The hotel received extensive damage during Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, where all of the windows of the hotel were blown out due to severe winds, and water and debris were blown into the guestrooms and atrium lobby. There was feces and urine in the lobby, shattered glass everywhere, backed up toilets, and extreme heat, as the air conditioning did not work due to the generator failure. As a result, the guests were evacuated to the ballrooms, along with stranded city residents. On August 31, a convoy of food and supplies provided by Hyatt hotels in Atlanta and Houston arrived. The hotel provided shelter for New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, the New Orleans Police Department and Fire Department, the Louisiana National Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Army Corps of Engineers. On September 2, 2005, the approximately 900 hotel guests were evacuated by bus or by car. No guests were suffering from major illnesses or injuries at the time of evacuation.