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.