Hurricane Katrina

Preparations and expectations before landfall

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Previous short term preparations and expectations

Advance weather forecasts

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Many living in the area felt that south Florida had minimal advance warning when Katrina strengthened from a tropical storm to a hurricane in one day, and struck southern Florida later that same day, on August 25. Even so, NHC forecasts showed Katrina strengthening into a hurricane well in advance of landfall, and hurricane watches and warnings were indeed issued nearly 36 and 24 hours, respectively, before hurricane conditions were felt in the area (watches and warnings are supposed to be issued at those time periods)http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/pub/al122005.public.004.shtml?,http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2005/dis/al122005.discus.006.shtml?.

Related Topics:
Warning - Hurricane - Florida - August 25

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By August 26 the possibility of "unprecedented cataclysm" was already being considered http://www.brendanloy.com/page2.html#112508439674865742. Some computer models were putting New Orleans right in the center of their track probabilities, and the chances of a direct hit were forecast at nearly 90%. The Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco declared a state of emergency for state agencies.http://www.gov.state.la.us/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=973

Related Topics:
August 26 - Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

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On August 27, after Katrina crossed southern Florida and strengthened to Category 3, President George W. Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi two days before the hurricane made landfallhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html.

Related Topics:
August 27 - Florida - President - George W. Bush - State of emergency

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On August 28 the National Weather Service issued a bulletin predicting "devastating" damage rivaling the intensity of Hurricane Camille. At a news conference New Orleans Mayor Nagin ordered an unprecedented mandatory evacuation of the city with Gov. Blanco standing beside him.

Related Topics:
August 28 - National Weather Service - Hurricane Camille

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Transportation and infrastructure

Previous long term preparations and expectations

The risk of devastation from a direct hit was well documented.

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The New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper ran a series on the risk in 2002; the series predicted many of the events that happened in 2005, including the breakdown of the levee system. "It's only a matter of time before South Louisiana takes a direct hit from a major hurricane. Billions have been spent to protect us, but we grow more vulnerable every day." New Orleans Times-Picayune June 23 - 27 June 2002 http://www.nola.com/washingaway/

Related Topics:
The New Orleans Times-Picayune - June 23 - 27 June - 2002

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National Geographic ran a feature in October 2004 http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0410/feature5/. Scientific American covered the topic thoroughly in an October 2001 piece titled "Drowning New Orleans" http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=00060286-CB58-1315-8B5883414B7F0000. Walter Williams did a serious short feature on it called "New Orleans: The Natural History", in which an expert said a direct hit by a hurricane could damage the city for six months http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2002/09/outreach3.html. CSO magazine ran an interview with the National Weather Service's Gary Woodall in which he listed six steps that citizens and company executives can take to be prepared for hurricanes such as this. http://www.csoonline.com/read/090105/safekeeping.html

Related Topics:
National Geographic - Scientific American

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