas comeback city,citing efforts to reduce crime, decrease homelessness and improve educational outcomes for area students. Reports put the population there in the tens of thousands. Stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina rest inside the Superdome September 2, 2005 in New Orleans. Officers were walking off the job by the dozens. And at that time I took some liberties I probably shouldn't take. web site copyright 1995-2014 to support FEMA disaster relief efforts, but it will be two days before the troops arrive in the city. I went to the Adjutant General [Landreneau] and I went to Gov. Kathleen Blanco: If we arent talking about what we still need, how can we be sure people wont forget? Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. Looting breaks out in parts of the city. Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: Watch it: To understand what went wrong in the governments response to Katrina. We had pre-positioned supplies, medical teams, Meals Ready To Eat, and food in the Superdome. Heres What the Claims Say and Where They Stand. And he said: 'No, you don't have to leave. I said, 'All of us are going to leave right now, and they're going to work this out right now. The California Disaster Medical Assistance Team spent 24 hellish hours inside the Superdome. President Bush flies over the area on his way back to Washington. There is a belief that the city has avoided a direct hit. And I said [to the president], "Here's my piece of paper. 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. Where is food? And [FEMA Director] Michael Brown was with me at that time. Issues of race, class, government response and responsibility, and political rivalries . President Bush arrives in New Orleans and holds a meeting on Air Force One with federal and local officials. We do our video conference calls before and during disasters. I am still going out into the streets every day to talk to people about their experiencesI call it getting phyllisophical. "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. 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. Trachelle Addison cuddles her 2-week-old son, Jirra-e, in the stands of the Superdome, where some 25,000 refugees took shelter after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Judy Benitez, of the Louisiana rape crisis group, says the non-report rate would be far higher given the nightmare of Katrina. HBO. HBO. ", Gov. Hundreds of people already have been rescued. And the bosses say, 'Oh, okay. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. 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. 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. Judy Benitez is executive director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, a statewide coalition of rape crisis centers. 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. The account of her rape was verified by a trained forensic nurse at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, where Lewis sought treatment. I've got to know. Around 6 a.m., Category 4 Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast with 145 mph maximum sustained winds. The hurricane and its aftermath claimed more than 1,800 lives, and it ranked as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. 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. Sept. 27, 2005, 12:58 PM PDT / Source: The Associated Press. The Most Risky Job Ever. Reporting on ISIS in Afghanistan. The Convention Center becomes a destination for walk-in refugees seeking evacuation. Most residents have evacuated the city and those left behind do not have transportation or have special needs. Watch it: For a powerful story of resilience and determination in the face of tragedy. I probably should have asked sooner. 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. We have so much intelligence down here in New Orleans, and yet, even four years after the hurricane, we cant rely on the school system. New Orleans's flood-protection system was improved by increasing in the heights of earthen berms and upgrading floodwalls and floodgates. 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 . Her husband [Raymond Blanco] is there. Kathleen Blanco, governor of Louisiana: Female victims, now displaced from New Orleans, are slowly coming forward with a different story than the official one. All I can tell you is that in the city of New Orleans we had maybe 250 guardsmen that we could account for. In a documentary aired in October 2005 on the Sundance Channel, "In His Own Words: Brian Williams on Hurricane Katrina," Williams said, . ", In Washington, President Bush publicly acknowledges the inadequacy of the federal government's response: "Many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orlenas. 49 But it was the subsequent flooding of New Orleans that imposed catastrophic public health conditions on the people of southern . Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. "At that stage, we had mission-assigned the Department of Defense to start giving us everything they could in terms of air-lift capability. 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. Directed by New Orleans native Edward Buckles Jr., who was a teenager when Katrina struck, the documentary, which premieres Thursday on HBO, reminds us of the storm's real-life ramifications. In an effort to get victims to come forward, the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault asked Charmaine Neville, a popular New Orleans jazz singer, to tape a public service announcement for national airplay. Copyright All rights reserved. I've expressed many times that we're willing to investigate any sexual assaults that happened in this city at any time. Explore FRONTLINEs collected and ongoing reporting on Russia's war on Ukraine. "Some bad things happened, you know. FEMA Situation Update: 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. Visit us at HISTORY.com for more info. Conditions are deteriorating with bathrooms overflowing, no power for air conditioning and little food and water. special video+discussion+teacher's guide+readings & links She says as she watched New Orleans descend into chaos after Katrina, she knew what would happen. I said, 'We need to do this.' And it is injurious to the president. In September 2006, the New Orleans Saints marched into the Superdome for their first game since Hurricane Katrina, providing the spark for a revival. And they both shook their heads and said, 'Yes, you're right.' The Army Corps of Engineers projects it could take 80 days to pump the water out of the city. Blanco says, "Mr. President, thank you thank you, thank you. Follow a day-by-day account of Hurricane Katrina's wrath, from its birth in the Atlantic Ocean to its catastrophic effects: flooded streets, flattened homes, and horrific loss of life. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe#NationalGeographic #HurricaneKatrina #StormsAbout National Geographic:National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. And that was that.". Its efforts fail. FRONTLINE home+WGBH+PBS, FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of wgbh educational foundation. She made a report to a local sheriff's office; it has not yet passed the report on to the New Orleans police. They spend the next 24 hours trying to save themselves. Rapid Transit Authority buses pick up citizens and bring them to the Superdome, where the Louisiana National Guard has stocked enough MREs to feed 15,000 people for three days. Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans: He escaped the ch. Refuge of last resort: Five days inside the Superdome for Hurricane Katrina. I had all the police, the firefighters in rescue mode, so the looting thing started to rear its head. The Coast Guard mobilizes to respond after the storm hits. The interviews done as part of this project reflect the disaster's painful, chaotic, and murky aftermath. Inside the four triage tents, medical personnel tended to people who had gone for days without their medication. Katrina caused more than $160 billion in damage. Lewis says that later in the week, national guardsmen forced evacuees out of the building at gunpoint. 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. Michael Brown, FEMA director: ", At that time, I thought we had done a pretty good job because we had gotten about 80 percent of the people out. 11:09. That's where Katrina Babies comes in. Met in the little office at the Super Dome where the heliport is. The majority of industrial buildings will become non functional. But we need something really big, like a hospital, that shows where the $25 billion in recovery money is going. 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. FEMA Situation Update: Other people call me the Dr. Phil of the streets.. August 29, 2005. Surviving the Superdome. "We'd heard the story of a man killing himself, falling . But I am happy to help, even if it takes me an extra two hours at the grocery store. As of Nov. 22, 2005, more than 900 people are known to have died in New Orleans. (48) 7.4 1 h 13 min 2010 13+. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently . Civil order had completely broken down. 'Rebirth in New Orleans' reflects on . Katrina becomes a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph maximum sustained winds. Do You Have News to Share? "I realized how serious things were on Sunday. 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. During Hurricane Katrina, then known as the Louisiana Superdome, the arena was used as . FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Mayor, we had a good meeting. We've all feared a catastrophic hurricane striking New Orleans. A spokesperson with the Resource Center said the number is steadily growing. William E. Brown Jr. -. That is why the first place we picked to do an exercise and planning was New Orleans. A decade later . By afternoon, officials issue a citywide call for more boats to help. "I got a call, I think Saturday afternoon [from] Max Mayfield, the hurricane director. But we were working frantically to get it out. Anastasia says thugs were still wandering the streets of her neighborhood more than a week after the flood. August 28, 2005. Michael Brown, FEMA director: Hurricane Katrina, tropical cyclone that struck the southeastern United States in late August 2005. 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. Mayor Ray Nagin orders the total evacuation of New Orleans due to the dangers posed by the contaminated standing water. Mississippi and Louisiana governors declare states of emergency. Kathleen Blanco. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. By the end of the day it is 335 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River. I just expressed to her my concern about the lack of unified command, and the need to have more of a structure of what was going on. Why would we think there was less rape typical of any given week in the city? The Times-Picayune reports that the breaches in the 17th Street and Florida Avenue Canals have been repaired and power is restored to the Warehouse and Central Business Districts. To get food out. 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. And then they'd gone around the room, and everybody's talking to the president and giving their opinions. 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. And he said definitively, "Mr. Mayor, the storm is headed right for you. An estimated 25,000 angry and exhausted people are still at the Convention Center; buses begin arriving to evacuate them. Victims of Hurricane Katrina fight through the crowd as they line up for buses to evacuate the Superdome and New Orleans, Sept. 1, 2005. Lt. Dave Benelli, commander of the sex crimes unit with the New Orleans Police Department, denies that. According to a New York Times article of September 29, "During six days when the Superdome was used as a shelter, the head of the New Orleans Police Department's sex crimes unit, Lt. David . In Louisiana, New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level. Katrina Cop in the Superdome. "A close eye will be kept this system could strengthen ". These defenses held for Hurricane Ida, a category 4 storm, in August 2021. Later, his charred remains were discovered on the banks of the Mississippi River, inside a car that had apparently been set on fire. Around 8 a.m. the storm's eye passes eastern New Orleans. The city's buses have been positioned around the city in locations that have never been flooded.