Christina E. St. Clair

The fact that all these aircraft, from all these agencies, completely avoided any major aerial mishaps has become known as the “Miracle of Katrina.”

Even before Katrina made initial landfall, the Coast Guard was closely coordinating with local vessels and the region’s maritime industry in order to help reduce loss of life and property – as well as avoid environmental impact. Beyond lifesaving, here are some of the ways the Coast Guard helped the nation recover after Hurricane Katrina.