Hurricane Katrina called for New Orleans’ first ever, city wide, mandatory evacuation. If residents chose not to evacuate, injury and even fatality was a huge possibility. On the morning of August 29th, rain had been coming down hard for hours and the water was already sweeping away levees. By 9 a.m., places below sea level, such as St. Bernard Parish and the Ninth Ward, the poorest community of the city, were under so much water that people were scrambling to get to attics and on rooftops. Eventually 80 % of the city would be underwater.
Thousands of people seeking shelter at the New Orleans Superdome. It is estimated that the Superdome was housing some 23,000 residents of New Orleans after the city had flooded.
First responders came from all over the country to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Coast Guard, the National Guard, other military branches, EMS, police officers, firefighters, 911 operators, heroic civilians, and many more people helped save thousands of people. Dr. Jullette Saussy was a 911 operator during Hurricane Katrina and stated 10 in an interview 10 years after the disaster that she can still hear the 911 callers’ screams and pleads for help echoing in her memory. Saussy is quoted saying, “We’re used to saying help is on the way, but there was nothing we could do… We couldn’t get anywhere.” Due to flooding of the streets, EMS, police officers, and firefighters were not able to operate normally to rescue residents of the city. The Coast Guard was able to rescue by helicopter and boat, which is how the majority of the rescue missions were completed (Sternberg). The Coast Guard was estimated to have rescued some 34,000 people in New Orleans ("Hurricane Katrina").
A news station captured moments from actual first responders form Hurricane Katrina on the decade anniversary.
Steve Sternberg. “Battle Scarred: The Personal Stories of the Katrina Rescuers.” Usnews.com. U.S. News. 2016. 02 Jan. 2017.
History Network Staff. "Hurricane Katrina." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 02 Jan. 2017.
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