In the twenty years since Hurricane Katrina, numerous storms and tornadoes have brought death and destruction to our nation. But for Mississippi, no other event has had as much of an impact, with the possible exception of Hurricane Camile.
Anyone who lived here during that time has a Katrina story and while some of the details have faded in the decades that followed, the emotional trauma remains just below the surface.
Within a month of Katrina, the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage began planning an oral history project to preserve those stories while the details were fresh and the trauma apparent.
In this episode, we hear from National Guard leaders who used their Katrina experiences to guide them through subsequent catastrophes. And we discuss disaster preparedness with historians and how the proposed elimination of FEMA could affect our state in the future.
To those conversations, we add the stories of individuals who used their trauma as a catalyst for change.
Hosted by Bill Ellison
Produced by Ross Walton
Executive Producer Dr. Kevin Greene.
Written by Ross Walton, Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels, Andrew Leib, and Holli Parker.
Additional interviews were conducted by Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels and Andrew Leib.
Special thanks to the Center for the Study of the National Guard and the Mississippi Humanities Council.
As the wind and rain began to die down, people crawled from the wreckage to survey the damages left by Hurricane Katrina. The most common description of what they found was "a warzone."
First came the first responders seeking, listening, for survivors. Then came the Mississippi Army National Guard. They were soon joined by community and business leaders desperately searching for sources of water, food, and fuel to pass along to those in need.
Then came an army of volunteers from across the nation and around the world: from the American Red Cross and countless faith-based and philanthropic groups, to individuals with trucks, trailers, tools, and big hearts.
As the focus moved from rescue to recovery and finally to rebuilding, the physical and emotional stress began to show on even the most stalwart individuals as people returned to pick up the pieces from amongst the debris.
In this episode, we hear from key decision-makers from the Mississippi National Guard, along with community leaders, fire chiefs, bankers, nurses, and volunteers.
To their memories, we add stories of hope, despair and frustration, from individuals determined to rebuild their homes, lives, and livelihoods.
Hosted by Bill Ellison
Produced by Ross Walton
Executive Producer Dr. Kevin Greene.
Written by Ross Walton, Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels, Andrew Leib, and Holli Parker.
Additional interviews were conducted by Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels and Andrew Leib.
Special thanks to the Center for the Study of the National Guard and the Mississippi Humanities Council.
Graphic Design and Social Media: Isabel Loya
Early in morning of Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near the Louisiana / Mississippi state line and the eyewall passed over the cities of Bay St. Louis and Waveland as a Category 3 hurricane. A 27 foot storm surge with sustained winds of 120 mph made for a devastating one-two punch that rocked even the most storm-hardened shelters and wiped away 90% of all structures within six miles of the beach.
Joining us for the interview today we have Dr. David Holt, Associate Professor of Geography in the School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences and coordinator of the Sustainability Sciences BS program at USM, and Dr. Deanne Stephens, Co-Director of the Center for the Study of the Gulf South at USM.
To their expertise, we add the raw accounts of city officials, firemen, nurses, and everyday people who share their stories of survival and tragedy during those harrowing hours when life and death hung in the balance.
Hosted by Bill Ellison
Produced by Ross Walton
Executive Producer Dr. Kevin Greene.
Written by Ross Walton, Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels, Andrew Leib, and Holli Parker.
Additional interviews were conducted by Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels and Andrew Leib.
Special thanks to the Center for the Study of the National Guard and the Mississippi Humanities Council.
On the afternoon of Friday, August 26, 2005, the National Hurricane Center changed the predicted landfall of Katrina from the panhandle of Florida to Mississippi. As the storm continued to increase in size and intensity, Federal, State, and local officials, began planning for the worst case scenario.
For Gulf Coast residents, it was a familiar dilemma: to stay or to go? Boarding up homes and businesses, packing up and heading north was a costly effort that too many times, proved unnecessary. Afterall, it had been some 36 years since Hurricane Camile, the yardstick by which all hurricanes were measured, had devastated the Gulf Coast. What were the odds that Katrina could cause that level of destruction?
In our first episode, we look back on the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. We examine the choices that were made and why. We hear first-hand accounts by key decision makers of the Mississippi Army National Guard including Major General Harold "Hac" Cross, Major General Bobbie Ginn, and Major General Janson "Durr" Boyles.
We also hear from Dr. David Holt, Associate Professor with the School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences and Coordinator of the Sustainability Sciences BS program at USM, and Dr. Deanne Stephens, Co-Director of the Center for the Study of the Gulf South at USM.
To these voices, we add the stories of Mississippians from all walks of life, recorded shortly after the storm. From these raw accounts of survival and resiliency, we will hopefully gain a deeper perspective of how they prepared to meet the moment that fateful weekend in August of 2005.
Hosted by Bill Ellison
Produced by Ross Walton
Executive Producer Dr. Kevin Greene.
Written by Ross Walton, Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels, Andrew Leib, and Holli Parker.
Additional interviews were conducted by Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels and Andrew Leib.
Special thanks to the Center for the Study of the National Guard and the Mississippi Humanities Council.
On August 25th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina crossed over South Florida and into the Gulf, where it quickly strengthened into a massive category 5 storm. Gulf Coast residents watched with increasing alarm as it became obvious that Mississippi was in the crosshairs of this once-in-a-generation weather event.
As President George W. Bush declared a state of emergency and evacuations were ordered for New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, emergency crews, equipment, and supplies, were prepositioned for the rescue and recovery efforts that would follow.
Key to those efforts would be the Mississippi National Guard. Already stretched thin due to deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Adjutant General Harrold "Hac" Cross knew we would need assistance from other states to meet the moment.
When the storm made landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi state line early on the morning of August 29, those who were unable or unwilling to evacuate experienced sustained winds of 120 miles per hour and a 27 foot wall of water. Many clung to trees or floating debris, desperate to survive.
By the time Hurricane Katrina left Mississippi, no part of the state was left untouched. All 82 counties were declared disaster areas. On the Gulf Coast, some 90% of the buildings within a half mile of the shoreline were wiped away, leaving 238 people dead, 67 missing, and billions of dollars in damages.
As massive as the storm itself was the rescue and recovery efforts. Relief agencies and philanthropic groups from around the world descended on Mississippi with truckloads of food, water, and other desperately need supplies. Rescue and relief would take weeks, recovery efforts would take years.
Even before the power was fully restored, the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage at the University of Southern Mississippi began planning for an oral history project to preserve for future generations, the shared impact of what our people had just experienced. Over the next five years, the Center would collect some 400-plus interviews to be used for museum exhibits, presentations, books, radio programs, and even a stage play.
In this four-episode podcast series, produced by the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage, and the Center for the Study of the National Guard at USM, with support from the Mississippi Humanities Council, we will mine that collection for stories of survival and resilience. To those stories we will add new interviews with key decision-makers and scholars to gain some new perspectives on the lasting legacy of Hurricane Katrina.
I'm your host Bill Ellison, inviting you to take this journey with me as we witness the ferocity of nature and the resilience of our citizens.
Mississippi Moments Presents: Voices of Our People - Hurricane Katrina: Twenty Years Later.
Hosted by Bill Ellison
Produced by Ross Walton
Executive Producer Dr. Kevin Greene.
Written by Ross Walton, Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels, Andrew Leib, and Holli Parker.
Additional interviews were conducted by Isabel Loya, Jerra Runnels and Andrew Leib.
Graphic Design and Social Media: Isabel Loya.
Special thanks to the Center for the Study of the National Guard and the Mississippi Humanities Council.