Last September, when Trouble the Water first premiered in New Orleans, I remember thinking, "I have to go down to Canal Place Cinema and support this." And I knew it wasn't true, because 8:00 or 10:00 that morning, I received a report from one of my staffers that either a levee had been topped or had actually broken. 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. With Glovers story as a jumping-off point, FRONTLINE partnered with the Times-Picayune and ProPublica in 2010 to investigate six questionable shootings by police revealing that, in the midst of post-Katrina chaos, law-enforcement commanders issued orders to ignore long-established rules governing the use of deadly force. When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. 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. He also announces that the Superdome will be "a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs." A timeline of the warnings, some of the decisions leading up to the disaster, and what went wrong with the government's response. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. Later, his charred remains were discovered on the banks of the Mississippi River, inside a car that had apparently been set on fire. 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 6 a.m., Category 4 Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast with 145 mph maximum sustained winds. Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina fill the streets near downtown New Orleans, La., on Aug. 30, 2005. In the first few hours after Katrina hit, many people believed that New Orleans had dodged a bullet. August 29, 2005. President Bush's Sept. 15th address to the nation. / 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. [He] came on site, I think it was Monday after the event. I've got to know. Mississippi and Louisiana governors declare states of emergency. I had all the police, the firefighters in rescue mode, so the looting thing started to rear its head. Lipin says when he arrived in Baton Rouge and turned on the TV, he was surprised by reports of rampant violence in New Orleans. 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. 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. He didn't care where the help came from, he just wanted it to be there. I aint about to leave, Gettridge said. That is why the first place we picked to do an exercise and planning was New Orleans. 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. 49 But it was the subsequent flooding of New Orleans that imposed catastrophic public health conditions on the people of southern . If we arent talking about what we still need, how can we be sure people wont forget?. Reports stream in from people needing rescue. 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. Within five hours I start to get reports from my staff members, who are out doing assessments, the water's rising. In what looked like a scene from a Third World country, some people threw their arms heavenward and others nearly fainted with joy as the trucks and hundreds of soldiers arrived in the punishing midday heat. 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. By the end of the day, it is upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina, with 50 mph maximum sustained winds. People continue to head towards the Superdome, which is now surrounded by water. Officers were walking off the job by the dozens. Military planners are considering setting up a permanent rapid reaction unit designed to respond to domestic disasters. 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. There is a belief that the city has avoided a direct hit. HBO. And he had flown in a helicopter. They didn't have ammunition. "The police was stressed out themselves," Lewis says. His death came nearly two years to the day after his wifes passing. [Congressman] Bobby Jindal is there, the senators Landrieu and [David] Vitter, and Congressman [William] Jefferson. Winds continue to damage or destroy buildings and blow out windows. After her rape, Lewis says, there were no clinics open, so she washed herself with bleach. The hurricane and its aftermath claimed more than 1,800 lives, and it ranked as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Blanco is there. FEMA National Situation Update: Required fields are marked *. ", President Bush arrives in Louisiana. "Media reports attribute Katrina with four fatalities [in Florida], more than a million customers were without electricity". But while the Superdome has been reclaimed, those stories of trauma remain, and some roil pretty close to . ", "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", Note: In the last hours before Katrina made landfall, dozens of copies of the, "To cries of 'Thank you, Jesus!' Michael Brown, FEMA director: 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 . More women are coming forward with stories of sexual assault in the lawless days after the storm. Throughout the day, emergency responders and public officials complain that communication links are very poor. It is 45 miles northwest of Florida Keys. Hurricane Katrina first made landfall on Aug. 25, 2005, in Florida, weakening to a tropical storm as it briefly passed over land. The interviews done as part of this project reflect the disaster's painful, chaotic, and murky aftermath. And we need to get these people out of the Superdome because it's a shelter of last resort, and they only have a limited amount of resources.". 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. Theme Foto Blog by, Hundreds Evacuated as Vanuatu Braces for Second Cyclone in 2 Days. The expected storm surge is 15 to 20 feet, locally as high as 25 feet. Met in the little office at the Super Dome where the heliport is. She says as she watched New Orleans descend into chaos after Katrina, she knew what would happen. Heres What the Claims Say and Where They Stand. 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. Watch it: For a powerful story of resilience and determination in the face of tragedy. Gov. "We did meet with [Mayor Nagin] Tuesday morning. Its just rawits a look at the poorest people of the Ninth Ward, and those who couldnt afford to leave, and if you have a heart in your body, you will feel this film 100 percent. The mistake that I made was not doing that sooner and not giving them the orders that we needed them to do all of that immediately. 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. special video+discussion+teacher's guide+readings & links Civil order had completely broken down. After being damaged by. 5 Must-See Documentaries About Hurricane Katrina. They were very civil and very cordial. 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. Not Just the Levees Broke: My Story During and After Hurricane Katrina. "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. In his speech, he calls on all federal, state and local agencies to review their performance. background photo copyright 2005 corbis 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. Her husband [Raymond Blanco] is there. On August 28, 2005, at 6 am, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced that the Superdome would be used as a public shelter. August 28, 2005. And then somebody came and called me and said, 'The president would like to see you.' 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. But we were working frantically to get it out. Lt. Dave Benelli, commander of the sex crimes unit with the New Orleans Police Department, denies that. Conditions are deteriorating with bathrooms overflowing, no power for air conditioning and little food and water. Nobody cared.". She is at work on her next memoir, No More Wire Hangers, about domestic abuse in teenage relationships. Judy Benitez is executive director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, a statewide coalition of rape crisis centers. The Times-Picayune reports the Convention Center evacuees are still being loaded onto buses and evacuated and search-and-rescue operations continue. Ms. Blanco, she left and walked out. Looting breaks out in parts of the city. 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. 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. 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. 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. There are still areas that look like Katrina hit yesterday. And we said, "Plan your route carefully. So I went to the premiere, knowing Danny Glover was hosting it, and I couldnt get into the screeningso I texted Spike Lee, who directed When the Levees Broke, the documentary I was in, and asked him to pull some strings, but he didnt have Dannys number. '", Michael Brown, FEMA director: August 27, 2015, 2:18 PM. A hurricane warning is issued for north central Gulf Coast including New Orleans. The situation begins to improve. Abandoned cars remain on Interstate 10 in front of the heavily damaged Superdome September 14, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. " 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. 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. It was there, she says, that an unknown man with a handgun sexually assaulted her. He escaped the ch. To get food out. Copyright All rights reserved. He escaped the chaotic shelter a few days . He announces FEMA is moving supplies and equipment into the hardest hit areas. 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. . " It was called "Hurricane Pam" and the exercise was conducted with state and local emergency managers. When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. And why it wasnt stopped sooner. Left to right: Mayor Ray Nagin, President Bush, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, FEMA Director Michael Brown, Gov. Half of telephone service is back. Blanco says, "Mr. President, thank you thank you, thank you. web site copyright 1995-2014 Buses have started evacuating people at the Superdome, but at the Convention Center thousands are still waiting and conditions continue to deteriorate there. [Governor Blanco] probably should have asked sooner. And the mayor began to tell us some of the things that he needed. Here in New Orleans East, we desperately need a hospital. I've expressed many times that we're willing to investigate any sexual assaults that happened in this city at any time. 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. Evacuating hospitals is a top priority: Patients and staff are stranded and supplies and power are dwindling. Refuge of last resort: Five days inside the Superdome for Hurricane Katrina. 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. hurricane katrina anniversary: 40 powerful photos of New Orleans after the storm. The Times-Picayune reports that an estimated 112,000 people do not own cars. 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. A Tropical Depression with 35 mph maximum sustained winds is located 250 miles east-southeast of southeast Florida. We began search-and-rescue missions using local state resources, waiting for the federal cavalry to arrive and believing that it would be here in 48 to 60 hours. 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. In Louisiana, New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level. The majority of industrial buildings will become non functional. The two of us are going to leave. Katrina caused more than $160 billion in damage. And he basically asked me, 'Mr. "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". A spokesperson with the Resource Center said the number is steadily growing. ", Leo Bosner, FEMA watch officer: The account of her rape was verified by a trained forensic nurse at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, where Lewis sought treatment. The Coast Guard mobilizes to respond after the storm hits. 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. 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.". And Mayor Nagin expressed his concerns. Nearly two decades after Hurricane Katrina, Edward Buckles Jr. asks what happened to the generation of kids who grew up with that trauma in the documentary "Katrina Babies" on HBO Max. FEMA Situation Update: Hurricane Katrina made landfall off the coast of Louisiana on August 29, 2005. 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. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. And based upon that ["Hurricane Pam" planning exercise], I knew they needed to evacuate. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and . "We'd heard the story of a man killing himself, falling . "[On Air Force One] we gave the president a briefing on everything that had gone on. Thats why films like Trouble the Water are so important, and why its great that its making it to a wide audience via HBO. More women are coming forward with stories of sexual . Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: Thousands of displaced residents take cover from Hurricane Katrina at the Superdome in New . In all honesty, we begin looting. Buckles' intimate connection to the people he interviews many of them family members, friends, and former . Residents are bringing their belongings and lining up to get into the Superdome which has been opened as a hurricane shelter in advance of hurricane Katrina. Kathleen Blanco: We'd sent them all the information they needed. We'll put a couple of medical teams on standby. Law-enforcement authorities dismissed early reports of widespread rapes in New Orleans during the lawless days following Hurricane Katrina. ", Richard Falkenrath, Homeland Security Adviser (2001-2004): But prosecutors have struggled to hold officers accountable. There was nobody there to protect you," Lewis says. Visit us at HISTORY.com for more info. 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. A Louisiana State University computer model of a 115 mph storm strike shows the overtopping of levees protecting New Orleans and nearby areas. Do You Have News to Share? The storm flooded New Orleans, killed more than 1,800 people, and caused . And nothing happened. A New Orleans house submerged in floodwaters. By midday, water levels between the city and Lake Ponchartrain have equalized. Note: In the last hours before Katrina made landfall, dozens of copies of the Hurricane Pam report are distributed to emergency planners. A decade later . 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. Glover, you dont know me, but Im Phyllis, and I was in another Katrina documentary and I have to see this film! He grabbed onto me and I wouldnt let go until I got a seat insidethats the way I am. I'm just not going to go on, on public television and bash in the middle of a disaster what I think people should or should not be doing. "To cries of 'Thank you, Jesus!' Blanco announces New Orleans must be evacuated because of the still- rising water and uninhabitable conditions. 11.1.2005. Victims of Hurricane Katrina fight through the crowd as they line up for buses to evacuate the Superdome and New Orleans, Sept. 1, 2005. Ten years ago this Saturday, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. Listen 7:57. Anastasia says thugs were still wandering the streets of her neighborhood more than a week after the flood. Photo. Just last week, a federal court ordered a new trial for five officers convicted of the Danziger Bridge shootings. There was all kinds of crime taking place on a much higher level than usual. The Army Corps of Engineers renews work to fix the breach in the 17th St. Canal. Years later, much of the money committed to New Orleans residents had yet to reach them. Why haven't the bosses decided to move the people out?' 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. I don't think that's the proper thing to do. New Orleans's flood-protection system was improved by increasing in the heights of earthen berms and upgrading floodwalls and floodgates. Watch it: To learn about questionable police shootings and cover-ups in Katrinas wake. People begin arriving at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center seeking shelter, food, and water. And the guard unitspent most of the next 24 hours saving itself. 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. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, causing catastrophic flooding as numerous levees failed around New Orleans. Marty Bahamonde/FEMA. [2] Approximately 10,000 residents, along with about 150 National Guardsmen, sheltered in the Superdome anticipating Katrina's landfall. They cast a wide net over this important event and Issues of race, class, government response and . And there seems to be this dance about who has ultimate authority. But Mayor Nagin goes on radio and castigates state and federal officials for their inaction and demands they "fix the biggest god-damn crisis in the history of this country." New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies . She insists other women were raped in the same apartment building over the next four nights, but her claim could not be checked out.
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