I have lot of experience with hurricanes. When I heard as the storm approached that they were putting people in the Superdome because they had no where else to put them and then it was said that the Superdome may not withstand winds of 165 mph I was shocked. It is apparent that the city of New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen without planning to prevent the death of many people. Frankly I think the powers that be in Louisiana and the city of New Orleans have been Superdumb!
The very shape of the dome protected it from the wind.
While there was some peeling of the outer cover that allowed leaks, there was not a monumental structural failure.