LBJ and Senator Russell Long on Hurricane Betsy

On the evening of September 9, 1965, Hurricane Betsy came ashore near Grand Isle, Louisiana, as a Category 4 storm, with the National Weather Service reporting wind gusts near 160 mph. As the storm tracked inland, the city of New Orleans was hit with 110 mph winds, a storm surge around 10 feet, and heavy rain. Betsy devastated low-lying areas on the eastern side of the city and eventually led to the expansion of an already impressive levee system to protect a city that lay mostly below sea-level. After the storm passed, Louisiana Senator Russell Long, the son of the legendary Senator and Governor Huey Long, called President Johnson to get the President to tour the devastated areas. In Long’s unique style, he let the LBJ know that the Betsy had severely damaged his own home and had nearly killed his family.

LBJ arrived in New Orleans five hours after talking to Senator Long. Reporters noted that he was shocked by the suffering and in particular by thirst of survivors in one shelter. He immediately announced that the "red tape be cut," and he took personal control of operations, which he continued—according to the Washington Post—“day and night."

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(Senator Russell Long): . . . Ed Willis, pick up. Mr. President, I’ve got Ed Willis here. He’s my congressman from the Third District. Mr. President, aside from the Great Lakes, the biggest lake in America is Lake Pontchartrain. It is now drained dry. That Hurricane Betsy picked the lake up and put it inside New Orleans and Jefferson Parish and the Third Congressional District. Now, you have . . . if I do say it, our people are just like . . . it’s like my home-- The whole damn home's been destroyed, but that’s all right. My wife and kids are still alive, so it’s OK. Mr. President, we have really had it down there, and we need your help.

(President Johnson): All right. You got it.

(Senator Russell Long): Well, now, if I do say it . . . we’ve only lost one life so far. Why we haven’t lost more I can’t say. unclear for example, that damn big 400-year-old tree fell on top of my house. My wife and kids were, thank God, in the right room. So we’re still alive. I don’t need no federal aid. But, Mr. President, my people, oh, they’re in tough shape.

(President Johnson): Russell, I sure want to. I’ve got a hell of a two days that I’ve got scheduled. Let me look and see what I can back out of and get into and so on and so forth and let me give you a ring back. If I can’t go, I’ll put the best man I got there.

(Senator Russell Long): So now listen, we are not the least bit interested in your best man. As far as we’re concerned, I’m just a Johnson man. Let’s--

(President Johnson): I know that. I know that.

(Senator Russell Long): Let’s us not kid ourselves now. When I run for office next time, I’m going to be on the same dodge you’re going to be on. And frankly, if you go to Louisiana right now, you might be--just make it a stopover. We’ll unclear. You go to Louisiana right now, land at Moisant Airport-- "The President was very much upset about the horrible destruction and damage done to this city of New Orleans, lovely town. The town that everybody loves."--if you go there right now, Mr. President, they couldn’t beat you if Eisenhower ran.

(President Johnson): Let me think about it and call you back.

(Senator Russell Long): Ok. Unclear.

(President Johnson): I love you. Thank you, Ed.

(Senator Russell Long): Ok.

(President Johnson): Thank you, my friend.

(Senator Russell Long): Alright.

(President Johnson): Bye.