Timeline of Hurricane Katrina
Simultaneously, the trough in the upper troposphere weakened, causing wind shear in the area to relax, thereby allowing the new tropical depression to develop.
The strongest sustained winds in Florida was a report of 72 mph (116 km/h) on the roof of the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science in Virginia Key.
"[9] Governor Blanco sends a letter to President George W. Bush asking him to declare a major disaster for the State of Louisiana, in order to release federal financial assistance.
It also provided for military assets and personnel to be deployed in relief and support operations, although the Posse Comitatus Act imposes strict limitations on the use of Active Duty soldiers in law enforcement.
Following Nagin's speech, Governor Blanco stated that President Bush called her "just before" the press conference and said that he was "concerned about the [storm’s] impact" and asked her "to please ensure that there would be a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans.
[13] Shortly after the meeting, at 10:00 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the National Weather Service issued a bulletin predicting "devastating" damage and that anyone without shelter would face "certain death.
"[14] At 12:00 PM CDT (1700 UTC), the Louisiana Superdome was opened as a, "refuge of last resort," for those residents that were unable to obtain safe transport out of the city.
[20] Katrina continued north into St. Bernard Parish, crossed Lake Borgne, and made its final landfall near the mouth of the Pearl River on the Louisiana-Mississippi border as a Category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph.
Levees along the eastern portion of the Mississippi Gulf Outlet began to be overtopped and/or destroyed causing waters to start rushing to the Lower Ninth Ward.
[24] At 10:00 AM CDT (1500 UTC), Hurricane Katrina made its third landfall near Pearlington, Mississippi and Slidell, Louisiana, with sustained winds of 120 mph (193 km/h) after crossing Breton Sound.
DHS personnel were told to "establish and maintain positive working relationships with disaster affected communities" and "collect and disseminate information and make referrals for appropriate assistance."
As news organizations failed to understand the severity of the effects, the New York Times front page read "Escaping Feared Knockout Punch, Barely, New Orleans Is One Lucky Big Mess.
Michael Chertoff released a memo to other cabinet members and the Environmental Protection Agency stating that "the President has established the 'White House Task Force on Hurricane Katrina Response.'
[36][37] In a national news conference presided by Chertoff, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson announced the relaxation of federal fuel and emissions standards in response to Katrina.
They remained under their respective governor's control, which enabled them to provide law-enforcement support in affected regions, which is prohibited [to the military] by the Posse Comitatus Act.
Crews working to reopen the line were hindered by debris and damage to the Bayou Boeuf bridge in Morgan City, Louisiana, which had been struck by a barge propelled by the storm's winds and wave action.
American Red Cross National President Marsha Evans and Vic Howell, of the agency's Louisiana Capital Area Chapter, requested permission to enter and set up a shelter in New Orleans to pass out relief supplies, but Louisiana officials ultimately rejected the request due to concerns that relief efforts might clash with ongoing military rescue operations.
Food and potable water were unavailable, with mostly false reports and rumors of rescuers coming under fire from people seeking to hijack supplies or transportation, and few buses were arriving to evacuate the survivors.
[48] Secretary Chertoff is criticized by NPR's Robert Siegel during an interview on All Things Considered, as he had no knowledge of the approximately 2,000 survivors at the Convention Center with no food or water.
The New Orleans suburb of Gretna seals the Crescent City Connection bridge across the Mississippi River, turning back fleeing flood victims at gunpoint.
[54] He also toured the hurricane-battered Gulf Coast, saying that he is ordering additional active duty forces to the region, and authorized a withdrawal of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
In a letter to the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, BNSF Railway (headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas) pledged a contribution of $1 Million, and offered rail transportation to aid in relief efforts for the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The letter also stated that repairs to the Bayou Boeuf bridge were now completed and BNSF's mainline was reopened as originally planned at 6:00 PM CST on September 1.
President Bush issued an executive order suspending the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, allowing federal contractors rebuilding after Katrina to pay below the prevailing wage.
CNN filed a lawsuit, then obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent government agencies from interfering with news coverage of recovery efforts.
[35] The federal government subsequently agreed not to attempt to restrict media coverage of events and Honoré's deputy says that the original statement referred to a policy of not allowing embedded journalists on relief operations.
Previous flyovers of the area revealed a number of cars derailed in various states of damage, but it is as yet unknown the amount or types of hazardous materials that were involved.
Kathleen Blanco, Illinois police officers on loan to Louisiana were sent out with flat bottomed boats to rescue hundreds of frozen embryos from New Orleans Lakewood Hospital's Fertility Institute, the first of which was born on Jan. 16, 2007.
[65] President Bush addresses the nation from Jackson Square, New Orleans, outlining many of the steps that the federal government was taking to provide assistance and relief to Katrina victims.
Mayor Nagin announced that, due to lack of funds, New Orleans would lay off 3,000 non-essential employees from the city's payroll, or about half of its workforce, over the next two weeks.
