Time Magazine: Katrina 10 years later in photos

[jeaniebueller]

.

I know we have already had a few articles on this topic, but I just came across this one and the photographs are still incredibly moving and sad.

Warning:  a few of them are graphic

time.com/hurricane-katrina-10-years-later/

[sfy]

I can't bear it. These are killing me.

[meltoine]

Over the weekend I watched the Spike Jonze documentary about Katrina. I hadn't heard the theory about the local government intentionally destroying the levees so that the lower 9th would flood instead of the French quarter. It was heartbreaking. I learned a lot that I missed at the time. It was my first week of college and I honestly didn't pay much attention because I had so much going on, but I really regret that now.

[pamela]

Aug 31, 2015 13:21:04 GMT -5 meltoine said:

Over the weekend I watched the Spike Jonze documentary about Katrina. I hadn't heard the theory about the local government intentionally destroying the levees so that the lower 9th would flood instead of the French quarter. It was heartbreaking. I learned a lot that I missed at the time. It was my first week of college and I honestly didn't pay much attention because I had so much going on, but I really regret that now.

Local gov / bush/ whoever. Yes, major theory, but it doesn't make any sense.

[meltoine]

Aug 31, 2015 13:31:46 GMT -5 pamela said:

Aug 31, 2015 13:21:04 GMT -5 meltoine said:

Over the weekend I watched the Spike Jonze documentary about Katrina. I hadn't heard the theory about the local government intentionally destroying the levees so that the lower 9th would flood instead of the French quarter. It was heartbreaking. I learned a lot that I missed at the time. It was my first week of college and I honestly didn't pay much attention because I had so much going on, but I really regret that now.

Local gov / bush/ whoever. Yes, major theory, but it doesn't make any sense.

It was mentioned only briefly in the doc and I haven't had a chance to read any more about it, so I can't comment beyond that. 

I li do imagine it must suck so much to feel so hopeless about your position relative to the rest of society that you can and do believe that your elected officials tried to kill you to save someone else. What a shitty feeling. 

[ttt]

My god, the woman in the wheelchair....

[downtoearth]

Wow, that is powerful and depressing. I wonder if we're more prepared now? Did we learn anything?

[erbear]

Powerful.

I remember thinking this then, and I still do now. How could this possibly be the United States in the 21st century?

And the story about the little boy just broke me. 

[pamela]

Aug 31, 2015 13:50:59 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Wow, that is powerful and depressing. I wonder if we're more prepared now? Did we learn anything?

Personally, I don't know that we are. I think they think they are, but I won't be shocked if it fails to work as planned. Some of that is coming from the lack of communication about details of any plan with the general public. But also general govt incompetence and the public's perception of govt here. The plans require everyone to do their part and trust the rest to work. If any one doesn't, it will break down. Like register people who need help and go to the designated spot and trust the busses will show up. Bus operators trusting they will be dispatched to get out of harms way, the crowds controlled and gas /roads available. Contra flow only works with people following staggered evac times, etc.

[KateAggie]

Aug 31, 2015 14:08:29 GMT -5 pamela said:

Aug 31, 2015 13:50:59 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Wow, that is powerful and depressing. I wonder if we're more prepared now? Did we learn anything?

Personally, I don't know that we are. I think they think they are, but I won't be shocked if it fails to work as planned. Some of that is coming from the lack of communication about details of any plan with the general public. But also general govt incompetence and the public's perception of govt here. The plans require everyone to do their part and trust the rest to work. If any one doesn't, it will break down. Like register people who need help and go to the designated spot and trust the busses will show up. Bus operators trusting they will be dispatched to get out of harms way, the crowds controlled and gas /roads available. Contra flow only works with people following staggered evac times, etc.

I feel like our natural disaster plans often are "let's hope it doesn't get that bad, and have a plan for if it does, but it doesn't have to be a good plan, because it probably won't happen."

DH was part of a large team that was assigned to help out in LA in the aftermath of Katrina. They arrived in Sliddell, and we're sent back home the very next morning, because they didn't know what to do with them. 40 able-bodies, with their own housing (RVs), willing to do anything, and they sent them home.

[sfy]

Aug 31, 2015 13:21:04 GMT -5 meltoine said:

Over the weekend I watched the Spike Jonze documentary about Katrina. I hadn't heard the theory about the local government intentionally destroying the levees so that the lower 9th would flood instead of the French quarter. It was heartbreaking. I learned a lot that I missed at the time. It was my first week of college and I honestly didn't pay much attention because I had so much going on, but I really regret that now.

Spike Lee?  I assume you mean When the Levees Broke.

I was so obsessed.  Like barely sleeping obsessed.  That was not good either.

Aug 31, 2015 15:42:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

how did Houston get picked for the place for people to go and how has it been impacted since?

I think the county just stepped up and offered to take evacuees.  I feel like Louisianans usually go west (as opposed to most other Southerners who go north, e.g., Mississippi to Chicago) to Texas and beyond, so maybe it was just a natural fit.  I have no idea about your other question, but I hope someone answers.  I meet people in my area all the time who left after Katrina (just met a couple last week), I can't imagine how many must still be in Houston.

[NitaX]

Aug 31, 2015 15:42:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

how did Houston get picked for the place for people to go and how has it been impacted since?

Not sure on the second part but from Wiki:


"On August 31, 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Harris County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the State of Louisiana came to an agreement to allow at least 25,000 evacuees from New Orleans, especially those that were sheltered in the Louisiana Superdome, to move to the Astrodome until they could return home. The evacuation began on September 1, 2005. All scheduled events for the final four months of 2005 at the Astrodome were cancelled.[20] Overflow refugees were held in the surrounding Reliant Park complex. There was a full field hospital inside the Reliant Arena, which cared for the entire Katrina evacuee community.


The entire Reliant Park complex was scheduled to be emptied of hurricane evacuees by September 17, 2005. Originally, the Astrodome was planned to be used to house evacuees until December. However, the surrounding parking lots were needed for the first Houston Texans home game. Arrangements were made to help Katrina evacuees find apartments both in Houston and elsewhere in the United States. By September 16, 2005, the last of the hurricane evacuees living in the Astrodome had been moved out either to the neighboring Reliant Arena or to permanent housing north of Houston.[21] As of September 20, 2005, the remaining Katrina evacuees were relocated to Arkansas due to Hurricane Rita."


Memphis also saw a lot of Katrina victims. Memphis is about 6 hours straight up I-55 from New Orleans, so it was an easy route for those who had family up here and even those who didn't. I worked part-time retail and had a TON of people from New Orleans coming in the store to buy clothes. Anything on the sale rack was the 1st to go. I know my current church also had families staying with parishioners. 

I remember how angry I was to watch the govt just leave people to nature. TV coverage of folks looting stores and I'm sitting here like "WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU DO WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE SHIT TO EAT?!!!!!!" 

[ttt]

Aug 31, 2015 15:44:19 GMT -5 sfy said:

Aug 31, 2015 13:21:04 GMT -5 meltoine said:

Over the weekend I watched the Spike Jonze documentary about Katrina. I hadn't heard the theory about the local government intentionally destroying the levees so that the lower 9th would flood instead of the French quarter. It was heartbreaking. I learned a lot that I missed at the time. It was my first week of college and I honestly didn't pay much attention because I had so much going on, but I really regret that now.

Spike Lee?  I assume you mean When the Levees Broke.

I was so obsessed.  Like barely sleeping obsessed.  That was not good either.

Aug 31, 2015 15:42:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

how did Houston get picked for the place for people to go and how has it been impacted since?

I think the county just stepped up and offered to take evacuees.  I feel like Louisianans usually go west (as opposed to most other Southerners who go north, e.g., Mississippi to Chicago) to Texas and beyond, so maybe it was just a natural fit.  I have no idea about your other question, but I hope someone answers.  I meet people in my area all the time who left after Katrina (just met a couple last week), I can't imagine how many must still be in Houston.

I was too. I will never forget that feeling, watching in horror for days as everything unfolded on television. I would find excuses at work to get away from my desk and watch the news on TV in the breakroom. 

Atlanta also received a large number of Katrina refugees, though I don't think it was as many as Houston. Culturally, I think Atlanta was a fairly similar fit - Southern city with a large African-American population. 

[sfy]

Aug 31, 2015 15:55:24 GMT -5 ttt said:

Aug 31, 2015 15:44:19 GMT -5 sfy said:

Spike Lee?  I assume you mean When the Levees Broke.

I was so obsessed.  Like barely sleeping obsessed.  That was not good either.

I think the county just stepped up and offered to take evacuees.  I feel like Louisianans usually go west (as opposed to most other Southerners who go north, e.g., Mississippi to Chicago) to Texas and beyond, so maybe it was just a natural fit.  I have no idea about your other question, but I hope someone answers.  I meet people in my area all the time who left after Katrina (just met a couple last week), I can't imagine how many must still be in Houston.

I was too. I will never forget that feeling, watching in horror for days as everything unfolded on television. I would find excuses at work to get away from my desk and watch the news on TV in the breakroom. 

Atlanta also received a large number of Katrina refugees, though I don't think it was as many as Houston. Culturally, I think Atlanta was a fairly similar fit - Southern city with a large African-American population. 

That is where I am and that is why I am still meeting them today.  And no, I don't think nearly as many came to Atlanta as went to Houston.  One thing I always found funny about Louisiana is how many of the people who weren't Saints fans were Cowboys fans. Or how many people in Houston have Creole last names.  There is just a connection between those two states, because of proximity, obviously, but also culture. 

[ttt]

Aug 31, 2015 16:01:06 GMT -5 sfy said:

Aug 31, 2015 15:55:24 GMT -5 ttt said:

I was too. I will never forget that feeling, watching in horror for days as everything unfolded on television. I would find excuses at work to get away from my desk and watch the news on TV in the breakroom. 

Atlanta also received a large number of Katrina refugees, though I don't think it was as many as Houston. Culturally, I think Atlanta was a fairly similar fit - Southern city with a large African-American population. 

That is where I am and that is why I am still meeting them today.  And no, I don't think nearly as many came to Atlanta as went to Houston.  One thing I always found funny about Louisiana is how many of the people who weren't Saints fans were Cowboys fans. Or how many people in Houston have Creole last names.  There is just a connection between those two states, because of proximity, obviously, but also culture. 

That makes a lot of sense. I'd bet there's also a connection because of the oil and gas industry, with those being so large in both states and employing so many people in both. I've known several people who have gone back and forth between TX and LA, unrelated to Katrina. 

I still just can't believe it's been ten years. 

[pamela]

It was whoever offered space. Texas A&M offered their arena (beds scavenged from dorm rooms plus emergency cots). It didn't totally fill because it was farther and not a major metro area, but they did take some.

[sfy]

Aug 31, 2015 16:03:58 GMT -5 ttt said:

Aug 31, 2015 16:01:06 GMT -5 sfy said:

That is where I am and that is why I am still meeting them today.  And no, I don't think nearly as many came to Atlanta as went to Houston.  One thing I always found funny about Louisiana is how many of the people who weren't Saints fans were Cowboys fans. Or how many people in Houston have Creole last names.  There is just a connection between those two states, because of proximity, obviously, but also culture. 

That makes a lot of sense. I'd bet there's also a connection because of the oil and gas industry, with those being so large in both states and employing so many people in both. I've known several people who have gone back and forth between TX and LA, unrelated to Katrina. 

I still just can't believe it's been ten years. 

Good point, same here.

I know.  That's what I was thinking when I met that couple.  They were old, too.  The idea of just picking up everything, or nothing, more likely, and starting over.  Ugh.

[miniroller]

Aug 31, 2015 14:08:29 GMT -5 pamela said:

Aug 31, 2015 13:50:59 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Wow, that is powerful and depressing. I wonder if we're more prepared now? Did we learn anything?

Personally, I don't know that we are. I think they think they are, but I won't be shocked if it fails to work as planned. Some of that is coming from the lack of communication about details of any plan with the general public. But also general govt incompetence and the public's perception of govt here. The plans require everyone to do their part and trust the rest to work. If any one doesn't, it will break down. Like register people who need help and go to the designated spot and trust the busses will show up. Bus operators trusting they will be dispatched to get out of harms way, the crowds controlled and gas /roads available. Contra flow only works with people following staggered evac times, etc.

This is a scary but very real breakdown. Certainly not to wish for another disaster, but I do wish there was a way to have some type of 'dress rehearsal' for a major evacuation. And I'm afraid the only way to practice said event is by executing successful evacuations on a much smaller scale. I wish that every major city was communicating disaster relief plan(s) on a forum that could encourage ideas, tips, critiques, recommendations, etc. I'm not sure that anything like that exists in this country. (& from the photo posted of the FEMA A-hole that disastrously F'd up at Katrina still employed by a government official ((Jeb!)), I'm far from confident.)

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2015 14:08:29 GMT -5 pamela said:

Aug 31, 2015 13:50:59 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

Wow, that is powerful and depressing. I wonder if we're more prepared now? Did we learn anything?

Personally, I don't know that we are. I think they think they are, but I won't be shocked if it fails to work as planned. Some of that is coming from the lack of communication about details of any plan with the general public. But also general govt incompetence and the public's perception of govt here. The plans require everyone to do their part and trust the rest to work. If any one doesn't, it will break down. Like register people who need help and go to the designated spot and trust the busses will show up. Bus operators trusting they will be dispatched to get out of harms way, the crowds controlled and gas /roads available. Contra flow only works with people following staggered evac times, etc.

I would think it would work better only in that if it happened soon, like the next 10 years, more people would leave. And so many poor people never came back.

[pamela]

I think our parish is better prepared and did a decent job, but it is more rural and wasn't underwater, just normal storm damage and no power. They have practiced supply distributions (bribe participants with free stuff to drive through). They also have our plant and Eplan staff to help plan and critique though. Orleans parish isn't there yet.

[elleblue]

Aug 31, 2015 15:47:15 GMT -5 NitaX said:

Aug 31, 2015 15:42:38 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

how did Houston get picked for the place for people to go and how has it been impacted since?

Not sure on the second part but from Wiki:


"On August 31, 2005, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Harris County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the State of Louisiana came to an agreement to allow at least 25,000 evacuees from New Orleans, especially those that were sheltered in the Louisiana Superdome, to move to the Astrodome until they could return home. The evacuation began on September 1, 2005. All scheduled events for the final four months of 2005 at the Astrodome were cancelled.[20] Overflow refugees were held in the surrounding Reliant Park complex. There was a full field hospital inside the Reliant Arena, which cared for the entire Katrina evacuee community.


The entire Reliant Park complex was scheduled to be emptied of hurricane evacuees by September 17, 2005. Originally, the Astrodome was planned to be used to house evacuees until December. However, the surrounding parking lots were needed for the first Houston Texans home game. Arrangements were made to help Katrina evacuees find apartments both in Houston and elsewhere in the United States. By September 16, 2005, the last of the hurricane evacuees living in the Astrodome had been moved out either to the neighboring Reliant Arena or to permanent housing north of Houston.[21] As of September 20, 2005, the remaining Katrina evacuees were relocated to Arkansas due to Hurricane Rita."


Memphis also saw a lot of Katrina victims. Memphis is about 6 hours straight up I-55 from New Orleans, so it was an easy route for those who had family up here and even those who didn't. I worked part-time retail and had a TON of people from New Orleans coming in the store to buy clothes. Anything on the sale rack was the 1st to go. I know my current church also had families staying with parishioners. 

I remember how angry I was to watch the govt just leave people to nature. TV coverage of folks looting stores and I'm sitting here like "WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU DO WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE SHIT TO EAT?!!!!!!" 

I remember that as an eye opening moment in regards to the media treatment and public perception of black people. Photos of white people obtaining much needed goods were labeled so differently from photos of black people doing the very same. I felt so sick at the justification many people made as to why the police and military got violent with the victims "they were stealing Nikes and tvs" - as if things mattering more than lives was an obvious conclusion. I don't doubt some people did steal unnecessary items but shoes are a necessity. How could anyone begrudge people taking water, formula, diapers, clothing, etc when no one else was helping people? What else were they supposed to do? 

I'm only chagrined it took me until my 20's for the scales to fall from my eyes. 

[elleblue]

{{{operagirl}}} I'm so sorry, I can't even imagine.

And you're right, so many people didn't have the means to evacuate. I had two friends living there at the time, they had cars and were able to get out when the evacuation orders were given. But so many didn't have that ability. Such a disgrace that people to this day blame the victims for not leaving. As if it were that simple.

[Michelle]

Actually, the fact that Houston doesn't get more props about this really pisses me off.

Our Mayor OFFERED. Bill White saw that we had a huge Astrodome complex that was being unused and had been unused for some time and offered it. Logistically it made the most sense to pick the Astrodome because there were people in serious need of medical care and the Astrodome complex is connected to the Texas Medical Center by the light rail train - just a couple of stops down, actually. My employer provided several hundreds of thousands (eta of $$) in clinical relief aid workers who were regularly hopping the train and heading to the dome to provide care to the sick and wounded.

The state that the dome was left in, though, really created resentment by our city. Instead of using the toilets, people peed in the halls or wherever they found a spot. While there were garbage cans, many people just left their trash wherever it fell out of their hands. It was disgusting.

Also, there were sexual assaults. The conditions became horrible for those who had to live there.

Many were relocated to the "sharpstown" area of town where there were vacant apartments available. Not many of those folks left, and the crime in that area skyrocketed. The violent crime in that area of town is horrific. It is not all Katrina evacuees, and it was dangerous before many were relocated there. But after the way the dome was left the way it was, some in the city blame the evacuees.

I have managed about 18-20 people including turnover and restructuring and 5 of them live here as a result of Katrina. If they didn't relocate here during Katrina, their families did so they did too.

Houston is often second fiddle to Dallas when it comes to media attention. We are bigger, more international, have one of the world's largest ports, have better employment options and levels, are more diverse, have a better museum and fine arts culture, have more restaurants per capita, and yet Dallas gets all the attention because of the stupid tv show. But we are an awesome city that welcomed our NOLA neighbors with open arms in their time of need. Because that is the kind of small town culture we have here.

[sfy]

(hug)operagirl (hug2) I didn't know that, I'm so sorry.

[jln]

I'm so sorry you had to go through that operagirl.

I was working in Florida when Katrina passed over us. The destruction wasn't too terrible, but enough that there were trees in the streets and the power went out briefly. That was terrifying enough, but then to watch the news the next day and see what NOLA went through really shook me. It's such a travesty that so many people were left to die. It was, and still is, hard to believe that happened here in our country.

[starlily]

Hugs operagirl.

I know these were controversial, but when we visited NOLA in '08 we went on a bus tour of the heavily-stricken areas. Our driver was a local, and had been there during the storm, so he was very insightful and respectful in his explanations of the causes & factors of how things got as bad as they did. To echo elleblue, it wasn't that easy for a lot of people to "just leave." What I saw that day, from the still-damaged areas, to the abandoned neighborhoods, to the start of rebuilding, has really stuck with me.

[pinkdutchtulips]

I had a cousin who fled the storm before it hit. She had FedEx'd her computer towers and laptops that contained her doctoral research on them to her folks' house in Nor Cal and 2 days later hopped a plane w her dogs to her parents' house.

She returned to her house in the Garden District and it was still there - you could see the high water mark on the walls and she had a few new 'skylights' she didn't ask for. All in all she was glad it survived but she said NOLA hasn't been the same since

[Mashara]

A group from the local One Brick chapter (a non profit that I volunteered with some) still goes down to New Orleans once or twice a year to help. It's unbelievable how much damage remains.