LAFAYETTE, La. — We may all remember what we were doing in late August of 2005, and for one law enforcement officer, it's hard to believe its been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina impacted Mississippi, Florida, Alabama and south Louisiana.
To read about how the Cajundome was converted into a massive emergency shelter in the days after the hurricane, click here.
KATC spoke with current Duson Police Chief Kip Judice, who was then a Lafayette Parish sheriff’s deputy and a part-time event manager at the facility. He said public safety and comfort were top priorities for staff who processed thousands of evacuees.
“They were coming from a very unsafe environment, so we wanted to make sure that was at the forefront of our minds. I remember meeting the director, Greg Davis, that morning, and he told me, ‘Kip, I wanted everyone getting off their buses to be treated as ticketed guests going to the most expensive concert in our facility.’”
Judice said buses began arriving within days of the storm.
“In that very first morning, we processed over 1,500 people into the facility — most of whom were still wet and muddy,” he said. “It was horrific to watch some of those people coming off the bus. It’s hard to describe, but it was like lifeless. They had nothing, not knowing where they were going next, not knowing what they were about to walk into.”
Judice spent nearly two months at the Cajundome, working up to 20-hour days helping to ensure evacuees were cared for. He recalls small acts that offered relief amid chaos: staff buying a birthday cake and presents for a displaced boy and holding a party in the arena’s front office the day after he arrived.
Those moments, Judice said, left a lasting impression. He was later invited to a McNeese State University graduation by another evacuee who, inspired by her time at the shelter, went on to study and graduate in criminal justice.
“No question,” Judice said when asked whether the experience changed him. “I’ve been police chief for 10 years and often think about how to treat people, how I want my officers to treat people, because we don’t know what someone is going through. I don’t know what those people were going through when they got off the bus.”
Judice said the lessons learned at the Cajundome — compassion, respect and community support — continue to guide him and his officers.
“I learned that in 2005 here, and I carry that with me today and until I'm gone and I'm going to remember that kind of approach to every situation," he said. "To me, it changed the way these people walked out of this facility versus when they walked in.”
If you would like to learn more about the impact of the Cajundome's sheltering efforts, a documentary titled "Cajundome City" is being aired on PBS stations around the country.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
