20 years after Hurricane Katrina, a Scottsdale doctor shares his story

Hurricane Katrina: Arizona doctor recalls surviving chaos

20 years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, and a Valley doctor found himself in the middle of it. He survived for 6 days with barely any food or water in a New Orleans hotel as the city fell into chaos. FOX 10's Brian Webb has more.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Twenty years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina devastated Louisiana, and a Valley doctor found himself in the middle of it.

He survived for six days with barely any food or water in a New Orleans hotel as the city fell into chaos.

Dr. Robert Kuske

The backstory:

Dr. Robert Kuske, who had moved from New Orleans to Scottsdale, was visiting his former city on Aug. 29, 2005, when the Category 5 storm hit. Like so many others, he was a sitting duck.

"For four or five years I couldn’t talk to anybody about it. I would break out in tears. What we experienced there is burnt into my brain," Dr. Kuske said.

He and more than 200 other guests hunkered down at a hotel in the French Quarter, which became a bunker to survive both the storm and the gangs roaming the streets.

"Gangs were outgunning the police. The police were in full retreat. It was total anarchy," Dr. Kuske recalled.

Having lived in New Orleans before, he knew to fill his bathtub with water. The hotel chef also hid a secret stash of food, just enough to keep everyone alive for six days without electricity or cell service.

"The response? What response? There was no police, no government officials, no FEMA helping us. We really had to fend for ourselves," Dr. Kuske said.

Arizona man recalls helping Hurricane Katrina evacuees

Twenty years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the U.S., quickly becoming one of the most destructive storms in the nation's history. FOX 10's Marc Martinez has the story of a man who helped evacuees who ended up in Arizona.

Big picture view:

Despite the chaos, he also saw the best of humanity.

"Most people there were pulling together. It was like a city within the city," he said. "We took care of each other."

After six days, Dr. Kuske finally took a bus to Baton Rouge and was able to catch a flight back to Phoenix.

Now, as an avid fisherman, he returns to the bayou often to replace bad memories with good ones.

"Now every time I go back I say, 'New Orleans, I'm here,'" he said.

By the numbers:

More than 1,800 people were killed in Hurricane Katrina. The damage estimates topped $125 billion, and the government's response was widely criticized. An estimated 1,000 victims of the storm have since moved to Arizona.