Book Review: The Day of the Cajundome Megashelter, by Jefferson Hennessy with Leigh Hennessy and Mark B. Robson

This short but dramatic little book (133 small pages along with appendix, sources, and an index) is a terrific read, reviewing one of the worst hurricane-impacted areas in the US. Katrina roared ashore with a full Cat-5 storm and 175 MPH winds resulting in 1,800 deaths and $135 Billion in property damage. The huge Cajun Dome sports arena became a major point of refuge, but extraordinary precautions had to be followed to prevent weapons or drugs from being brought in. Then, just weeks later, Rita barreled into southern Louisiana and the Cajundome had to be evacuated because of potential roof damage! All the refugees from Katrina, in addition to nearly five thousand newly displaced people had to be moved nearly three hours away to Shreveport. The mostly black Katrina refugees were largely from urban cities and areas while the mostly white Rita folks came from rural small areas in SW Louisiana: two different population groups with dissimilar cultural backgrounds. Interestingly however, the two groups bonded in their similar adversity and got along very well.

From a personal level, I am acquainted with a major character in the story: Paul Azar, who I know as Buddy, a ham radio operator. Paul/Buddy is a medical doctor and served with distinction as Chief Medical Officer during the tragedy. The Cajundome is considered a very successful example of a safe haven during a major weather disaster, and as a "Mega-shelter" served as a prototype for Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego during the massive wildfires in Southern California in 2007. The conversion of the Cajundome however resulted in the cancellation of many planned events and the financial shortfall rose to over $6 Million. The Federal Government eventually reimbursed the state of Louisiana for these losses.

Other changes resulting from the storm included creation of emergency financial and medical support systems as well as a new statewide emergency radio communication network. The state's communication system moved to higher ground and an additional, new emergency Mega-Shelter was built. All in all, this short but very informative book is a template for the impact of a major weather disaster, and how a state has repositioned itself to be able to deal with it.

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