The heavy death toll of the hurricane and the subsequent flooding it caused drew international attention, along with widespread and lasting criticism of how local, state and federal authorities handled the storm and its aftermath. The storm initially formed as a tropical depression southeast of the Bahamas on August 23. "[3], The Superdome was built to withstand most natural catastrophes. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina stranded thousands of New Orleans residents. Although the rebuilt levees are supposed to protect the city against a flood with a severity that comes every 100 years, the flood brought by Hurricane Katrina was one that, in theory, comes once every 400 years. We cant spare 6 feet.. Finally, Mouton spoke. Discovery Company. Updates? FEMA reached out that morning: It was sending 400 buses to begin an evacuation. It was going to be the big one. All Rights Reserved. [12], By August 30, with no air conditioning, temperatures inside the dome had reached the 90s, and the punctured dome at once allowed humidity in and trapped it there. But Thornton wasnt thinking about that right then. Hurricane Katrina, the tropical cyclone that struck the Gulf Coast in August 2005, was the third-strongest hurricane to hit the United States in its history at the time. Meanwhile, flooding continued to worsen in New Orleans. As some people tried to get supplies to survive, the media portrayed them as "looters," a term that the LA Times notes is more often applied to Black people than white people. Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin had stated that as a "refuge of last resort," only limited food, water, and supplies would be provided. In the hours before the storm hit and thenafter it left when the levees failedand everything changed the people who remained in New Orleans streamed toward a place where usually they would go to watch football, the massive structure at the citys heart, the Superdome. And cars were overturned on Poydras Street.. And food was running short. And since the hurricane evacuation plan stipulated that "the primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles," according to "Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared" (the Senate committee's report), this left the state's most impoverished and vulnerable families, the large majority of whom were people of color, without anywhere to go as Hurricane Katrina hit. [35], On September 4, NOPD chief Eddie Compass reported, "We don't have any substantiated rapes. There is no particular person for whom Hurricane Katrina was named. And with everyone scattered, it became incredibly difficult to reunite children with their birth parents. It looks like we cant stop the levee breaches and were being told there could be as much as six to eight feet more of water, Thornton recalls Compass saying. Unfortunately, it was made significantly worse than it had to be. Many people living in the South Florida area were unaware when Katrina strengthened from a tropical storm to a hurricane in one day and struck southern Florida on August 25, 2005, near the Miami-Dade - Broward county line. The bullet went through his own leg. On top of that, since most of the department's staff was sent to assist at state shelters, there was even a challenge of tracking down "missing workers.". Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Preparations by location South Florida. 40% of deaths were caused by drowning. He flew on to Gonzales, where his wife was waiting for him. Reports of other rapes were widespread. Emergency lights worked intermittently as engineers struggled to keep backup generators running as the area around the dome flooded. Crack vials littered the bathrooms. They mulled it over. But subsequent investigations revealed that not only was there prior knowledge that the storm was going to hit but that "long-term warnings went unheeded and government officials neglected their duties to prepare for a forewarned catastrophe," according to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Meanwhile, in the Senate committee report, race isn't mentioned once in over 700 pages. It was worse than they imagined.. And despite the fact that this was meant to be a temporary shelter, they ended up being stranded in the stadium for a week. At noon, they opened the doors and thousands of New Orleanians started shuffling in, carrying ice chests, kids toys, clothes, and whatever belongings they could carry. They had no good options. A group of Amish student volunteers tour the Lower Ninth Ward on February 24, 2006. They were taken to the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Baton Rouge. After it made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, Hurricane Katrina produced widespread flooding in southeastern Louisiana because the levee system that held back the waters of Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne was completely overwhelmed by 10 inches of rain and Katrinas storm surge. This is ready to break. And,. Isaac Chipps contributed reporting to this story. Some levees buttressing the Industrial Canal, the 17th Street Canal, and other areas were overtopped by the storm surge, and others were breached after these structures failed outright from the buildup of water pressure behind them. 2023 Cable News Network. As Talk Poverty notes, it was directly due to "racially discriminatory housing practices," which meant that"the high-ground was taken by the time banks started loaning money to African Americans who wanted to buy a home.". On Wednesday morning, Mouton and Thornton checked the water first thing. A helicopter rescues a family from a rooftop on September 1, 2005. However, National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts had correctly predicted the strengthening, and hurricane watches and warnings . During the recovery stage, the process wasn't much better. On August 28, the storm was upgraded to a category 5 hurricane, with steady winds of 160 mph. These are some messed up things that happened during Hurricane Katrina. Thousands were looking for a place to go after leaving the Superdome shelter. [41], After the events surrounding Katrina, the Superdome was not used during the 2005 NFL season. The cost to repair the dome was initially stated by Superdome commission chairman Tim Coulon to be up to $400 million. Initially, the Superdome was described as a "lawless, depraved, and chaotic" place, with reports of numerous murders. In an analysis of 971 fatalities in Louisiana and 15 additional deaths of storm evacuees, 40% of deaths were caused by drowning. Katrinas death toll is the fourth highest of any hurricane in U.S. history, after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which killed between 8,000 and 12,000 people; Hurricane Maria, which killed more than 4,600 people in Puerto Rico in 2017; and the Okeechobee Hurricane, which hit Florida in 1928 and killed as many as 3,000. 25% were caused by injury and trauma and 11% were caused by heart conditions. Apart from the foster children, roughly 5,000 additional children were listed as missing in the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina. It would be impossible to drive there with the roads in their current state, so Mouton called inBlackhawk helicopters to get them. That would be sorted out soon, Thornton thought, or maybe never at all. Roughly 14,000 people were inside now. It was the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Governor Blanco herself stated, "They have M-16s, and they are locked and loaded. Although Louisiana and Mississippi were most heavily affected, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia also suffered casualties due to the disaster. The owners, Salvador and Mabel Mangano, ended up facing the only criminal charges directly related to Hurricane Katrina, as they were charged with negligent homicide due to their refusal to evacuate their residents. What was the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans public education system? Brown. An estimated 80 percent of New Orleans was underwater by August 30. You have to fend people off constantly. 99% of the 1.2 million personal property claims, The National Flood Insurance Program paid out $16 billion in claims, The majority of all federal aid, approximately $75 billion of $120.5 billion. Many Katrina evacuees made it to Houston, Texas, where they were housed in the Astrodome and other shelters. Satellite view of the Superdome showing the damaged roof with the New Orleans Arena to the right on August 30, 2005. Though downgraded to a category 3, the storms relatively slow forward movement (around 12 mph) covered the region with far more rain than a fast-moving storm would have. It continued on a course to the northeast, crossing the Mississippi Sound and making a second landfall later that morning near the mouth of the Pearl River. Wind and water damage to the roof created unsafe conditions, leading authorities to conduct emergency evacuations of the Superdome. Despite the planned use of the Superdome as an evacuation center, government officials at the local, state and federal level were criticized for poor preparation and response, especially Mayor of New Orleans Ray Nagin, President George W. Bush, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director Michael D. [4] However, when looking into the origins of the claims about 200mph (320km/h) wind security in the Superdome, CNN reported that no engineering study had ever been completed on the amount of wind the structure could withstand. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. As of August 31, there had been three deaths in the Superdome: two elderly medical patients who were suffering from existing illness, and a man who committed suicide by jumping from the upper level seats. And as Vox writes, this wasn't necessarily by choice "but rather because they were too poor to afford a car or bus fare to leave." knock out power for about 1 million and cause $630 million of damage, Cities of the Underworld: Hurricane Katrina, about 100,000 people were trapped in the city when the storm hit, fourth highest of any hurricane in U.S. history, according to a report published in 2008 by the American Medical Association. Over the next several days the Domewould sink into chaos. Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005 as a Category 3 storm. Parishioners gather during Sunday services in the rebuilt church on May 10, 2015. According to Talk Poverty, "a Black homeowner in New Orleans was more than three times as likely to have been flooded as a white homeowner. It damaged more than a million housing units in the region. Deaths in the Superdome. On the morning of August 29, the storm made landfall as a category 4 hurricane at Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, approximately 45 miles (70 km) southeast of New Orleans. Feces covered the walls of bathrooms. Although New Orleans levees and flood walls had been designed to withstand a category 3 hurricane, half of the network gave way to the waters. On May 16, 2015, new homes stand in a development, built by the Make It Right Foundation, for residents whose homes were destroyed. Hurricane Katrina deaths, Louisiana, 2005 Disaster Med Public Health Prep. In 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which was responsible for the design of the levee system in New Orleans, acknowledged that outdated and faulty engineering practices used to build the levees led to most of the flooding that occurred due to Katrina. Because they had lost power and were relying on the generators, a lot of the buildings outlets had ceased to function, meaning many ofthe machines being used to keep the medical patients safe and alive were failing. This death was one of only six deaths at the Superdome: one person overdosed and four others died of natural causes. The roof was estimated to be able to withstand winds with speeds of up to 200mph (320km/h) and flood waters weren't expected to reach the second level 35 feet (11m) from the ground. WATCH: Cities of the Underworld: Hurricane Katrina on HISTORY Vault. And as Rob Nixon notes in "Slow Violence, Neoliberalism, and Environmental Picaresque," "Discrimination predates disaster: in failures to maintain protective structures, failures at pre-emergency hazard mitigation, failures to maintain infrastructure, failures to organize evacuation plans for those who lack private transport, all of which make the poor and racial minorities disproportionately vulnerable to catastrophe." A neighborhood east of downtown New Orleans remains flooded on August 30, 2005. By 2021, the estimated population had increased to 376,971, according to the Census. But over the Gulf of Mexico, some 165 miles west of Key West, the storm gathered strength above the warmer waters of the gulf. A woman gets carried out of floodwaters after being trapped in her home in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, on August 30, 2005. The storm spent less than eight hours over land. No lights. The water was still rising. Dozens of churches were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. There were two reports of rape, one involving a child. The NOPD was gone. Mouton suggested checking the water level every thirty minutes. FEMA photo/Andrea Booher. Victims of Hurricane Katrina fight through the crowd as they line up for buses to evacuate the Superdome and New Orleans, Sept. 1, 2005. And although hurricanes are usually only 300 miles wide at most, Hurricane Katrina's winds stretched out over 400 miles, with wind speeds well in excess of 100 mph. The groups went in shifts, sneaking down over to the garage, up the stairs and to the helipad. The Blackhawks had landed on the top parking level of the Superdome, and then the sandbags were driven down to the back door by the generator room. A woman cries after returning to her house and business, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, on August 30, 2005, in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Superdome with the newly repaired roof, August 15, 2006. Thats been the history. - Numerous failures of levees around New Orleans led to catastrophic flooding in the city. A Warner Bros. Results: Hurricane Katrina was responsible for the death of up to 1,170 persons in Louisiana; the risk of death increased with age. - The total damage from Katrina is estimated to be $125 billion (or $190 billion in 2022 dollars), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). From Morgan City, Louisiana, to Biloxi, Mississippi, to Mobile, Alabama, Hurricane Katrina's wind, rain, and . The Thorntons woke early to the sound of the wind. Their first game, against Mississippi State University, was played on September 17 at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. They guarded the office where Thornton and his team huddled, but that was about it. Twenty-five thousand miserable people many of whom lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina hunkered down with little food and little water, overflowing toilets, stifling heat and the unbearable stench of human waste. In this satellite image, a close-up of the center of Hurricane Katrina's rotation is seen at 9:45 a.m. EST on August 29, 2005 over southeastern Louisiana. It was previously used in 1998 during Hurricane Georges and again in 2004 during Hurricane Ivan, on both occasions for less than two days at most. Ive been in there seven days, and I havent had a bath. appreciated. The roof had ripped off in sheets. In death, she became a symbol of government failure an anonymous woman slumped in a wheelchair, abandoned outside one of the city's . [25][26][27], On September 7, speculation arose that the Superdome was now in such a poor condition that it would have to be demolished. After Hurricane Katrina, which damaged more than 100 school buildings, the state seized control of almost all urban schools and turned them over to independent charter groups. 24 With scant food and water sources, . We've received your submission. Many wonder if New Orleans can handle another Katrina. By late afternoon, the breaching of the London Avenue Canal levees had left 80 percent of New Orleans underwater. As the already strained levee system continued to give way, the remaining residents of New Orleans were faced with a city that by August 30 was 80 percent underwater. We had to chase him down, said Sgt. According to National Geographic, "some argue that indirect hurricane deaths, like being unable to access medical care, should be counted in official numbers.". New Orleans went from having a public school system to having a school system composed almost entirely of charter schools, most of them run by charter management organizations. But its the only shot we got.. For detailed information on the effect on Tulane, see, Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Louisiana Superdome, Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, "Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Louisiana Superdome", Learn how and when to remove this template message, Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Saints, Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Tulane University, Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Hornets, "How New Orleans' Evacuation Plan Fell Apart", "Hurricane Katrina as Seen Through the Eyes of the Saints' Biggest Fans", "At least 10,000 find refuge at the Superdome", "Governor: Evac Superdome, Rescue Centers", "Trapped in the Superdome: Refuge becomes a hellhole", "Photo in the News: Hurricane Shreds Superdome Roof", "NFL 2005: Homeless Saints face long road in 2005", "Almost 10 years after Katrina, Michael Brown's still out to lunch: Jarvis DeBerry", "Refuge of last resort: Five days inside the Superdome for Hurricane Katrina", "From Superdome to Astrodome: Katrina's refugees will be moved to Houston in bus convoy", "Superdome evacuation disrupted after shots fired", "10 Years Since Katrina: When The Astrodome Was A Mass Shelter", "Astrodome to become new home for storm refugees", "Astrodome at capacity, but buses with evacuees keep coming", "Neighbouring states struggle to cope with influx of people", "Dome closed for a year, could be scrapped", "NFL, at Saints' urging, kicks in $20 million for dome repairs", "Superdome returns with glitz, glamor and Monday night football", "Katrina Takes a Toll on Truth, News Accuracy", "Reports of anarchy at Superdome overstated", "Higher Death Toll Seen; Police Ordered to Stop Looters", "7 facts about Hurricane Katrina that show just how incompetent the government response was", "Four years on, Katrina remains cursed by rumour, cliche, lies and racism", "Saints' home games: 4 at LSU, 3 in Alamodome", "Errors cost Saints early, often in poor excuse for 'home' opener", "32nd annual Bayou Classic moved to Houston", "SOUTHERN JAGUARS FALL 50-35 TO GRAMBLING STATE IN BAYOU CLASSIC XXXII", Temporary home venues in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Effect_of_Hurricane_Katrina_on_the_Louisiana_Superdome&oldid=1113156691, Articles needing additional references from October 2014, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia introduction cleanup from February 2022, Articles covered by WikiProject Wikify from February 2022, All articles covered by WikiProject Wikify, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 September 2022, at 02:13. And just from the sound of the rain and the wind, I said, Look. Four died of natural causes, one had a drug overdose, and one committed suicide. A storm worth worrying about had entered the gulf. - About 25,000 storm evacuees were sheltered at the Louisiana Superdome, a sports arena. Photo taken from the I-10-US 90 junction showing most of the white rubber protective membrane over the roof of the Superdome torn away by strong winds during Katrina. Although FEMA had promised 360,000 military rations, only 40,000 had arrived by that day. Hurricane Katrina had intruded on the last safe place. [42] Their first "home" game was played on September 19, 2005 against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium, which resulted in a 2710 loss. It hit land as a Category 3 storm with winds reaching speeds as high as 120 miles per hour. [45] However, the Saints announced that they would be returning to New Orleans, with the first home game taking place on September 25, 2006 against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football. Only after Katrina passed were people going to be bussed to shelters. Meanwhile, NOLA.com reports that New Orleans police officers were given authorization to shoot looters. Hurricane Katrina was an extremely destructive 2005 storm that caused more than 1,800 deaths along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Daylight could be seen from inside the dome, and rain was pouring in. . Experts don't know exactly how many people lost their lives during Hurricane Katrina, but 1,800 is one of the low estimates, and over 1 million people lost their homes and were displaced. Hurricane Katrina had intruded on the last safe space. [13], On August 31, it was announced that the Superdome evacuees would be moved to the Astrodome in Houston. Hell if I know, the mechanic said. Cooper housing project play on mattresses on June 10, 2007. Do you think this is going to work? he asked. According to NBC News, the average age of victims was 69, and "just under half of all victims were 75 or older." However, "many of its admonitory lessons were either ignored or inadequately applied." A school bus drops off a student in front of the Claiborne Bridge on May 12, 2015. And according to Vox, when the Louisiana National Guard asked FEMA for 700 buses to help with the evacuation, only 100 were sent in response. Meanwhile, foster families struggled with making sure that their children had their medication. First went the disabled and the elderly. [32] National Guard officials put the body count at 6, which was reported by The Seattle Times on September 26. Hurricane Katrina made landfall off the coast of Louisiana on August 29, 2005. Why did Hurricane Katrina lead to widespread flooding? [48] Overall, the team used six different stadiums for their six home games, including Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Cajun Field in Lafayette, Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, Malone Stadium in Monroe, and LaddPeebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The water pumps had failed, and without water pumps to the elevated building, they couldnt maintain water pressure. Unfortunately, due to the sensationalist stories regarding the Superdome, the rumors were used to justify "turn[ing] New Orleans into a prison city," according to The Guardian. The flooding destroyed New Orleans, the Nation's thirty-fifth largest city. Thorntons staff opened up the concourses, allowing people to walk around the arena, stretch their legs, find neighbors and friends who were there as well. This also disproportionately affected people of color. According to ABC News, it was claimed that "the levee breaches could not have been foreseen" and that the government had little warning before the hurricane. No one had a better plan, so they agreed to go with Moutons recommendation.