Where were you and what were you doing on August 28-29 2005
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SootyTern
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I remember those two days also; came home from work on the 28th to 8 cherrypickers and about 50 guys from Iowa, Alabama and Mississippi cleaning up the fallen trees and powerlines on our street. Excited because this meant our power was going to come back on soon!! I went out to thank them and found out the trucks from AL and MS were from upstate, although I knew they were going to have to rush back and fix more mess near home, since everyone pretty much knew where Katrina was going. Our power being off plus our own cleanup to deal with kept me insulated from the media hype that was probably going on, but I was checking my weather radio and plotting points on my tracking map to see where that storm was going after she went by us. I felt fortunate (understatement there) that she hadn't reached her potential when she passed over us in So Fla, but there's nothing you can have but a sick feeling in your stomach when there's a Cat 5 in the Gulf. It has to hit land somewhere.
We were sleeping in the yard late on the 28th when the power came back on here, and I waited until the morning of the 29th to turn on the news. This was when my Katrina experience shifted from a Cat 1 I had to deal with personally to something much worse that friends were caught up in. I did share the initial response of many that New Orleans had dodged another one since the media was reporting from the Quarter or downtown and the damage seemed not so bad. Until the levees broke. The next few days reminded me of September 11 2001; watching a horror unfold on the TV and feeling helpless in the face of so much suffering a thousand miles away. The folks milling about the Superdome not knowing what to do next; old ladies dead sitting on the street; it was horrifying. Not knowing how my friends in Mississippi were faring, but assuming they were still alive at the least.
We were sleeping in the yard late on the 28th when the power came back on here, and I waited until the morning of the 29th to turn on the news. This was when my Katrina experience shifted from a Cat 1 I had to deal with personally to something much worse that friends were caught up in. I did share the initial response of many that New Orleans had dodged another one since the media was reporting from the Quarter or downtown and the damage seemed not so bad. Until the levees broke. The next few days reminded me of September 11 2001; watching a horror unfold on the TV and feeling helpless in the face of so much suffering a thousand miles away. The folks milling about the Superdome not knowing what to do next; old ladies dead sitting on the street; it was horrifying. Not knowing how my friends in Mississippi were faring, but assuming they were still alive at the least.
Last edited by SootyTern on Sat Apr 22, 2006 5:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Audrey2Katrina
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Let's see, the Kennedy assassination; Betsy, 9/11, and now Katrina... all things that will be permanently etched in my mind, never to be effaced. Since this is about two days, Aug 28, and 29 in particular, I'll restrict my comments to those two days.
On the 28th I noticed that what I had been fearing all along was coming to bear, and that is that Katrina was NOT going to turn north as was expected, but would in all likelihood make her landfall somewhere in SE La, or the La/Miss border. Some of my friends had already evacuated the area as they make hotel reservations at least 3 days in advance of a storm's potential arrival. I was at a friend's home in Metairie and we had all decided to stay and ride it out, as I'd never evacuated before the Ivan fiasco in 2004, and felt that while it would be a rough ride, we were on a ridge in the area, no large trees, and could fare okay. Of course we decided that the women and elderly should leave, while we stayed behind to watch the property. That having been arranged, we boarded up and prepared to ride out what had truly become a monster storm.
Then I get this cell call on my phone. It was an 83 year old lady who was the aunt of a friend of mine. This friend had already left the city under the assumption that relatives in Baton Rouge were coming in to get "Aunt Lonnie." -- never happened. She was absolutely hysterical--frantic with fears of herself and her neice staying with her drowning in their apartment. What else could I do? So I packed up what belongings I had, called the one who had brought the youngsters, elderly, et. al, and upon hearing they were headed to Panama City where they arranged to have a room, I asked if they could make one for me and my two unexpected female passengers--of course he said he'd find a way to squeeze us into whatever rooms they had.
We got into my truck (thank God it was extended cab) and headed east. It wasn't pretty along the coast; and traffic was quite heavy, but I figured it'd be worse heading west. We got into Panama City in the late afternoon/early evening, and then settled into our rooms hoping we'd be heading home within a day or two at most. That night, as the storm rolled in toward the coast I knew we were in trouble because as far as Panama City was from landfall, the surf was incredible, the skies overcast and the winds VERY blustery. I could only IMAGINE how it was back closer to the landfall area. I kept in touch with my friends who remained until the towers failed. The next morning we were glued to the TV sets, and as the news trickled in--it wasn't pretty. Mississippi had taken a horrible blow, but it was thought, and reported, that New Orleans "dodged" another bullet, although my friends who managed to get through every now and then told me that the storm was horrendous, and all the streets in the area (Metairie) were flooded, of course the power was out, and downed trees and debris were literally all over the place.
Then we heard about the levee breach and KNEW the worst had happened. One of my friends with us in Panama City had a home in Lakeview where he, his wife, and their triplet children of 2 years age owned a home. Hearing that Lakeview was under water, they started making longterm plans for life away from home. I began a 4 state odyssey that's a story for another place and another time, in an effort to get my elderly passenger to her kinfolk in Baton Rouge.
Of course where I lived flooded (but nothing like Lakeview--between 10 inches to 3 feet in most houses around here) and I wouldn't be back in my apartment again for well over a month--thank God I took my pup with me as well!
Aug 29, 2005--another day that will live in infamy!
A2K
On the 28th I noticed that what I had been fearing all along was coming to bear, and that is that Katrina was NOT going to turn north as was expected, but would in all likelihood make her landfall somewhere in SE La, or the La/Miss border. Some of my friends had already evacuated the area as they make hotel reservations at least 3 days in advance of a storm's potential arrival. I was at a friend's home in Metairie and we had all decided to stay and ride it out, as I'd never evacuated before the Ivan fiasco in 2004, and felt that while it would be a rough ride, we were on a ridge in the area, no large trees, and could fare okay. Of course we decided that the women and elderly should leave, while we stayed behind to watch the property. That having been arranged, we boarded up and prepared to ride out what had truly become a monster storm.
Then I get this cell call on my phone. It was an 83 year old lady who was the aunt of a friend of mine. This friend had already left the city under the assumption that relatives in Baton Rouge were coming in to get "Aunt Lonnie." -- never happened. She was absolutely hysterical--frantic with fears of herself and her neice staying with her drowning in their apartment. What else could I do? So I packed up what belongings I had, called the one who had brought the youngsters, elderly, et. al, and upon hearing they were headed to Panama City where they arranged to have a room, I asked if they could make one for me and my two unexpected female passengers--of course he said he'd find a way to squeeze us into whatever rooms they had.
We got into my truck (thank God it was extended cab) and headed east. It wasn't pretty along the coast; and traffic was quite heavy, but I figured it'd be worse heading west. We got into Panama City in the late afternoon/early evening, and then settled into our rooms hoping we'd be heading home within a day or two at most. That night, as the storm rolled in toward the coast I knew we were in trouble because as far as Panama City was from landfall, the surf was incredible, the skies overcast and the winds VERY blustery. I could only IMAGINE how it was back closer to the landfall area. I kept in touch with my friends who remained until the towers failed. The next morning we were glued to the TV sets, and as the news trickled in--it wasn't pretty. Mississippi had taken a horrible blow, but it was thought, and reported, that New Orleans "dodged" another bullet, although my friends who managed to get through every now and then told me that the storm was horrendous, and all the streets in the area (Metairie) were flooded, of course the power was out, and downed trees and debris were literally all over the place.
Then we heard about the levee breach and KNEW the worst had happened. One of my friends with us in Panama City had a home in Lakeview where he, his wife, and their triplet children of 2 years age owned a home. Hearing that Lakeview was under water, they started making longterm plans for life away from home. I began a 4 state odyssey that's a story for another place and another time, in an effort to get my elderly passenger to her kinfolk in Baton Rouge.
Of course where I lived flooded (but nothing like Lakeview--between 10 inches to 3 feet in most houses around here) and I wouldn't be back in my apartment again for well over a month--thank God I took my pup with me as well!
Aug 29, 2005--another day that will live in infamy!
A2K
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Flossy 56 Audrey 57 Hilda 64* Betsy 65* Camille 69* Edith 71 Carmen 74 Bob 79 Danny 85 Elena 85 Juan 85 Florence 88 Andrew 92*, Opal 95, Danny 97, Georges 98*, Isidore 02, Lili 02, Ivan 04, Cindy 05*, Dennis 05, Katrina 05*, Gustav 08*, Isaac 12*, Nate 17, Barry 19, Cristobal 20, Marco, 20, Sally, 20, Zeta 20*, Claudette 21 IDA* 21 Francine *24
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Derek Ortt
28th
wake up at 4 a.m. Time to get ready for the 6 a.m. RAINEX briefing
6:45, morning nap
8:30: Cangialosi waking me up to tell a very tired forecaster we had a cat 5
11 a.m. 175. Started to be very scared knowing what would happen. Hoping my forecast track east of NO would verify (sorry to those in E Mississippi and Alabama)
12 p.m., ran home to shower
3 p.m. ran to winn dixie on Key Biscayne (which opened very quickly after Katrina's rampage here) for my food ration
7 p.m. learned I had electricity once again at my apt, went home
the night: maybe got 1 hour alseep in between update times
7 a.m. the cat 3 came ashore
9 a.m. learned of rain INSIDE of the superdome, knew then it was bad
5 p.m. Jeanne Meserve's CNN report from the 9th ward of massive dead
10 p.m. Saw the first shots of NO, and knew the USA was in a major crisis (a track to the west, and this would have been at least as deadly as Mitch, and probably much worse)
the next few days: When not crying, thinking about how bad this would be if a Katrina type storm were to hit NYC (AND DO NOT SAY IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. CAT 3'S DO HIT LONG ISLAND)
wake up at 4 a.m. Time to get ready for the 6 a.m. RAINEX briefing
6:45, morning nap
8:30: Cangialosi waking me up to tell a very tired forecaster we had a cat 5
11 a.m. 175. Started to be very scared knowing what would happen. Hoping my forecast track east of NO would verify (sorry to those in E Mississippi and Alabama)
12 p.m., ran home to shower
3 p.m. ran to winn dixie on Key Biscayne (which opened very quickly after Katrina's rampage here) for my food ration
7 p.m. learned I had electricity once again at my apt, went home
the night: maybe got 1 hour alseep in between update times
7 a.m. the cat 3 came ashore
9 a.m. learned of rain INSIDE of the superdome, knew then it was bad
5 p.m. Jeanne Meserve's CNN report from the 9th ward of massive dead
10 p.m. Saw the first shots of NO, and knew the USA was in a major crisis (a track to the west, and this would have been at least as deadly as Mitch, and probably much worse)
the next few days: When not crying, thinking about how bad this would be if a Katrina type storm were to hit NYC (AND DO NOT SAY IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. CAT 3'S DO HIT LONG ISLAND)
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Derek Ortt
Andrew did hit Morgan City, but fortunately, it followed the standard pattern of NGOM hurricanes and rapidly weakened prior to landfall, and hit at an actue angle, keeping the surge to about 8 feet. The slow motion, also allowed for weakening over the swamp before reaching Morgan City so that the city itself received cat 1/2 winds, not the cat 4 winds feared
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cajungal
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Derek Ortt wrote:Andrew did hit Morgan City, but fortunately, it followed the standard pattern of NGOM hurricanes and rapidly weakened prior to landfall, and hit at an actue angle, keeping the surge to about 8 feet. The slow motion, also allowed for weakening over the swamp before reaching Morgan City so that the city itself received cat 1/2 winds, not the cat 4 winds feared
Morgan City is only 25 miles to my due west. Winds were clocked at 100 mph in my town. But, we are also about 20 miles closer to the GOM now researches say. We did not get the surge for Andrew. Except for lower Terrebonne. We just got some wind damage. The eyewall of Betsy passed directly over here. But, it was way before I was born. My neighbor who rode out Betsy in the same house he lives in today was telling me about his experience. He had an anemoter (sp) and clocked a wind gust here of 169 mph. Again, we did not get the surge from Betsy because we had a lot more land 41 years ago protecting us.
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See Derek Andrew is a part of the complacent attitude around here to. Andrew did do a bit of a number on our area, but nothing even close to what it did to Florida. Alot of people my age here do believe they lived through something just as comparable to Betsy, but not really. I do believe in fact that the majority of Andrew damage from wind was due to tornados. This is why I hate it when people bring up previous storms when they make their evac decisions. You here it all of the time I made it through whatever so I'll be fine this time.
Flooding all depends on size, intensity, angle, speed and the geological aspects of the area combined. For comparision Juan was like a cat 1 rain maker but even being a mess it's approach and loop put 3 foot of water in this house. Andrew came in from the west and was a more powerful storm, but this house did not get any water in it. Katrina actually pasted closer to me but from the east and in fact the north wind kept the water low. But then Rita was a couple hundred miles to the west and gave my a foot of water inside and shifted the stucture(house is two foot up on blocks so it's to be expected). Actually heard people in the gas station buying beer saying that Katrina did not fllod us and it was closer so we would be fine for Rita. For Lili the community only miles from me flooded just because our levees held and theirs did not. My point is there is not pattern of absolute constency when it comes to forces of nature. So
I hate when people say I have been through the worse because the storm name was so well known when it was actually some of the weakest or farthest that did more damage to this specfic area. (not on the whole as Katrina destroyed a large area. I added this to avoid confusion as I am making a point that all storms can be dangerous and one should not make life or property decisions based on catogory of storm alone)
edit for clarity
Flooding all depends on size, intensity, angle, speed and the geological aspects of the area combined. For comparision Juan was like a cat 1 rain maker but even being a mess it's approach and loop put 3 foot of water in this house. Andrew came in from the west and was a more powerful storm, but this house did not get any water in it. Katrina actually pasted closer to me but from the east and in fact the north wind kept the water low. But then Rita was a couple hundred miles to the west and gave my a foot of water inside and shifted the stucture(house is two foot up on blocks so it's to be expected). Actually heard people in the gas station buying beer saying that Katrina did not fllod us and it was closer so we would be fine for Rita. For Lili the community only miles from me flooded just because our levees held and theirs did not. My point is there is not pattern of absolute constency when it comes to forces of nature. So
I hate when people say I have been through the worse because the storm name was so well known when it was actually some of the weakest or farthest that did more damage to this specfic area. (not on the whole as Katrina destroyed a large area. I added this to avoid confusion as I am making a point that all storms can be dangerous and one should not make life or property decisions based on catogory of storm alone)
edit for clarity
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beachbum_al
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skysummit
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Derek Ortt wrote:Andrew did hit Morgan City, but fortunately, it followed the standard pattern of NGOM hurricanes and rapidly weakened prior to landfall, and hit at an actue angle, keeping the surge to about 8 feet. The slow motion, also allowed for weakening over the swamp before reaching Morgan City so that the city itself received cat 1/2 winds, not the cat 4 winds feared
There is not much marsh between Morgan City and the GOM. Luckily it did come in at the angle it did though to minimize surge. However I disagree about the cat 1/2 winds in Morgan City. I was in Houma, and we received 100mph winds with gusts to 120mph. At 120mph is when the local radio station's annemometer broke.
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August 28th:
Left the New Orleans area at 3 AM, and traffic was moving briskly and well as we traveled east on I-10 and then north on I-59. Stopped in Meridian for breakfast and another evacuee told me that Katrina was a Cat 5. Drove on to Huntsville, found a room in a motel, and then spent the afternoon at the Space Science and Technology Center in Huntsville. Fabulously interesting! But just barely enough to keep my mind off the storm. Evening: read Storm2K and watched CNN on the TV. Invested much energy in trying to will the storm to lose intensity or make the turn (sorry, MS and AL and FL people! couldn't help it). Well, it almost did but not enough.
August 29th:
Kept reading Storm2K and watching CNN on the TV. Heard a lot of reports about "dodging the bullet" and then heard reporters asking if the levees had broken, and firm assurances that they hadn't and that was just a rumor.
Ha.
Figured we would all be returning by Wednesday.
Ha again.
Left the New Orleans area at 3 AM, and traffic was moving briskly and well as we traveled east on I-10 and then north on I-59. Stopped in Meridian for breakfast and another evacuee told me that Katrina was a Cat 5. Drove on to Huntsville, found a room in a motel, and then spent the afternoon at the Space Science and Technology Center in Huntsville. Fabulously interesting! But just barely enough to keep my mind off the storm. Evening: read Storm2K and watched CNN on the TV. Invested much energy in trying to will the storm to lose intensity or make the turn (sorry, MS and AL and FL people! couldn't help it). Well, it almost did but not enough.
August 29th:
Kept reading Storm2K and watching CNN on the TV. Heard a lot of reports about "dodging the bullet" and then heard reporters asking if the levees had broken, and firm assurances that they hadn't and that was just a rumor.
Ha.
Figured we would all be returning by Wednesday.
Ha again.
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Audrey2Katrina
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boca wrote:I was watching the feed from WWL in New Orleans and wondering how will people survive this storm.
Sadly, already nearly 1700 haven't...and had she kept the track she was originally on that would have been apocalyptically higher.
A2K
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Flossy 56 Audrey 57 Hilda 64* Betsy 65* Camille 69* Edith 71 Carmen 74 Bob 79 Danny 85 Elena 85 Juan 85 Florence 88 Andrew 92*, Opal 95, Danny 97, Georges 98*, Isidore 02, Lili 02, Ivan 04, Cindy 05*, Dennis 05, Katrina 05*, Gustav 08*, Isaac 12*, Nate 17, Barry 19, Cristobal 20, Marco, 20, Sally, 20, Zeta 20*, Claudette 21 IDA* 21 Francine *24
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Innotech
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It was rather interesting. I was attending our city's first ever Japanese Anime convention run by osme friends of mine. There were about 750 people in attendance and it was get this: August 26th-28th 
Yep so that basically meant on saturday night they had to either accomodate for stranded New Orleans visitors or fly them out early. sunday wasa very uneventful day because half the con-goers had to leave or evacuate. Lets just say it was pretty interesting. Especially when I wasntaware of how powerful Katrina was at the itme. I heard 175 and I was like
and then I found out it was going straight for N.O. and it was more like 
I know some people from the Buras area that still havent returned, and possibly never will. They are living around Lafayette now.
Yep so that basically meant on saturday night they had to either accomodate for stranded New Orleans visitors or fly them out early. sunday wasa very uneventful day because half the con-goers had to leave or evacuate. Lets just say it was pretty interesting. Especially when I wasntaware of how powerful Katrina was at the itme. I heard 175 and I was like
and then I found out it was going straight for N.O. and it was more like I know some people from the Buras area that still havent returned, and possibly never will. They are living around Lafayette now.
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Derek Ortt
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Innotech
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of note, some of the small towns around Lafayette are getting populated enough from evacuees settling down, that they are actually building super Walmarts and other bigger businesses where once there was a few grocery stores! One example is Eunice. Its amazing how much that place is changing since Katrina. I used to be able to drive anywhere and not contend with much more than 2/3 cars. now its almostl ike Lafayette in ways. Its absurd.
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MGC
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Saturday, August 27th Spent most of the day moving stuff into the garage. Had to go to work that evening. Spent most of the evening watching the IR loop of Katrina. About fainted when Katrina's eye became very big. Got off work at midnight, got 300 dollars from the ATM then filled up both cars with gas. Went to bed at around 1am.
Sunday, August 28th. Woke up by freaked out mother-in-law on the phone. I'll never forget her words "Its a Cat-5, you've got to get out!" Hung up and turned on the TV. Started cussing! Went and made a pot of coffee and got busy getting a few things together. Got the car packed up, grabed the dog and old man and headed for Florida. Evacuate to Florida, now there is a concept. Drove down Hwy 90 and as we drove we discussed what might not be there when we got back. Neither of us expected most everything to be gone.
Monday, August 29th. Woke up just as Katrina was making landfall in Louisiana. Expected the worst as it was apparent that the Mississippi Coast would be in the RFQ and get the worst of it. Got a call from my cousin who informed me that they were in their attic and the surge was coming up fast. She was calm and cool, I was freaking out. I told her the eye was coming ashore in Hancock County and the winds should shift to the SW soon. Phone goes dead and we don't hear from her again till we get home. Sit around all day worring about family that didn't leave and watch TV.
Tuesday, August 30th. Watch TV all day. Finally get to see some pictures from Mississippi. Can't believe our eyes. All are stunned by the pictures. Watch the looting in New Orleans and cry.
Wednesday, August 31st. Return home. Find cousin and family is OK Find that the house in Pass Christian is OK, house in Diamondhead has a few trees on the roof. Take a walk down to Hwy 90 and are stunned by the amount and degree of destruction. Watch the search and rescue teams search homes and debris piles. The stench of death fills the air. I'll never forget the smells......MGC
Sunday, August 28th. Woke up by freaked out mother-in-law on the phone. I'll never forget her words "Its a Cat-5, you've got to get out!" Hung up and turned on the TV. Started cussing! Went and made a pot of coffee and got busy getting a few things together. Got the car packed up, grabed the dog and old man and headed for Florida. Evacuate to Florida, now there is a concept. Drove down Hwy 90 and as we drove we discussed what might not be there when we got back. Neither of us expected most everything to be gone.
Monday, August 29th. Woke up just as Katrina was making landfall in Louisiana. Expected the worst as it was apparent that the Mississippi Coast would be in the RFQ and get the worst of it. Got a call from my cousin who informed me that they were in their attic and the surge was coming up fast. She was calm and cool, I was freaking out. I told her the eye was coming ashore in Hancock County and the winds should shift to the SW soon. Phone goes dead and we don't hear from her again till we get home. Sit around all day worring about family that didn't leave and watch TV.
Tuesday, August 30th. Watch TV all day. Finally get to see some pictures from Mississippi. Can't believe our eyes. All are stunned by the pictures. Watch the looting in New Orleans and cry.
Wednesday, August 31st. Return home. Find cousin and family is OK Find that the house in Pass Christian is OK, house in Diamondhead has a few trees on the roof. Take a walk down to Hwy 90 and are stunned by the amount and degree of destruction. Watch the search and rescue teams search homes and debris piles. The stench of death fills the air. I'll never forget the smells......MGC
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