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. "I know more sexual assaults took place. 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. And he basically asked me, 'Mr. "I didn't see any police officers -- I could have gotten away with murder," she says. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. so you had a very dynamic situation.". As of Nov. 22, 2005, more than 900 people are known to have died in New Orleans. When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. But one man then-82-year-old Herbert Gettridge was determined to rebuild the house he had built more than 50 years earlier in the Lower Ninth Ward, with or without government support. I said, 'If you guys don't get together and work this out, this is going to get worse.' Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently . 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. ISIS' growing foothold in Afghanistan is captured on film. Interstate 10 is shut down with damage to 40 percent of its Twin Span Bridge over Lake Ponchartrain. I don't know why. 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 city's buses have been positioned around the city in locations that have never been flooded. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast, Congress appropriated an unprecedented $126.4 billion for relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts. Phone service and electricity to some 770,000 people in the area is cut off. When presented with the additional cases collected by victims' advocates groups, Benelli acknowledges that the police simply doesn't know the extent of sex crimes after the storm. There was nobody there to protect you," Lewis says. Lt. Dave Benelli, commander of the sex crimes unit with the New Orleans Police Department, denies that. We can only deal with what we know.". Theme Foto Blog by, Hundreds Evacuated as Vanuatu Braces for Second Cyclone in 2 Days. Exacerbated by the recent BP oil spill in the region, the storm and its aftermath remains an open wound for local residents and others affected . FEMA Situation Update: [2] Approximately 10,000 residents, along with about 150 National Guardsmen, sheltered in the Superdome anticipating Katrina's landfall. At 1:30 in the morning, Denise Thornton walked with her group up to the helipad, out in the open air, and there it was. Some parishes order mandatory evacuations. She sits on the edge of a bed in a dingy, dimly lit room in a motel in Baton Rouge. A hurricane warning is issued for north central Gulf Coast including New Orleans. As a shocking New Orleans documentary airs on HBO tonight, Phyllis Montana-LeBlancbestselling author and gutsy survivorexplains why the city is still drowning. If we arent talking about what we still need, how can we be sure people wont forget? They were making suggestions about we need to do this and that. Four were wounded, and 17-year-old James Brisette and 40-year-old Ronald Madison were killed. There's no question.". Exclusive: A Former MPD Lieutenant Reported Another Cop. hurricane katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast, claiming 1,800 lives. The only person I saw from FEMA was basically this guy named Marty [Bahamonde]. Do You Have News to Share? About 16,000 people . 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. ', And the president was a little stunned, and he kind of stepped back, and he recovered. 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. The price tag has not yet been determined. Here's a [powerful] hurricane. On August 28, 2005, at 6 am, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced that the Superdome would be used as a public shelter. On Sept. 1, with desperate Hurricane Katrina evacuees crammed into the convention center, Police Chief Eddie Compass reported: "We . Hurricane Katrina becomes Category 2 by 11 am, with 100 mph maximum sustained winds. They were finally able to leave the city on Saturday. The hurricane caused billions of dollars of damage to the city, and killed thousands. At a press conference in Baton Rouge, 80 miles away, Gov. She was featured in Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke and is author of Not Just the Levees Broke: My Story During and After Hurricane Katrina. Sept. 15, 2005, 7:50 AM PDT. Officials said the complete evacuation of New Orleans two days earlier was necessary, citing the prospect of diseases caused by rotting bodies and polluted waters as well as other risks caused by Hurricane Katrina. An estimated 25,000 angry and exhausted people are still at the Convention Center; buses begin arriving to evacuate them. 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. Katrina anniversary: Inside the Superdome during Katrina. Ultimately, more than 300 soldiers would be trapped inside their own headquarters. Ten years ago this Saturday, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. "I at least wanted a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes [on Saturday]. "We did meet with [Mayor Nagin] Tuesday morning. In Louisiana, New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level. It was called "Hurricane Pam" and the exercise was conducted with state and local emergency managers. Troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. "The fact that something wasn't reported to the police doesn't mean it didn't happen," Benitez 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. She says she tried to report the assault at the time, but authorities weren't listening. 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.' On June 4, 2006, Pamela Mahogany was interviewed for her personal experience involving the events following Hurricane Katrina. 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 . Michael Brown, FEMA director: To get medical teams and search teams out the door and get 'em down there. New Orleans's flood-protection system was improved by increasing in the heights of earthen berms and upgrading floodwalls and floodgates. Michael Brown, FEMA director: ' Gettridge told FRONTLINE. Victims of Hurricane Katrina fight through the crowd as they line up for buses to evacuate the Superdome and New Orleans, Sept. 1, 2005. Panels blew off and the roof was severely damaged, but it was the only shelter . Nobody cared.". And they hadn't. FRONTLINE home+WGBH+PBS, FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of wgbh educational foundation. 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. 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. I began to believe that no buses had been ordered. [Mayor Nagin] was upset with everything. And he said definitively, "Mr. Mayor, the storm is headed right for you. 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. . " Documenting evidence of potential war crimes in Ukraine. Surviving the Superdome. "I'm telling you the number of reported rapes we had.". Ten years ago this Saturday, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. In New Orleans chaos . And I had a piece of paper where I wrote down like a five-point plan of the things that we needed to do. " After Katrina passed, we thought we're pretty much out of the woods. Web Site Copyright 1995-2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. It regained strength as its path turned northwest. When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. 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. 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. 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 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. More than 1 million more in the Gulf region were displaced. Find out in the 2015 documentary Outbreak, newly available to stream on FRONTLINEs YouTube channel. I've never seen a hurricane like this in my 33-year career. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip). "I went into New Orleans and stood beside Mayor Nagin and emphasized the need to leave. The following year, during an interview with Tom Brokaw at Columbia Journalism School, Williams said, "We watched, all of us watched . He also announces that the Superdome will be "a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs." Flew into the city. ', We immediately did turn to the military and mission-assigned them to start doing airlifts, start bringing things in. At the peak of the Katrina recovery effort, 51,039 National Guard soldiers from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and three territories worked in Louisiana and Mississippi, making Katrina by far . Phyllis Montana-LeBlancthe breakout star of Spike Lees When the Levees Broke documentary and author of Not Just the Levees Broke: My Story During and After Katrina (and a consultant on David Simons new post-Katrina HBO drama)writes below about why viewers should still care about New Orleans four years later, and why Trouble the Water just may be the wakeup call we need. She contacted the New Orleans police in October and filed a report that she was beaten with a bat and raped on Sept. 6th in broad daylight next to a flooded McDonald's at Gentilly Boulevard and Elysian Fields, near her father's house. On Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made its historic landfall on the Gulf Coast, hitting a number of cities along the Louisiana-Mississippi border, with the eye . 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. Tonight, the Oscar-nominated Trouble the Watera documentary by filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, premieres on HBO. They spend the next 24 hours trying to save themselves. 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. They cast a wide net over this important event and Believing the authorities abandoned her after the storm, she wonders why they would care about her now. '", Mayor Ray Nagin The majority of industrial buildings will become non functional. Widespread looting continues. In his speech, he calls on all federal, state and local agencies to review their performance. 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. Kathleen Blanco: And the guard unitspent most of the next 24 hours saving itself. Katrina caused more than $160 billion in damage. Thousands more were unable to evacuate, including the nearly 25,000 who sheltered in the Superdome. The Army Corps of Engineers attempts to plug breaches in the 17th Street Canal and Industrial Canal levees. Visit us at HISTORY.com for more info. Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: Five officers were ultimately indicted: one for the shooting, and four additional officers on charges related to burning Glovers body and obstructing a federal investigation. And why it wasnt stopped sooner. The National Guards didn't want to hear it.". And then they'd gone around the room, and everybody's talking to the president and giving their opinions. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty. New Orleans resident climbing through roof of house. Half of telephone service is back. I am still going out into the streets every day to talk to people about their experiencesI call it getting phyllisophical. Sept. 27, 2005, 12:58 PM PDT / Source: The Associated Press. I just sent President Obama 10 letters the other day ( I remember Oprah saying persistence pays off) saying that since Katrina, we still only have two medical trailers in this part of town, and they arent equipped to handle emergencies or even basic lab work. But we need something really big, like a hospital, that shows where the $25 billion in recovery money is going. Later, his charred remains were discovered on the banks of the Mississippi River, inside a car that had apparently been set on fire. And at that time I took some liberties I probably shouldn't take. A spokesperson with the Resource Center said the number is steadily growing. 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. Kathleen Blanco: 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. In Louisiana, New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level. I don't think that's the proper thing to do. More women are coming forward with stories of sexual . "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.". First categorized as a tropical storm, Katrina hit New Orleans, flattening buildings, breaking levees, and flooding the city with terrifying 125 mph winds. "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". 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. Most residents have evacuated the city and those left behind do not have transportation or have special needs. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. I talk to her every other day, and thats her main question How long is it going to be? Get as many people out as possible. Kimberly Roberts is the star of the filmif you can call her thata 24-year-old aspiring rapper who did not have the finances to get the hell out of New Orleans when Katrina hit, and still, she managed to film all of her harrowing experiences on a Hi-8 camerathe water rising, being trapped in the attic with her husband and neighbors, the fear they felt. And [FEMA Director] Michael Brown was with me at that time. I said, 'We need to do this.' A timeline of the warnings, some of the decisions leading up to the disaster, and what went wrong with the government's response. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New . Explore FRONTLINEs collected and ongoing reporting on Russia's war on Ukraine. Listen 7:57. 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. 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. [He] came on site, I think it was Monday after the event. Newly rescued people are still being brought to the Superdome. Then, the airman hesitated a minute, and asked Landreneau to hold. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. After the genocide in Rwanda and atrocities in Srebrenica, Bosnia, in the 1990s, the world vowed never again. Then came the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, which began 20 years ago. 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. Years later, much of the money committed to New Orleans residents had yet to reach them. In New Orleans last year, there was a rape every other day on average. The Convention Center becomes a destination for walk-in refugees seeking evacuation. They were very civil and very cordial. ISIS is in Afghanistan, But Who Are They Really? We knew what had to be done. 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. FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. By the end of the day, the projected storm surge is 18 to 22 feet, locally as high as 28 feet. will never be the same. Orders volun-tary evacuation where residents in low-lying areas encouraged to evacuate Sunday, August 28, 2005: Hurricane Katrina becomes a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds Superdome opens as a shelter of last resort Acadian personnel are deployed to the Superdome to help triage special needs patients and staff the rst aid station Nagin . In September 2006, the New Orleans Saints marched into the Superdome for their first game since Hurricane Katrina, providing the spark for a revival. Commander Dave Lipin says they saw two women who said they'd been raped -- different women than those the police attended to.