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The effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans , Louisiana was catastrophic and long-lasting. As Katrina passed east of New Orleans on August 29 , 2005 , winds were in the Category 3 range, and tidal surge was equivalent to that of a Category 5 hurricane. Though Katrina missed the city, the storm surge caused levee breaches and precipitated the worst engineering disaster in US history. {Link without Title} By August 31 , 2005 , eighty percent of New Orleans was flooded, with some parts under 15 feet of water. Most of the city's levees built by the United States Army Corps Of Engineers were breached, including the 17th Street Canal levee, the Industrial Canal levee, and the London Avenue Canal floodwall. These breaches are responsible for at least two-thirds of the flooding according to a new report by the American Society of Civil Engineers. {Link without Title} Ninety percent of the residents of southeast Louisiana were evacuated in the most successful evacuation of a major urban area in the nation's history. Despite this, many remained (mainly the elderly and poor). The Louisiana Superdome was used as a designated "refuge of last resort" for those who remained in the city. The city flooded due primarily to the failure of the federally built levee system. Many who remained in their homes had to swim for their lives, wade through deep water, or remain trapped in their attics or on their rooftops. The disaster had major implications for a large segment of the Population , Economy and Politics of the entire United States . It has prompted a Congressional review of the US Army Corps of Engineers and the failure of the federally built flood protection system which experts agree should have protected the city's inhabitants from Katrina's surge. Katrina has also stimulated significant research in the academic community into urban planning, real estate finance, and economic issues in the wake of a natural disaster. John A. Kilpatrick and Sofia Dermisi, "The Aftermath of Katrina: Recommendations for Real Estate Research", ''Journal of Real Estate Literature'', Spring, 2007. BACKGROUND New Orleans was settled on a natural high ground along the Mississippi River . Later developments that eventually extended to nearby Lake Pontchartrain were built on fill to bring them above the average lake level. Navigable commercial waterways extended from the lake into the interior of the city to promote waterborne commerce. After the construction of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal in 1940, the state closed these waterways causing the city's water table to lower drastically. After 1965, the United States Army Corps Of Engineers built a levee system around a much larger geographic footprint that included previous marshland and swamp. These factors created subsidence of up to in some areas due to the consolidation of the underlying organic soils. A recent study by Tulane University notes that 49% of New Orleans is below sea level, with the more densely populated areas generally on higher ground. The mean (average) elevation of the city is currently between 1 and 2 feet below sea level, with some portions of the city as high as and others as low as . In 1965, heavy flooding caused by Hurricane Betsy brought concerns regarding flooding from hurricanes to the forefront. That year, Congress gave the US Army Corps of Engineers sole authority for the design and construction of the flood protection in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area in the Pontchartrain Hurricane Protection Project. The local municipalities were charged with maintenance once the projects were completed. When authorized, this mandate was projected to take 13 years to complete. When Katrina made landfall in 2005, the project was between 60-90% complete with a projected date of completion estimated for 2015, nearly 50 years after it first gained authorization. On August 29 , 2005 , flood walls and levees catastrophically failed throughout the metro area. Many collapsed well below design thresholds (17th Street and London Canals). Others collapsed after a brief period of overtopping (Industrial Canal) caused by “scouring” or erosion of the earthen levee walls– an egregious design flaw. Scientists worldwide refer to the flooding of New Orleans as the worst engineering disaster in US History.'' PRE-KATRINA PREPARATIONS See Also: Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans The eye of Hurricane Katrina was forecast to pass to the east of New Orleans. In that event, the wind would come back from the north as the storm passed, forcing large volumes of water from Lake Pontchartrain against the levees and possibly into the city. It was also forecast that the storm surge in Lake Pontchartrain would reach 14 to 18 feet (4 - 5 m), with waves reaching seven feet (2 m) above the storm surge. On .'' September 8 , 2005 . It was also predicted that the standing water caused by the storm surge would render most of the city uninhabitable for weeks and that the destruction of oil and petrochemical refineries in the surrounding area would spill waste into the flooding. The resulting mess would coat every surface, converting the city into a toxic marsh until water could be drained. Some experts said that it could take six months or longer to pump all the water out of the city.Galle, Julie. " Special Report: Vulnerable Cities: New Orleans, LA ." '' The Weather Channel .'' Accessed on April 30 , 2006 . Evacuation order In anticipation of widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center , telephoned New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on the night of August 27 to express his extreme concern, and on the following day, made a video call to U.S. President George W. Bush at his farm in Crawford, Texas about the severity of the storm. With the hurricane threatening the Gulf Coast, many New Orleans residents started taking precautions to secure their homes and prepare for possible evacuation on Friday the 26th and Saturday the 27th. By mid morning on the 27th, many local gas stations which were not yet out of gas had long lines. Nagin first called for a voluntary evacuation of the city at 5:00 p.m. on .'' August 28 , 2005 . Although Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city, many remained voluntarily, which a CNN writer described as "gambling with their own lives."Staff Writer. " New Orleans braces for monster hurricane ." ''.'' September 8 , 2005 . By the time Hurricane Katrina came ashore early the next morning, approximately one million people had fled the city and its surrounding suburbs by the evening of August 28 , while about 20,000 to 25,000 people remained in the city, taking shelter at the Louisiana Superdome , along with 550 National Guard troops. While supplies of MREs (Meals ready to eat) and bottled water were available at the Superdome, Nagin told survivors to bring blankets and enough food for several days, warning that it would be a very uncomfortable place. As the elevation of the Superdome is about three feet (1 m) above sea level, the forecasted storm surge was predicted to cause flooding on that site. Survivors were told to keep out of the lower levels of the structure, for fear it would be flooded. The Superdome had been used as a shelter in the past, such as during 1998s Hurricane Georges , because it was estimated to be able to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and water levels of 35 feet (10 m). The entire southeastern Louisiana region was declared a disaster area by the Federal Government before Hurricane Katrina made landfall, and FEMA prepositioned 18 disaster medical teams, medical supplies and equipment, urban search and rescue teams along with millions of MREs, liters of water, tarpaulins, and truckloads of ice. EFFECTS at the Industrial Canal . Only residents were allowed in to examine and salvage from their property during daylight. October 25 , 2005 .]] Hurricane Katrina made its second and third landfalls in the Gulf Coast region on August 29 , 2005 as a Category 3 Hurricane . On Monday August 29 area affiliates of local television station WDSU reported New Orleans was experiencing widespread flooding due to several Army Corps-built levee breaches, was without power, and that there were several instances of catastrophic damage in residential and business areas. Entire neighborhoods on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain were flooded. The extensive flooding stranded many residents, who remained long after Hurricane Katrina had passed. Stranded survivors dotted the tops of houses citywide. Some were trapped inside attics, unable to escape. Many people chopped their way onto their roofs with hatchets and sledge hammers, which residents had been urged to keep in their attics in case of such events since Hurricane Betsy . Clean water was unavailable, and power outages were expected to last for weeks. By 11:00 p.m. on August 29 , Mayor Nagin described the loss of life as "significant" with reports of bodies floating on the water throughout the city, though primarily in the eastern portions. There was no clean water or electricity in the city, and some hotels and hospitals reported diesel fuel shortages. The National Guard began setting up temporary morgues in select locations. Communications failures Coordination of rescue efforts August 29 and August 30 were made difficult by disruption of the communications infrastructure. Many telephones, including most cell phones, and Internet access were not working due to line breaks, destruction of Base Stations , or power failures, even though some base stations had their own back-up generators. In a number of cases, reporters were asked to brief public officials on the conditions in areas where information was not reaching them any other way. All local television stations were disrupted. Local television stations, and newspapers, moved quickly to sister locations in nearby cities, yet New Orleans CBS-affiliate WWL-TV was the only local station to remain on the air during and after the storm. Broadcasting and publishing on the Internet became an important means of distributing information to evacuees and the rest of the world. Amateur Radio provided tactical and emergency communications and handled health-and-welfare enquiries. By September 4 , a temporary communications hub was set up at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown New Orleans. Damage to buildings and roads is at center.]] Most of the major roads traveling into and out of the city were damaged. The only route out of the city was west on the Crescent City Connection as the , 2005 . Retrieved on November 24 , 2006 . On .'' August 29 , 2005 . The Hyatt was the most severely damaged hotel in the city, with beds reported to be flying out of the windows. Insulation tubes were exposed as the hotel's glass exterior was completely sheared off. The Superdome sustained significant damage, including two sections of the roof that were compromised, and the dome's waterproof membrane had essentially been peeled off. On .'' August 30 , 2005 . They were then transported to the Astrodome in Houston , Texas . Levee failures See Also: Levee failures in Greater New Orleans, 2005 As of mid-day Monday, August 29 , the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed to the east of the City subjecting it to hurricane conditions, but sparing New Orleans the worst impact. The City seemed to have escaped most of the catastrophic wind damage and heavy rain that had been predicted. Most buildings came through well structurally. Unfortunately, the storm surge had severely taxed the city's inadequately built levee system built by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The .'' October 4 , 2005 . There were three major breaches at the Industrial Canal ; one on the upper side near the junction with MR-GO, and two on the lower side along the Lower Ninth Ward , between Florida Avenue and Claiborne Avenue. The 17th Street Canal Levee was breached on the lower (New Orleans West End) side inland from the Old Hammond Highway Bridge, and the London Avenue Canal breached in two places, on the upper side just back from Robert E. Lee Boulevard, and on the lower side a block in from the Mirabeau Avenue Bridge. Flooding from the breaches put the majority of the city under water for days, in many places for weeks. In a June, 2006 report on the disaster the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers admitted that faulty design specifications, incomplete sections and substandard construction of levee segments, contributed to the damage done to New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina.[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/us/01cnd-corps.html?ex=1182052800&en=93ef872cf24431bc&ei=5070 The failure of the Hurricane Protection Project of New Orleans has prompted many government officials to call for hearings, committees and investigations, including a call for an 8/29 Commission [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/05/AR2007020501233.html to investigate both the engineering and decision-making behind the collapse of a flood protection system that should have held against the high waters of Katrina. Loss of life As of , 2006 . The first deaths were reported shortly before midnight on August 28 2005 , as three Nursing Home patients died during an evacuation to Baton Rouge , most likely due to dehydration. On September 4 , Mayor Nagin speculated that the death toll could rise as high as ten thousand after the clean-up was completed. Some survivors and evacuees reported seeing dead bodies lying in city streets and floating in still-flooded sections, especially in the east of the city. The advanced state of decomposition of many corpses, some of which were left in the water or sun for days before being collected, hindered efforts by coroners to identify many of the dead. There were six deaths confirmed at the Superdome. Four of these were from natural causes, one was the result of a drug overdose, and one was a suicide. At the Convention Center, four bodies were recovered. One out of these four is believed to be the result of a homicide.Thevenot, Brian; Russell, Gordon. " Reports of anarchy at Superdome overstated ." '' Seattle Times .'' September 26 , 2005 . Body collection throughout the city began on approximately September 9 . Prior to that date, the locations of corpses were recorded, but most were not retrieved. AFTERMATH Civil disturbances .]] In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, .'' August 30 , 2005 . Incapacitated by the breakdown of transportation and communication, as well as overwhelmed in terms of numbers, police officers could do little to stop crime, and shopkeepers who remained behind were left to defend their property alone.Staff Writer. " The looting is out of control ." ''.'' September 29 , 2005 . ".'' September 6 , 2005 . An alternative explanation is that relief valves on pressurized tanks were opening to release pressure. The sound of a popping relief valve sounds very similar to gunfire. One report of violence involved police shooting six people on the Danziger Bridge, which carries the , 2005 . Looting and violence was also hampering efforts to evacuate the .'' September 6 , 2005 . A significant number of initial reports of mass chaos, particularly in stories about the Superdome, were later found to be exaggerated or rumor.Dwyer, Jim; Drew, Christopher. " Fear Exceeded Crime's Reality in New Orleans ." '' New York Times .'' September 29 , 2005 . In the Superdome for example, the New Orleans sex crimes unit investigated every report of rape or atrocity and found only two verifiable incidents, both of sexual assault. The department head told reporters, ""I think it was urban myth. Any time you put 25,000 people under one roof, with no running water, no electricity and no information, stories get told." In a case of reported sniper fire, the "sniper" turned out to be the relief valve of a gas tank popping every few minutes. Most of the city's 750 nuns had remained in the city during the storm. They refused to leave, even after Governor Blanco had ordered everyone left after the storm evacuated, because it would have been the only time in over 200 years that the clergy had left the city in a time of suffering. Many government officials were very concerned about their safety. disabled by the flooding from Katrina.]] Additional acts of unrest occurred following the storm, particularly with the car dealership, further adding to the confusion. Several NOPD officers were arrested weeks after Katrina for suspicion of vehicle theft.1 Gretna controversy The City of Gretna on the West Bank received considerable press coverage when, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (late August 2005), displaced and dehydrated survivors who attempted to escape from New Orleans by walking over the Crescent City Connection bridge over the Mississippi River were turned back at gunpoint by City of Gretna Police, along with Crescent City Connection Police and Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies, who set up a Roadblock on the bridge in the days following the hurricane. According to eyewitnesses, some of these officers threatened to shoot New Orleans residents and tourists as they attempted to cross into Gretna on foot. [http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2005/09/recapping_gretn.html [http://www.cadenhead.org/workbench/news/2748/police-trapped-thousands-new-orleans] Regaining control humvee patrols Poydras Street outside of the Louisiana Superdome.]] On .'' September 1 , 2005 . Some concern over the availability and readiness of the Louisiana National Guard to help stabilize the security situation was questioned. Guardsman Lieutenant Colonel Pete had commented that, "dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers, and generators were abroad."Zunes, Stephen. " A Hurricane of Consequences ." ''.'' September 3 , 2005 . However, both the White House and The Pentagon argued that the depletion of personnel and equipment did not impact the ability of the Guard to perform its mission — rather, impassable roads and flooded areas were the major factors impeding the Guardsmen from securing the situation in New Orleans. Before Hurricane Katrina, the murder rate in New Orleans was ten times higher than the U.S. average. After the situation in New Orleans was brought under control, criminal activity in New Orleans dropped significantly.Ripley, Amanda. " What Happened to the Gangs of New Orleans? " '' Time (magazine) '' magazine.'' May 22 , 2006 . The Superdome As one of the largest structures in the city, evacuees were brought to the .'' September 1 , 2005 . Despite increasingly squalid conditions, the population inside continued to grow. The situation inside the building was described as chaotic; reports of fights, rape, and filthy living conditions were widespread. At the time, as many as 100 were reported to have died in the Superdome, with most deaths resulting from heat exhaustion, but other reported incidents included an accused rapist who was beaten to death by a crowd and an apparent suicide.Staff Writer. " Britons describe hurricane ordeal ." '' BBC News .'' September 6 , 2005 . Despite these reports, though, the final official death toll was significantly less: six people inside (4 of natural causes, one overdose, and an apparent suicide) and a few more in the general area outside the stadium. .'' August 31 , 2005 . By September 4 , the Superdome had been completely evacuated. Although the Superdome suffered damage by water and wind to the overall interior and exterior structures, as well as interior damage from human waste and trash, the facility was repaired at a cost of , 2006 . The Saints' first game in the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina was played on September 25 , 2006 (the third Monday Night of the regular season), resulting in a 23-3 Saints victory over the Atlanta Falcons . New Orleans Convention Center Because of Hurricane Katrina, the .'' September 15 , 2005 . Retrieved on November 24 , 2006 . On August 29 , as people were being turned away at the Superdome and rescues continued, rescuers began dropping people off at the Convention Center, which, at above sea level, easily escaped the flood. Captain MA Pfeiffer of the NOPD was quoted as saying, "It was supposed to be a bus stop where they dropped people off for transportation. The problem was, the transportation never came." By the afternoon of the 29th, the crowd had grown to about 1,000 people. The convention center's president (who was there with a small group of convention center employees at this time) addressed the crowd near dark, informing them that there was no food, water, medical care, or other services. By late on the evening of the 29th, the convention center had been broken into, and evacuees began occupying the inside of the convention center. A contingent of 250 National Guard engineering units occupied one part of the convention center beginning .'' December 21 , 2005 . In general, those who died, regardless of cause of death, did not have their bodies moved or removed. By .'' September 2 , 2005 . A sizable contingent of National Guard arrived on September 2 to establish order and provide essential provisions, and on September 3 , buses began arriving at the convention center to pick up the refugees there. The Convention Center was completely evacuated by September 4 . Evacuation efforts (in the Metairie community) being helped by the US Navy.]] On August 31 , a public health emergency was declared for the entire Gulf Coast, and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco ordered a mandatory evacuation of all those remaining in New Orleans. Relief organizations scrambled to locate suitable areas for relocating evacuees on a large scale. Many of the survivors in the Superdome were bussed to the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas . Houston agreed to shelter an additional 25,000 evacuees beyond those admitted to the Astrodome, including one "renegade bus" that was commandeered by private citizen Jabbar Gibson , who had been released on bond from the Orleans Parish Prison just days before the storm hit, and had a previous criminal conviction. By September 1 , the Astrodome was declared full and could not accept any more evacuees. The George R. Brown Convention Center nearby was opened to house additional evacuees. San Antonio, Texas also agreed to house 25,000 "refugees", beginning relocation efforts in vacant office buildings on the grounds of KellyUSA , a former air force base, and the Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas was mobilized to house incoming evacuees, and smaller shelters were established in towns across Texas and Oklahoma . Arkansas also opened various shelters and state parks throughout the state for evacuees. Expected to last only two days, the evacuation of remaining evacuees proved more difficult than rescue organizations anticipated as transportation convoys struggled with damaged infrastructure and a growing number of evacuees. By the morning of September 1 , Governor Blanco reported that the number of evacuees in the Superdome was down to 2,500. However, by evening, eleven hours after evacuation efforts began, the Superdome held 10,000 more people than it did at dawn. Evacuees from across the city swelled the crowd to about 30,000, believing the arena was the best place to get a ride out of town. Evacuation efforts were hastened on September 2 by the wider dispersal of evacuees among newly-opened shelters. Louis Armstrong International Airport was reopened to allow flights related to relief efforts, and began to load evacuees onto planes as well. On .'' September 5 , 2005 . On .'' September 9 , 2005 . Health effects ]] There was a concern that the prolonged flooding would lead to an outbreak of health problems for those who remained in the city. In addition to Dehydration and Food Poisoning , there was also potential for the spread of Hepatitis A , Cholera , Tuberculosis , and Typhoid Fever , all related to the growing contamination of food and drinking water supplies in the city compounded by the city's characteristic heat and stifling humidity. Survivors could also face long-term health risks due to prolonged exposure to the petrochemical tainted flood waters and mosquito-borne diseases such as Yellow Fever , Malaria and West Nile Virus . On September 2 , an emergency Triage center was set up at the airport. A steady stream of helicopters and ambulances brought in the elderly, sick, and injured. Baggage equipment was used as gurneys to transport people from the flight line to the hospital, which was set up in the airport terminal. The scene could be described as, "organized chaos", but efficient. By September 3 , the situation started to stabilize. Up to 5,000 people had been Triage d and fewer than 200 remained at the medical unit. Hospital evacuations continued from other area hospitals that were flooded or damaged. Reports from the Methodist Hospital indicated that people were dying of dehydration and exhaustion while the staff worked unendingly in horrendous conditions. The first floor of the hospital flooded and the dead were stacked in a second floor operating room. Patients requiring ventilators were kept alive with hand-powered resuscitation bags. Among the many hospitals shut down due to destruction related to the hurricane was the public hospital serving New Orleans, Charity Hospital , which was also the only trauma center serving that region. The destruction of the hospital's structure has forced the continued closure through 2007 as funding for a new building is sought out. On .'' September 7 , 2005 . SEE ALSO
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