Ray Nagin - Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina

In August 2005 Hurricane Katrina entered the Gulf of Mexico. Early Friday, August 26 Mayor Nagin advised New Orleanians to keep a close eye on the storm and prepare for evacuation. He then made several public statements encouraging people to leave. By 10 a.m. Saturday, a mandatory evacuation was called for low-lying areas in the surrounding parishes—St. Charles, St. Tammany, Plaquemines and Jefferson—and a voluntary evacuation for St. Bernard Parish. In addition to the parishes' announcements, President George W. Bush declared a federal state of emergency for Louisiana.

In accordance with the regional evacuation plan, New Orleans along with the surrounding areas of Jefferson and St. Charles parishes were given formal voluntary evacuation orders around fifty hours from landfall. This phased approach along with "contraflow" where all incoming interstate highway lanes are reversed outward ensured that additional vehicles moving onto already congested roads would not create massive gridlock. The local newspaper reported that Nagin stopped short of ordering a mandatory evacuation because of concerns about the city's liability for closing hotels and other businesses. However, this was never confirmed by anyone directly involved in the city's decision making process. After receiving a late night Saturday call from Max Mayfield, head of the National Hurricane Center, Nagin was advised there was final clarity on where Katrina was headed, to New Orleans. He immediately ordered the city attorney to prepare legal documents for calling a mandatory evacuation of the city, the first in New Orleans' almost 300 year history. The legal team worked through the night and on Sunday, August 28 at 9:30 am, the mandatory evacuation order was signed and communicated to the public. The Superdome was opened as a shelter of last resort and police went throughout the city with loudspeakers alerting all remaining citizens to go to key pickup points for free bus rides. By Sunday evening 95% of New Orleanians and visitors were successfully evacuated or relocated out of harm's way.

After the hurricane hit, the federally built and maintained levees collapsed throughout the city. 80% of the city flooded, some areas as high as 20 feet, over rooftops. With each passing day, food and water became scarce. Looting became uncontrollable. All communication was down. After hearing inaccurate reports on his wind up radio, Nagin blasted the slow federal and state response on WWL radio and his passionate outburst went viral all over the world. As public pressure swelled, federal and state officials were forced to act. After 7 full days, the last stranded citizen was evacuated.