Saturday, August 27 - Day 1
Nearing the end of a monthlong stay on his ranch in Crawford, Texas, President Bush issues a disaster declaration for Louisiana.
On the Gulf Coast: The National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for Katrina, upgrading it to a Category 3 storm that is still gaining strength. Officials issue a mandatory evacuation order for low-lying areas of Louisiana and strongly encourage others to leave.
Sunday, August 28 - Day 2
President Bush announces in televised remarks that he has signed disaster declarations for Mississippi and Alabama, in addition to the declaration for Louisiana signed the night before. Bush encourages people in the affected areas to evacuate and to listen to instructions from local officials. He holds teleconferences with state, local and federal officials from Crawford.
On the Gulf Coast: As Katrina is upgraded to a Category 5 hurricane, the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, traffic clogs highways out of New Orleans. Evacuees begin arriving at the Louisiana Superdome, designated as a "shelter of last resort."
Monday, August 29 - Day 3
President Bush attends events in Arizona and California to talk about Medicare and the upcoming prescription drug benefit. He stays in San Diego overnight.
On the Gulf Coast: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in the early morning hours as a Category 4 storm, bringing winds of up to 145 mph and a storm surge move than 20 feet in some areas. The winds rip holes in the Superdome's roof. Two major flood-control levees are breached, and the National Weather Service reports "total structural failure" in parts of New Orleans.
Tuesday, August 30 - Day 4
President Bush speaks at a San Diego naval station to mark the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Japan that ended World War II.
In New Orleans: Water surges through broken levees, flooding most of the city to depths of up to 20 feet. Conditions deteriorate at the Superdome, now without power or working restrooms. Throughout the city reports emerge of rampant violence and looting. The U.S. military begins moving ships and helicopters into the region at FEMA's request.
Wednesday, August 31 - Day 5
President Bush returns to Washington two days earlier than planned, viewing Katrina's aftermath from a low-flying Air Force One. Flanked by members of his Cabinet, Bush gives a Rose Garden speech outlining a major mobilization of federal government resources to the scene of the disaster. Bush also announces he has authorized the Department of Energy to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an attempt to make up for lost supply from the Gulf region and rein in skyrocketing gas prices.
In New Orleans: Buses begin evacuating people the Superdome to another temporary shelter, Houston's Astrodome. Conditions are even worse at the city's convention center, where there is little food or water and bodies are simply pushed aside. Mayor Ray Nagin says the deaths from the storm will number "minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands."
Thursday, September 1 - Day 6
President Bush announces the formation of a Cabinet-level task force headed by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to coordinate efforts and names FEMA director Michael Brown to lead operations on the ground. Bush asks his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and former president Bill Clinton to head up fundraising efforts as they did following December's Indian Ocean tsunami.
In New Orleans: Ongoing violence hinders relief and rescue efforts, leaving rescuers to work under what FEMA director Brown calls "conditions of urban warfare." In a radio interview with WWL-AM, an impassioned Mayor Nagin calls on the federal government to "get off your asses."
Friday, September 2 - Day 7
Touring the disaster area by air and on the ground, President Bush meets with state and local officials. As criticism over the slow pace of relief efforts continues to mount, Bush concedes that "the results are not enough." Upon returning to Washington, Bush signs a $10.5 billion hurricane relief bill into law. He also signs emergency declarations for Texas and Arkansas, the states taking in the most evacuees, to make federal money available to offset those costs.
In New Orleans: Thousands of evacuees at the convention center cheer as a military convoy carrying relief supplies arrives. National Guard troops deploy throughout the city, and reports of violence subside.
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