hurricane katrina: superdome documentary hurricane katrina: superdome documentary

At landfall, Katrina's maximum winds were about 125 miles per hour (mph) to the east of its center. home+introduction+watch online+interviews+analysis+14 days We arent looking for a handout, but its hard to believe that the city that we love (and everyone lovesthe Mardi Gras, the jazz, the hospitality!) On June 4, 2006, Pamela Mahogany was interviewed for her personal experience involving the events following Hurricane Katrina. With camera lenses and lights abounding, the . You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. Hurricane Katrina [ edit] Refugees on the field inside the Superdome, August 28. One woman told me she was going to commit suicide after Katrina, and that she saw Spike Lees documentary, and I saved her life. Lewis says she was raped on Monday, Aug. 29, the day of the storm. [He] came on site, I think it was Monday after the event. 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. "There was a period of days when we weren't sure who was directing the federal response and were all the actions being taken. FEMA was doing what it's supposed to be doing. Around 8 a.m. the storm's eye passes eastern New Orleans. 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. Anastasia is a petite, 25-year-old hairdresser who asked that her last name be omitted. 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. 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. He had been shot by a rookie police officer while walking through the parking lot of a run-down strip mall, and his brother had brought Glover who was curled up and bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest to a temporary SWAT compound seeking medical attention. I don't know why. 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. 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. And then he was gone after a while.". The population of New Orleans was about 400,000 by 2020, some 20 percent below its population in 2000. background photo copyright 2005 corbis '", Mayor Ray Nagin But problems persist. And he had flown in a helicopter. Benitez and others interviewed for this report believe that police authorities -- who were anxious to discount initially exaggerated reports of mayhem -- are downplaying violent crimes that happened in the anarchy after the storm. The Most Risky Job Ever. Reporting on ISIS in Afghanistan. "What we did -- under Louisiana law the parish presidents, the head of the counties, have the authority to use private resources. to support FEMA disaster relief efforts, but it will be two days before the troops arrive in the city. Gov. 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. [2] Approximately 10,000 residents, along with about 150 National Guardsmen, sheltered in the Superdome anticipating Katrina's landfall. Rescuers drop them off wherever there is high ground; many are dropped at interstate overpasses and the Superdome. Hurricane Katrina becomes Category 2 by 11 am, with 100 mph maximum sustained winds. "I was told that they could mobilize immediately 2,500 National Guards members. And that is unacceptable. Civil order had completely broken down. Issues of race, class, government response and responsibility, and political rivalries interweave with personal stories of challenges faced and decisions made. Mayor Ray Nagin orders the total evacuation of New Orleans due to the dangers posed by the contaminated standing water. "And so now I think it's swung the other direction and it's underreported. I talk to her every other day, and thats her main question How long is it going to be? Here's all these thousands of people that don't have any way to get out of the city. We all did. Heres What the Claims Say and Where They Stand. 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. Floodwaters keep rising. Gov. And you need to order mandatory evacuation. Gov. 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. They didn't have communication. FEMA organizes 475 buses to be sent in to transport many of the estimated 23,000 people from the Superdome to the Houston Astrodome. Exploring the experiences of a black member of the New Orleans Police Department and assorted other New Orleans residents during their stay in the Louisiana Superdome during and after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations. ISIS' growing foothold in Afghanistan is captured on film. But we need something really big, like a hospital, that shows where the $25 billion in recovery money is going. And the mayor began to tell us some of the things that he needed. ' Gettridge told FRONTLINE. He came right back and he said, I dont know why, but theres probably a foot of water on Claiborne Street, Landreneau said. Theres a river of water moving into this area.'. HBO. President Bush flies over the area on his way back to Washington. Having largely emptied the cavernous Superdome, which had become a squalid pit of misery and violence, officials turned their attention to the Convention Center, where people waited to be evacuated as corpses rotted in the streets. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, causing catastrophic flooding as numerous levees failed around New Orleans. And I said [to the president], 'Look, we talked about that option, and then we also talked about another option, that we would federalize, and the governor said she needed time to think about it. Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 48 hours to finish once started. In New Orleans last year, there was a rape every other day on average. Watch it: For a powerful story of resilience and determination in the face of tragedy. At 7 am Katrina is a Category 5 with 160 mph maximum sustained winds. When Hurricane Katrina ripped the Superdome's rubber seal off, tore open the steel roof paneling and penetrated the stadium, it shed light on the conjoined problems of concentrated poverty, socialized and environmental racism, and America's ability to ignore the suffering of its own citizens. Remembers Covering Katrina Preserving History After Hurricane Katrina Katrina's Affect on Charter schools quiz: 10 Questions on Katrina. Flooding grows as water surges over levee breaks from Lake Ponchartrain; the 9th Ward is almost entirely submerged. 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. Nature Documentary hosted by Helen Baxandale, published by Channel 4 in 2010 - English narration Cover Information . An estimated 25,000 angry and exhausted people are still at the Convention Center; buses begin arriving to evacuate them. "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". President Bush arrives in New Orleans and holds a meeting on Air Force One with federal and local officials. We have got to start getting people out.' People can say that writing a check doesnt mean anything, but honey, it does. To get food out. At least one half of well constructed homes will have roof and wall failure. "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. Troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. August 27, 2015, 2:18 PM. 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. ISIS is in Afghanistan, But Who Are They Really? 49 But it was the subsequent flooding of New Orleans that imposed catastrophic public health conditions on the people of southern . New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. 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.". And New Orleans itself has worked to rebuild. We've all feared a catastrophic hurricane striking New Orleans. I've got to know. Ms. Blanco, she left and walked out. They were making suggestions about we need to do this and that. By the end of the day, it is upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina, with 50 mph maximum sustained winds. 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. Widespread looting continues. The hurricane and its aftermath claimed more than 1,800 lives, and it ranked as the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Watch it: To learn about questionable police shootings and cover-ups in Katrinas wake. The choice was either run the risk of becoming stranded or take a detour to wait the storm out for a day or two in the Superdome. ". 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 went into New Orleans and stood beside Mayor Nagin and emphasized the need to leave. In what looked like a scene from a Third World country, some people threw their arms heavenward and others nearly fainted with joy as the trucks and hundreds of soldiers arrived in the punishing midday heat. And they hadn't. I think the American Red Cross already had shelters and was already feeding people. I just expressed to her my concern about the lack of unified command, and the need to have more of a structure of what was going on. Power outages will last for weeks water shortages will make human suffering incredible by modern standards.". Pack as though you're going on a camping trip. producer's chat+tapes & transcript+press reaction+credits+privacy policy "I'm telling you the number of reported rapes we had.". Thousands more were unable to evacuate, including the nearly 25,000 who sheltered in the Superdome. 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. Expressed my concerns, my frustration He needed to really get us resources to save people. 5 Must-See Documentaries About Hurricane Katrina. If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. Judy Benitez is executive director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, a statewide coalition of rape crisis centers. The following year, during an interview with Tom Brokaw at Columbia Journalism School, Williams said, "We watched, all of us watched . And he passes, literally, hundreds of school buses lined up to come and get these folks. Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. And I wanted to cut to the chase because I knew what the real issue was. hurricane katrina anniversary: 40 powerful photos of New Orleans after the storm. The groups went in shifts, sneaking down over to the. "The fact that something wasn't reported to the police doesn't mean it didn't happen," Benitez says. 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. "We're all looking at each other like, 'Why aren't we getting orders to move on this? And at that time I took some liberties I probably shouldn't take. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip). We talked about it. A Tropical Depression with 35 mph maximum sustained winds is located 250 miles east-southeast of southeast Florida. 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 . And we said, "Plan your route carefully. The 42 reports include assaults that happened inside New Orleans and outside the city, for instance, in host homes. 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. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. In all honesty, we begin looting. Military and Coast Guard helicopters flew a steady stream of evacuees from hospitals and rooftops to the airport southwest of downtown. 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 . A hurricane warning is issued for north central Gulf Coast including New Orleans. "I at least wanted a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes [on Saturday]. I've heard some terrible stories since that the stuff wasn't getting there. I am still going out into the streets every day to talk to people about their experiencesI call it getting phyllisophical. 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. Blanco tours the area Tuesday evening and announces that the Superdome should be evacuated. ", At that time, I thought we had done a pretty good job because we had gotten about 80 percent of the people out. Hurricane Katrina first made landfall on Aug. 25, 2005, in Florida, weakening to a tropical storm as it briefly passed over land. The vast majority of them were elderly. 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. Kathleen Blanco, governor of Louisiana: 'Rebirth in New Orleans' reflects on . New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. The top-notch special effects are alarmingly realistic and frightening, particularly when the 17th St. Canal levee breaches and when Katrina rips the roof from the Superdome, where in the days . Virtually all communication systems are out. Where is food? My sense now is there are victims out there whose stories haven't been heard.". Listen 7:57. 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.". A hurricane warning is issued for the Southeast Florida coast. Later, his charred remains were discovered on the banks of the Mississippi River, inside a car that had apparently been set on fire. More than 1 million more in the Gulf region were displaced. Producer Martin Smith: So we're just eating sandwiches and making nice while people are stranded on rooftops? There are still areas that look like Katrina hit yesterday. A spokesperson with the Resource Center said the number is steadily growing. HBO. Ten years ago this Saturday, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast. Crime is at an all-time high. A hurricane warning is issued for north central Gulf . "To cries of 'Thank you, Jesus!' '", Michael Brown, FEMA director: FEMA Situation Update: In downtown New Orleans, some streets were merely wet rather than swamped. "[I] got to the president. It is 250 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. August 28, 2015, 2:21 PM. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. Exclusive: A Former MPD Lieutenant Reported Another Cop. Victims of Hurricane Katrina fight through the crowd as they line up for buses to evacuate the Superdome and New Orleans, Sept. 1, 2005. Mayor, what do you need?' Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. On that first night after the storm, the city had lost power, and she was sleeping in a dark hallway, trying to catch a breeze. 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. Reports put the population there in the tens of thousands. And I said, "We're doing one in the morning.". "I think that that was probably over-reported," he says. At the peak of the Katrina recovery effort, 51,039 National Guard soldiers from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and three territories worked in Louisiana and Mississippi, making Katrina by far . Web Site Copyright 1995-2023 WGBH Educational Foundation. U.S. Cities and States Are Suing Big Oil Over Climate Change. ", Leo Bosner, FEMA watch officer: By Chris Edwards. The situation begins to improve. It was there, she says, that an unknown man with a handgun sexually assaulted her. Very shortly, he said, Cars are beginning to float out of the parking lot. Theme Foto Blog by, Hundreds Evacuated as Vanuatu Braces for Second Cyclone in 2 Days. Two national crime-victims' groups have reported a spike in the number of reported rapes that happened to storm evacuees. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warning: Why would we think there was less rape typical of any given week in the city? Inside the four triage tents, medical personnel tended to people who had gone for days without their medication. Here's a [powerful] hurricane. She describes . At 10 a.m., the Thorntons headed together to the Superdome. 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 Kim's family and others through the . "I admit that rapes are underreported," Benelli says. FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Blanco announces New Orleans must be evacuated because of the still- rising water and uninhabitable conditions. Recalling her attack, she sobs, "They just left us to die. 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. ', And we left and had a press conference. 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.' And he said: 'No, you don't have to leave. "[Michael] Brown I did not see the first couple of days. 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.". WGBH educational foundation, "A close eye will be kept this system could strengthen ", "Media reports attribute Katrina with four fatalities [in Florida], more than a million customers were without electricity", "Katrina will regenerate on Friday over Gulf of Mexico, head west-northwest then turn northward. 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. About 2,000 medical evacuees remain at Louis Armstrong Airport, which has become a staging area for responders and injured refugees. Airborne debris will be widespread and may include heavy items such as household appliances and even light vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is a landmark in the city of New Orleans. The Army Corps of Engineers renews work to fix the breach in the 17th St. Canal. Not Just the Levees Broke: My Story During and After Hurricane Katrina. And Michael Brown was there listening. Around this time 17 years ago, Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, and . But a growing body of evidence suggests there were more storm-related sexual assaults than previously known. Several thousand National Guard troops start reaching the thousands of evacuees at the Convention Center and elsewhere. Kathleen Blanco: Locals adopt it in their idea of the city. ", President Bush arrives in Louisiana. Several parishes and the city of New Orleans announce emergency responders will stop venturing out once the wind exceeds 45 mph. At least 1,800 lives were lost in Hurricane Katrina, often considered one of the worst hurricanes in US history. But while the Superdome has been reclaimed, those stories of trauma remain, and some roil pretty close to . She requests President Bush to declare a state of emergency in Louisiana. Go up there, face to face and say, "What is happening here? 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. 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. "I didn't see any police officers -- I could have gotten away with murder," she says. He also announces that the Superdome will be "a shelter of last resort for evacuees with special needs." There is a belief that the city has avoided a direct hit. At 7 pm it makes landfall north of Miami. Katrina makes landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana as a Category 3 storm with winds near 127 mph. The police department -- reeling from desertions, flooding and the immensity of the disaster -- was in a survival mode itself. We knew what had to be done. There's this lunch. New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies. According to a New York Times article of September 29, "During six days when the Superdome was used as a shelter, the head of the New Orleans Police Department's sex crimes unit, Lt. David . Katrina first made landfall in South Florida. Having largely emptied the cavernous Superdome, which had become a squalid pit of misery and violence, officials turned their attention to the Convention Center, where people waited to be evacuated as corpses rotted in the streets. Police Chief Eddie Compass admitted even his own officers had taken food and water from stores. The outer ends of the hurricane also produced tornados . "With the evacuee situation stabilizing somewhat, and increasing numbers of armed soldiers and police on the streets, officials said Saturday they would start aggressively dealing with the bands of armed looters who pushed the city to the brink of complete breakdown. The Times-Picayune reports the Convention Center evacuees are still being loaded onto buses and evacuated and search-and-rescue operations continue.