When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on Monday morning, August 29, she cut a wide swath of destruction in the area, but despite inflicting huge damage, it initially appeared that the storm spared the low-lying New Orleans worst of her wrath. But as Katrina moved on, it soon became clear to those who have not yet evacuated to the city that something is not the case: in almost every part of the flood of New Orleans, and the next day, about 80 percent would be under water . The rapid growth of the flood waters as a result of three major breaches in levees protecting the city, created a massive humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands of residents fled to rooftops and attics where they are looking forward to salvation, or wading waist-deep in the water to find shelter, and many went to the Superdome, which was already packed with people who were waiting for the storm there, or other makeshift shelters in the city . In the days dragged on, it becomes increasingly clear that almost every aspect of the response from the state, local and federal governments are far from what is needed: evacuees languished in squalid shelters or on highway overpasses waiting for the bus, which did not come, robberies and more serious crimes reportedly rampant, food, water and medical care were in short supply. As public outrage grew, fed by television footage distraught victims of the storm, officials respond to emergencies and political leaders, all the way up to President George W. Bush, were scrambling to cope with the "ultra-catastrophe" that Katrina was in New Orleans. HKS Case Number 1844.0 "Hide
by Esther Scott, Arnold Howitt 36 pages. Publication Date: June 19, 2006. Prod. #: HKS149-PDF-ENG
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