Evacuation and First Responders

On August 29^th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the Unites States causing 1,833 fatalities and approximately $108 billion in damage. A city-wide evacuation was put into place, although not everyone was able to leave. Some of these residents that stayed behind lacked money and transportation, while some stayed with family that lived in higher grounds or in a hotel that was proven to be safe in past situations. 

National guard hauls residents through flood water

Between 10,000 to 12,000 people waiting to be evacuated took shelter in the Superdome, at the Convention Center. Buses began to evacuate people from the Superdome three days after the storm. Some people had been in the Superdome up to six days before being evacuated.

 First responders came from all over the country to help the victims of hurricane Katrina. The New Orleans evacuation is said to have some major flaws. The city had evacuation plans but had no contracts in place for people to leave the city by bus or train. Most people of New Orleans evacuated but roughly 100,000 were left behind. The city had 500 municipal buses and hundreds of school buses but no plan to get people out before the storm.

After the storm emergency personnel rescued roughly around 65,000 people. 

• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries saved around 22,000 people
• Louisiana National Guard saved more than 9,000 people
• U.S Coast Guard saved more than 24,000

 

Hospitals were exempted from the mandatory evacuation order. Although at least two hospitals had generators located in their basement, and this put the patients and and caregivers at risk during a flood. The last flooded hospitals were evacuated four days after the storm. 

Abigail Hamilton

Work Cited 

 “Why New Orleans’ Katrina Evacuation Debacle Will Never Happen Again.” Next City, nextcity.org/daily/entry/new-orleans-evacuation-hurricane-katrina-will-never-happen-again.

“New Orleans strayed from evacuation plan.” Houston Chronicle, 8 Sept. 2005, www.chron.com/news/hurricanes/article/New-Orleans-strayed-from-evacuation-plan-1491205.php.