Unoficial timeline for Katrina and New Orleans.

This timeline is not complete by any stretch of the imagination. It only stretches from Thursday August 25th to Thursday September 1, 2005. Its contents were mostly gleaned from major news and weather (NOAA, NHC, etc.) web sites.

Thur. Aug 25, 2005 ----------------------------------------- # Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in southern Florida.

Fri. Aug 26, 2005 ----------------------------------------- # Katrina is supposed to turn North around noon and go through Pensacola. # 11:30 AM EDT: National Hurricane Center - Katrina is upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.

Sat. Aug 27, 2005 ----------------------------------------- # Mayor Nagan declares state of emergency and issues voluntary evacuation order. # Turn off UNO computer network (3:30 PM - 6:30 PM). # Board up my house (7:00 PM - 11:30 PM).

Sun. Aug 28, 2005 ----------------------------------------- # 12:30 AM Family leaves New Orleans for Jackson, MS. # 2AM CDT – KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE # 7AM CDT – KATRINA UPGRADED TO CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE (the highest possible rating). 160 MPH. # 9:30 AM CDT Mayor Nagan orders mandetory evacuation. "I want to emphasize, the first choice of every citizen should be to leave the city,” he said. He noted that the Dome is likely to be without power for days — and possibly weeks — after the storm hits, and said it will not be a comfortable place." He says to leave that the city will not be able to help you if you stay. He opens 10 refugues of LAST resort. City buses bring some to shelters.

Mon. Aug 29, 2005 ----------------------------------------- # 6:10 AM CDT: Katrina, a Category 4 hurricane with 145 mph winds, makes initial landfall near Buras, La. # 8:00 AM CDT (shortly before): Storm surge sends water over the Industrial Canal. Soon afterwards, Army Corps of Engineers officials believe "a barge broke loose and crashed through the floodwall, opening a breach that accelerated flooding into the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish." # 8AM CDT – 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.” # 8:14 AM CDT: The National Weather Service New Orleans office issues a flash flood warning stating there had been a breach in the Industrial Canal levee with 3 to 8 feet of water expected in the 9th Ward and Arabi. # Approx. 9:00 AM CDT: Eye of hurricane Katrina passes over city of New Orleans. # Approx. 9:00 AM CDT: 6 to 8 feet of water covers New Orleans Lower 9th Ward. #Mid-Morning: Katrina rips two holes in the Superdome's roof. Some 10,000 storm refugees are inside. # Late morning: 17th Street Canal levee is breached (450-foot breach). Other reports place the breach much earlier. According to Knight-Ridder, a National Guard timeline places the breach at 3 AM, three hours before the storm made landfall. #It is reported by the New Orleans Times-Picayune that the 17th St. levee broke late Monday morning in Bucktown after Katrina's fiercest winds were well north # 2:00 PM CDT: City officials publicly confirm breach of 17 Street Canal levee. LATE MORNING – 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.” # LATE PM – 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.”

Tue. Aug 30, 2005 ----------------------------------------- # 10:00 PM CDT: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announces that the planned sandbagging of the 17th Street Canal levee breach has failed. # Water pours into New Orleans a full day after the hurricane hit. Breached levees from Monday submerged 80 percent of the city in water from Lake. There is no power. There is no fresh water or sewage systems. # Rescuers in helicopters and boats pick up hundreds of stranded people in New Orleans, and reports of looting begin to emerge.

Wed. Aug 31, 2005 ----------------------------------------- London Avenue canal breached. Two breaches: Breach 1 (600 feet); Breach 2 (350 feet)

Thu. Sep 1, 2005 ----------------------------------------- # Military increases National Guard deployment to 30,000. Violence, carjacking, looting continues. # Military helicopters shot at while evacuating residents. FEMA water rescue operations suspended because of gunfire.