Communication improvements after Hurricane Katrina benefit Texas flood response

KERRVILLE, Texas - Twenty years ago this month, Hurricane Katrina triggered the worst humanitarian crisis in modern America.

It also exposed weaknesses in our nation's infrastructure, including a breakdown of telecommunications. Some of the innovations developed since then are now helping with current disaster response.

Hurricane Katrina communication issues

The backstory:

It's hard to believe it's been nearly two decades since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans.

High winds and flooding wiped out phone and internet service.

Since then, telecommunications companies like AT&T have made giant strides in technology that assists consumers and first responders.

This is sort of the next step for us for the portable cell sites.

Kelly Morrison is part of AT&T's Network Disaster Recovery Program.

He met with FOX 4 on Wednesday at the company's North Texas warehouse, where they keep an impressive fleet of high-tech equipment. They're geared at getting cellular and data users back online following a natural disaster.

What they're saying:

"We brought this to Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers and used it to get out to the barrier islands that were isolated," Morrison said.

Morrison has seen technology evolve firsthand. Back in 2005, his team responded to "New Orleans" in the wake of "Hurricane Katrina."

No one can forget these images of the widespread devastation. Most of the city was underwater.

Morrison's crew set up satellite trucks with phone banks at populated spots across the city where people had no cell service, including law enforcement officers.

"Victims would have to come to us using their address books and making notes. They weren't using their devices with all their information like we have today," said Morrison.

FirstNet better connects responders

That's all changed. In 2017, AT&T began developing FirstNet.

Kelley Adley is the section chief for AT&T FirstNet Response Operations Group.

Back in 2005, he was working as a law enforcement officer for the Collin County district attorney's office, when he went to New Orleans to assist police. 

It was a challenging time. He had only a flip phone for communication at the time of the response. 

FirstNet has changed the way first responders communicate with one another.

"This gives us about a three-mile radius of a FirstNet network. It's isolated for first responders, so the community cannot attach to it," Adley said.

Within hours, crews can set up portable cell towers.

Local perspective:

Adley was recently in the Texas Hill County because of the deadly July 4th flooding.

"In Kerrville, in Kerr County, we're able to drop this near the river and give first responders communication as they were doing search and rescue," Adley said.

During the deadly July 4th flooding, there were reports that some first responders could not communicate with one another because their radio equipment was not compatible with other agencies. 

Adley says that's where FirstNet is extremely helpful, because it can be an overlay to all that.