In July 2004 emergency officials from 50 parish, state, federal and volunteer organizations faced the worst case scenario during a five-day exercise held at the State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge.

As part of  a FEMA effort to plan for the three most likely catastrophes to face the nation, the so-called Hurricane Pam simulation considered the impact of sustained winds of 120 mph, up to 20 inches of rain in parts of southeast Louisiana and storm surge that topped levees in the New Orleans area. In the planning scenario more than one million residents evacuated and Hurricane Pam destroyed 500,000-600,000 buildings. Reluctantly one planner estimated a death toll of  25,000 - 100,000.

Stunned by these findings, planners promised follow up activities, but funding ran out and the results were shelved and apparently forgotten.