Hurricane timeline.
- From: "sagetea2000@xxxxxxxxx" <sagetea2000@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 8 Sep 2005 16:12:27 -0700
http://www.thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline
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Friday, August 26
GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOUISIANA: [Office
of
the Governor]
GULF COAST STATES REQUEST TROOP ASSISTANCE FROM PENTAGON: At a 9/1
press
conference, Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, commander, Joint Task Force
Katrina,
said that the Gulf States began the process of requesting additional
forces
on Friday, 8/26. [DOD]
Saturday, August 27
5AM Â- KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE [CNN]
GOV. BLANCO ASKS BUSH TO DECLARE FEDERAL STATE OF EMERGENCY IN
LOUISIANA:
"I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude
that
effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected
local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is
necessary to
save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen
or
avert the threat of a disaster." [Office of the Governor]
FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARED, DHS AND FEMA GIVEN FULL AUTHORITY TO
RESPOND TO
KATRINA: "Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and
provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to
alleviate
the impacts of the emergency." [White House]
Sunday, August 28
2AM Â- KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]
7AM Â- KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE [CNN]
MORNING Â- LOUISIANA NEWSPAPER SIGNALS LEVEES MAY GIVE: "Forecasters
Fear
Levees Won't Hold Katrina": "Forecasters feared Sunday afternoon that
storm
driven waters will lap over the New Orleans levees when monster
Hurricane
Katrina pushes past the Crescent City tomorrow." [Lafayette Daily
Advertiser]
9:30 AM Â- MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES FIRST EVER MANDATORY EVACUATION OF NEW
ORLEANS:
"We're facing the storm most of us have feared," said Nagin. "This is
going
to be an unprecedented event." [Times-Picayune]
4PM Â- NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SPECIAL HURRICANE WARNING: In
the
event of a category 4 or 5 hit, "Most of the area will be uninhabitable
for
weeks, perhaps longer. Â... At least one-half of well-constructed
homes will
have roof and wall failure. All gabled roofs will fail, leaving those
homes
severely damaged or destroyed. Â... Power outages will last for weeks.
Â... Water
shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards."
[National Weather Service]
AFTERNOON Â- BUSH, BROWN, CHERTOFF WARNED OF LEVEE FAILURE BY
NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER DIRECTOR: Dr. Max Mayfield, director of the National
Hurricane Center: "'We were briefing them way before landfall. Â...
It's not
like this was a surprise. We had in the advisories that the levee could
be
topped.'" [Times-Picayune; St. Petersburg Times]
LATE PM Â- REPORTS OF WATER TOPPLING OVER LEVEE: "Waves crashed atop
the
exercise path on the Lake Pontchartrain levee in Kenner early Monday as
Katrina churned closer." [Times-Picayune]
APPROXIMATELY 30,000 EVACUEES GATHER AT SUPERDOME WITH ROUGHLY 36 HOURS
WORTH OF FOOD [Times-Picayune]
Monday, August 29
7AM Â- KATRINA MAKES LANDFALL AS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE [CNN]
8AM Â- MAYOR NAGIN REPORTS THAT WATER IS FLOWING OVER LEVEE: "I've
gotten
reports this morning that there is already water coming over some of
the
levee systems. In the lower ninth ward, we've had one of our pumping
stations to stop operating, so we will have significant flooding, it is
just
a matter of how much." [NBC's "Today Show"]
MORNING Â- BUSH CALLS SECRETARY CHERTOFF TO DISCUSS IMMIGRATION: "I
spoke to
Mike Chertoff today, he's the head of the Department of Homeland
Security.
I knew people would want me to discuss this issue [immigration], so we
got
us an airplane on, a telephone on Air Force One, so I called him. I
said,
are you working with the governor? He said, you bet we are." [White
House]
MORNING Â- BUSH SHARES BIRTHDAY CAKE PHOTO-OP WITH SEN. JOHN MCCAIN
[White
House]
11AM Â- BUSH VISITS ARIZONA RESORT TO PROMOTE MEDICARE DRUG BENEFIT:
"This
new bill I signed says, if you're a senior and you like the way things
are
today, you're in good shape, don't change. But, by the way, there's a
lot of
different options for you. And we're here to talk about what that means
to
our seniors." [White House]
LATE MORNING Â- LEVEE BREACHED: "A large section of the vital 17th
Street
Canal levee, where it connects to the brand new 'hurricane proof' Old
Hammond Highway bridge, gave way late Monday morning in Bucktown after
Katrina's fiercest winds were well north." [Times-Picayune]
11:30AM Â- MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY REQUESTS THAT DHS DISPATCH 1,000
EMPLOYEES
TO REGION, GIVES THEM TWO DAYS TO ARRIVE: "Brown's memo to Chertoff
described Katrina as 'this near catastrophic event' but otherwise
lacked any
urgent language. The memo politely ended, 'Thank you for your
consideration
in helping us to meet our responsibilities.'" [AP]
2PM Â- BUSH TRAVELS TO CALIFORNIA SENIOR CENTER TO DISCUSS MEDICARE
DRUG
BENEFIT: "We've got some folks up here who are concerned about their
Social
Security or Medicare. Joan Geist is with us. Â... I could tell Â-
she was
looking at me when I first walked in the room to meet her, she was
wondering
whether or not old George W. is going to take away her Social Security
check." [White House]
9PM Â- RUMSFELD ATTENDS SAN DIEGO PADRES BASEBALL GAME: Rumsfeld
"joined
Padres President John Moores in the owner's box at Petco Park." [Editor
&
Publisher]
Tuesday, August 30
9AM Â- BUSH SPEAKS ON IRAQ AT NAVAL BASE CORONADO [White House]
MIDDAY Â- CHERTOFF FINALLY BECOMES AWARE THAT LEVEE HAS FAILED: "It
was on
Tuesday that the leveeÂ-may have been overnight Monday to
TuesdayÂ-that the
levee started to break. And it was midday Tuesday that I became aware
of the
fact that there was no possibility of plugging the gap and that
essentially
the lake was going to start to drain into the city." [Meet the Press,
9/4/05]
PENTAGON CLAIMS THERE ARE ENOUGH NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN REGION:
"Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said the states have adequate
National
Guard
units to handle the hurricane needs." [WWL-TV]
MASS LOOTING REPORTED, SECURITY SHORTAGE CITED: "The looting is out of
control. The French Quarter has been attacked," Councilwoman Jackie
Clarkson
said. "We're using exhausted, scarce police to control looting when
they
should be used for search and rescue while we still have people on
rooftops." [AP]
U.S.S. BATAAN SITS OFF SHORE, VIRTUALLY UNUSED: "The USS Bataan, a
844-foot
ship designed to dispatch Marines in amphibious assaults, has
helicopters,
doctors, hospital beds, food and water. It also can make its own water,
up
to 100,000 gallons a day. And it just happened to be in the Gulf of
Mexico
when Katrina came roaring ashore. The Bataan rode out the storm and
then
followed it toward shore, awaiting relief orders. Helicopter pilots
flying
from its deck were some of the first to begin plucking stranded New
Orleans
residents. But now the Bataan's hospital facilities, including six
operating
rooms and beds for 600 patients, are empty." [Chicago Tribune]
3PM Â- PRESIDENT BUSH PLAYS GUITAR WITH COUNTRY SINGER MARK WILLIS
[AP]
BUSH RETURNS TO CRAWFORD FOR FINAL NIGHT OF VACATION [AP]
Wednesday, August 31
TENS OF THOUSANDS TRAPPED IN SUPERDOME; CONDITIONS DETERIORATE: "A
2-year-old girl slept in a pool of urine. Crack vials littered a
restroom.
Blood stained the walls next to vending machines smashed by teenagers.
'We
pee on the floor. We are like animals,' said Taffany Smith, 25, as she
cradled her 3-week-old son, Terry.
By Wednesday, it had degenerated into horror.
At least two people, including a child, have been raped. At least
three people have died, including one man who jumped 50 feet to his
death,
saying he had nothing left to live for. There is no sanitation. The
stench
is overwhelming."" [Los Angeles Times, 9/1/05]
PRESIDENT BUSH FINALLY ORGANIZES TASK FORCE TO COORDINATE FEDERAL
RESPONSE:
Bush says on Tuesday he will "fly to Washington to begin workÂ...with
a task
force that will coordinate the work of 14 federal agencies involved in
the
relief effort." [New York Times, 8/31/05]
JEFFERSON PARISH EMERGENCY DIRECTOR SAYS FOOD AND WATER SUPPLY GONE:
"Director Walter Maestri: FEMA and national agencies not delivering the
help
nearly as fast as it is needed." [WWL-TV]
80,000 BELIEVED STRANDED IN NEW ORLEANS: Former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy
"estimated 80,000 were trapped in the flooded city and urged President
Bush
to send more troops." [Reuters]
3,000 STRANDED AT CONVENTION CENTER WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER: "With 3,000
or
more evacuees stranded at the convention center and with no apparent
contingency plan or authority to deal with them collecting a body was
no
one's priority. Some had been at the convention center since Tuesday
morning but had received no food, water or instructions."
[Times-Picayune]
5PM Â- BUSH GIVES FIRST MAJOR ADDRESS ON KATRINA: "Nothing about the
president's demeanor which seemed casual to the point of carelessness
suggested that he understood the depth of the current crisis." [New
York
Times]
8:00PM Â- CONDOLEEZZA RICE TAKES IN A BROADWAY SHOW: "On Wednesday
night,
Secretary Rice was booed by some audience members at 'Spamalot!, the
Monty
Python musical at the Shubert, when the lights went up after the
performance." [New York Post, 9/2/05]
9PM Â- FEMA DIRECTOR BROWN CLAIMS SURPRISE OVER SIZE OF STORM: "I
must say,
this storm is much much bigger than anyone expected." [CNN]
Thursday, September 1
8AM Â- BUSH CLAIMS NO ONE EXPECTED LEVEES TO BREAK: "I don't think
anybody
anticipated the breach of the levees." [Washington Post]
CONDOLEEZZA RICE VISITS U.S. OPEN: "Rice, [in New York] on three days'
vacation to shop and see the U.S. Open, hitting some balls with retired
champ Monica Seles at the Indoor Tennis Club at Grand Central." [New
York
Post]
STILL NO COMMAND AND CONTROL ESTABLISHED: Terry Ebbert, New Orleans
Homeland
Security Director: "This is a national emergency. This is a national
disgrace. FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and
control. We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we
can't
bail out the city of New Orleans." [Fox News]
2PM Â- MAYOR NAGIN ISSUES "DESPERATE SOS" TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:
"This is a
desperate SOS. Right now we are out of resources at the convention
centre
and don't anticipate enough buses. We need buses. Currently the
convention
centre is unsanitary and unsafe and we're running out of supplies."
[Guardian, 9/2/05]
2PM Â- MICHAEL BROWN CLAIMS NOT TO HAVE HEARD OF REPORTS OF
VIOLENCE: "I've
had no reports of unrest, if the connotation of the word unrest means
that
people are beginning to riot, or you know, they're banging on walls and
screaming and hollering or burning tires or whatever. I've had no
reports of
that." [CNN]
NEW ORLEANS "DESCEND[S] INTO ANARCHY": "Storm victims were raped and
beaten,
fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue
helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as flooded-out
New
Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. 'This is a desperate SOS,' the
mayor said." [AP]
CONDOLEEZZA RICE GOES SHOE SHOPPING: "Just moments ago at the Ferragamo
on
5th Avenue, Condoleeza Rice was seen spending several thousands of
dollars
on some nice, new shoes (we've confirmed this, so her new heels will
surely
get coverage from the WaPo's Robin Givhan). A fellow shopper, unable to
fathom the absurdity of Rice's timing, went up to the Secretary and
reportedly shouted, 'How dare you shop for shoes while thousands are
dying
and homeless!'" [Gawker]
MICHAEL BROWN FINALLY LEARNS OF EVACUEES IN CONVENTION CENTER: "We
learned
about that (Thursday), so I have directed that we have all available
resources to get that convention center to make sure that they have the
food
and water and medical care that they need." [CNN]
Friday, September 2
ROVE-LED CAMPAIGN TO BLAME LOCAL OFFICIALS BEGINS: "Under the command
of
President Bush's two senior political advisers, the White House rolled
out a
plan to contain the political damage from the administration's response
to
Hurricane Katrina." President Bush's comments from the Rose Garden
Friday
morning formed "the start of this campaign." [New York Times, 9/5/05]
9:35AM Â- BUSH PRAISES MICHAEL BROWN: "Brownie, you're doing a heck
of a
job." [White House, 9/2/05]
10 AM Â- PRESIDENT BUSH STAGES PHOTO-OP "BRIEFING": Coast Guard
helicopters
and crew diverted to act as backdrop for President Bush's photo-op.
BUSH VISIT GROUNDS FOOD AID: "Three tons of food ready for delivery by
air
to refugees in St. Bernard Parish and on Algiers Point sat on the
Crescent
City Connection bridge Friday afternoon as air traffic was halted
because of
President Bush's visit to New Orleans, officials said."
[Times-Picayune]
LEVEE REPAIR WORK ORCHESTRATED FOR PRESIDENT'S VISIT: Sen. Mary
Landrieu,
9/3: "Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw
what I
believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major
cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this
morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we
witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo
opportunity;
and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced
to a
single, lonely piece of equipment." [Sen. Mary Landrieu]
BUSH USES 50 FIREFIGHTERS AS PROPS IN DISASTER AREA PHOTO-OP: A group
of
1,000 firefighters convened in Atlanta to volunteer with the Katrina
relief
efforts. Of those, "a team of 50 Monday morning quickly were ushered
onto a
flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand
beside
President Bush as he tours devastated areas." [Salt Lake Tribune;
Reuters]
3PM Â- BUSH "SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE": "I am satisfied with the
response.
I am not satisfied with all the results." [AP]
Saturday, September 3
SENIOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL LIES TO WASHINGTON POST, CLAIMS
GOV.
BLANCO NEVER DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY: The Post reported in their
Sunday
edition "As of Saturday, Blanco still had not declared a state of
emergency,
the senior Bush official said." They were forced to issue a correction
hours
later. [Washington Post, 9/4/05]
9AM Â- BUSH BLAMES STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS: "[T]he magnitude of
responding
to a crisis over a disaster area that is larger than the size of Great
Britain has created tremendous problems that have strained state and
local
capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not
getting
the help they need." [White House, 9/3/05]
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