Huffington Magazine Issue 89 | Page 75

WE WERE HERE MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES Superdome Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest, most destructive and most costly storms in U.S. history. More than 1,800 people lost their lives and more than 1 million people were displaced from their homes. Some 20,000 sought refuge in the Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints. But the stadium quickly transformed from a haven of shelter to a horrific site of crime, death and sickness that wasn’t much safer or cleaner than the city streets. At least two people, including one child, were raped in the arena, and one man committed suicide, jumping 50 feet to his death. The stadium was slowly evacuated and cleaned in the months after the hurricane, and today, the city’s beloved football team plays there once again. HUFFINGTON 02.23.14