20 Years after Katrina: Coast Guard Heroes tell their Story

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina unleashed devastation across the Gulf Coast but the Coast Guard was already in motion. Within hours of the storm’s passage, crews launched into the flooded city, confronting various hazards, rooftop rescues, and sweltering heat. Over the following days, Coast Guard men and women saved more than 33,000 lives even as hundreds of their own homes were destroyed.

Operating in some of the most dangerous conditions and with no urban search and rescue training at the time, helicopter crews hoisted survivors from rooftops and windows while dodging power lines and trees. Rescue swimmers hacked through rooftops to reach families trapped inside. Meanwhile, boat force crews pushed small boats deep into submerged neighborhoods, navigating debris-filled streets to reach stranded families. Despite sweltering 100-degree heat, no running water, and little rest, crews pressed on around the clock, determined to bring hope to a city in crisis.

For the first time, aircrews and boat forces who lived through Katrina share what it was really like to answer the call — balancing duty, exhaustion, and personal loss during one of the largest rescue operations in U.S. history.

This is the untold story of Katrina’s Coast Guard heroes, 20 years later.

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