When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. I said, 'OK, great.' Explore FRONTLINEs collected and ongoing reporting on Russia's war on Ukraine. Producer Martin Smith: So we're just eating sandwiches and making nice while people are stranded on rooftops? Brian Williams: From 'Heard' Of To 'We Watched' Katrina Superdome Suicide Flew into the city. Lipin says when he arrived in Baton Rouge and turned on the TV, he was surprised by reports of rampant violence in New Orleans. He didn't even know what efforts had been made on his behalf because he had no lines of communications open to him. Exclusive: A Former MPD Lieutenant Reported Another Cop. We began search-and-rescue missions using local state resources, waiting for the federal cavalry to arrive and believing that it would be here in 48 to 60 hours. Theres a river of water moving into this area.'. Mayor Mitch Landrieu last week hailedNew Orleans as Americas comeback city,citing efforts to reduce crime, decrease homelessness and improve educational outcomes for area students. I aint about to leave, Gettridge said. FEMA organizes 475 buses to be sent in to transport many of the estimated 23,000 people from the Superdome to the Houston Astrodome. The Army Corps of Engineers attempts to plug breaches in the 17th Street Canal and Industrial Canal levees. Remembers Covering Katrina Preserving History After Hurricane Katrina Katrina's Affect on Charter schools quiz: 10 Questions on Katrina. Hurricane Katrina: Survivors on the Storm's Impact - People And it is injurious to the president. Issues of race, class, government response and responsibility, and political rivalries interweave with personal stories of challenges faced and decisions made. The California Disaster Medical Assistance Team spent 24 hellish hours inside the Superdome. First categorized as a tropical storm, Katrina hit New Orleans, flattening buildings, breaking levees, and flooding the city with terrifying 125 mph winds. What happened next was more than just a natural disaster especially in New Orleans, where the failure of the cityslevees unleashed flooding that left roughly80 percent of the city underwater. I've never seen a hurricane like this in my 33-year career. The National Guards didn't want to hear it.". TV-PG. President Bush's Sept. 15th address to the nation. And Michael Brown tells Louisiana officials, "What I've seen here today is a team that is very tight knit, working closely together, being very professional and making the right calls.". Required fields are marked *. Neville says she was sexually assaulted early the morning of Aug. 31st, while she was sleeping on the roof of Drew Elementary School in the Bywater Neighborhood, where she and others had taken refuge. A New Orleans house submerged in floodwaters. Kathleen Blanco, governor of Louisiana: And the bosses say, 'Oh, okay. A Tropical Depression with 35 mph maximum sustained winds is located 250 miles east-southeast of southeast Florida. Katrina becomes a Category 3 with 115 mph maximum sustained winds. producer's chat+tapes & transcript+press reaction+credits+privacy policy "We'd heard the story of a man killing himself, falling . Go up there, face to face and say, "What is happening here? The Superdome is an intrinsic part of the city of New Orleans. It was late August, and some of the staff of the NREMT and I were attending the combined NAEMT conference and EMS Expo in New . And they hadn't. More than four days after the storm hit, the caravan of at least three-dozen camouflage-green troop vehicles and supply trucks arrived along with dozens of air-conditioned buses to take refugees out of the city. "I was told that they could mobilize immediately 2,500 National Guards members. Stranded victims of Hurricane Katrina rest inside the Superdome September 2, 2005 in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina [ edit] Refugees on the field inside the Superdome, August 28. Gov. Your email address will not be published. I probably should have asked sooner. In television interviews, Michael Brown, FEMA director, states that he only just heard about the suffering at the Convention Center, when in fact, he tells FRONTLINE, he misspoke; he was told the previous day about the situation. We could either go with your suggestion' -- which, my suggestion was, if you don't give me the final authority give it to Gen. [Russel] Honor. Hurricane Katrina facts and information - Environment Remembering the Superdome's role during Hurricane Katrina The expected storm surge is 15 to 20 feet, locally as high as 25 feet. I was able to get Governor Blanco to sit with me several times in the office that she had and talk about what needed to be done. Evacuating hospitals is a top priority: Patients and staff are stranded and supplies and power are dwindling. At 10 a.m., the Thorntons headed together to the Superdome. I've got to know. Last September, when Trouble the Water first premiered in New Orleans, I remember thinking, "I have to go down to Canal Place Cinema and support this." If we arent talking about what we still need, how can we be sure people wont forget? U.S. Cities and States Are Suing Big Oil Over Climate Change. "We're all looking at each other like, 'Why aren't we getting orders to move on this? I began to believe that no buses had been ordered. There's this lunch. " After Katrina passed, we thought we're pretty much out of the woods. The death toll in the city is not known, but the dying continues as people succumb to illness, exhaustion and days without food and water. At least 1,800 lives were lost in Hurricane Katrina, often considered one of the worst hurricanes in US history. special video+discussion+teacher's guide+readings & links Where is all the things that we need to get out of here?"' Katrina, 10 Years Later: Three Documentaries to Watch "[On Air Force One] we gave the president a briefing on everything that had gone on. The outer ends of the hurricane also produced tornados . Several thousand National Guard troops start reaching the thousands of evacuees at the Convention Center and elsewhere. Where is water? Watch it: For a powerful story of resilience and determination in the face of tragedy. Hurricane Katrina first made landfall on Aug. 25, 2005, in Florida, weakening to a tropical storm as it briefly passed over land. About 2,000 medical evacuees remain at Louis Armstrong Airport, which has become a staging area for responders and injured refugees. Marty Bahamonde/FEMA. New Orleans's flood-protection system was improved by increasing in the heights of earthen berms and upgrading floodwalls and floodgates. FEMA Situation Update: Find out in the 2015 documentary Outbreak, newly available to stream on FRONTLINEs YouTube channel. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently changed life for thousands of people across the country. Listen 7:57. It has been nearly six years since Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf of Mexico cutting a swathe of devastation and shock through the psyche of the American people. Female victims, now displaced from New Orleans, are slowly coming forward with a different story than the official one. Thousands more were unable to evacuate, including the nearly 25,000 who sheltered in the Superdome. Officers were walking off the job by the dozens. "I got a call, I think Saturday afternoon [from] Max Mayfield, the hurricane director. Plus, if you lived in a FEMA trailer for three years like I did, the last thing you want to do is go to a trailer for medical care. And that this could potentially be the big one that we had planned for in Hurricane Pam.". She requests President Bush to declare a state of emergency in Louisiana. Around 9:30 a.m. Mayor Ray Nagin issues a mandatory evacuation. By the end of the day it is 335 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River. 11:09. That's the attitude I would take if I was operating in the dark too. Judy Benitez, of the Louisiana rape crisis group, says the non-report rate would be far higher given the nightmare of Katrina. Michael Brown, FEMA director: But I am happy to help, even if it takes me an extra two hours at the grocery store. Katrina anniversary: Inside the Superdome during Katrina. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently . After her rape, Lewis says, there were no clinics open, so she washed herself with bleach. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: Then we kind of figure out ways that we could coordinate. Newly rescued people are still being brought to the Superdome. He didn't care where the help came from, he just wanted it to be there. Hurricane Katrina: Caught on Camera - DocuWiki President Bush flies over the area on his way back to Washington. And at that time I took some liberties I probably shouldn't take. They were making suggestions about we need to do this and that. Per this CNN Money report, a Brian Williams' Katrina tale appears to have evolved somewhat dramatically over the course of just one year.In 2005, Williams reported in a documentary that he had "heard the story" of a man killing himself in the Superdome. There was nobody there to protect you," Lewis says. He Says He Paid a Price. People begin arriving at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center seeking shelter, food, and water. They were very civil and very cordial. The population of New Orleans was about 400,000 by 2020, some 20 percent below its population in 2000. Hundreds of people already have been rescued. Expressed my concerns, my frustration He needed to really get us resources to save people. Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned - Chapter Five: Lessons - Archives The 42 reports include assaults that happened inside New Orleans and outside the city, for instance, in host homes. Gov. FEMA National Situation Update: At 1:30 in the morning, Denise Thornton walked with her group up to the helipad, out in the open air, and there it was. August 28, 2015, 2:21 PM. The following year, during an interview with Tom Brokaw at Columbia Journalism School, Williams said, "We watched, all of us watched . The Coast Guard mobilizes to respond after the storm hits. Meanwhile, Lewis, the 46-year-old home health-care worker, has still not reported her assault to the police, and she has no plans to. If we arent talking about what we still need, how can we be sure people wont forget?. The Ghosts of the New Orleans Superdome | GQ The storm traveled the Gulf of Mexico and then made landfall on the Gulf Coast in southeast Louisiana near the town of Buras, on Aug. 29, 2005. 1. It hit land as a Category 3 storm with winds reaching speeds as high as 120 miles per hour. Producer Martin Smith: So, although you said that, you didn't feel that way at that time? Then, the airman hesitated a minute, and asked Landreneau to hold. Mississippi and Louisiana governors declare states of emergency. Mahogany describes her actions before deciding to evacuate her home, her trip to the New Orleans Saints' Superdome, her horrific time at the Superdome, and finally her decision to leave New Orleans. Tonight, the Oscar-nominated Trouble the Watera documentary by filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, premieres on HBO. And there seems to be this dance about who has ultimate authority. ISIS' growing foothold in Afghanistan is captured on film. hurricane katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast, claiming 1,800 lives. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. She says she tried to report the assault at the time, but authorities weren't listening. The city floods further. She gripped my arm at the store, and she told me, the way you shared with everybody so openly, you helped me to heal. 14 Days - A Timeline | The Storm | FRONTLINE | PBS Messed Up Things That Happened During Hurricane Katrina - Grunge.com The Times-Picayune reports that the breaches in the 17th Street and Florida Avenue Canals have been repaired and power is restored to the Warehouse and Central Business Districts. The situation begins to improve. And he said: 'No, you don't have to leave. The National Weather Service writes that Hurricane Katrina is "one of the five deadliest hurricanes to ever strike the United States." Hurricane Katrina caused up to $161 billion worth of damage, largely due to the fact that the breached levees led to flooding in 80% of New Orleans. When presented with the additional cases collected by victims' advocates groups, Benelli acknowledges that the police simply doesn't know the extent of sex crimes after the storm. People continue to head towards the Superdome, which is now surrounded by water. To get food out. I don't know why. So I can assume what the criminals were thinking, and that's exactly what happened.". Here's a [powerful] hurricane. [Secretary of Homeland Security Michael] Chertoff is there. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. The groups went in shifts, sneaking down over to the. I mentally moved on from the storm after I wrote the last page of my book, but this documentary has opened some old wounds and moves me to action, and I can only hope it does the same for others. Even $20, if thats all you can afford in the recession, that helps. That is why the first place we picked to do an exercise and planning was New Orleans. "Louis Armstrong International Airport served as a massive clearing house for some of the storm's sickest victims Saturday. Katrina makes landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana as a Category 3 storm with winds near 127 mph. Years after Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary asks: What happened to In one notorious incident known as the Danziger Bridge case, police opened fire on a group of civilians, who were later found to be unarmed and searching for food and medicine. Blanco says, "Mr. President, thank you thank you, thank you. This escapism was part of the gift the Saints gave the city following Hurricane Katrina. I went to the Adjutant General [Landreneau] and I went to Gov. The Katrina Horror Story You Haven't Heard The numbers are not dramatic, but they are significant when seen in light of the official number of post-Katrina rapes and attempted rapes: four. 'Katrina Babies' is a reminder of what was lost and what - Andscape And that is unacceptable. 5 Must-See Documentaries About Hurricane Katrina - Yahoo! The Times-Picayune reports that an estimated 112,000 people do not own cars. I spoke to an airman [over the phone] he told me that it had rained very little and there was justexcept for just a few puddles of water in the parking lot, there just was no water, the guards commander, Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau, who was monitoring the situation from Baton Rouge, recalled in an interview with FRONTLINE. The eye of Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras in Plaquemines Parish at approximately 6:00 a.m. on August 29 as a Category 3 hurricane. "I went into New Orleans and stood beside Mayor Nagin and emphasized the need to leave. The film a raw and gripping investigation of the Katrina response, its tragic consequences and its political ramifications includes candid interviews with key Katrina decision-makers, including the first televised interview with former FEMA Director Michael Brown since his resignation two weeks after Katrina hit. After suffering heavy damage during Hurricane Katrina, the Superdome was re-opened on September 25, 2006 for the Saints' Monday night game against the Falcons. Hurricane Katrina | Deaths, Damage, & Facts | Britannica Civil order had completely broken down. Floodwaters keep rising. Troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. By afternoon, officials issue a citywide call for more boats to help. 'Rebirth in New Orleans' reflects on . Another group, Witness Justice, a Maryland-based non-profit that assists victims of violent crimes, claims to have received 156 reports of post-Katrina violent crimes; about a third of those involved sexual assaults. Recalling her attack, she sobs, "They just left us to die. 5 Must-See Documentaries About Hurricane Katrina. And that was that.". It took me too long and I worked too hard to build what I had here.. Kathleen Blanco: The interviews done as part of this project reflect the disaster's painful, chaotic, and murky aftermath. Hurricane Katrina Superdome Photos and Premium High Res Pictures Walter Maestri, Jefferson Parish emergency manager: Richard Falkenrath, Homeland Security Adviser (2001-2004): In Fight Against ISIS, a Lose-Lose Scenario Poses Challenge for West. And why it wasnt stopped sooner. Hurricane Katrina: Caught on Camera Over three days in August 2005, a cataclysmic storm brought flooding and disaster to the Gulf Coast of America, leaving over 1,800 people dead in Louisiana and Mississippi. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. Michael Ainsworth/The Dallas Morning News/epa/Corbis New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies . And I had a piece of paper where I wrote down like a five-point plan of the things that we needed to do. August 29, 2005. And I knew it wasn't true, because 8:00 or 10:00 that morning, I received a report from one of my staffers that either a levee had been topped or had actually broken. With camera lenses and lights abounding, the . As a shocking New Orleans documentary airs on HBO tonight, Phyllis Montana-LeBlancbestselling author and gutsy survivorexplains why the city is still drowning. Katrina documentary 'Mine' recounts pet owners' post-storm trials - NOLA Blanco is there. So I finally just walked up to Danny and said, Mr. [2] Approximately 10,000 residents, along with about 150 National Guardsmen, sheltered in the Superdome anticipating Katrina's landfall. Phyllis Montana-LeBlancthe breakout star of Spike Lees When the Levees Broke documentary and author of Not Just the Levees Broke: My Story During and After Katrina (and a consultant on David Simons new post-Katrina HBO drama)writes below about why viewers should still care about New Orleans four years later, and why Trouble the Water just may be the wakeup call we need. Five officers were ultimately indicted: one for the shooting, and four additional officers on charges related to burning Glovers body and obstructing a federal investigation. They were finally able to leave the city on Saturday. As Katrina hit, Alexander found himself in a desperate situation. For my part, I am still going out into the streets every day to talk to people about their experiencesI call it getting phyllisophical. Other people call me the Dr. Phil of the streets. At daybreak, rescuers set out on boats to help others still stranded. And then finally I just stopped and said: 'Excuse me, but time is of the essence. And I said, "We're doing one in the morning.". Crimes after Katrina may have been overblown - NBC News 1) At least 1,800 people died due to Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of displaced residents take cover from Hurricane Katrina at the Superdome in New . He escaped the chaotic shelter a few days later with a truckload of people and video documentation of history.Check out exclusive HISTORY content:Website - http://www.history.com?cmpid=Social_YouTube_HistHomeTwitter - https://twitter.com/history/postsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/HistoryHISTORY, now reaching more than 98 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. It was there, she says, that an unknown man with a handgun sexually assaulted her. The line to get in was already a quarter-mile long. An Unfiltered View: Producers of Police on Trial on What the Documentary Reveals 2 Years After the Murder of George Floyd, From the Archives: How the World's Deadliest Ebola Outbreak Unfolded, Russias Invasion of Ukraine, One Year Later, War Crimes Watch Ukraine: More Than 650 Documented Events, From the Archives: How the U.N. & World Failed Darfur Amid "the 21st Century's First Genocide". I n the HBO documentary Katrina Babies, young teen Meisha Williams recollects her experience surviving the 2005 hurricane that displaced approximately 200,000 New Orleans residents. by JOHN DORN. 'Nobody asked if we were okay': The lost children of Hurricane Katrina But prosecutors have struggled to hold officers accountable. And based upon that ["Hurricane Pam" planning exercise], I knew they needed to evacuate. Looting becomes more widespread; hotels begin turning out guests. "What you had was a situation where you've got a tremendous number of vulnerable people, and then some predatory people who had all of the reasons to take their anger out on someone else," Benitez says. The hurricane caused billions of dollars of damage to the city, and killed thousands. "We did meet with [Mayor Nagin] Tuesday morning. Nature Documentary hosted by Helen Baxandale, published by Channel 4 in 2010 - English narration Cover Information . ". At a press conference in Baton Rouge, 80 miles away, Gov. Some electrical substations serving downtown New Orleans are repaired, but Entergy, the local energy utitlity, must first ensure that buildings can receive the electricity safely before the power is restored. At 7 am Katrina is a Category 5 with 160 mph maximum sustained winds. FEMA Situation Update: ", "Coastal residents jammed freeways and gas stations as they rushed to get out A direct hit could wind up submerging New Orleans in several feet of water At least 100,000 people in the city lack transportation to get out Louisiana and Mississippi make all lanes northbound on interstate highways", Note: In the last hours before Katrina made landfall, dozens of copies of the, "To cries of 'Thank you, Jesus!' "And so now I think it's swung the other direction and it's underreported. On June 4, 2006, Pamela Mahogany was interviewed for her personal experience involving the events following Hurricane Katrina. And the impression given in those four days is basically indelible. "I at least wanted a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes [on Saturday]. In downtown New Orleans, some streets were merely wet rather than swamped. We knew what had to be done. They didn't have communication. "It was that terrible. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. The Department of Defense's "Joint Task Force Katrina" -- 4,600 active-duty military headed by Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honor -- sets up at Camp Shelby, Miss. Hurricane Katrina Superdome New Orleans National Guard - ESPN ' Gettridge told FRONTLINE. And I think thats whats going to help us rebuild the mosttalking about what happened and how we can move onand why documentaries like Trouble the Water are still so relevant. Virtually all communication systems are out. We have got to start getting people out.' I said, 'All of us are going to leave right now, and they're going to work this out right now. Gov. I don't think that's the proper thing to do. "Drug and alcohol use is another contributing factor, and no police presence to prevent them from doing whatever they wanted to, to whomever they wanted to.". Phone service and electricity to some 770,000 people in the area is cut off. She made a report to a local sheriff's office; it has not yet passed the report on to the New Orleans police.