Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans because it was estimated to be able to withstand winds of up to and water levels of . While supplies of MREs (Meals ready to eat) and bottled water were available at the Superdome, Nagin told survivors to bring blankets and enough food for several days, warning that it would be a very uncomfortable place. Hurricane Katrina made its second and third landfalls in the Gulf Coast region on August 29, 2005, as a Category 3 hurricane. On Monday, August 29 area affiliates of local television station WDSU reported New Orleans was experiencing widespread flooding due to breaches of several
Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans floodgate structures and raising existing levees. The report also suggested that the chances of a major Category 5 hurricane directly striking New Orleans was a one-in-500-year event. In 2001, the "Houston Chronicle" published a story which predicted that a severe hurricane striking New Orleans, "would strand 250,000 people or more, and probably kill one of 10 left behind as the city drowned under of water. Thousands of refugees could end up in Houston." In 2002, "The Times Picayune" published a feature covering various scenarios, including a Category 5 hurricane hitting the city from the south. The series also explored the