Caesars Superdome — Katrina Shelter

The steel frame of the Superdome covers a 13-acre expanse. The dome itself measures 680 feet in diameter — the largest fixed domed structure in the world. The New Orleans Saints moved in when the building opened in 1975. Their first game was a 21–0 loss to Cincinnati. Hurricane Katrina struck on August 29, 2005. Approximately 20,000 people sheltered inside as conditions deteriorated over five days. The roof peeled open during the storm. By August 31, three people had died in the Superdome: two elderly medical patients and a man believed to have committed suicide by jumping from the upper-level seats. After a National Guardsman was attacked and shot in the dark, the National Guard used barbed wire barricades to separate themselves from the other people in the dome. The damage required $185 million to repair and refurbish. FEMA contributed $115 million, the state spent $13 million, the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District refinanced bonds to secure $41 million, and the NFL contributed $15 million. The dome remained closed for many months. It reopened September 25, 2006. The Saints played Atlanta that night — a game moved from September 24. Before kickoff, U2 and Green Day performed a cover of "The Saints Are Coming." President George W. Bush conducted the coin toss. The Saints won 23–3 in front of 70,003 people. ESPN recorded its largest audience to that point. The return became one of the most emotionally charged sporting events in American history. The building has hosted eight Super Bowls, more than any other stadium. You go because the city's formative catastrophe happened here, and because what came after — the repair, the reopening, the return — demonstrated what New Orleans does when the flood recedes.