In the leadup to Hurricane Katrina, the NWS predicted the damage to come. So why didn't we listen?
As the world saw in its aftermath, Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area. Lack of emergency response made the problem worse, but weather authorities knew how bad it was going to be before the storm swept in. In fact, their warning emergency bulletin was much more descriptive (and scary) than usual.
On August 28, 2005, the National Weather Service of New Orleans issued a warning detailing the likely effects of the hurricane. The bulletin included descriptions like "all gabled roofs will fail...leaving those homes severely damaged or destroyed"; "water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards"; and "livestock left exposed to the winds will be killed."
