WEB SPECIAL - Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina Special Report 6th September 2005

A Coast Guard crew drags a skiff in New Oreans

A Coast Guard crew drags a skiff to a launching point on South Carrollton Avenue in New Oreans, as they embark on a search for people in distress. Photo: USCG.

Task Force Katrina Sails To The Rescue

United States Navy warships are now spearheading much of the disaster relief effort along the Gulf Coast of the USA and into New Orleans, deploying assets that would normally conduct, or support, combat operations.

Aside from repairing and restoring naval bases in Louisiana and up the Mississippi that were blitzed by Hurricane Katrina, the US Navy is coming to the aid of communities that for many days have received little help from civilian agencies.

Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard, which was among the first organisations to deploy in a bid to save lives in New Orleans and elsewhere, as continued its valiant efforts.

US Navy Seabees carry chainsaws and gasoline

Above: US Navy Seabees carry chainsaws and gasoline to the next set of tree limbs blocking a road along the Gulf Coast. Photo: Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Ja'lon A. Rhinehart/US Navy.

Below: The Coast Guard Cutter Spencer sits at anchor in the Mississippi near the heart of downtown New Orleans. Photo: PA2 Bobby Nash/USCG.

Coast Guard Cutter Spencer

Having used helicopters to pluck desperate citizens to safety from buildings surrounded by floodwaters, the USCG has now ordered its personnel to take skiffs and other small boats into the urban sprawl of New Orleans to search out survivors. Meanwhile, in Gulfport, the USCG has established a new Forward Operating Base (FOB), in order to assist local law enforcement agencies and launch Search and Rescue missions. The original USCG station in Gulfport was destroyed by the hurricane, so making it necessary to establish the FOB in its place, under the title Mississippi Coastal Recovery Base Gulfport. USCG cutters deployed include the Decisive, Pompano, Razorbill and Harry Claiborne.

Meanwhile, out at sea, the nuclear-powered Nimitz Class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is acting as an airfield for both naval and US Army helicopters involved in the recovery effort, as part of Joint Task Force (JTF) Katrina.

On September 2 the Truman received 1.3 million gallons of jet fuel from USNS Supply to support Army and Navy helicopters that embarked the following day.

looking for survivors in New Orleans

Above: Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Beaty looks for survivors in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Photo: Petty Officer 2nd Class NyxoLyno Cangemi/USCG.

Below: A US Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter from the USS Bataan prepares to pick up pallets of supplies from the USN High Speed Vessel Swift during a vertical replenishment as part of hurricane disaster relief operations. Photo: Photographer’s Mate Airman Jeremy L. Grisham/US Navy.

A US Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter prepares to pick up pallets of supplies from USN Swift

The 30-40 US Navy Seahawk and US Army Blackhawks were immediately tasked with flying to and from the ship with food, water and other supplies for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Aboard the carrier, ready for transportation ashore, were more than 20,000 bottles of water, more than 17,000 military ration packs and also cots, sheets and blankets. To get a heads-up on what would be necessary for the relief mission, the Truman's officers had detailed discussions with their counterparts in US West Coast-based carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which spearheaded a similar operation off Indonesia after the Tsunami in early 2005.

Truman's Air Boss, Commander Doug Carsten, later commented: "They were doing up to 90 missions a day. I think we can match that here aboard Truman."

hovercraft from the assault carrier USS Iwo Jima at Biloxi

A hovercraft from the assault carrier USS Iwo Jima arrives on the shores of Biloxi. Photo: Lithographer 1st Class Edward S. Kessler/US Navy.

Arriving on the scene in the Gulf of Mexico on September 3 to begin disaster relief operations was the assault carrier USS Iwo Jima, which had conducted a three-day high-speed transit down the East Coast of the United States. The citizens of the devastated city of Biloxi, Mississippi were overjoyed to see her silhouette, and that of her Expeditionary Strike Group ships on the horizon.

"The dynamic flexibility of amphibious operations makes this the ideal platform for this type of humanitarian assistance," said Captain Sinclair Harris, Commander, Amphibious Squadron 4. "Twenty-four hours after Iwo Jima received the call to assist, we were stocked with supplies and headed to the Gulf. We've quickly established communications to support the humanitarian mission."

Accompanying the Iwo Jima were the assault ships USS Tortuga, USS Whidbey Island and USS Shreveport, plus the diving recovery ship USS Grapple (ARS 53) and elements of Naval Beach Group 2.

"Hurricane Katrina has cut a great swath of devastation and tragedy along the Gulf Coast," said Iwo Jima Commanding Officer Captain Richard S. Callas. "The destruction and suffering caused by this natural disaster will be remembered for years - but we are glad that we have the opportunity to help."

The Iwo Jima group's helicopters, hovercraft and landing craft were soon racing for the shore loaded down with personnel, supplies and vehicles.

Other hovercraft have been contributed by Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Florida, which have carried relief supplies donated by local businesses.

"The hovercraft are capable of operating in relatively shallow water," explained Captain Vito Jimenez, the warfare center's Commanding Officer. He added that the craft's load bearing capability made them ideal platforms for the transport of people, heavy machinery, and emergency relief supplies.

An early participant in the relief effort was the assault carrier USS Bataan, which completed its seventh day of Hurricane Katrina operation, along the Gulf Coast on September 5.

US Navy SH-60F Seahawk helicopter lands on highway overpass

A US Navy SH-60F Seahawk helicopter lands in the middle of a highway overpass, near the New Orleans Superdome, prior to conducting Search-and-Rescue (SAR) operations. Photo: Photographer's Mate 1st Class Ken J. Riley/US Navy.:

Four MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters from Helicopter Mine Counter-measures Squadron (HM) 15, five MH-60 Seahawks from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28 and Bataan's air department conducted flight operations almost around the clock to assist in relief efforts.

"We've been extremely busy this past week with more tasks than there are hours in a day," said Commander Jeffrey Bocchicchio, Bataan's air boss. "The shortest day the department has had was 16 hours long, but they understand that everything we do is critical to the mission.

"All of the divisions and Combat Cargo working together allows the ship to have a 24-hour flight deck with the manning for 10-hour days."

By September 5 the two squadrons had transported 1,613 displaced people and delivered more than 100,000 pounds of cargo.

Bataan had also provided 8,000 gallons of fresh drinking water to the ravaged Gulfport area. Sailors filled eight 500-gallon water bladders with the ship's potable water and the ship's MH-53 helicopters transported them from Bataan to shore.

The ship also demonstrated her capabilities when a landing craft unit from Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 2 travelled up the Mississippi River to conduct a survey, just days after the hurricane ripped through the area. The LCU was gone for three days before returning to Bataan's welldeck.

"Besides looking for navigational aids, our secondary mission was to help evacuate people and help the first responders, such as the Coast Guardsmen and police," said Chief Warrant Officer William Fish, ACU 2's detachment officer in charge.

A team of 84 medical professionals from the Navy's Casualty Receiving and Treatment Ship Team (CRTS) 8, based out of Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla., embarked Bataan on September 2 to assist in hurricane relief medical operations. On September 3-4, 56 members of CRTS 8 left Bataan to provide medical support to Hurricane Katrina survivors at the New Orleans Convention Center, New Orleans International Airport and Biloxi High School in Mississippi.

USNS Comfort arrives at Naval Station Mayport

The USNS Comfort arrives at Naval Station Mayport to take on supplies. Photo: Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Andrea Decanini/US Navy.

The Military Sealift Command (MSC) hospital ship USNS Comfort pulled into Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on September 5, to take on supplies on her way to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. The arrival of the Comfort further illustrated the huge effort undertaken by the US Navy in what was the USA's worst natural disaster.

  • Report based on material supplied by the US Navy and US Coast Guard.

• For more reports, see WARSHIPS IFR magazine.