Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina fill the streets near downtown New Orleans, La., on Aug. 30, 2005. We have Brad Pitt and Chris Rocks wife here now, and I think collectively its making a huge, huge difference. But a growing body of evidence suggests there were more storm-related sexual assaults than previously known. 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. About 2,000 medical evacuees remain at Louis Armstrong Airport, which has become a staging area for responders and injured refugees. President Bush declares Louisiana and Mississippi major disaster areas. It regained strength as its path turned northwest. He estimates 5,000 to 10,000 people are still in the city, with many of them still waiting to be rescued. And based upon that ["Hurricane Pam" planning exercise], I knew they needed to evacuate. And New Orleans itself has worked to rebuild. 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. Blanco is there. Reports stream in from people needing rescue. Producer Martin Smith: So we're just eating sandwiches and making nice while people are stranded on rooftops? Go up there, face to face and say, "What is happening here? "Media reports attribute Katrina with four fatalities [in Florida], more than a million customers were without electricity". Watch it: To understand what went wrong in the governments response to Katrina. An Unfiltered View: Producers of Police on Trial on What the Documentary Reveals 2 Years After the Murder of George Floyd, From the Archives: How the World's Deadliest Ebola Outbreak Unfolded, Russias Invasion of Ukraine, One Year Later, War Crimes Watch Ukraine: More Than 650 Documented Events, From the Archives: How the U.N. & World Failed Darfur Amid "the 21st Century's First Genocide". Hurricane Katrina becomes Category 2 by 11 am, with 100 mph maximum sustained winds. Four were wounded, and 17-year-old James Brisette and 40-year-old Ronald Madison were killed. In the six weeks since the Web site has been up, with almost no publicity, it has received 42 reports of sexual assaults. Hurricane Katrina, tropical cyclone that struck the southeastern United States in late August 2005. First categorized as a tropical storm, Katrina hit New Orleans, flattening buildings, breaking levees, and flooding the city with terrifying 125 mph winds. 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. The California Disaster Medical Assistance Team spent 24 hellish hours inside the Superdome. 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. Here's all these thousands of people that don't have any way to get out of the city. Some parts of the city already showed slipping floodwaters as the repair neared completion, with the low-lying Ninth Ward dropping more than a foot. 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. Thats why films like Trouble the Water are so important, and why its great that its making it to a wide audience via HBO. August 28, 2015, 2:21 PM. It doesn't make any sense.". "I remember reading [that New Orleans had dodged a bullet]. Buses have started evacuating people at the Superdome, but at the Convention Center thousands are still waiting and conditions continue to deteriorate there. We arent looking for a handout, but its hard to believe that the city that we love (and everyone lovesthe Mardi Gras, the jazz, the hospitality!) Mississippi and Louisiana governors declare states of emergency. The storm has ripped a hole in the Superdome where the power has gone out. "At that stage, we had mission-assigned the Department of Defense to start giving us everything they could in terms of air-lift capability. 1) At least 1,800 people died due to Hurricane Katrina. Around 6 a.m., Category 4 Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast with 145 mph maximum sustained winds. Under the best of circumstances, rape is one of the hardest crimes to solve. Refuge of last resort: Five days inside the Superdome for Hurricane Katrina. I began to believe that no buses had been ordered. Left to right: Mayor Ray Nagin, President Bush, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, FEMA Director Michael Brown, Gov. 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. Exclusive: A Former MPD Lieutenant Reported Another Cop. Katrina Cop in the Superdome. The Times-Picayune reports that an estimated 112,000 people do not own cars. But by late morning, when FEMA director Michael Brown arrives in Baton Rouge, water is already coming over levees in the 9th Ward and there are reports of breaks in the Industrial Canal and 17th Street Canal levees. Listen 7:57. 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 that is unacceptable. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. And you need to order mandatory evacuation. Evacuating hospitals is a top priority: Patients and staff are stranded and supplies and power are dwindling. The following year, during an interview with Tom Brokaw at Columbia Journalism School, Williams said, "We watched, all of us watched . Military and Coast Guard helicopters flew a steady stream of evacuees from hospitals and rooftops to the airport southwest of downtown. Refuge of last resort: Five days inside the Superdome for Hurricane Katrina. Lewis and others had taken refuge in the Redemption Elderly Apartments, in the Irish Channel section of New Orleans. Already, these preliminary cases show a high number of gang rapes and rapes by strangers, both unusual characteristics. He says his team only saw a fraction of the desperate people who sought assistance. Get It Published. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies . "I didn't see any police officers -- I could have gotten away with murder," she says. 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. . " And he passes, literally, hundreds of school buses lined up to come and get these folks. Troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. It was called "Hurricane Pam" and the exercise was conducted with state and local emergency managers. So I can assume what the criminals were thinking, and that's exactly what happened.". 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. Ten years ago this Saturday, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. And he said definitively, "Mr. Mayor, the storm is headed right for you. Buckles' intimate connection to the people he interviews many of them family members, friends, and former . When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. Per this CNN Money report, a Brian Williams' Katrina tale appears to have evolved somewhat dramatically over the course of just one year.In 2005, Williams reported in a documentary that he had "heard the story" of a man killing himself in the Superdome. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. 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 . Another group, Witness Justice, a Maryland-based non-profit that assists victims of violent crimes, claims to have received 156 reports of post-Katrina violent crimes; about a third of those involved sexual assaults. 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, 'All of us are going to leave right now, and they're going to work this out right now. Your email address will not be published. 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. Michael Brown, FEMA director: Kathleen Blanco: At daybreak, rescuers set out on boats to help others still stranded. In downtown New Orleans, some streets were merely wet rather than swamped. August 27, 2015, 2:18 PM. Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans: The Louisiana National Guard's Jackson Barracks flood. 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. FEMA National Situation Update: Several thousand National Guard troops start reaching the thousands of evacuees at the Convention Center and elsewhere. Female victims, now displaced from New Orleans, are slowly coming forward with a different story than the official one. By the end of the day, it is upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina, with 50 mph maximum sustained winds. Michael Brown, FEMA director: By the end of the day, there are 30,000 people at the Superdome. Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: Richard Falkenrath, Homeland Security Adviser (2001-2004): In Fight Against ISIS, a Lose-Lose Scenario Poses Challenge for West. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and . 'Rebirth in New Orleans' reflects on . The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is a landmark in the city of New Orleans. "As I have said, I think that one of the biggest mistakes that I made as the FEMA director during Katrina was not immediately turning to the military and saying: 'We have been overwhelmed. [Congressman] Bobby Jindal is there, the senators Landrieu and [David] Vitter, and Congressman [William] Jefferson. And he was the first guy that told us about the amount of devastation and the levee breaches. 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. Do You Have News to Share? We had pre-positioned supplies, medical teams, Meals Ready To Eat, and food in the Superdome. "The police was stressed out themselves," Lewis says. 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. Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: National surveys show that half of all sexual assaults are never reported. The police department -- reeling from desertions, flooding and the immensity of the disaster -- was in a survival mode itself. Here's the things I think we need to focus on. 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. In Louisiana, New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level. Theme Foto Blog by, Hundreds Evacuated as Vanuatu Braces for Second Cyclone in 2 Days. At a press conference in Baton Rouge, 80 miles away, Gov. Watch it: For a powerful story of resilience and determination in the face of tragedy. The Times-Picayune reports that 4,600 active duty troops under the command of Gen. Russel Honor arrive in New Orleans. "We're all looking at each other like, 'Why aren't we getting orders to move on this? A Tropical Depression with 35 mph maximum sustained winds is located 250 miles east-southeast of southeast Florida. Because of the ensuing . Web Site Copyright 1995-2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. Where is food? We can only deal with what we know.". "Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks perhaps longer. And the impression given in those four days is basically indelible. The majority of industrial buildings will become non functional. The storm traveled the Gulf of Mexico and then made landfall on the Gulf Coast in southeast Louisiana near the town of Buras, on Aug. 29, 2005. The only person I saw from FEMA was basically this guy named Marty [Bahamonde]. Driving in from the popular suburb of Metairie, it's the first building you pass. And at that time I took some liberties I probably shouldn't take. 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 . 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. U.S. Cities and States Are Suing Big Oil Over Climate Change. Rescuers drop them off wherever there is high ground; many are dropped at interstate overpasses and the Superdome. 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 . New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. "[Michael] Brown I did not see the first couple of days. "We did meet with [Mayor Nagin] Tuesday morning. And [FEMA Director] Michael Brown was with me at that time. And why it wasnt stopped sooner. He escaped the chaotic shelter a few days . It hit land as a Category 3 storm with winds reaching speeds as high as 120 miles per hour. Where is all the things that we need to get out of here?"' 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. Pack as though you're going on a camping trip. 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.". Surviving the Superdome. hide caption. I said, 'If you guys don't get together and work this out, this is going to get worse.' Law-enforcement authorities dismissed early reports of widespread rapes in New Orleans during the lawless days following Hurricane Katrina. ", "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!' "The fact that something wasn't reported to the police doesn't mean it didn't happen," Benitez says. These defenses held for Hurricane Ida, a category 4 storm, in August 2021. Panels blew off and the roof was severely damaged, but it was the only shelter . It is 45 miles northwest of Florida Keys. And the bosses say, 'Oh, okay. In New Orleans last year, there was a rape every other day on average. (Weather forecasters classify hurricane strength on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the strongest.) Thousands of troops poured into the city September. When Hurricane Katrina ripped the Superdome's rubber seal off, tore open the steel roof paneling and penetrated the stadium, it shed light on the conjoined problems of concentrated poverty, socialized and environmental racism, and America's ability to ignore the suffering of its own citizens. Kathleen Blanco: 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. 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. It is 250 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. His death came nearly two years to the day after his wifes passing. Then we kind of figure out ways that we could coordinate. ", Michael Brown, FEMA director: I am still going out into the streets every day to talk to people about their experiencesI call it getting phyllisophical. A decade later . She requests President Bush to declare a state of emergency in Louisiana. ', So they went into another section of the plane, had a meeting. Katrina makes landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana as a Category 3 storm with winds near 127 mph. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. Anastasia says thugs were still wandering the streets of her neighborhood more than a week after the flood. August 28, 2005. A timeline of the warnings, some of the decisions leading up to the disaster, and what went wrong with the government's response. "What we did -- under Louisiana law the parish presidents, the head of the counties, have the authority to use private resources. 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. Reports put the population there in the tens of thousands. They cast a wide net over this important event and Every little thing helps. And Michael Brown tells Louisiana officials, "What I've seen here today is a team that is very tight knit, working closely together, being very professional and making the right calls.". The Convention Center becomes a destination for walk-in refugees seeking evacuation. Why would we think there was less rape typical of any given week in the city? The Army Corps of Engineers projects it could take 80 days to pump the water out of the city. He didn't even know what efforts had been made on his behalf because he had no lines of communications open to him. I spoke to an airman [over the phone] he told me that it had rained very little and there was justexcept for just a few puddles of water in the parking lot, there just was no water, the guards commander, Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau, who was monitoring the situation from Baton Rouge, recalled in an interview with FRONTLINE. I've expressed many times that we're willing to investigate any sexual assaults that happened in this city at any time. He also announces that the Superdome will be "a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs." Team members said they delivered babies, treated gunshot and stab victims, and ultimately fled for their own safety. Photo. The National Guards didn't want to hear it.". "We know about all the other things that happened, all the thefts, all the robberies. Judy Benitez is executive director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, a statewide coalition of rape crisis centers. 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. That's where Katrina Babies comes in. Kathleen Blanco: 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 the evening of August 25, when it made . Theres a river of water moving into this area.'. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. She sits on the edge of a bed in a dingy, dimly lit room in a motel in Baton Rouge. And they hadn't. Sept. 15, 2005, 7:50 AM PDT. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Heres What the Claims Say and Where They Stand. And I said [to the president], "Here's my piece of paper. "A week after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans state officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say once the canal level is drawn down two feet, Pumping Station 6 can begin pumping water out of the bowl-shaped city. There is a belief that the city has avoided a direct hit. " Troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty. New Orleans resident climbing through roof of house. I think the American Red Cross already had shelters and was already feeding people. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently . FEMA Situation Update: The spot urges victims to report their assault by calling 1-800-656-HOPE. Blanco announces New Orleans must be evacuated because of the still- rising water and uninhabitable conditions. special video+discussion+teacher's guide+readings & links The top-notch special effects are alarmingly realistic and frightening, particularly when the 17th St. Canal levee breaches and when Katrina rips the roof from the Superdome, where in the days . And I wanted to cut to the chase because I knew what the real issue was. Your email address will not be published. Hurricane Katrina created enormous public health and medical challenges, especially in Louisiana and MississippiStates with public health infrastructures that ranked 49th and 50th in the Nation, respectively. 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. 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. There was all kinds of crime taking place on a much higher level than usual. (48) 7.4 1 h 13 min 2010 13+. Crime is at an all-time high. Later, his charred remains were discovered on the banks of the Mississippi River, inside a car that had apparently been set on fire. Rescue efforts are delayed because of the inability of rescuers to communicate with each other. She is at work on her next memoir, No More Wire Hangers, about domestic abuse in teenage relationships. 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. FEMA National Situation Update: Abandoned cars remain on Interstate 10 in front of the heavily damaged Superdome September 14, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. Ms. Blanco, she left and walked out. We all did. And nothing happened. It was late August, and some of the staff of the NREMT and I were attending the combined NAEMT conference and EMS Expo in New . Its efforts fail. "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. Documenting evidence of potential war crimes in Ukraine. There was nobody there to protect you," Lewis says. About 16,000 people . (AP Photo/David J. Phillip). There are still areas that look like Katrina hit yesterday. Katrina caused more than $160 billion in damage. William E. Brown Jr. -. Katrina Babies is an assertion of presence, a proclamation that the devastating hurricane is not simply a past story, but a present one too. 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 it is injurious to the president. FEMA organizes 475 buses to be sent in to transport many of the estimated 23,000 people from the Superdome to the Houston Astrodome. "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. All I can tell you is that in the city of New Orleans we had maybe 250 guardsmen that we could account for.
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