Hurricane Katrina taught me how to get ready for any storm

Twenty-one years after Katrina, Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson tells how he survived the storm.

August 29 marks twenty‑one years since Katrina hit the Gulf. I went to New Orleans with my parents. The storm arrived fast. We were forced to stay in a hotel. The hotel filled with flood water. It was one of the worst U.S. hurricanes.

I did not know then how the storm would change me. It taught me new emergency habits. Katrina is still the costliest U.S. hurricane. It also ranks among the deadliest. The damage and loss of life were huge. I now plan for any future disaster.

For me, the story started before the water rose. As Katrina grew stronger, I saw we had to leave New Orleans. I got my parents on what felt like the last flight out. My dad gave me his ticket because I had no way out. I told him to take the plane. Then I went to a rental car office. That plan fell apart quickly.

About a hundred people were trying the same thing I was. I went back to the Ritz‑Carlton after hearing it was very well prepared for a hurricane. They said it had stronger windows, a generator, and lots of food. I should not have returned.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson reports from Louisiana after Katrina, where flooding, power loss and damage left the city in crisis. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Want to hear the real story? Listen to The CyberGuy Report podcast at Cyberguy.com/ as I revisit Katrina with Carlos Amezcua, who was anchoring at KTLA in Los Angeles while I was trapped in New Orleans.

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The hotel seemed ready on paper. It had stronger windows, a generator and food supplies meant to keep people safe through the storm. Then things changed fast. As Katrina neared, staff were allowed to bring families inside so they could stay together while workers kept the hotel running. That added hundreds more people beyond the original emergency plan. Suddenly, food, beds and other supplies had to stretch far further. Then the flooding arrived.

Water surrounded the hotel and made leaving impossible. Food was rationed. At one point, the hotel was so desperate to keep the fridge running that staff asked guests with diesel vehicles in the garage if they could siphon fuel for the generator. Outside, I heard gunfire and saw looting on Canal Street. Hotel officials kept warning us not to leave because the streets were unsafe. Communication broke down too. Cell service was unreliable, and texts could take hours. Somehow I managed to jury‑rig the hotel phone enough to get a dial tone and report back to KTLA in Los Angeles, where I was working at the time.

What kept running through my mind was this: If conditions were this desperate inside a luxury New Orleans hotel, what were families trapped at home going through? That question became personal when I met Jesse and Emma Ruiz, a couple from Los Angeles who had saved for an anniversary trip to New Orleans. Their celebration turned into disaster. I grew close to them while we were trapped and tried to let them know where I had hidden some food and water. Years later, seeing them safe again brought all those feelings back.

One of my biggest lessons from Katrina had nothing to do with buying expensive gear. It was about information. Rumors spread all the time. People were scared, and nobody seemed to know what would happen next. As a journalist, I kept trying to verify what I heard. I described the situation on the podcast as “information chaos.”

That mindset helped me focus. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything around me, I tried to decide what I could confirm and what problem needed solving next.

I also formed an alliance with Richard Rhodes, a man from Washington who became my survival partner. We started planning together what we would need and how we might get out. At one point, Richard and I decided to pack what we could and try to walk out along the levee toward Baton Rouge. We went down the hotel stairwell, but a security guard told us we could not leave. I kept going until I saw flood water around the second‑floor level. There was simply no way out on foot.

Then I hit an information problem I never expected. A helicopter might rescue me, but the pilot needed my exact latitude and longitude. I did not know them. Without electricity and the smartphone tools we take for granted today, it took almost two days to find my GPS coordinates. Once the crew had those numbers, the pilot finally knew exactly where to find us. As I said on the podcast, “Now I never go anywhere without knowing how to get my GPS coordinates.” Today, your smartphone makes that much easier.

Katrina also changed the gear I keep nearby. You do not have to turn your garage into an emergency warehouse. Instead, I focus on equipment that helps me communicate, see what is happening and keep essential devices working.

During Katrina, I found an uninterruptible power supply that normally backed up a computer in the hotel. We used it to charge phones when regular power was unavailable. That experience made backup power a permanent part of my emergency plan. I also learned something much simpler. A zip‑top plastic bag can become one of the most useful things you own when water is everywhere.

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Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans flooded and communications crippled, forcing Kurt Knutsson to rethink how he prepares for disasters. (U.S. National Archives / Michael B. Watkins, U.S. Navy)

You cannot control what a major storm does. However, you can make it easier to communicate and function when normal services disappear.

Do not wait until you need rescuing to find your latitude and longitude. Open Google Maps, zoom in on the place you want to save, then press and hold an empty spot to drop a pin. Google shows the coordinates on both Android and iPhone. Take a screenshot or save the numbers somewhere easy to reach.

I would do this for your home and any other place where you expect to ride out a big storm. You can also save the coordinates in a note with your address and other emergency info. If familiar landmarks disappear or rescuers cannot easily find you, those coordinates give them your exact location. As I said on the podcast, “Timing with information is everything.”

This is one feature I desperately wish I had during Katrina. Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite is on iPhone 14 and later. It can help you text emergency services when you are somewhere without cellular or Wi‑Fi. But do not assume you will instantly know what to do in an emergency. Apple provides a demo so you can practice ahead of time.

On a current iPhone, you can:

You can also open the Control Center, tap Cellular, tap Satellite and choose Try Demo. Most importantly, Apple says you need to be outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon. Dense trees, tall buildings and some terrain can block the connection. During a real emergency, Apple says you should first try calling your local emergency number. If the call cannot connect and you are off the grid, your iPhone can offer the satellite option. For more details, see my guide to getting your phone ready for an emergency.

Some newer Samsung Galaxy phones can also connect to emergency services by satellite when cellular and Wi‑Fi are unavailable. However, unlike Apple’s system, availability depends on your Galaxy model and carrier. Samsung says satellite communication is expanding across supported Galaxy phones in the U.S. through carriers including Verizon and T‑Mobile. On a supported Samsung Galaxy phone with Verizon, you can practice using Satellite SOS before you need it. Verizon specifically provides a Satellite SOS demo for compatible Android phones.

On a supported Galaxy phone, check:

During a real emergency, first try calling 911. If you have no cellular or Wi‑Fi connection and your phone and carrier support Satellite SOS, your Galaxy can prompt you to connect by satellite. You will need to be outside with a clear view of the sky and follow the onscreen directions to establish the connection. Verizon says Google Messages must be the default messaging app for its Satellite SOS service.

One caveat: If you do not see Satellite SOS under Settings > Safety and emergency, that does not necessarily mean your Galaxy is out of date. Your particular model or carrier may use a different satellite service or may not support the feature.

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Backup power, GPS coordinates, drinking water and satellite communication are among the tools Kurt Knutsson now keeps ready for severe weather. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Your smartphone is an incredible emergency tool. Still, I would not make it your only source of warnings. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts official National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day. When shopping for a weather radio, look for one with Specific Area Message Encoding, known as SAME.

SAME‑capable receivers can be programmed for specific geographic areas. Some can also activate from a silent mode when an alert for that area is transmitted. That is the type of feature I want available when the power goes out in the middle of the night. You can find more options in my storm survival essentials guide at CyberGuy.com.

Charge your phone and portable batteries before severe weather reaches you. Ready.gov recommends planning for batteries and alternative power sources during outages, including portable chargers or power banks.

I also keep spare charging cables available. That became a habit after Katrina because sometimes you may find a source of electricity but not have the cable you need. A larger portable power station may also be useful depending on your equipment and household needs.

This is where the humble zip‑top bag earns a permanent place in my emergency kit. I keep small electronics and other essentials protected from water whenever severe weather is approaching. During the podcast, I pulled out one of these bags because the idea is so simple. “A Ziploc bag is your best friend in any weather.”

I also keep a serious flashlight nearby. A lantern‑style light can be useful during an outage, while a whistle can give you another way to signal for help. The important part is knowing exactly where those items are before the lights disappear.

Water can become a problem surprisingly fast after a disaster. Ready.gov recommends storing one gallon of water per person per day for several days for drinking and sanitation. If you have pets or service animals, include their needs in your emergency planning as well. Personally, I try to keep about a week’s worth of water available when possible. That is the approach I described on the podcast.

One thing Katrina taught me is that trouble may begin when you are nowhere near your emergency supplies. That is why I duplicate some of my basics. I keep emergency gear at home and useful supplies in the car. Ready.gov also recommends keeping an emergency supply kit in your vehicle.

I also keep some emergency cash available. During Katrina, Richard had the foresight to get cash before access to normal payment systems became a problem. Ready.gov recommends including cash in an emergency kit because ATMs and credit card systems may not work during a prolonged outage.

For me, the idea is flexibility. If I have to leave quickly, I do not want every flashlight, charging cable and useful piece of emergency gear sitting inside the house. You can also read my guide to getting survival‑ready in any storm at CyberGuy.com for more ways to prepare before severe weather arrives.

Carlos reminded me during the podcast that I somehow seemed calm while all of this was unfolding. I did not feel calm. There was fear. There was uncertainty. At times, I truly did not know how I was going to get out. However, focusing on the next solvable problem helped. Eventually, we arranged for a helicopter to land on the hotel roof. Looking back, I remember exactly how desperate I felt. “I was willing to grab the skid of the helicopter in any way I could just to get out.”

Then the helicopter lifted off. For a few seconds, I felt huge relief. That feeling vanished when I looked down. Across the flooded area, I could see people stranded on rooftops. They were waving anything they could find, desperately trying to signal for help. That image has stayed with me ever since.

Hurricane Katrina taught me that preparedness is really about giving yourself options. You cannot know exactly what a major emergency will take away. That is why I want more than one way to receive information. I want backup power available. I also want the information rescuers could need saved before I am under pressure. Most of these preparations are remarkably simple. Know how to find your coordinates. Practice the emergency features already built into your phone. Keep the equipment you rely on charged and accessible. Then think about what happens when your original plan stops working. That may be the biggest lesson Katrina taught me. A hotel that appeared prepared became overwhelmed. Cell service became unreliable. Roads became useless as an escape route. Eventually, getting out required a helicopter landing on a rooftop. I could never have planned that exact sequence. What I could do, and what I do now, is give myself more ways to solve the next problem. You can hear the full story, including Carlos Amezcua’s memories of watching everything unfold from the KTLA anchor desk in Los Angeles, on The CyberGuy Report podcast at CyberGuy.com. The conversation brought back moments I had not thought about in years.

If a storm knocked out your power and cell service tonight, how long could you actually manage with what you have on hand right now? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award‑winning tech journalist who loves technology, gear and gadgets that make life better. He contributes to Fox News & FOX Business, starting mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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