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Producer Martin Smith: So, although you said that, you didn't feel that way at that time? About 16,000 people . Buckles' intimate connection to the people he interviews many of them family members, friends, and former . Judy Benitez is executive director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, a statewide coalition of rape crisis centers. Kimberly Roberts is the star of the filmif you can call her thata 24-year-old aspiring rapper who did not have the finances to get the hell out of New Orleans when Katrina hit, and still, she managed to film all of her harrowing experiences on a Hi-8 camerathe water rising, being trapped in the attic with her husband and neighbors, the fear they felt. During Hurricane Katrina, around 20,000 people took refuge in the Superdome. Gov. " Troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. It took me too long and I worked too hard to build what I had here.. In Louisiana, New Orleans is of particular concern because much of that city lies below sea level. And I wanted to cut to the chase because I knew what the real issue was. Very shortly, he said, Cars are beginning to float out of the parking lot. Since many New Orleans streets are still filled with stagnant, fetid waters smelling of garbage and raw sewage, the military was considering using planes to spray for mosquitoes.". But more and more people were being evacuated from their rooftops after being in the sun for long periods or overnight and being put on highways on high ground. "We're all looking at each other like, 'Why aren't we getting orders to move on this? 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. Nearly two decades after Hurricane Katrina, Edward Buckles Jr. asks what happened to the generation of kids who grew up with that trauma in the documentary "Katrina Babies" on HBO Max. He also announces that the Superdome will be "a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs." They spend the next 24 hours trying to save themselves. We go to Sam's and Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie and gather up food and water and start distributing it because we had 60 hours' worth of resources that we had stored, but now we're out of it. "I didn't see any police officers -- I could have gotten away with murder," she says. 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. The Times-Picayune reports the Convention Center evacuees are still being loaded onto buses and evacuated and search-and-rescue operations continue. Lipin says when he arrived in Baton Rouge and turned on the TV, he was surprised by reports of rampant violence in New Orleans. According to the New Orleans Data Center, racial disparities in income and employment are more pronounced in the city than they are nationally; the poverty rate is 11 points higher than the national average; and the incarceration rate is approximately three times the national average. I don't think that's the proper thing to do. 1) At least 1,800 people died due to Hurricane Katrina. ". 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 Louisiana Superdome, once a mighty testament to architecture and ingenuity, became the biggest storm shelter in New Orleans the day before Katrina's arrival Monday. And when I saw it then, and watching it again now, I think that Trouble the Water is an amazing accomplishment, and something everyone should see about the people who had to live through what we all went through here in New Orleans. Law-enforcement authorities dismissed early reports of widespread rapes in New Orleans during the lawless days following Hurricane Katrina. "I know more sexual assaults took place. So many people have Katrina Fatigue, as I like to call itthe hurricane is four years out, and I applaud anything that brings another testimony into the public conversation; that shows people how bad it was, and how bad it still is. Where is water? Where is all the things that we need to get out of here?"' The film features 15 minutes of live hurricane video shot by Kimberly Roberts, an aspiring rapper whose family was too poor to leave New Orleans, and follows Kims family and others through the horrific aftermath of the storm. People begin arriving at the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center seeking shelter, food, and water. 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. 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. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is a landmark in the city of New Orleans. "[On Air Force One] we gave the president a briefing on everything that had gone on. Several thousand National Guard troops start reaching the thousands of evacuees at the Convention Center and elsewhere. "I realized how serious things were on Sunday. The Most Risky Job Ever. Reporting on ISIS in Afghanistan. hurricane katrina anniversary: 40 powerful photos of New Orleans after the storm. Follow a day-by-day account of Hurricane Katrina's wrath, from its birth in the Atlantic Ocean to its catastrophic effects: flooded streets, flattened homes, and horrific loss of life. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe#NationalGeographic #HurricaneKatrina #StormsAbout National Geographic:National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. 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. Throughout the day, emergency responders and public officials complain that communication links are very poor. A scene from 2006s 'When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts' (Photo: Everett Collection) This week marks a . Visit us at HISTORY.com for more info. The situation begins to improve. The Army Corps of Engineers attempts to plug breaches in the 17th Street Canal and Industrial Canal levees. '", Mayor Ray Nagin Thats just one of the chain of catastrophes at the local, state and national level brought to vivid life in FRONTLINEs Emmy Award-winning 2005 documentaryThe Storm. Marty Bahamonde/FEMA. Mayor Nagin estimates 50,000 to 100,000 people remain in the city. And he was the first guy that told us about the amount of devastation and the levee breaches. By the end of the day it is 335 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River. We knew what had to be done. President Bush flies over the area on his way back to Washington. Other people call me the Dr. Phil of the streets.. "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. The Louisiana National Guard's Jackson Barracks flood. August 27, 2015, 2:18 PM. They were finally able to leave the city on Saturday. "I at least wanted a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes [on Saturday]. The networks all-original programming slate features a roster of hit series, epic miniseries, and scripted event programming. Photo. Listen 7:57. So I can assume what the criminals were thinking, and that's exactly what happened.". I said, 'All of us are going to leave right now, and they're going to work this out right now. . New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. But there were also profane jeers from many in the crowd of nearly 20,000 outside the Convention Center, which a day earlier seemed on the verge of a riot, with desperate people seething with anger over the lack of anything to eat or drink. I laid that out for him. Recalling her attack, she sobs, "They just left us to die. I had all the police, the firefighters in rescue mode, so the looting thing started to rear its head. And he said definitively, "Mr. Mayor, the storm is headed right for you. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast, Congress appropriated an unprecedented $126.4 billion for relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts. 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. There is a documentary about . [He] came on site, I think it was Monday after the event. 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. ', And we left and had a press conference. And it is injurious to the president. She gripped my arm at the store, and she told me, the way you shared with everybody so openly, you helped me to heal. "All I could do was pray, pray for rescue, pray that I didn't have any type of transmitted disease," she says. to support FEMA disaster relief efforts, but it will be two days before the troops arrive in the city. "I got a call, I think Saturday afternoon [from] Max Mayfield, the hurricane director. Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 48 hours to finish once started. "I remember reading [that New Orleans had dodged a bullet]. [Congressman] Bobby Jindal is there, the senators Landrieu and [David] Vitter, and Congressman [William] Jefferson. ', So they went into another section of the plane, had a meeting. And I said, "We're doing one in the morning.". And the impression given in those four days is basically indelible. "[Michael] Brown I did not see the first couple of days. At least one half of well constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. Her husband [Raymond Blanco] is there. At 7 am Katrina is a Category 5 with 160 mph maximum sustained winds. I went to the Adjutant General [Landreneau] and I went to Gov. Theme Foto Blog by, Hundreds Evacuated as Vanuatu Braces for Second Cyclone in 2 Days. But there were also profane jeers from many in the crowd of nearly 20,000 outside the Convention Center, which a day earlier seemed on the verge of a riot, with desperate people seething with anger over the lack of anything to eat or drink. And the guard unitspent most of the next 24 hours saving itself. New Orleans resident climbing through roof of house. President Bush arrives in New Orleans and holds a meeting on Air Force One with federal and local officials. The storm flooded New Orleans, killed more than 1,800 people, and caused . Locals adopt it in their idea of the city. Katrina becomes a Category 3 with 115 mph maximum sustained winds. 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.". "I'm not gonna go on television and publicly say that I think that the mayor and the governor are not doing their job, and that they don't have the sense of urgency. She says she tried to report the assault at the time, but authorities weren't listening. And then they'd gone around the room, and everybody's talking to the president and giving their opinions. A hurricane warning is issued for the Southeast Florida coast. And [FEMA Director] Michael Brown was with me at that time. And I said [to the president], "Here's my piece of paper. 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. Female victims, now displaced from New Orleans, are slowly coming forward with a different story than the official one. ISIS' growing foothold in Afghanistan is captured on film. Twenty-five thousand miserable people - many of whom lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina - hunkered down with little food and little water, overflowing toilets, stifling heat and the . hurricane katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast, claiming 1,800 lives. And Michael Brown was there listening. These defenses held for Hurricane Ida, a category 4 storm, in August 2021. and catcalls of 'What took you so long?,' a National Guard convoy packed with food, water and medicine rolled through axle-deep floodwaters Friday into what remained of New Orleans and descended into a maelstrom of fires and floating corpses. Thousands more were unable to evacuate, including the nearly 25,000 who sheltered in the Superdome. Nicola Mann and Victoria Pass. In the 2005 documentary "In His Own Words: Brian Williams on Hurricane Katrina," Williams indicated that he wasn't a witness to the suicide. Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans: [Secretary of Homeland Security Michael] Chertoff is there. [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.]. Blanco announces New Orleans must be evacuated because of the still- rising water and uninhabitable conditions. The Katrina images we see in the film -- people on rooftops, the Superdome being shredded by hurricane winds, dogs stranded in attics -- are ones that once would have been guaranteed to put lumps . That she could turn this 15 minutes of footage into an Oscar-nominated documentaryIm amazed by it. Where is food? 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. 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. A spokesperson with the Resource Center said the number is steadily growing. As a shocking New Orleans documentary airs on HBO tonight, Phyllis Montana-LeBlancbestselling author and gutsy survivorexplains why the city is still drowning. Some parishes order mandatory evacuations. Visit us at HISTORY.com for more info. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New . The Superdome is an intrinsic part of the city of New Orleans. Here's all these thousands of people that don't have any way to get out of the city. The skies darkened, and the wind started to pick up. Ten years ago this Saturday, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. By midday, water levels between the city and Lake Ponchartrain have equalized. Every little thing helps. web site copyright 1995-2014 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. HBO. will never be the same. But Mayor Nagin goes on radio and castigates state and federal officials for their inaction and demands they "fix the biggest god-damn crisis in the history of this country." In October 2005, The Historic New Orleans Collection initiated Through Hell and High Water: Katrina's First Responders Oral History Project, partnering with local, state, and federal agencies to document their experiences. And he basically asked me, 'Mr. We talked about it. After her rape, Lewis says, there were no clinics open, so she washed herself with bleach. 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. 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. Phone service and electricity to some 770,000 people in the area is cut off. Troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. And we said, "Plan your route carefully. 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 . When Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans poet Shelton Alexander to evacuate his home, he took his truck and video camera to the Superdome. We were moving school buses in. Civil order had completely broken down. And he said: 'Mr. FEMA Situation Update: On Sept. 15, 2005, in an address to the nation, President Bush declares, "It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces -- the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment's notice.". Rescuers drop them off wherever there is high ground; many are dropped at interstate overpasses and the Superdome. Hurricane Katrina made landfall off the coast of Louisiana on August 29, 2005. But a growing body of evidence suggests there were more storm-related sexual assaults than previously known. "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.