HOUSTON — When Katrina made landfall in August 2005, it brought entire communities in New Orleans to their knees. Rachel Allen, who fled the storm, still finds it difficult to talk about.

“You saw the devastation it did to the city," Allen recalled. "20 years later it still brings up emotions. We lost everything. I only had a bag.”

Tens of thousands sought safety inside New Orleans’ Superdome. But as conditions there deteriorated, Houston stepped up.

Houston opens its heart

Former KHOU 11 reporter Doug Miller remembers how quickly the city responded.

“Houston opened its heart and its most famous building and said, ‘Come on, we’ll take you in.’ That was a big deal," said Miller.

Before county officials even opened the Astrodome's gates, volunteers were already showing up with supplies

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