On Friday, August 26, 2005, Katrina became a category two hurricane. By 5:00 p.m., Governor Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency in Louisiana. At that point, many—perhaps most—New Orleanians assumed that Katrina would make landfall a safe distance from the city, anyway, and all across town, musicians headed to weekend gigs.

Organist Joe Krown played an early show at Le Bon Temps Roulé. He wasn’t concerned about the storm and doesn’t recall anyone talking about it. He finished the ...