Plus, if you lived in a FEMA trailer for three years like I did, the last thing you want to do is go to a trailer for medical care. Floodwaters keep rising. I probably should have asked sooner. In September 2006, the New Orleans Saints marched into the Superdome for their first game since Hurricane Katrina, providing the spark for a revival. Victims of Hurricane Katrina fight through the crowd as they line up for buses to evacuate the Superdome and New Orleans, Sept. 1, 2005. People continue to head towards the Superdome, which is now surrounded by water. "I remember reading [that New Orleans had dodged a bullet]. Troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. ". Blanco says, "Mr. President, thank you thank you, thank you. Police Chief Eddie Compass admitted even his own officers had taken food and water from stores. Then we kind of figure out ways that we could coordinate. The vast majority of them were elderly. Refuge of last resort: Five days inside the Superdome for Hurricane Katrina. TV-PG. He didn't care where the help came from, he just wanted it to be there. Around 6 a.m., Category 4 Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast with 145 mph maximum sustained winds. 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 Kim's family and others through the . 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. hurricane katrina anniversary: 40 powerful photos of New Orleans after the storm. The population of New Orleans was about 400,000 by 2020, some 20 percent below its population in 2000. August 28, 2015, 2:21 PM. "I got a call, I think Saturday afternoon [from] Max Mayfield, the hurricane director. As of Nov. 22, 2005, more than 900 people are known to have died in New Orleans. She made a report to a local sheriff's office; it has not yet passed the report on to the New Orleans police. "What we did -- under Louisiana law the parish presidents, the head of the counties, have the authority to use private resources. In New Orleans last year, there was a rape every other day on average. It was called "Hurricane Pam" and the exercise was conducted with state and local emergency managers. With a death toll of more than 1,800, Katrina was the third-deadliest hurricane in US history after Galveston in 1900 (which killed 8,000 to . Hurricane Katrina, tropical cyclone that struck the southeastern United States in late August 2005. producer's chat+tapes & transcript+press reaction+credits+privacy policy Team members said they delivered babies, treated gunshot and stab victims, and ultimately fled for their own safety. I don't think that's the proper thing to do. In Louisiana, New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level. Web Site Copyright 1995-2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. so you had a very dynamic situation.". HBO. Gov. Kathleen Blanco: Katrina Cop in the Superdome. And nothing happened. My sense now is there are victims out there whose stories haven't been heard.". At least 1,800 lives were lost in Hurricane Katrina, often considered one of the worst hurricanes in US history. ', We immediately did turn to the military and mission-assigned them to start doing airlifts, start bringing things in. Photo. Conditions are deteriorating with bathrooms overflowing, no power for air conditioning and little food and water. I've never seen a hurricane like this in my 33-year career. But while the Superdome has been reclaimed, those stories of trauma remain, and some roil pretty close to . And in my opinion, it was this whole 'who has ultimate authority' and whether the federal government is going to come in and impinge upon the state's authority. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Here's the things I think we need to focus on. Explore FRONTLINEs collected and ongoing reporting on Russia's war on Ukraine. 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. Her husband [Raymond Blanco] is there. "I think that that was probably over-reported," he says. He says his team only saw a fraction of the desperate people who sought assistance. I've got to know. But we were working frantically to get it out. The storm flooded New Orleans, killed more than 1,800 people, and caused . In his speech, he calls on all federal, state and local agencies to review their performance. The police department -- reeling from desertions, flooding and the immensity of the disaster -- was in a survival mode itself. That she could turn this 15 minutes of footage into an Oscar-nominated documentaryIm amazed by it. FEMA was doing what it's supposed to be doing. Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. will never be the same. Remembers Covering Katrina Preserving History After Hurricane Katrina Katrina's Affect on Charter schools quiz: 10 Questions on Katrina. And New Orleans itself has worked to rebuild. I began to believe that no buses had been ordered. WGBH educational foundation, "A close eye will be kept this system could strengthen ", "Media reports attribute Katrina with four fatalities [in Florida], more than a million customers were without electricity", "Katrina will regenerate on Friday over Gulf of Mexico, head west-northwest then turn northward. It is 45 miles northwest of Florida Keys. Abandoned cars remain on Interstate 10 in front of the heavily damaged Superdome September 14, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. We knew what had to be done. Here's a [powerful] hurricane. 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. And I said [to the president], 'Look, we talked about that option, and then we also talked about another option, that we would federalize, and the governor said she needed time to think about it. By afternoon, officials issue a citywide call for more boats to help. "A close eye will be kept this system could strengthen ". They didn't have ammunition. And that is unacceptable. But we need something really big, like a hospital, that shows where the $25 billion in recovery money is going. President Bush's Sept. 15th address to the nation. They didn't have communication. (Weather forecasters classify hurricane strength on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the strongest.) At landfall, Katrina's maximum winds were about 125 miles per hour (mph) to the east of its center. Some electrical substations serving downtown New Orleans are repaired, but Entergy, the local energy utitlity, must first ensure that buildings can receive the electricity safely before the power is restored. "All I could do was pray, pray for rescue, pray that I didn't have any type of transmitted disease," she says. 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. We'll put a couple of medical teams on standby. "All I know is on Wednesday night I was convinced that there were no FEMA buses. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, causing catastrophic flooding as numerous levees failed around New Orleans. and catcalls of 'What took you so long?,' a National Guard convoy packed with food, water and medicine rolled through axle-deep floodwaters Friday into what remained of New Orleans and descended into a maelstrom of fires and floating corpses. 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. His death came nearly two years to the day after his wifes passing. Several parishes and the city of New Orleans announce emergency responders will stop venturing out once the wind exceeds 45 mph. To get food out. " from my view sitting inside a windowless room at FEMA headquarters during my nightshift we are working to coordinate with our federal partners, to get water out. Hurricane Katrina Superdome. 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.". Hurricane Katrina [ edit] Refugees on the field inside the Superdome, August 28. It hit land as a Category 3 storm with winds reaching speeds as high as 120 miles per hour. ", Richard Falkenrath, Homeland Security Adviser (2001-2004): Buses have started evacuating people at the Superdome, but at the Convention Center thousands are still waiting and conditions continue to deteriorate there. And I think thats whats going to help us rebuild the mosttalking about what happened and how we can move onand why documentaries like Trouble the Water are still so relevant. Persons, pets, and livestock exposed to the winds will face certain death if struck. By the evening of August 25, when it made . New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies . New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. Military planners are considering setting up a permanent rapid reaction unit designed to respond to domestic disasters. 7:577-Minute Listen. A Louisiana State University computer model of a 115 mph storm strike shows the overtopping of levees protecting New Orleans and nearby areas. And they hadn't. With camera lenses and lights abounding, the . Hurricane Katrina becomes Category 2 by 11 am, with 100 mph maximum sustained winds. Nobody cared.". Through their world-class scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you closer to the stories that matter and past the edge of what's possible.Get More National Geographic:Official Site: http://bit.ly/NatGeoOfficialSiteFacebook: http://bit.ly/FBNatGeoTwitter: http://bit.ly/NatGeoTwitterInstagram: http://bit.ly/NatGeoInstaHurricane Katrina Day by Day | National Geographichttps://youtu.be/HbJaMWw4-2QNational Geographichttps://www.youtube.com/natgeo Documenting evidence of potential war crimes in Ukraine. And then finally I just stopped and said: 'Excuse me, but time is of the essence. 49 But it was the subsequent flooding of New Orleans that imposed catastrophic public health conditions on the people of southern . 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. Ms. Blanco, she left and walked out. And I said, "We're doing one in the morning.". And Michael Brown tells FRONTLINE that in order to quell panic, he misled the public in saying that everything was going fine at the local level. In the decade since Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which came under harsh criticism for its response to the storm says it has improved its preparedness for future natural disasters. And if you dont trust the system to deliver the money to the right places, call a school yourself and ask them what they need. After Katrina, the spectacle of a Black refugee population in the Superdome, along with the short-lived plan from Mayor Nagin's committee to wipe out some Black neighborhoods, revived these . '", Mayor Ray Nagin [He] came on site, I think it was Monday after the event. The only person I saw from FEMA was basically this guy named Marty [Bahamonde]. Watch it: To learn about questionable police shootings and cover-ups in Katrinas wake. He estimates 5,000 to 10,000 people are still in the city, with many of them still waiting to be rescued.