A humane and moving attempt at truth and reconciliation that acknowledges in a deep and meaningful way those who were victimized by the US Government’s poorly constructed flood infrastructure, inadequate disaster relief planning, and woefully incompetent Katrina response as well as post-disaster capitalist greed and property confiscations and our larger society’s ignorance and passive acceptance of it all…

Leeann is an incredible representative for the people who came through Katrina to a different life post storm. Interview with Brownie was a lot more insightful than I expected. Kudos on your research and reporting. Highly recommend this podcast.

Leanne is a wonderful spokesperson for a people I don’t know and couldn’t so much understand. She is a treasure!

I’m a New Orleans local of 20 years. I’ve listened to this podcast twice. It’s a masterpiece! Y’all should think about doing another podcast 18 years later. Katrina is still effecting New Orleans. Due to the gentrification after the storm families are separated. Community is not the same. Crime has and is killing us. 18 years later and we are still trying to survive Katrina. Thank you for this podcast.

I can’t stop thinking about this podcast. I have 15 minutes left and don’t want it to end. Two comments: Michael Brown’s biggest concern was that people don’t think he cares. Does he go down to New Orleans? Did he go to meet Leanne? If he really cared his biggest concern would be how can I help now? How can I fight racism? How can I help rebuild equity on this city. If you are already doing that, my apologies Michael Brown. I hope Destiny has the opportunities her mother lost. I will remember Leanne and her honesty and realism that holds those who failed her accountable.

Although As a nurse I didn't work at Charity Hospital, I had a relative that did. This nurse left a place because "she was tired after a shift?" When I have a ice or snow storm, I stay at the hospital knowing that will be the safest place. A hurricane is forecast and your area is at or below sea level....these individuals didn't have a plan? No plan?? They chose not to stock up on food/water, a can opener, extra clothes and gave a "Go Bag?" I could stay at least 14 days with my bag I keep in my car as long as the hospital still has a roof. I know one nurse that stayed for days at the hospital and after a certain time, she was relieved by other staff and walked to that bridge and then received a ride to safety and then returned to work after two days!!!!! They left it up to the government to protect them? They went to a place not prepared for them? And, the emotional memories of what was then a 14 year old girl? My husband went there to work on the clean up...I have photos he took of people looting ridiculous items....not food, water, but instead high end electronics and fashion clothes and wigs!!!!! Nope....what he told me he saw, if people who simply didn't take preparation and responsibility for themselves ---

The crime was horrible!!!!! I was in Baptist hospital during katrina from Chalmette

Excellent! A rich, full account with wide range, mid range, and narrow range focus, centering on human actors throughout. Seems fair and balanced. Full of heart. Thanks to Vann Newkirk and his team and The Atlantic. And Leeann and Alice and others whose names (I'm sorry) escape me at the moment ... Freddy, maybe? I'm subscribing to Holy Week, for sure.

I can remember when Katrina happened. This podcast was eye opening and brought to my attention a lot of factors that other Americans were not aware of during that time. I remember being glued to the tv screen every day before, during and after the storm hit. Because I live on the coast of Savannah Georgia and we were blessed that it didn’t come our way! I stopped watching after the police chief said that they were raping women and children which caused me to have nightmares! As a black women I was very upset to later find out that he was lying. Afterwards I just couldn’t watch any more news about the Katrina victims and I’m saddened to know that it took so long for them to receive help! Again thank you 👏🏾👏🏾

What you thought you knew about Katrina, you don’t. I found this a touching, sad, and intriguing look at the entire event. My friend stopped listening at Ch3, he said he had heard the story already, he had heard it over and over his entire life. But I, continued listening. What I want to say to Leanne, and all who ensured Katrina, who’s life, dreams, and spirit changed, I’m sorry this happened to you. ❤️

One of the very first and by far the very best Podcasts I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.I’ve listened to this countless times.Outstanding

This podcast is more of a movie for your ears. The sound effects and music added is next level. The storytellers are top-notch, and the stories are riveting. I always recommend this podcast to friends and colleagues. I’m going back through the podcast for the second time in two years, and it’s just as good as the first time!

When Hurricane Katrina hit I was freshly 21 and living in New England. I had heard things and rumblings about what was going on in New Orleans but as a 21 year old only focused on myself and my own problems in NE, the impact of Katrina felt millions of miles away. In recent years I’ve become very interested in educating myself not only on American history but also on the systemic racism this country was founded on. I found this podcast after watching a doc on the aftermath of the levees breaking and this is a superb follow up to that doc. Hearing how the government and the media let so many people down on top of the gross and blatant racism, still completely boggles my mind. I find myself wishing I could go back in time and tell my younger self to pay more attention. At least now I have the ability to educate myself and hear the voices of those who actually experienced it in real time. We can’t stop this kind of thing from happening in the future until we all wake up and actively work to prevent this. Thank you to this host for this podcast. Not only is he a great narrator but thank you for giving the people that were there a place to tell the real stories.

I work for a federal recovery agency and was on the ground in Louisiana with in a week of the initial devastation. I’m halfway through episode 3 and had to stop and “scream” into the void. For 17 years I have been wanting someone to do a deep investigation into why, how and who HIRED Blackwater mercenaries to guard (5 per center!!) the disaster recovery centers I worked in during our recovery work. The VP at the time had a monetary involvement in Halliburton (who helped hire many temporary workers); did he have financial ties to Eric Prince? The out of control narrative on the news re crime makes me wonder if the VP had a hand in that. I didn’t experience any feelings of concern the entire time I was there off and in for 3 years. (Many of my idiot coworkers were brainwashed). I’m going to now finish the of the podcast. Thank you Mr. Newkirk for this very important reporting.

I had this added for a while and just got around to listening. Wow. Amazing. The production and storytelling is so great and I learned so much more about Katrina. I loved the first person storytelling, so impactful to hear about Katrina from those who were truly effected.

Many times I cried. Thank you for sharing the stories of the young people whose trajectory was changed forever.

Amazing podcast ! Heartbreaking to think these people were suffering so! Thank you for opening my eye and educating me as to what really happen .

I had only known the White view of Katrina. I had never heard the Black side, the people’s lives before and after the disaster, the police coverups, or that the reports of looting were falsely exaggerated. This series made me want to visit New Orleans and subscribe to The Atlantic. Great reporting. 👍

I really liked hearing the individual story’s like Leann’s and I certainly think the people of the city of New Orleans who were victims and just trying to survive were unfairly maligned. But I think the reporter, in trying to reclaim the story of Katrina through the eyes of the people of New Orleans who suffered through this disaster, also lets the City of New Orleans, as in the local government, completely off the hook. Anyone who lives in the New Orleans knows this is the most corrupt and incompetent city in the U.S. If you don’t live here, you would be absolutely shocked by the state of anything run by this city. More than 15 years after Katrina, New Orleans has zero functional plan to save or assist any of its citizens when a Category 4+ hurricane happens again. I absolutely 100% do not believe the city was completely innocent in regard to the state of the levees when the disaster happened. It’s just that the Army Corps of Engineers had the integrity to own up to their part in it and do better next time - something the City of New Orleans in a million years would never do.

Thank you for sharing first hand accounts of an event that was misrepresented by media when it happened. I now think of Hurricane Katrina in a different light.

Such a powerful story. I have listened 3 times to the full series. Lives changed by multiple losses.

This is so well researched and expertly crafted. I was hooked from the first minute.

I truly appreciate how in depth this podcast went to tell the truths of such a horrible tragedy. Great questions I especially love Vann pushing him to apologize just wow. I could write a book but just listen. I’m shook in tears, angry but thankful for Vann and the team asking hard questions that needed to be answered.

One of the best podcasts I’ve ever listened to. If you are at all curious about Katrina, give it a listen.

It was so challenging not to binge listen. The voices are so rich and come thru so clearly. It was wonderful to hear the stories of folks from neighborhoods that are often overlooked and their stories we rarely hear.

Sad and up lifting. Very good.

Born and raised Louisianian. My city was hit with catastrophe one month after Katrina. This podcast is excellent to a degree. I enjoyed it very much, but the political racial bias was astounding. The elected officials of Orleans parish, who’s people voted in, FAILED them. No one else. This blame fell on a lot of people that had never been in that situation. This is very eye opening but a lot could’ve been left out.

I'm not even the guy that writes reviews unless I feel it's absolutely necessary. I couldn't help but to take the time out of my day to write a review for such an amazing podcast. The show is very informative and it provided perspectives of people who I knew existed but never heard their point of view. Do yourself a favor and take the time to listen! Thank me later lol

I binged the entire podcast on a car or a trip with my parents. No I was not home enough to remember Katrina in the way that many others did, My parents were obviously live to serve for sheer chaos and injustice occurring down in New Orleans while watching the news. They noted that they heard some of the bogus stories and taken them at face value. So this podcast promoted them to do you valuate what I understood about Katrina and the wreckage it has left behind - even decades later. Beautifully constructed and I applaud the addition of interviewer survivors. Those tragic, unspeakable events definitely had me in sobs. Please, please give it a listen. VANN IS AN AMAZING HOST!!!

This is one of the most incredible documentaries I’ve ever come across. I could not stop listening and it changed my whole understanding of this historical event.

Such a multifaceted look at Hurricane Katrina. The interview with Michael Brown was excellent, as were the narrators insights. Highly recommend.

This podcast has really given me some insight on the real behind Katrina. Some I've heard some I hadn't. Very compelling. Sharing with everybody I know!

I listened to this whole thing straight through. Le-Ann and I are the same age. I remember at 14 not knowing what to make of Katrina. The information was overwhelming and confusing. The following year I went to help rebuild in Biloxi for a few weeks in the summer, and even seeing the devastation in person it didn’t quite seem real. This collection of interviews and narrative really helped it sink in. I can’t imagine going through what Le-Ann went through at that age. She is so strong and resilient. And Vann…you stayed WAY calmer than I think I could have interviewing Michael Brown. Props to you. I did feel for him at the end there. You can tell it affects him. But I also can hear the wall that’s there for him. Somehow he can’t quite get past the hurt he feels being scapegoated to really become humble and reflect about his own part in it. It’s not easy, but I hope he’ll get there one day. Thank you for making my workday so much better with this masterpiece!

I loved this podcast. As a Caucasian American, it was a definite eye opener to how my fellow African Americans were treated during this time. Your life did matter and still does today. I’m disappointed I’m the division in this country between our races and how media plays a big part in it by not reporting the truth. When will media be held responsible for their part in this?! Thank you so much for the beautiful way this tragedy was told. I had chills many times. I pray for all these families who are still affected by what happen to this wonderful city that I love.

Thank you for telling the important stories of these beautiful people. It opened my eyes to a different Katrina history. I was able to see the broader American history and systems that people who look like me (caucasian) don’t want to share. But we need to hear these stories so that we don’t sit by while amazing communities are destroyed.

The most brilliant, haunting, and moving podcast I’ve ever listened to. The sound design is beyond compare. The storytelling is beautiful and the story is devastating. I’ve never written a review for a podcast before and I listen to podcasts constantly. I was so moved by this one I had to write a review. I’m listening to it for the 3rd time. It never gets old.

This is an astute account of an important part of American history. A unique perspective on race, history, voting rights, and Hurricane Katrina, intertwined with Vann’s personal experiences and the people he interviews. I’ve watched just about every documentary I could find regarding Katrina. This is such an important piece of the puzzle. I cried, cringed, and yelled while listening to The Wake episode. Thank you for this podcast.

Thank you for telling this story. It’s a reminder that the media controls the narrative. Thankful for people that are willing to tell the story of what Katrina was like for people who lived through it. Very well done.

The craftsmanship of this entire production is magnificent from top to bottom. The narrative, the editing, the “characters,” the music, everything. It deserves all the awards.

Yes it’s sad that the poor people of New Orleans but it wasn’t because they’re black. Everyone is sick & tired of this narrative. P.S. OBVIOUSLY Kanye has always been an idiot!!!

Brilliant reporting on a topic that needs the attention.

Amazing podcast. The New Orleans residents provided great insight to their experiences before, during, and after the storm that gives this podcast life. Newkirk did an outstanding job of telling their stories and putting it into the greater context of New Orleans history and the disaster. Newkirk did a great job explaining things in an understandable way. There are some portions of the podcast that left me with more questions than answers. Newkirk mentioned Mayor Nagin was holed up in the Hyatt for days not even seen by the police chief. Why was that? How did that impact response? Shouldn’t he apologize? Unfortunately Newkirk kind of left that there unturned. However Newkirk dedicates much time to the Presidents decision to flyover (for which he’s responded already in post presidency interview i.e. Oprah). How about the Governor? Her name is hardly mentioned through this whole project. Governors play an outsized role in disaster preparedness, evacuations, and response. However Newkirk left me wondering what steps she did and didn’t take and what things she should be apologizing for. Her role is a blip in this project. Props to Newkirk for including the history of USACE however I think a more detailed look at the machinations of emergency management and federalism would help viewers understand better what went wrong and why. And also leave them with thought provoking questions on how the system works and where it can be improved. Newkirk’s pointed questions got me hooked on the podcast and kept me hooked. I just wish all people/officials discussed we’re subject to the tough questions.

I replay this podcast allllllll the time. We need more Vann topics and podcasts like this!!!!

I have been recommending this podcast to everyone. It is the most well done journalism-style podcast I have ever had the pleasure to listen to.

The way that this podcast weaves together heartbreaking, true stories with real news stories is truly excellent. The narrative flows naturally without ever feeling forced, and it contains the perfect balance of storytelling, reporting, and contextualizing what happened within our world today. I learned so much in this podcast and really felt the horrific pain and fear that so many people in New Orleans went thought. I can’t recommend it enough. P.S. I loved it so much that I wrote this — my first-ever review in the app.

Tired. Everywhere you look it’s all about bad race. Sick of it. And I won’t listen..

Captivating and full of information I never knew

Excellent podcast! Episode 8 - Michael Brown revealed: privileged and clueless

Thank you for your in-depth reporting and telling the story of the people impacted by Katrina and what was really happening on the ground. Very well done.

Amazing, thought-provoking, sad, honest! I’m happy I listened!