First error we heard was that the New Orleans International Airport was under several feet of water and relief planes could not land. That Federal government did not send supplies or troops for several days. The airport a few hundred feet from my office was never at risk of flooding. I witnessed arrival of first gov't flights at first light the day after the storm. Cargo planes were offloading troops and vehicles just after sunrise. Helicopters were also beginning to arrive and for over a week there was not a minute during daylight hours that the Blackhawks or Hueys were not seen aloft in the area.
Error - numerous instances of helicopters turning back from rescues when hit by gunfire, and one being shot down in New Orleans. Actually there may have been evidence of one bullet impact found on a helicopter after days of flights. The downed helicopter was a victim of mechanical problem. In truth there was some shots fired into the air to attract rescuers to victims that felt they could not be heard or seen. Won't even try to guess how the rumors of walkin coolers at the Superdome filled with dead bodies was fabricated. Agree, conditions were horrific, but how did multiple news agencies report a dozen dead bodies laying outside the dome when the same 3 corpses were photographed by all of them. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
