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-->{{otherhurricaneuses|Tropical Storm Katrina (disambiguation)|the Atlantic hurricane of 2005}}
{{Infobox hurricane
| name=Hurricane Katrina
| image location=Hurricane Katrina August 28 2005 NASA.jpg
| category=cat5
| type=hurricane
| image name=Hurricane Katrina near peak strength on ], ].
| formed=], ]
| dissipated=], ]
| highest winds=175&nbsp;] (280&nbsp;])
| lowest pressure=902&nbsp;] (])
| total damages=$75&nbsp;billion&nbsp;(2005&nbsp;]) (costliest ] in history)
| total fatalities=≥1,605
| areas affected=], ], ], ] (especially ]), ], ], ], most of eastern ]
| hurricane season=]
}}
{{Katrina}}
'''Hurricane Katrina''' was the costliest and one of the deadliest ]s in the history of the ]. It was the eleventh named storm, fifth hurricane, third major hurricane, and second ] of the ], and was the sixth-strongest ] ever recorded.

Katrina formed over the ] on ], ], and crossed southern ] as a moderate ] before strengthening rapidly in the ] and becoming one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Gulf. The storm weakened considerably before making its second landfall as a Category 3 storm on the morning of ] in southeast Louisiana.

It is possible that Katrina was the largest hurricane of its strength to approach the United States in recorded history; its sheer size caused devastation over 100 miles from the center. The storm surge caused major or catastrophic damage along the coastlines of ], ], and ], including the cities of ], ] and ], and ]. ]s separating ] from ] were breached by the surge, ultimately flooding roughly 80% of the city and many areas of neighboring ]. Severe wind damage was reported well inland. Katrina is estimated to be responsible for $75 billion (2005 ]) in damages, making it the costliest hurricane in U.S. history. The storm has killed at least 1,604 people, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the ].

==Storm history==
{{main|Meteorological history of Hurricane Katrina}}
]
Hurricane Katrina formed as Tropical Depression Twelve over the southeastern Bahamas at 5:00 PM EDT on August 23, 2005, partially from the remains of ]. The system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina on the morning of August 24, and became a hurricane only two hours before it made landfall around 6:30 PM EDT on August 25 between ] and ]. Katrina had a well-defined eye on doppler radar which remained intact throughout its passage over Florida. The storm weakened over land, but it regained hurricane status at 2:00 AM EDT about one hour after entering the Gulf of Mexico. Parts of the Florida Keys experienced tropical storm winds throughout August 26, with the Dry Tortugas briefly experiencing hurricane-force winds.<ref name="KatrinaTCR">Knabb, Richard D.; Rhome, Jamie R.; Brown, Daniel P. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>
The storm rapidly intensified during its first 24 hours after entering the Gulf, due in part to the storm's movement over the warm ] of the ].<ref>Leben, Robert; Born, George; Scott, Jim. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> On ], the storm reached Category 3 intensity on the ], becoming the third major hurricane of the season. An ] disrupted the intensification, but nearly doubled the size in the process. Katrina again rapidly intensified, attaining Category 5 status by 7:00 AM CDT on ] and its peak at 1:00 PM CDT with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 902 ]. The pressure made Katrina the fourth-most intense ] on record, though it would be surpassed by Hurricanes ] and ] later in the season; it was also the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Gulf (later also broken by Rita).<ref name="KatrinaTCR"/>

Katrina made its second landfall at 6:10 AM CDT on ] as a Category 3 Hurricane with sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h) near ]. At landfall, hurricane-force winds extended outward 120 mi (190 km) from the center and the storm's central pressure was 920 mbar. A few hours later, after weakening slightly, it made its third landfall near the Louisiana/Mississippi border with 120 mph (195 km/h) sustained winds, or Category 3 intensity, and producing record storm surges along the entire ] and ] coastlines.<ref name="KatrinaTCR"/>
Katrina maintained hurricane strength well into Mississippi, but weakened thereafter, finally losing hurricane strength more than 150&nbsp;mi (240&nbsp;km) inland, near ]. It was downgraded further to a ] near ] and literally broke in half. One half continued to race northward, and was last distinguishable in the eastern ] region on ], while the other half soon dissipated over the Southeast. On ], Katrina was absorbed by a frontal boundary and became a powerful extratropical low, causing moderate rain and gale-force winds in southeastern ]. By 11:00 PM EDT (0300 UTC) ], no discernible circulation remained of the former major hurricane.

==Preparations==
{{main|Preparations for Hurricane Katrina}}
===South Florida===
Many living in the area were caught off guard when Katrina strengthened from a tropical storm to a hurricane in one day and struck southern ] on ], ]. ] (NHC) forecasts had overlooked the strengthening and therefore, hurricane watches and warnings were not properly issued.<ref>"." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

===Gulf Coast===
On ], after Katrina crossed southern Florida and strengthened to a ] storm, ] ] declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi two days before the hurricane made landfall<ref>Bush, George W. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>.

On ], the ] issued a bulletin predicting "devastating" damage of Katrina, which at that time rivaled the intensity of ]. Mandatory evacuations were issued for large areas of southeast ] as well as coastal ] and ].<ref>"." '']/].'' ], ].</ref>

By Sunday, ], most infrastructure along the Gulf coast had been shut down, including all ] and ] rail traffic into the evacuation areas as well as the ].<ref>"." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

===New Orleans===
]
{{seealso|Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans}}
By ], the possibility of unprecedented cataclysm was already being considered. Some computer models were putting the city of ] right in the center of their track probabilities; the chances of a direct hit were forecast at 17%, with strike probability rising to 29% by ].<ref>"," & "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> This scenario was considered a potential catastrophe because 80% of the New Orleans metropolitan area is below sea level along ]. Since the storm surge produced by the hurricane's right-front quadrant (containing the strongest winds) was forecast to be 28 ft (8.5 m), emergency management officials in New Orleans feared that the storm surge could go over the tops of levees protecting the city, causing major flooding.<ref>Drye, Willie. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> This risk of devastation was well known; previous studies by ] and the ] had warned that a direct hurricane strike on New Orleans could lead to massive flooding, which would lead to thousands of drowning deaths, as well as many more suffering from disease and dehydration as the flood waters slowly receded from the city.<ref>Fischetti, Mark. "." ''].'' October 2001.</ref><ref>Bourne, Joel K. "." ''].'' October 2004.</ref><ref>"." ''].'' ]-27, 2002.</ref>

At a news conference 10:00 AM on ], shortly after Katrina was upgraded to a ] storm, New Orleans mayor ] ordered the first ever ] of the city, calling Katrina, "a storm that most of us have long feared".<ref>Staff Writer. "." '']/].'' ], ].</ref> The government also established several "refuges of last resort" for citizens who could not leave the city, including the massive ], which sheltered approximately 26,000 people and provided them with food and water for several days as the storm came ashore.<ref>Staff Writer. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

The Louisiana State Evacuation Plan left the means of evacuation up to individual citizens, parish governments, and private caretakers; however, many parishes were not able to provide sufficient transportation for citizens who did not have private means of evacuation, and many private care-taking facilities who relied on the same bus companies and ambulance services for evacuation were unable to evacuate their charges. Fuel and rental cars were in short supply and many forms public transportation had been shut down well before the storm arrived.<ref>Rulon, Malia; Scott, Katerine Hutt. "." ''Burlington Free Press.'' ], ].</ref> The end result was that hundreds of thousands of Orleans residents and tourists were unable to evacuate. Some estimates claimed that 80% of the 1.3 million residents of the greater New Orleans metropolitan area evacuated, leaving behind substantially fewer people than remained in the city during the ] evacuation.<ref>Brown, Aaron. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

==Impact==
{{main articles|]}}
] crewman assists in search and rescue efforts.]]
]
On ], Katrina's ] caused several ] in ] around ]. Most of the city was subsequently ]ed, as the breached drainage and navigation canals allowed water to flow from the lake into low areas of the city and ]. Storm surge also devastated the coasts of ] and ], making Katrina the most destructive and costliest ] in the history of the ], and the deadliest hurricane since the ].

The official combined (direct and indirect) ] now stands at 1,604, the fourth or fifth highest in U.S. history (behind the ], the ], the ], and possibly the ]). However, as of ], ], more than 2,000 people still remain unaccounted for.<ref>Osunami, Steve. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> As of ], ], 1,300 of those missing were either in heavily damaged areas or were disabled and feared dead; some are presumed washed out to sea. If all 1,300 missing were to be confirmed dead, Katrina would surpass the Okeechobee Hurricane and become the second deadliest storm in U.S. history and deadliest in over a century. <ref>Johnson, Kevin. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>
{{Costliest US Atlantic hurricanes|align=left}}

The total ] caused by Katrina is estimated by the NHC to be about $75 billion. (Other estimates range from $25 to $100 billion), almost double the previously most expensive storm, ], making Katrina the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.<ref>Engber, Daniel. "" ''].'' ], ].</ref>

] disaster declarations covered 90,000 square miles (]) of the United States, an area almost as large as the ]. The hurricane left an estimated three million people without electricity. While some less-damaged homes had power restored within weeks, as of ], ], only a little over one-third of structures had electricity, and fewer have hot water or cooking gas.<ref>Callimachi, Rikmini. "." ''Shreveport Times.'' ], ].</ref> On ], ], ] Secretary ] described the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as, "probably the worst catastrophe, or set of catastrophes," in the country's history, referring to the hurricane itself plus the flooding of New Orleans.<ref>"." ''].'' ], ].</ref>
<div style="clear: both"></div>
===Death toll===
{|class="wikitable" align="right" style="margin:0 0 0.5em 1em;"
|+Deaths by State
|-
! State !! Deaths
|-
| ] || 2
|-
| ] || 14
|-
| ] || 2
|-
| ] || 1
|-
| ] || 1292
|-
| ] || 238
|-
| ] || 2
|-
| Unknown || 53
|-
! Total !! 1604
|-
| Missing|| ~1840
|}
{{Seealso|Hurricane Katrina death toll by locality}}
As of ], ], the confirmed death toll stood at 1,604, mainly from Louisiana (1,293) and Mississippi (238).<ref>"." ''Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals.'' ], ].</ref> However, 705 people remain categorized as "missing" in Louisiana, so this number is not final even six months after the storm. <ref>Michelle Krupa "" ''Times-Picayune'', March 5, 2006.</ref>

In hard-hit ], which was flooded in its totality by Katrina, the search for the missing was slow. According to an interview in the ], the coroner was still trying to get a list of missing from the ] in November 2005. While there were some victims on this list whose bodies were found in their homes, the vast majority were tracked down through word-of-mouth and credit card records. As of December 2005, the official missing list in the Parish stood at 47.<ref>Cannizaro, Steve. "" ''St. Bernard Parish Government (press release).'' ], ].</ref>. It was feared that shrimpers and oystermen who usually ride out storms in their boats may have been swept into the marshes by the surge.

After protracted arguments over who would handle the costs, DNA testing began in December 2005 to identify approximately 263 bodies that could not be identified by other means.<ref>Staff Writer. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>



===Internet===
The DirectNIC data center in downtown New Orleans was able to continue operations uninterrupted, due in large part to the efforts of a few determined individuals. They also worked to help procure fuel for telco providers, and provided a ] for New Orleans' city hall, so that city officials could establish ] telephone service during the disaster. The effects of the storm disrupted the ] ] ] link between Houston and Atlanta, as well as some of DirectNIC's many high-speed connections. A survey done by CyberTelecom on ], found that 33% of web hosts in the city of New Orleans were not reachable.<ref>"." ''CyberTelecom.'' ], ].</ref>

Several telecommunications providers, including ], ], ], and ], provided refugees with telephones for free local and long distance telephone service, as well as ] hotspots for internet access in the Astrodome. ], ], and SBC also provided similar services at the Dallas Convention Center and ] where another 8,000 refugees were sheltered.

==Aftermath==
{{seealso|Social effects of Hurricane Katrina|Political effects of Hurricane Katrina|Hurricane Katrina disaster relief}}

===Economic effects===
{{main|Economic effects of Hurricane Katrina}}
The economic effects of the storm were far-reaching. As of ], ], the Bush Administration has sought $105 Billion for repairs and reconstruction in the region, making it the costliest natural disaster in US history.<ref>St. Onge, Jeff; Epstein, Victor. "." ''Boston.com.'' ], ].</ref> And this does not account for damage to the economy caused by potential interruption of the ] supply and exports of commodities such as grain. The storm had also affected the casino and entertainment industry, as many of the Gulf Coast's casinos were destroyed or sustained considerable damage following the storm. The forestry industry in Mississippi was also affected, as many trees were destroyed. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of local residents were left unemployed, which will have a trickle-down effect as less taxes are paid to local governments. Before the hurricane, the region supported approximately one million non-farm jobs, with 600,000 of them in ]. It is estimated that the total economic impact may reach as high as $200 billion.

===Looting and violence===
{{main|Civil disturbances and military action in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina}}
] Special Response Team searches a hotel room-by-room in New Orleans in response to Hurricane Katrina.]]

Shortly after the hurricane ended on ], some residents of New Orleans who remained in the city began ] stores. Many looters were in search of food and water that was not available to them due to the destruction, though many people stole non-essential items as well. Drug, convenience, clothing, and jewelry stores in the ] and on ] were among the hardest hit. Looting also occurred in other towns throughout the disaster area.

Reports of carjacking, murders, thefts, and rapes flooded the news, but all but one of the stories were determined to likely be based on rumors.<ref>Rosenblatt, Sarah; Rainey, James. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> Thousands of National Guard and federal troops were mobilized and sent to Louisiana along with numbers of local law enforcement agents from across the country who were temporarily deputized by the state. "They have ]s and are locked and loaded. These troops know how to shoot and kill and I expect they will," Kathleen Blanco said. Congressman ] (D-LA) told ]. "There was shooting going on. There was sniping going on. Over the first week of September, law and order was gradually restored to the city."<ref>Tapper, Jake. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> Several shootings were between police and New Orleans residents including the fatal incident at ].<ref>Staff Writer. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

A number of arrests were made throughout the affected area including near the New Orleans Convention Center. A temporary jail was constructed of chain link cages in the city train station.<ref>Staff Writer. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

Some issues of racial bias in media coverage began to surface as Caucasian flood victims were portrayed in one ] photo as "finding" supplies, while a black person was described in an ] photo as "looting" supplies. The photographers later clarified the two stories, one claiming he witnessed the black person looting a store, while the other photographer described the white people as finding the food floating in floodwaters, although many believe the photographers story was merely an attempt to excuse a racially biased comment. <ref>Mikkelson, Barbara; Mikkelson, David. P. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

In Texas, where more than 300,000 refugees are located, local officials have run 20,000 criminal background checks on the refugees, as well as on the relief workers helping them and people who have opened up their homes. Most of the checks have found little for police to be concerned about.<ref name="WBOY WV records">Schubert, Elizabeth. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

===Federal response===
:''See also'' ]

]s unload supplies in ].]]
] takes on supplies at ] en route to Gulf Coast.]]
Some ] response to Katrina began before the storm, with ] (FEMA) preparations that ranged from logistical supply deployments to a ] team with refrigerated trucks. A network of volunteers began rendering assistance to local residents and residents emerging from New Orleans and surrounding Parishes as soon as the storm made landfall, and has continued for more than six months after the storm.

The ] established Joint Task Force (JTF) Katrina based out of ], ], to act as the military's on-scene command on Sunday, ] <ref>"". ''],'' News Transcript. ], ].</ref>. Lieutenant General ] of the ] in ], Georgia, is the commander. Also called up were the volunteer members of the ] and the ].

In accordance with federal law, President George W. Bush directed Secretary ] of the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate the Federal response. Chertoff designated ], head of FEMA, as the primary federal official to lead the deployment and coordination of all federal response resources and forces in the Gulf Coast region. However, the President and Secretary Chertoff have come under harsh criticism for their lack of planning and coordination. Eight days later, Brown was recalled to Washington and Coast Guard Vice Admiral ] replaced him as chief of hurricane relief operations.<ref>Meserve, Jeanne; Barrett, Ted. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> Three days after the recall, Michael D. Brown resigned as director of FEMA in spite of having received praise from President George W. Bush. Later, leaked video footage and transcripts of top-level briefings during the week before the storm indicate that federal officials did inform Bush and Chertoff of the danger of levee breaches.<ref>Russell, Alex. "." ''The Telegraph.'' ], ].</ref>

Chertoff, ] of the ], decided to take over the federal, state, and local operations officially on ], ], going forward by citing the ]. The ] states that, "when responding to a catastrophic incident, the federal government should start emergency operations even in the absence of clear assessment of the situation." "A detailed and credible common operating picture may not be achievable for 24 to 48 hours (or longer) after the incident," the NRP's "Catastrophic Annex" states. "As a result, response activities must begin without the benefit of a detailed or complete situation and critical needs assessment."

On ], Congress authorized $10.5 billion in aid for victims. A few days later, on ], another $51.8 billion in aid was approved, bringing the total to $62.3 billion.<ref>Baker, Peter; Goldstein, Amy. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> Additionally, President Bush enlisted the help of former presidents ] and ] to raise additional voluntary contributions, much as they did after the ] and ].<ref>Bush, George W. "." ''],'' Press Release. ], ].</ref>

FEMA has provided housing assistance (rental assistance, trailers, etc.) to over 700,000 applicants - families and individuals. However, only one-fifth of the trailers requested in Orleans Parish have been supplied resulting in an enormous housing shortage in the city of New Orleans.<ref>''],'' ], ], page A-12.</ref> To provide for additional housing, FEMA has also paid for the hotel costs of 12,000 individuals and families displaced by Katrina through ], ], when a final deadline was set for the end of hotel cost coverage. After this deadline, refugees will still be eligible to receive federal assistance, which can be used towards either apartment rent, additional hotel stays, or fixing their ruined homes, although FEMA will no longer pay for hotels directly.<ref>Foster, Mary. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

===AmeriCorps relief operations===
] sent several crews to Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana in response to ] and ]. The crews originated from two main organizations, the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC), as well as from smaller Americorps organizations such as St. Louis Conversation Corps' Emergency Response Team (ERT). The crews performed a number of relief tasks for hurricane survivors, including support on the ]/] shelter ship, tarping damaged roofs, and debris removal. As of April 2006, AmeriCorps reported that it would continue to send relief to affected areas.

===States' response===
<!--{{main|US states respond to Hurricane Katrina}}-->
{{seealso|Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans#Evacuation efforts}}
Many U.S. states have offered to shelter refugees displaced by the storm, including places as far away as ] and ]. The majority of the refugees were taken to ], with over 230,000 people taking shelter in ] by ], ]. As Texas shelters became filled to capacity, it became a waypoint for the other refugees still leaving the area of crisis. From Texas, thousands of refugees have been dispersed to other states.

Two weeks after the storm, over half of the States were involved in providing shelter for refugees. By four weeks after the storm, refugees had been registered in all 50 states and in 18,700 zip codes - half of the nation's residential postal zones. Most refugees had stayed within 250 miles, but 240,000 households went to Houston and other cities over 250 miles away and another 60,000 households went over 750 miles away.<ref>Quigley, Bill. "" ''.''</ref>

Approximately 58,000 ] personnel were also activated to deal with the storm's aftermath, with troops coming from all 50 states.<ref>Phillips, Kyra. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

===International response===
{{main|International response to Hurricane Katrina}}
] personnel unload ] relief supplies from a Canadian transport aircraft in ].]]
Over seventy countries pledged monetary donations or other assistance. ] made the largest single pledge, $500 million; other large donations were made by ] ($100 million), ], ] (both $5 million) and ] ($1 million).<ref>Staff Writer. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

Countries like ], which is still recovering from the ], ] (one of the smallest countries in the world by any measure), ] and ] (despite their differences with the United States), also offered to help. Countries including ], ], ], and ] sent supplies, relief personnel, troops, ships and water pumps to aid in the disaster recovery. ]'s ] of two jets was declined by the U.S. State Department. The ] ] was also declined.

===Non-government organization response===
The ], ], ], ], and many other charitable organizations provided housing, food, and water to the victims of the storm. These organizations also provided an infrastructure for shelters throughout Louisiana and other states that held thousands of refugees.

In addition to providing shelter and relocation services, many organizations have also been active in the recovery and rebuilding processes. In areas of Southern Mississippi and Louisiana, dozens of organizations have been collaborating in providing free house 'gutting' and tree removal for affected residents. Prior to gutting, houses are assessed to ensure that less than 50% of the structure is compromised, and that the house is still on its foundation. In past disasters, FEMA coordinated the work order process. Due to FEMA restructuring and the scope of this disaster, local organizations such as the East Biloxi Coordination and Relief Center are handling the case management and order processing. ], a new grassroots non-profit, was formed in the aftermath of Katrina to fill the gaps left by Federal and bureaucratic NGO response. With roots at the New Waveland Cafe in ], EC went on to build kitchens and community centers in ] and ]. Many college students spent their 2006 ] working with organizations such as ], ], Campus Crusade for Christ, and ], helping to rebuild in areas hit by the hurricane.<ref>Lambeck, Linda C. "." '']//].'' ], ]</ref>

Volunteers from ]'s emergency service wing, the ], provided emergency communications for federal, state and local officials. Over one thousand volunteer operators traveled to affected areas to provide communications in areas where the communications infrastructure had been damaged or totally destroyed<ref>Staff Writer. "" ''National Association for Amateur Radio.'' ], ].</ref>, relaying everything from 911 traffic to messages home. The Red Cross also deployed ham radio operators to at least 250 of its shelter and aid locations.<ref>Staff Writer. "." ''National Association for Amateur Radio.'' ], ].</ref>. In ], ham radio operators provided the only communications into or out of the area, and even served as 911 dispatchers.<ref>Staff Writer. "." ''National Association for Amateur Radio.'' ], ].</ref>

Coorporations also contributed to relief efforts. On ], it was reported that corporate donations to the relief effort were $409 million, and were expected to exceed $1 billion.<ref>"." ''].'' ], ].</ref> The largest corporate givers were ], ], and ], each giving ]20 million or greater in cash and products. ], has given $26.5 million in cash, the largest corporate cash contribution to date, and provided $3.5 million worth in products throughout Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

===Analysis of New Orleans levee failures===
{{main|Levee failures in Greater New Orleans, 2005}}
]' levee failures were found to be primarily the result of system design flaws, combined with the lack of adequate maintenance. Those responsible for the conception, design, construction, and maintenance of the region's flood-control system apparently failed to pay sufficient attention to public safety, according to an investigation by the ].<ref>Myers, Lisa. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

According to new modeling and field observations by a team from ], the ] (MRGO), a 200-meter wide canal designed to provide a shortcut from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico, helped provide a funnel for the storm surge, making it 20% higher and 100%-200% faster as it crashed into the city. St. Bernard Parish, one of the more devastated areas, lies just south of the MRGO.<ref>Hirsch, Tim. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> The ] disputes this causality and maintains Katrina would have overwhelmed the levees with or without the contributing effect of the MRGO. Opponents of the MRGO have been lobbying for its closure, since the expected shipping traffic it was designed for has never materialized.

On April 5, 2006, months after independent investigators had demonstrated that levee failures were not due to natural forces beyond intended design strength, Lt. Gen. Carl Strock testified before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Water that "We have now concluded we had problems with the design of the structure." He also testified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not know of this mechanism of failure prior to August 29, 2005. The claim of ignorance is refuted, however, by the National Science Foundation investigators hired by the Army Corps of Engineers, who point to a 1986 study by the Corps itself that such separations were possible in the I-wall design.
<ref>{{cite news| title = Corps chief admits to 'design failure' | author = Walsh, Bill | publisher = ] | date = ], ] | accessdate=2006-04-09 | url = http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1144306231230500.xml}}</ref>

===Criticism of government response===
{{main|Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina}}

Criticism of government response to the hurricane primarily consisted of in response to the approach of the storm and its aftermath, specifically in the delayed response to the flooding of ].

Within days of Katrina's landfall, public debate arose about local, state and federal governments' role in the ] for and response to the storm. The ] was prompted largely by televised images of visibly shaken and frustrated political leaders, and of residents who remained in New Orleans without ], ] or ]; and the deaths of several citizens of ], ], and ] days after the storm itself had passed. Condemnations of ] and lack of ] were given, while others alleged that ], ], and other factors could have contributed to delays in government response. The planning and response of ] administration initially faced the harshest criticism, in particular of the ] and its director, ]. Subsequently, criticism from politicians, activists, pundits and journalists of all stripes has also been directed at the local and state governments headed by Mayor ] of New Orleans and Louisiana Governor ].

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina has raised other, more general public policy issues about emergency management, environmental policy, poverty, and unemployment. The discussion of both the immediate response and of the broader public policy issues may affect ] and ] enacted at various ], and caused a Congressional investigation which found that FEMA and the Red Cross "did not have a logistics capacity sophisticated enough to fully support the massive number of Gulf coast victims."<ref name="CongressInvestigation">{{cite book| author=] | year = ], ] | title = A Failure of Initiative: Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina | publisher = ] | location = ] | format = PDF | accessdate = 2006-04-10 |url=http://www.gpoaccess.gov/katrinareport/fullreport.pdf}}</ref>

A minor scandal erupted when a subsidiary corporation to ], the company involved in illegally disposing of bodies in the ] scandal, was awarded a ] by ] to count and collect corpses in ] after the hurricane.<ref>Raftery, Miriam. "." ''].''</ref> There was also some concern that some bodies were being improperly disposed of without notification of next of kin.<ref>Brezosky, Lynn. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

===Retirement===
{{seealso|List of retired Atlantic hurricanes}}
Due to the large loss of life and property along the ], the name Katrina was officially retired on ], ] by the ] at the request of the U.S. ]. It was replaced by Katia on List III of the ], which will next be used in the ].<ref>"." ''].'' ], ].</ref>

==Media involvement==
], ].]]
Many representatives of the ] reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina became directly involved in the unfolding events, instead of simply reporting. Due to the loss of most means of communication, such as land-based and cellular telephone systems, field reporters in many cases became conduits for information between victims and authorities.

Several reporters for various ] located groups of stranded victims, and reported their location via ]. Authorities, who monitored the network news broadcasts, would then attempt to coordinate rescue efforts based on the news reports. This was best illustrated when ] and ] of ], among others, reported thousands of refugees stranded at the ]. Rivera tearfully pleaded for authorities to either send help or let the refugees leave. ] went so far as to compare the convention center to ].<ref>"." -- ''Video.'' 2005.</ref>

The news media, both traditional and Internet, also played a role in helping families locate missing loved ones. Many family members, unable to contact local authorities in the affected areas, discovered the fate of a loved one via an online photo or television video clip. In one instance, a family in ], ] discovered their mother was still alive in ] after seeing a photo of her on a news website.

Many journalists also contributed to the spread of false rumors of lawlessness among the victims, which many have interpreted as an instance of ]. Many news organizations carried the unsubstantiated accounts that murder and rape were widespread, and in some cases later repeated the claims as fact, without attribution. However, only one actual report of a raping occurred during the uproar.<ref>Thevenot, Brian; Russell, Gordon. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> A few of the reports of rape and violence were based on statements made by New Orleans city officials, including the Chief of Police. Many officials later claimed these rumors often impeded the relief and rescue efforts.

===Restrictions on the media===
]
As the U.S. military and rescue services regained control over the city, there were restrictions on the activity of the media.

<!-- This paragraph and the following one are conflicting, and need to be merged. -->On ], FEMA stopped allowing journalists to accompany rescuers searching for victims, saying they would take up too much space. At the same time, FEMA requested that journalists stop taking pictures of dead bodies. News organizations have filed suit in ], claiming a violation of the ]'s ]. In face of the lawsuit, FEMA has since countermanded this request<ref>Hilden, Julie. "" ''].'' ], ].</ref>.

<!-- This paragraph and the preceding one are conflicting, and need to be merged. -->On ], a ] spokeswoman requested in an email to ]s that they voluntarily refrain from taking ]s of the many corpses still present in the city at that time. The next day, FEMA spokesman ] confirmed this request. On ], Lt. Gen. ], the military leader of the relief effort, announced that reporters would have "zero access" to efforts to recover bodies in New Orleans. Critics of the federal government considered this effort to be similar to the controversial post-] policy that corpses under federal custody should be kept shielded from media photographers. Journalist ] also reported that in the process of blocking journalists, police even went so far as to threaten reporters with a weapon.<ref>Kurtz, Howard. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> However, at refugee centers such as the ] and the ], press activity was extensive.

On ], ] journalist Brian Barker reported that his team was threatened with automatic weapons by ] until they were identified by Brig. Gen. ], commander of the ] of Oregon, the unit they were embedded with.<ref>Barker, Brian. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> Subsequently, his team taped the letters, "TV" on the side of their vehicles in accordance with standard practice in war zones.

Immediately following the government decision, ] filed a ] and obtained a temporary ] against the federal ban.<ref>Moore, Solomon; Zucchino, David. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref> The next day, spokesperson Col. ] announced that the government would no longer attempt to bar media access to the victim recovery efforts.<ref>Staff Writer. "." ''].'' ], ].</ref>.

] staff photojournalist Lucas Oleniuk was thrown to the ground by police in the ] after taking several photographs, including pictures of a firefight between looters and police and the subsequent alleged beating of a looter by the police. The police attempted to take all of his equipment, however he convinced them to just take his camera's memory cards. In a separate incident, freelance photojournalist Marko Georgiev, shooting for ], took photos of a body presumably shot and killed by the police. Police then pointed their weapons at the car and ordered the journalists out. They proceeded to search the car and confiscated one of Georgiev's memory cards.<ref>{{cite news
| first=Donald R.
| last=Winslow
| url=http://www.nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2005/09/hurricane2.html
| title=Photojournalists Covering Katrina Fall Victim To Growing Violence, Chaos
| work=National Press Photographers Association
| date=]
| accessdate=2006-03-13
}}</ref>

Besides journalism, there was an effect on fictional television. ] placed ] before the series premiere of the new show '']'' because the episode featured a hurricane hitting ] (the point of landfall of ]).<ref>Ryan, Joel. "." '']'' ], ].</ref>

==See also==
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==References==
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==External links and sources==
{{sisterlinks|Hurricane Katrina}}
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Revision as of 14:40, 5 May 2006

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