hurricane katrina: superdome documentary
"Some bad things happened, you know. City officials say 80 percent of New Orleans is flooded. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says he'll follow the state evacuation plan and will not call for mandatory evacuation until 30 hours before projected landfall. Experts say it was the perfect environment to commit a crime, and the worst environment to report a crime. After Katrina, the spectacle of a Black refugee population in the Superdome, along with the short-lived plan from Mayor Nagin's committee to wipe out some Black neighborhoods, revived these . Several parishes and the city of New Orleans announce emergency responders will stop venturing out once the wind exceeds 45 mph. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New . I said, 'If you guys don't get together and work this out, this is going to get worse.' And nothing happened. The groups went in shifts, sneaking down over to the. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. And in my opinion, it was this whole 'who has ultimate authority' and whether the federal government is going to come in and impinge upon the state's authority. Watch it: To understand what went wrong in the governments response to Katrina. ' Gettridge told FRONTLINE. Around 8 a.m. the storm's eye passes eastern New Orleans. special video+discussion+teacher's guide+readings & links Mann and Pass | The Cultural Visualization of Hurricane Katrina ', And the president was a little stunned, and he kind of stepped back, and he recovered. Hurricane Katrina made landfall off the coast of Louisiana on August 29, 2005. 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. After the genocide in Rwanda and atrocities in Srebrenica, Bosnia, in the 1990s, the world vowed never again. Then came the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, which began 20 years ago. The groups went in shifts, sneaking down over to the garage, up the stairs and to the helipad. Ten years ago this Saturday, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. "Katrina will regenerate on Friday over Gulf of Mexico, head west-northwest then turn northward. "A week after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans state officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say once the canal level is drawn down two feet, Pumping Station 6 can begin pumping water out of the bowl-shaped city. At 7 am Katrina is a Category 5 with 160 mph maximum sustained winds. Listen 7:57. People continue to head towards the Superdome, which is now surrounded by water. background photo copyright 2005 corbis 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. A Louisiana State University computer model of a 115 mph storm strike shows the overtopping of levees protecting New Orleans and nearby areas. And if you dont trust the system to deliver the money to the right places, call a school yourself and ask them what they need. More Stories Emerge of Rapes in Post-Katrina Chaos : NPR The National Guards didn't want to hear it.". They lost power. Gov. We need you to take over logistics, distribution of commodities, etc. ", At that time, I thought we had done a pretty good job because we had gotten about 80 percent of the people out. It doesn't make any sense.". There was nobody there to protect you," Lewis says. Pack as though you're going on a camping trip. 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. In September 2006, the New Orleans Saints marched into the Superdome for their first game since Hurricane Katrina, providing the spark for a revival. She was featured in Spike Lee's documentary When the Levees Broke and is author of Not Just the Levees Broke: My Story During and After Hurricane Katrina. Here in New Orleans East, we desperately need a hospital. The outer ends of the hurricane also produced tornados . At 7 am Katrina is a Category 5 with 160 mph maximum sustained winds. Commander Dave Lipin says they saw two women who said they'd been raped -- different women than those the police attended to. And Mayor Nagin expressed his concerns. Before Hurricane Katrina hit, New Orleans residents gathered to ride out the storm in what seemed like a pretty safe place, the Superdome, the city's football stadium . Because of the ensuing . It took me too long and I worked too hard to build what I had here.. 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. The police department -- reeling from desertions, flooding and the immensity of the disaster -- was in a survival mode itself. They lost 15 high-water trucks with mobile communications packages. We have so much intelligence down here in New Orleans, and yet, even four years after the hurricane, we cant rely on the school system. 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. Patrice Taddonio. FEMA Situation Update: 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. Gov. In the 2005 documentary "In His Own Words: Brian Williams on Hurricane Katrina," Williams indicated that he wasn't a witness to the suicide. I've heard some terrible stories since that the stuff wasn't getting there. They cast a wide net over this important event and Hurricane Katrina Superdome New Orleans National Guard - ESPN Dave Cohen was one of the few reporters to stay in New Orleans as Katrina bore down on the city, and continued broadcasting as the . And that was that.". Nicola Mann and Victoria Pass. Over 1,800 people lost their lives in the hurricane and an estimated 1 million people were displaced from their homes. They didn't have ammunition. At 7 pm it makes landfall north of Miami. In the decade since Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which came under harsh criticism for its response to the storm says it has improved its preparedness for future natural disasters. Years after Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary asks: What happened to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warning: In Louisiana, New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level. 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. 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. Directed by New Orleans native Edward Buckles Jr., who was a teenager when Katrina struck, the documentary, which premieres Thursday on HBO, reminds us of the storm's real-life ramifications. But the problem was that because of the fear that resulted from the civil unrest, the bus drivers said, 'We're not going in there to pick these people up unless you put a law enforcement official on every one of the buses, because we're afraid. Ross Judice, Acadian Ambulance - The-Katrina-Diaries | PDF | Hurricane Watch it: For a powerful story of resilience and determination in the face of tragedy. Your email address will not be published. August 29, 2005. And they both shook their heads and said, 'Yes, you're right.' The spot urges victims to report their assault by calling 1-800-656-HOPE. The California Disaster Medical Assistance Team spent 24 hellish hours inside the Superdome. Mississippi and Louisiana governors declare states of emergency. Remembers Covering Katrina Preserving History After Hurricane Katrina Katrina's Affect on Charter schools quiz: 10 Questions on Katrina. "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.". Looting becomes more widespread; hotels begin turning out guests. "It was that terrible. New Orleans resident climbing through roof of house. She made a report to a local sheriff's office; it has not yet passed the report on to the New Orleans police. 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. On August 28, 2005, at 6 am, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin announced that the Superdome would be used as a public shelter. We do our video conference calls before and during disasters. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. Its efforts fail. The majority of industrial buildings will become non functional. Judy Benitez is executive director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, a statewide coalition of rape crisis centers. Abandoned cars remain on Interstate 10 in front of the heavily damaged Superdome September 14, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. Timeline: Rebirth in New Orleans - NFL Issues of race, class, government response and . 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. "We did meet with [Mayor Nagin] Tuesday morning. At a press conference in Baton Rouge, 80 miles away, Gov. "[On Air Force One] we gave the president a briefing on everything that had gone on. 'Katrina Babies' documentary explores the childhood impact of Hurricane More than 1 million more in the Gulf region were displaced. Lewis says that later in the week, national guardsmen forced evacuees out of the building at gunpoint. We knew we were gonna have to shelter people. The Times-Picayune reports the Convention Center evacuees are still being loaded onto buses and evacuated and search-and-rescue operations continue. The following year, during an interview with Tom Brokaw at Columbia Journalism School, Williams said, "We watched, all of us watched . 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.". But we need something really big, like a hospital, that shows where the $25 billion in recovery money is going. 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 anniversary: 40 powerful photos of New Orleans after the storm. to support FEMA disaster relief efforts, but it will be two days before the troops arrive in the city. At daybreak, rescuers set out on boats to help others still stranded. If we arent talking about what we still need, how can we be sure people wont forget?. Thats why films like Trouble the Water are so important, and why its great that its making it to a wide audience via HBO. The Katrina survivors who fled devastation only to freeze in Texas Exacerbated by the recent BP oil spill in the region, the storm and its aftermath remains an open wound for local residents and others affected . Spectacular Disaster: The Louisiana Superdome and Subsumed Blackness in Years after Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary asks: What happened to Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and permanently . [Note: The information in this timeline is drawn from the news and government agencies' reports, as published daily during the crisis, and from FRONTLINE's research and reporting.]. But we were working frantically to get it out. In an effort to get victims to come forward, the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault asked Charmaine Neville, a popular New Orleans jazz singer, to tape a public service announcement for national airplay. " After Katrina passed, we thought we're pretty much out of the woods. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. In the first few hours after Katrina hit, many people believed that New Orleans had dodged a bullet. Nature Documentary hosted by Helen Baxandale, published by Channel 4 in 2010 - English narration Cover Information . Trapped on Airline Drive in a traffic jam in his gas-depleted pickup truck, he didn't think he would reach his destination of Baton Rouge. Water Supply when Disaster Strikes: A Look Back at Hurricane Katrina Blanco is there. By the end of the day, it is upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina, with 50 mph maximum sustained winds. Do You Have News to Share? "I admit that rapes are underreported," Benelli says. 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". "What we did -- under Louisiana law the parish presidents, the head of the counties, have the authority to use private resources. The storm initially formed as a tropical depression southeast of the Bahamas on August 23. He estimates 5,000 to 10,000 people are still in the city, with many of them still waiting to be rescued. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is a landmark in the city of New Orleans. ", Gov. When we didn't get any assistance from the state or from FEMA in the time period that we thought was appropriate, I got someone in an automobile and said, 'Go to Baton Rouge, go find out. You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations. Hurricane Katrina becomes Category 2 by 11 am, with 100 mph maximum sustained winds. "Louis Armstrong International Airport served as a massive clearing house for some of the storm's sickest victims Saturday. As the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, explore three different FRONTLINE documentaries about the disaster, its lingering aftermath and the lessons learned. With camera lenses and lights abounding, the . A suicide did occur inside the Superdome, . Crimes after Katrina may have been overblown - NBC News 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. By midday, water levels between the city and Lake Ponchartrain have equalized. I talk to her every other day, and thats her main question How long is it going to be? Anastasia is a petite, 25-year-old hairdresser who asked that her last name be omitted. Director of HBO Max documentary 'Katrina Babies' chronicles a Four were wounded, and 17-year-old James Brisette and 40-year-old Ronald Madison were killed. And he basically asked me, 'Mr. And he was the first guy that told us about the amount of devastation and the levee breaches. First categorized as a tropical storm, Katrina hit New Orleans, flattening buildings, breaking levees, and flooding the city with terrifying 125 mph winds. The account of her rape was verified by a trained forensic nurse at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, where Lewis sought treatment. [Mayor Nagin] was upset with everything. Lurid reports of rape, murder in Katrina's aftermath exposed as frauds To get medical teams and search teams out the door and get 'em down there. And that is unacceptable. About 16,000 people . Why would we think there was less rape typical of any given week in the city? Theme Foto Blog by, Hundreds Evacuated as Vanuatu Braces for Second Cyclone in 2 Days. And that rap song she sings at the end of the film about growing up so poor, with her mother on drugs and being forced to stealit just shows that she is a strong woman, and so honest, real, determined, courageous, and intelligent. We'll put a couple of medical teams on standby. There is a documentary about . Buckles' intimate connection to the people he interviews many of them family members, friends, and former . And the mayor began to tell us some of the things that he needed. She requests President Bush to declare a state of emergency in Louisiana. Find out in the 2015 documentary Outbreak, newly available to stream on FRONTLINEs YouTube channel. I don't know why. The Ghosts of the New Orleans Superdome | GQ Ms. Blanco, she left and walked out. Why Hurricane Katrina Was Not a Natural Disaster ", In Washington, President Bush publicly acknowledges the inadequacy of the federal government's response: "Many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orlenas. Michael Brown, FEMA director: One of the victims is Ms. Lewis, a 46-year-old home health-care worker from New Orleans East, who asked that her first name not be used. By Chris Edwards. FEMA Situation Update: And there seems to be this dance about who has ultimate authority. Mayor, what do you need?' With all due respect, Mr. President, if you and the governor don't get on the same page, this event is going to continue to spiral down, and it's going to be a black eye on everybody -- federal, state and local.' Documenting evidence of potential war crimes in Ukraine. On Sept. 1, with desperate Hurricane Katrina evacuees crammed into the convention center, Police Chief Eddie Compass reported: "We . The vast majority of them were elderly. And I forget whether it was on Saturday or Sunday, I told my staff that I was sick to my stomach because I could see that some things weren't looking quite right. When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. "At that stage, we had mission-assigned the Department of Defense to start giving us everything they could in terms of air-lift capability. He also announces that the Superdome will be "a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs." They were very civil and very cordial. Buckles, who wrote and directed the documentary . She gripped my arm at the store, and she told me, the way you shared with everybody so openly, you helped me to heal. After her rape, Lewis says, there were no clinics open, so she washed herself with bleach. 11:09. [Secretary of Homeland Security Michael] Chertoff is there. The two of us are going to leave. And he had flown in a helicopter. Hurricane Katrina [ edit] Refugees on the field inside the Superdome, August 28. After being damaged by. (Weather forecasters classify hurricane strength on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the strongest.) We talked about it. She is at work on her next memoir, No More Wire Hangers, about domestic abuse in teenage relationships. "To cries of 'Thank you, Jesus!' When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. "We're all looking at each other like, 'Why aren't we getting orders to move on this? Get as many people out as possible. Inside the four triage tents, medical personnel tended to people who had gone for days without their medication. Looting breaks out in parts of the city. In fact, at the headquarters of the Louisiana National Guard, located in the Lower NinthWard, soldiers were not yet aware that the levees were giving way. I've expressed many times that we're willing to investigate any sexual assaults that happened in this city at any time. 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 . Team members said they delivered babies, treated gunshot and stab victims, and ultimately fled for their own safety. They were making suggestions about we need to do this and that. Here's the things I think we need to focus on. FEMA Situation Update: Left to right: Mayor Ray Nagin, President Bush, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, FEMA Director Michael Brown, Gov. And I wanted to cut to the chase because I knew what the real issue was. We have Brad Pitt and Chris Rocks wife here now, and I think collectively its making a huge, huge difference. Their back-up generators flooded. Marty Bahamonde/FEMA. Kathleen Blanco: If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. It is 250 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. But problems persist. The hurricane caused billions of dollars of damage to the city, and killed thousands. What I hope people will realize when they see Trouble the Water is that we still have so much to do here, and that Katrina really changed so many lives, but we are a really resilient people and we want our city to come back.