Operation UNISON

International Operation Name: N/A

International Operation Dates: N/A

Mandating Organization: Government of Canada

Region Name: North America

Location: United States

Canadian Operation Name: Operation UNISON

Canadian Operation Dates: 2005/09/05 – 2005/10/06

Mission Mandate:

To deliver humanitarian aid after Hurricane Katrina and assist in recovery efforts.

Mission Notes:

Hurricane Katrina was the fourth hurricane, the third major hurricane and the first Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 hurricane season. It was the third most powerful hurricane of the year, after hurricanes Wilma and Rita.

Hurricane Katrina began as a tropical depression over the Bahamas during the evening of 23 August 2005. Moving westward, Katrina reached hurricane status in the late afternoon of 25 August, just two hours before it hit the south-eastern coast of Florida near Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Over land, Katrina reverted to a tropical storm, but began regaining its strength again once over the Gulf of Mexico. Increasing in intensity Katrina reached Category 3 status (winds of 100 knots) and doubled in size on 27 August. Now situated over the northwest tip of Cuba, Katrina headed towards the Mississippi River delta, at the same time undergoing a period of rapid intensification from a low Category 3 to a category 5 in less than 12 hours by the morning of 28 August. The size of the hurricane also increased so that it had storm force winds over 200 miles (320 kms) from the centre and hurricane-force winds 90 miles (140 kms) from the centre. This was not only an intense hurricane, but also exceptionally large.

On the morning of 29 August, Katrina made landfall near Buras, Louisiana at about 6:10 AM. Luckily, over the last 18 hours of its approach, the hurricane had weakened from a Category 5 to a high Category 3 with winds of 105 knots. Even so, the storm surge was very high, the size of the hurricane large and the winds capable of massive destruction. Moving over southern and central Mississippi, Katrina weakened quickly, but the damage had been done.

The storm surge produced was measured at 27 feet at Hancock, Mississippi, and indication of the height at other locations along the coast. The surge penetrated at least six miles (9.6 kms) inland along many portions of coastal Mississippi, and 12 miles (19 kms) along bays and rivers. By 11:00 AM several sections of the levee system protecting New Orleans had collapsed. Other cities along the Gulf Coast were washed away as the surge destroyed everything in its path. As Katrina approached the Gulf Coast, an evacuation was ordered affecting more than 1.2 million people. More than 1.5 million people were displaced as thousands of homes were destroyed or flooded. At least 1383 people were killed, of whom at least 588 died in neighbourhoods of New Orleans where the levees broke and a further 286 in areas where the storm surge flooded houses.

In the aftermath of this humanitarian crisis, the Government of Canada announced on 2 September the dispatch of three HMC Ships and a Coast Guard vessel carrying humanitarian supplies to the Gulf Coast. The Canadian Forces' participation in the relief operation was named Operation UNISON.

The operation order, issued on 5 September, tasked HMC Ships Athabaskan, Toronto and Ville de Quebec, under the name Joint Task Force Atlantic. Departing Halifax on 6 September, the four ships (including the Coast Guard vessel CCGS Sir William Alexander) expected a four day transit. Enroute they had to divert due to Hurricane Ophelia. The ships carried supplies that included water, large tents, cots, lumber, pollution clean-up equipment, and insect spray. These supplies were unloaded at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

On arrival in Biloxi/Gulfport, Mississippi on 13 September, sailors from the three HMC Ships were divided into five groups to conduct various clean-up projects. One group assisted the US Navy Seabees in clearing rubble from the Biloxi Coliseum, allowing this facility to be used for relief operations while another conducted clean-ups at the Pass Road Elementary and Gulfport High Schools. The sailors spent four days in Biloxi, setting sail for Halifax on 17 September. HMC Ships Toronto and Ville de Quebec moored at Mayport, Florida for several days while military officials monitored relief operations to see if further assistance could be rendered. They arrived in Halifax on 27 September, while HMCS Athabaskan returned on the 30th.

The 18 members of the Naval Construction Troop (NCT) from Halifax and 13 from 4 Engineer Support Regiment (4 ESR) from Gagetown remained in Mississippi longer. They started working on 13 September after being bussed to the Bay St. Louis Camp. Working with the 2nd amphibious Construction Battalion (Seabees) they conducted a variety of construction-related tasks, including cleaning schools in D'Iberville, building a temporary roof and wall at a Bay St. Louis public utility building and building a roof for a kitchen that was providing over 2,000 meals per day near Bay St. Louis. The members of 4 ESR returned to Canada on 29 September, while the NCT returned on 2 and 3 October.

The Canadian Forces also sent navy divers from the Fleet Diving Units Atlantic and Pacific, augmented by combat engineer divers from 4 Engineer Support Regiment, to identify and remove hazards to navigation. They began work on 7 September, also inspecting dikes and clearing waterways including one that was blocked by shrimp boats sunk by the hurricane. They returned to Canada on 5 October.

Additional CF support came through the provision of a 16-member medical support team. The team included a doctor, a nurse, mental health professionals and preventive medicine technicians.

The Sir William Alexander, after unloading her supplies, began the important task of remarking navigation channels by confirming the position of buoys and moving them if necessary in the waters off Biloxi and Gulfport. She also cleared obstructions with her heavy-lift crane when they were encountered.

The Canadian effort after Hurricane Katrina came from across Canada. Air Canada conducting shuttle flights between New Orleans and San Antonio, Texas, and flying a cargo of bottled water and relief supplies to New Orleans. The Vancouver Search and Rescue Team worked in St. Bernard Parish, New Orleans, rescuing 119 stranded people before the US military was able to take over the effort. Utility crews from several hydro organizations also went to Mississippi.

Overall, about 1000 Canadian Forces personnel participated in Operation Unison, which officially ended on 6 October 2005.

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