NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Almost 20 years ago to the day, Hurricane Katrina, a category-5 storm, slammed into New Orleans.

The hurricane hit on Aug. 29, 2005, causing the levees to break and dumping 12 feet of water on the city.

About a million people evacuated the New Orleans area as Katrina prompted a national emergency response, with many emergency responders running toward the storm.

Bill Turner, the director of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security was one of those first responders, helping people in the gulf region.

"Unfortunately, there was utter devastation,” Turner said. “There were whole entire neighborhoods gone, wiped off the map. It was truly tragic."

There were unforgettable scenes of rooftop rescues and people seeking shelter inside th

See Full Page