09:44 AM CDT on Thursday, September 23, 2004

Thanh Truong / WWLTV

More than one thousand people sought refuge in the Superdome during Hurricane Ivan. On Wednesday, Mayor Ray Nagin said the Superdome likely has the best chance of surviving hurricanes, making it a good choice for shelter in the future. Those working at the Dome are not so sure.

On the surface, the Superdome seems like the most logical choice for an emergency shelter, and city officials are leaning in the Dome’s direction for future shelter needs instead of schools.

“Anything above a category two makes them pretty much ineligible because they’re not wind resistant enough and they're in flood prone areas it looks as though we're pointing to the Superdome in being reinforced with the proper back up system as shelter of last resort,” said Nagin.

It appears a facility as large as the Dome could hold up in hurricane conditions but Bill Curl, spokesman for the Superdome, says that is yet to be tested and if there is no other choice then maybe the Dome could serve as a shelter.

“Only in dire emergencies. The Superdome is not a shelter,” said Curl.

According to Curl, the assumption that the Superdome can withstand hurricane force winds is just that: an assumption. He says more analysis is needed to determine what the Dome can actually withstand because previous wind studies have become somewhat irrelevant since they did not factor in the new high-rise buildings around the Dome.

“They create a wind tunnel effect and that needs to be tested. There were initial studies that indicated 130 miles per hour, but we don’t know,” said Curl. He adds that the Dome is not impervious to the same elements other areas would be exposed to.

“If we were to lose power, if we were to lose plumbing facilities, if a storm were to hit and create flooding in the area; the Superdome would not be a desirable place to be,” he said.

The American Red Cross admits it would not stay in town for a severe hurricane. Workers would offer supplies and training to the Dome but would then leave to ensure aid for the hurricane’s aftermath.

Kay Wilkins, spokesperson for the American Red Cross, said, “While we’re saying we’re going to move our volunteers and staff out of the risk area into areas where its safer for them to be it doesn’t mean we're not going to be here ahead of time for others.”

Mayor Nagin said the city has more than 80,000 people without transportation access, and when the next hurricane evacuation there will be thousands of people who will not, or cannot, leave, highlighting the city’s urgency of finding the most suitable place for shelter.