Science Friday An ER Doctor Reflects On Hurricane Katrina, 20 Years Later
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Aug 29, 2025 Emergency medicine physician Erica Fisher shares harrowing tales from her time at Charity Hospital during Hurricane Katrina, reflecting on the chaos, courage, and emotional challenges faced by healthcare workers. She emphasizes the lessons learned about disaster preparedness and the ongoing vulnerabilities in our healthcare systems. Science writer Maggie Koerth discusses the intriguing connections between heat waves and aging, updates on COVID vaccine guidelines, and the potential for ancient life on the dwarf planet Ceres.
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Staying Behind To Staff The Hospital
- Dr. Erica Fisher stayed on the hospital activation team and reported to Charity Hospital before Katrina made landfall.
- She and colleagues evacuated the ER to the second-floor auditorium and moved patients and supplies by teamwork under rising water.
Generators Flooded; Power And Water Lost
- The hospital lost power and water when the flooded basement disabled generators located there.
- Only the auditorium where patients were moved had limited power while staff improvised care without running water.
Fear For Family Amid Citywide Collapse
- Fisher feared for family after hearing Lower Ninth Ward was flooded with dead bodies reported.
- Her father and cousins survived but had to be rescued from local landmarks and the interstate after days trapped.