As damage to property and loss of life from Hurricane Katrina continues to mount, Lee is next in line. From Arlene to Jose, the 2005 Atlantic hurricanes had left the U.S. relatively unscathed. Hurricane Dennis, the last major hurricane of the 2005 season to strike prior to Katrina, did not cause the degree of damage that had been feared by officials and locals alike. 1(See FKA article “Waiting for Katrina –– The Next Hurricane.”)

Sadly, this was not the case with Katrina. The human and economic impacts of this storm may surpass the destruction inflicted in 1969 by Camille, a Category 5 hurricane that killed 256 people. Camille was one of only three recorded Category 5 hurricanes to have hit the U.S. 2

When it hit Florida on August 25, Katrina was a relatively weak, Category 1 storm although nine deaths were reported in that state. Katrina's northwest maneuver and upgrade to Category 4 brought about destruction that has been threatened off and on for years in New Orleans, a city below sea-level. The short-lived relief in New Orleans as the hurricane shifted slightly east before landfall turned to despair as 80% of the city was engulfed after two levees broke, submerging New Orleans, late Monday, August 29. 3

Katrina's storm surge in Mississippi exceeded 20-feet, and the death toll in that state alone already exceeds 100 and is expected to rise there and in all affected states. 4New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin fears that the storm may have killed huge numbers of residents despite mandatory evacuation orders, sheltering efforts and rescues. The ultimate death toll is, at this writing, unknown, but a final count, according to local and federal officials is minimally expected to be in the hundreds, if not thousands. 5

Images of the devastated region have dominated U.S. news as well as many international news venues. Footage and photos of survivors struggling through dangerous waters, surveying lost homes and seeking aid are indicators of the human toll. If not for enforced mass evacuations throughout the impacted areas, the toll on human life –– which still is uncertain –– would be arguably far worse.

As evacuations were underway, all lanes of interstate highways in the New Orleans area were given over to outbound traffic. Still, traffic was jammed as far away as Jackson, Mississippi, more than 180 miles north. 6City officials estimate that roughly 80% of New Orleans' 480,000 residents evacuated in time to escape the hurricane.7

For many of New Orleans' poorest, evacuation by car was not a choice; thus, the Superdome sports complex, long recognized by emergency managers as the city's primary hurricane shelter, was their haven. By late Wednesday, August 31, the leaking ceilings, lack of electricity and overflowing plumbing, the Superdome (which typically holds 70,000 patrons for a few hours in climate-controlled temperatures) could no longer accommodate the storm's refugees in the sweltering and filthy conditions. Moreover, the water in New Orleans was continuing to rise –– the situation was perilous. By late Wednesday, August 31, there was little choice for the public officials in charge –– about 23,000 people had to be moved in some 500 buses to the Astrodome in Houston 328 miles (508 kilometers) away. 8

FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps, the Coast Guard, more than 7,500 National Guard troops, and state and local emergency responders (along with dozens of relief organizations including the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army) have been working night and day in an effort to stem the ravages of nature. 9

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