Unreleased footage of hurricane Katrina from New Orleans fire department documentary

Not watching unless new footage of Lootie available

Much of the flooding in NO was from rising water, not from rushing, moving water. In NO, much of the flooding occurred over several days, partially receded, then reflooded during Rita.
In MS it was wind and waves causing the bulk of the destruction. The property at my Aunt's house in Pass Christian was about 22' or 23' above sea level. The house was on piers that were about 30". They still got 4' to 5' of floodwater in the house, not to mention sections of destroyed boardwalk acting as battering rams driven by the wind and waves. Her house survived, but had major damage. It was 22 months before they were able to move back in

Many houses in lower areas, such as Long Beach, were completely slabbed. The remnants of those houses were washed inland about a quarter to half mile in a massive pile of rubble. Along 90 in those lower areas almost every structure was gone.

Some of my family and I went to Biloxi a couple of months after Katrina hit MS. Eerie! No creatures or sounds. NO flies, butterflies, mosquitos, birds, squirrels; heck no crickets.

NOLA got washed out from the floods and was a disaster. MS coast was devastated. Cousin lived miles inland [still low] in MS and had feet of water inside his house.

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Cousin lived miles inland [still low] in MS and had feet of water inside his house.

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I was looking at a FEMA storm surge map about 6 months after the storm (I think. It's all kind of a blur...), but it was the first map released. According to their estimates, the back bay of Bay St Louis had the highest storm surge. The water pushed into the bay and drove up those creeks and rivers massively. I can't remember the estimate exactly, but it was over 30'. We had a carpenter friend who lived near one of those creeks/sloughs on the east end of the bay. He stayed for the storm. The floor of his raised house was 18' above sea level. They went out of a window when the water was rapidly rising. Tried to get on the roof, but were unable. He and his son washed into some trees and were able to hold on. He said he watched the water rise over the roof of his house, so he was happy to be in a tree instead of his attic.

We estimated about 29' to 30' feet at my Aunt's based on water marks on interior doors and walls (covered in sea grass). FEMA's estimate for that section of PC was 27' or 28'. So they weren't far off with their mapping estimates, at least in our area.

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The property at my Aunt's house in Pass Christian was about 22' or 23' above sea level. The house was on piers that were about 30". They still got 4' to 5' of floodwater in the house

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My dad lives on the Jourdan River and was just finishing up a new house, 7 miles inland from the coast. He built around 24 feet above the normal water level, and still got a couple feet of water. Most houses around him (including his older house) which were built on the usual 8-10 foot stilts had water onto the roof.

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The house was a beautiful historic home over 100 years old that survived multiple storms before Katrina.

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My Aunt's house was built in 1877. There was a large renovation about 1985 which, in my opinion, saved the whole structure. Wings were added to both sides of the original structure that had positive pier to beam connections and large brick patio was built behind the original house, including a CMU block chain wall other south side.
In 1877 apparently they used brick piers with spread footing sitting directly on the sand. The pier/beam connection was gravity. Many of the original piers were undermined and settled below the house. Others were destroyed. On the 2nd floor the floor of one bedroom sagged about 2" - 3". The walls were held up by the "new" gabled roof. If that renovation hadn't taken place I'm convinced the whole house would have collapsed and just become a lumber pile washed up along 2nd St or the railroad tracks.

Her next door neighbors stayed because "it didn't flood in Camille". Several other neighbors stayed as well. All old people who didn't want the hassle of evacuating.

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In MS it was wind and waves causing the bulk of the destruction. The property at my Aunt's house in Pass Christian was about 22' or 23' above sea level. The house was on piers that were about 30". They still got 4' to 5' of floodwater in the house

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My relative lived in the first block off the beach in Bay St Louis (or might've been Pass Christian can't remember). The entire house was gone with the only thing remaining was a tiled shower wall. It was perpendicular to the beach so I guess after everything else gave way, it was free standing and able to withstand. Craziest part is a bar of soap was still in the little cubby hole/ soap shelf thingy in the wall.

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Mississippi isn't often talked about regarding Katrina, but we had kin folk down there and sent family to help. it was like nothing ever seen. it was bedlam personified.

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I delivered a box truck full of supplies to what was left of the Waveland FD in the aftermath. Beat FEMA there by 2-3 days. That drive from the interstate to the fire department was.... something.

I’ve seen this one before long ago

The firefighter who shot all that video died in the line of duty in December of 2005. Those final clips at the end of the video must have been shot right before he died. The guy was talking about his wife and child at one point in the video. Really sad to see that then read the obit.

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Richard McCurley Obituary McCURLEY Richard ""Ricky'' B. McCurley, age 33, Captain of Engine 4 in New Orleans East, died in the line of duty on Friday, December 2, 2005 while responding to an emergency call. Cherished husband of Kyndel Peacock McCurley and devoted father to Richard ""Kai'' McCurley. Sworn in as Captain on September 4, 2005 at the bottom of the Crescent City Connection Bridge, Ricky was instrumental in helping save many lives during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita by performing heroic search and rescue missions. His passion and dedication as a firefighter were unparalleled, second only to his devotion as Kyndel's husband and his love of being Kai's daddy.

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Three months after surviving Hurricane Katrina in one of the most ravaged areas of New Orleans east, a young fire captain was killed. You can see the remarkable videotape that Captain Richard McCurley shot as he and his fire team worked during the worst week of Katrina by clicking the link below: "Katrina's Story: Captain Richard McCurley - Part 1". T he hardest part for the crew was not the storm, but to say goodbye to a hero and a friend. Captain McCurley was killed when his fire truck was smashed at an intersection in New Orleans east last December. He was responding to a routine gas leak, so common after the storm.

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