Did I search for this? No. Did I watch the whole thing? Yes.

Katrina hit the morning my father passed away. It felt like the world was coming to an end. It's been 18 yrs... My heart goes out to all the people that endured this and those who lost someone they love.

There's now a law in Louisiana that there has to be shelters that accept pets and hotels have to accept pets during a hurricane evacuation.

Katrina happened my senior year of high school. I lived 10 minutes from the Coliseum in Biloxi. We are the forgotten coast and the bodies, caskets, flat lant for miles is something that will shake me forever. My family went to Houston after being stuck with bare minimum for weeks. I remember standing in Katrina lines and neighbors bbq grill feeding the entire complex. I thought the heat would be better at night but I cried all the way through. I lost many friends from New Orleans. I was accepted into Xavier University but I was too traumatized to go because...would another hurricane come before I graduated. Katrina left me in shambles for years and I didn't understand. Blessings to all of us who survived and got back whole spiritually mentally and emotionally.

I Now live in Australia... But was born and raised in NOLA. I unfortunately rode Katrina out, and the worse part about it, not shown here, were the bodies of the less fortunate. They were everywhere. Everywhere. Still brings tears to my eyes to think back on this devastation. My heart goes out to the families and families of friends who lost. Though im in Australia now. ill never forget Katrina.

I love how "natural" this documentary is. No crazy music or manipulated videos. It's all through the experience of one person which makes it more "real" when you watch it.

“Weathers fine, it’s been hot here” “Wait 30 hours…” Damn that’s haunting

I lived thru this 16 yrs ago. It still haunts me.. I lost everyone.. Evacuate, just do it...

I’ll always remember a man telling the news people how he lost his wife to the flood, how she was swept away in the storm surge and the last thing he said was “she gone, she gone”. It was heartbreaking.

Ten years later this is suggested to everyone and we all watched the whole thing

Journalist: I can't believe the police are still patrolling. Police: I can't believe this journalist is still out here.

My Katrina experience was a unique one I guess and I am proud to have been one of the guys who worked over 122 hours a week for almost two months without a day off getting the electricity back on. About 80 miles north of New Orleans in Pike County Mississippi I was working for a power line right of way crew. We worked Pike, Amite, Walthall and Lincoln counties. The first few days were really tough as you had to cut the trees out of the roads just to get to the downed power lines. In the rural areas the people didn't even have water because electricity ran their wells and I came across several people who said that we were the first people that they had seen since the storm and was asked what had happened and what was now going on. Budweiser and Coca Cola started donating water, power aid , ice and ice chests. I remember the Budweiser cans being white with black lettering. I would load as many coolers as I possibly could on the back of my bucket truck and give it to the people who had no water. I remember so many people being so greatful and giving me hugs. One lady in tears said I deserved a medal. Another thing that has always stood out was an elderly couple, the husband was near his end because of cancer. We had to follow these grids and were going to skip the one thing that would have kept them from having power for weeks and I went ahead and cleared the line and asked a crew from Jackson Tennessee if they would please get the line up and the reason I was asking. And they didn't hesitate. When we passed their house to go to another area, the man had gotten out of bed, which I know was not easy thing for him to do just to wave at us to say thank you. Within just a couple days I remember power crews coming from all over the country to help. Those guys from Jackson Tennessee that worked for Pike Electric were some really good people. The electric company I was doing the work for did the rural areas and I lived in town that was on Entergy. For over a month I'd come home just so wore out I barely had enough energy to take a shower and on the other side of the block I lived on had power but I didn't. I also remember a photographer from a big paper ( I want to say New York Times but may be wrong) got me and two other guys to pose for a picture while holding our chainsaws. When things started to get back to normal I started getting some cards in the mail, they were thank you cards from some of the people I had helped. I never knew how they got my address but it made me feel good that they took the time to do that. I kept them in a photo album that I unfortunately lost in a house fire January of 2017. I know so much was lost by so many. Things way more important than electricity but I am very proud of my little part in being able to help so many good people and if you have ever been without air conditioning and the other great things that electric items provide for days in the miserable Mississippi summer heat, getting the electricity back on is a great thing.

I found this documentary about a year ago. I watched others but this one by far is the most comprehensive. The commentator isn't screaming, "yo dude, look at the water, OMG, yo dude!" He speaks intelligently and only when necessary. The footage is edited beautifully. So often it drags on. The time line paints the picture which allows the viewer to understand when and what is happening. Others go back and forth such that its a jumble of events. Excellent job of maintaining the scope of his mission! None better.

"There was a lot of people out driving around site seeing and risking their life for nothing"....Says the guy chasing a hurricane....Great video!

i’m from biloxi, we live in the north side across the bay. My home which was built in the 70’s had been through 4 category 4 hurricanes, and my mother thought we could wait out the storm. my father, who had never even experienced a hurricane before, refused to stay. Thankfully we went four hours north and got out 3 days before the suggested evacuation day. My house, which is 100 yrds off the water, was submerged in 10 ft of flood water and debris. The roof had caved in and 2 cars floated into what used to be the living room. If we had followed the advice of everyone else, to wait out the storm, we would have died or been severely injured. Now at the mention of anything stronger than a cat 2 coming towards the coast, nearly everyone evacuates

I was 5 years of age when this happened. I am a New Orleans native, me and my family escaped hurricane Katrina during mandatory evacuation and resided in Atlanta, Georgia for 3 years. My childhood home was completely destroyed, the storm left us devastated and all of our belongings were destroyed. continuing to pray 4 survivors during this catastrophic storm. ❤️😔

Its been 15 years and this is the first Katrina documentary I have ever watched! I don't know how I found my way to your video, but I appreciate how you just documented everything, it wasn't sensationalized! Great Doc!!

I can finally watch videos of Katrina with out having a PTSD episode, I lived 2 blocks north of the beach at Point Cadet (Isle of Capri casino) I knew my house was gone when I got within 5 miles, the whole neighborhood was gone. Thank God my Father in law survived on his boat in the Biloxi Industrial Canal. My family took refuge at a hotel in Talullah, La.

My husband and I went to New Orleans 2 years after Katrina hit. 2 years! And it still looked like the hurricane had hit yesterday in a lot of areas. There were still people handing out bottled water and people still living in their houses without electricity. It was very sad and very sobering.

The French-Creole culture on New Orleans is so fascinating. My family in Houston housed 4 individuals from New Orleans in a garage we turned into a makeshift rooming area for 2 weeks & they were a French-Creole family, they were some of the greatest people they’d ever met. After 2 weeks they moved back to Louisiana with extended family.

Who’s Watching This At Home In 2020

A time I’ll never forget. One of the most devastating events in my life. I’m still kinda speechless 15 years later. People are still searching for loved ones 15 years later

After the loss of life, one of the worst things that happened during this time was inflicted upon Veterans that were inpatients at the VA in New Orleans thanks to the governor of Louisiana. I know 1st hand because I was a manager in the VA in Jackson, MS where FEMA set up their base in our parking lot as Katrina headed toward the coast. We had a helicopter pad setup and had coordinated a plan to fly the vets to the regional airport here then use helicopters to get them to our VA and in rooms that were set up just for them. We even had gurneys staged in the hallway waiting on them. Within hours of starting the operation, the Louisiana governor decided she knew better and halted the movement making them wait as the floodwaters were rising. After some hours, she inflicted a trip, of several hours, to the Alexandria, LA VA, by military 2.5-ton trucks, with a very very harsh ride, upon Vets who were already very sick and many hooked up to life-saving equipment. This never made it into the news and those who witnessed it 1st hand were left in astonishment then angered that the LA Governor had jeopardized their health for the sake of here political opportunism.

Watching while Ida approaches Louisiana. Hoping for the best for everyone in NOLA.

When i first started to watch the video i thought i would only watch 10 minutes of it, but ended up watching the whole thing.. Great video and very interesting thanks

The amount of ppl that leave their animals tied up to die in hurricanes/floods is disgusting!

Just came across this. I had a different Katrina experience. I was visiting my grandfather in Nebraska when he fell and his head went through the wall. We were told he wouldn't survive. As I sat in the hospital waiting for our family to arrive from around the country before taking him off life support, I was glued to the television watching Katrina unfold and it's aftermath. I held my grandfather's hand as he took his last breaths in the comfort of a hospital and never felt so blessed to have the opportunity so many in New Orleans were being denied. Every year that the anniversary of his passing arrives, I also think of everyone lost during Katrina. My heart and prayers go out to each of you who had to live through it. 🙏

Watching this on the 16th anniversary of Katrina just as hurricane Ida is about to strike almost the exact same spot

I am one of the people that was at the Coliseum and you actually have me on video when I was playing in the Wind at timestamp 19:47 thank you for documenting it as well as you did I can honestly say it's one of the worst days of my life

The guy at 1:01:21 ... what a guy. Having to do that to survive and getting his dogs at the same time ... wow You can see him trying no to burst into tears just wow

Much thanks for this video! Well done! I spent 26 days right after Katrina hit as a medical R.N. team leader with the Red Cross in Ocean Springs, Gautier, Diaberville and Pascagoula, Mississippi. Unbelievable devastation and sadness. Cared for thousands of nice, good ppl and stayed to help them find housing. Many lost loved ones but we helped others to reunite with their loved ones. I still check on some of those amazing ppl after all these years. I was blessed to have taken care of those ppl at the Community College shelter we were at.

Katrina was an experience I’ll never forget. It’s weird because I didn’t see how traumatizing it was to me until I look back now. I was in 8th grade at the time. It still feels like a long strange dream that never happened.

Who else is watching in 2019?

Wow! R.I.P Anyone Who Lost Any Loved Ones During That Horrible Period 💔❤🌏

From Slidell La to Mobile Ala, was absolute destruction. Something I'll never forget.

I have watched sooooo many Katrina videos,and still today 4/10/23…It still saddens me,so deeply sad! Give thanks to all the people that are still striving to win,and a heartfelt hug to alllllll the families that didn’t make it!!! May you continue to try to find peace in your journey of life🤲🏾

New Orleans will never be the same. The neighborhoods, families, friends that made various parts of the city are no longer there. Social groups, churches, charity originations in various neighborhoods are different. When you are raised on a street with other families that have lived there for a 60,70,80 yrs there are many traditions. When everyone gets scattered, those traditions are no longer.

I think everyone agrees when we say were so happy you made this video, I would not be surprised in the decades to come if this becomes a National Treasure

A couple years after Katrina I came down with a youth group part of the National Youth Gathering for the ELCA. We broke up in groups to help clean parks, rough frame houses and paint schools, we were told during orientation to talk to the residents because they wanted to tell their stories. 25,000 youth spread out and got our hands dirty was a good feeling to help so many people

I've been through Camille in 1969 and Katrina in 2005...both were devastating. As a result I now live up here near Florence, yes, I moved away from all the hurricanes on the coast!

We left that Thursday before the storm and way before the mandatory evacuation and it took us like 10 hours to get to Baton Rouge. I remember seeing a guy on a bike pass us on Airline Highway and fade off into the sunset. Katrina was more of an engineering disaster for New Orleans than a natural one. It should have never flooded. Poor maintenance.

I lived through it in Jackson Mississippi. You could hear pines in my back yard snap every minute or so. No power, water, phones for two weeks.

Lord 16 years ago. I was a kid then. Now we getting ready for 🌀Hurricane Ida. My anxiety levels are through the roof right now🥺🙏🏾 for my state🧘🏽‍♀️

Watching your documentary so many years after this major devastating disaster brought tears, I lived in Laurel Mississippi at this time and know and lived through the magnitude of the disaster. It will never ever be forgotten and these area will never ever be the same. To this day Mississippi Gulf Coast to New Orleans is forever changed from the way I remember from before Katrina. Bless everyone that endured the disaster and everyone of you that came to all our aids. God bless us every one.

Excellent footage and documentary. Made me realize just how bad these people suffered while I watched from my television in WV. Thank You!

This is a wonderful documentary on the actual conditions before during and after Katrina. Kudos to you, Sir for your very fine work.

I'm so glad we decided to leave New Orleans b/4 the storm. When we were a/b to return back home a month later, our house had a 9ft storm surge and the mold was horrible.

I live in Houston and I remember this very well!! I remember the buses one after another arriving at the Astrodome of people who stayed and were rescued who literally had nothing but the clothes they were wearing! So heartbreaking, but so humbling to see how the US came together helping.!❤️

I believe all people should watch this......If you have never actually seen the trauma. I will NEVER forget how our own government did NOTHING for days!!

I lived in southern MS when this hit. My husband was trapped on the coast with 28 foot deep storm surge. One of the worst days in my families life. We where inland enough not to get the surge but a 130mph wind gust took out our power. Took 4 months to get electricity back and 6 months for land line phones. Nothing left but fire ants and stinging insects in 100+ degree weather. Miserable. While the media and world focused on New Orleans the coastal cities and towns of Mississippi where wiped off the map! The media all but ignored us down here but here in MS we don't cry to the media, we get up, and start helping others. When the winds got down to around 50 mph my neighbor came over and checked on me, we then went to others. We helped each other cut trees, clear the yard, get gas (100 mile drive to get). We didn't stand around and wait for the government to do something, we got up and did it. At the time I had only lived in this state for 3 years but I learned the strength and heart of people in Mississippi in the 12 hours it took Katrina to cross over us.

Rest in peace Auntie & Cousin in Katrina New Orleans Louisiana 🤳🏾

I remember Hurricane Katrina. I live in WA state so we've never had a hurricane so I was hard for to grasp how destructive it could be. My heart hurts for those affected.

I was on the edge of my seat watching this, my anxiety was like I was there. How do you even BEGIN to clean something like this up??? I have no words... ....I want to cry

Omg I feel SO sorry for everyone involved and everyone that lost their lives that day including all the animals.

This would've been the best promotional video for whatever truck his Driving

I was two hours north of where the eye made landfall. The wind howled for what seemed like days. You could hear the roof groaning. My bosses daughter lived southeast from me and it totally devastated their neighborhood. Took a week for them to clear our road. We were without fresh produce or meats for two weeks and gas shortage forced most to stay home even if they needed supplies. We ate MREs for a month. They begin to grow on you after awhile. We moved from FL in early 70’s after Camille came through. I hope we don’t have another Katrina in my lifetime. If the levees would have held all those lives lost in New Orleans would have been saved. It’s so very sad.

What I also love is that this documentary captures more of the social aspect of the storm. You see people's reactions and attitudes.

As a person who personally went through this storm....I will say this....there are 2 kinds of people when something like this happens.....those that will bend over backwards for you and those that will.......ummm....keep driving and not pick up a person. It is easy for you to blame the mayor or that the levy's broke, or what ever reason you had. But what it comes down to is -- you were afraid to pick up a person IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM. shame on you. Even all these years later, I cannot shake the sounds from the hurricane. I could not imagine leaving someone out in the middle of it

Just watching as IDA , the Beast, approaches The beloved NoLo. Great footage captured. I appreciated the references to the rescuers that waited to take people to safety. An the knowledge of allowing the viewers to see exactly where you were once the water was high. Blessings to All 8-29-21

That’s sad how he just left that man there in the cold alone.

I watched this whole video. I can't imagine actually seeing the lower 9th ward. So much death and disaster. It's hard when the amount of people that needed help really couldn't get help as fast as they wanted it. I think people wanted their lives back faster than what FEMA was doing. I can't imagine going through this.

Amazes me hotels don’t take pets in an emergency situation...and public transportation could have bused people out of the city... ...

I remember this like yesterday, being told it wasn’t going to hit Louisiana until last minute. We left the day of. Traffic was so bad we could only get to Mississippi. We stayed in a hotel with no power. The winds flung the doors open. It was scary. People were using the bathroom in the hall way. When we finally got home we had no power. We lived without power for three months.

I lived in Mississippi during hurricane Katrina, many of us use to wonder why the coverage was majority with New Orleans because we shared the storm. I remember this storm like it was yesterday. I will never forget it. I’m only 25.

Who watching in 2020 during coronavirus scare 🙄

This video is so anxiety-inducing just watching to see how he makes it out of the city.

Katrina is still very real in the minds of the residents who stayed and live in New Orleans. Didn't realize that it hit south Florida first. I work there and have a deep respect for what they residents endured. I cannot begin to imagine...

I went to New Orleans a couple months after Katrina and drove out to Biloxi .. the damage was so immense along the entire route. It was unbelievable. I recently went back this last year and did the same drive, checking to see how each community has changed since then. It brought back lots of memories.

I was in the Louisiana National Guard when this happened out of Minden Louisiana and we got called for this and remember being like is this the end of the world to have witnessed this first hand was an eye opener for me, having to set up shop at the Convention Center too i couldnt belive it!

Wow . I was only 14 when this happened. I only experienced what happened from the East off Bullard. I didn’t see how bad it got everywhere else. Amazing footage! It brought back flashbacks! But it’s a blessing to see how much progression has happened since then to the city. Thank you.

Now this footage and narration is how a professional would do it. Thank you so much for all of your work and the 101 on a devastating cat 4 to 5 hurrricane.

I lived through Rita with the flooding in our home and having both hurricanes hit that year destroying all of Louisiana was something nobody can explain unless you lived it. Last year with Laura and now 16 years to the day with Ida. Praying for the city of New Orleans

Who's watching in 2020 days before Laura possibly will hit New Orleans? Praying for all who may be affected.

I lived through this in Mississippi. We are 45 min drive inland. It was absolutely devastating even where we live. It took years for parts of south miss to recover. Thousands of people where left with nothing. I had never been so scared in my life. The storm was so loud. We were weeks w/out power and water. Buildings next door were being ripped apart and pieces of it just blew through our back yard, and we just stood watching the devastation through the windows. Trees were down everywhere you look. The hurricane itself was terrifying but the aftermath was equally as troubling. Many many people came in and did so much volunteer work and donated so many things.

I am holding my breath the whole way through the video as if I was there riding with you 🤦 Great video! Glad you were safe.

Somehow this showed up in my recommended videos and I'm glad I clicked on it. As a weather enthusiast, and a previous flood plain manager for the organization I work for, I loved this documentary! Seeing the actual timeline of how everything actually happened is so much more informative than what the news was showing back when Katrina hit. I think it could be used by many public organizations in partnership with FEMA, the Red Cross and other such groups, as an educational tool for better preparedness and always considering the worst possible outcome in order to save more lives during future storms. Excellently and very professionally done. This one video may make me a subscriber.

I remember this, we were supposed to start school August 22 but they had us stay home. Schools didn't open for another three weeks. We had wood on all the windows but that didn't stop anything. I was probably six years old. Probably the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. It's so impressive how miami recovered.

This was the worst hurricane I've ever been thru. I've lived in Biloxi since 1972 and have been thru many. My place of employment was destroyed, the Grand Casino Biloxi. Broke my heart as I loved my job. Ended up going to work at the IP Casino. All total I had 14 years working at 2 of the best casinos on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. God bless us all that went through Katrina.

The guy who asked for a ride probably would not have asked for a ride if he saw there wasn't any room. I would have felt so guilty leaving that man fend for himself. Our country screwed people again.

When my sister was in college, she ended up going to Louisiana to help out the victims of Hurricane Katrina that were still struggling nearly a whole decade after Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast. Not only that, in 2017, my sister and her husband were living in Kissimmee, Florida when Hurricane Irma hit and they ended up staying in Florida when the hurricane hit. My sister said that it was one of the scariest experiences of her life.

My grandfather worked for Nelson's tree service here in Cleveland Ohio. He was sent down to New Orleans after the storm and took some incredible pictures the few weeks that he was down there.

Sir! You did an excellent job explaining everything that happened, not ONLY to the People that lived there! But also to yourself. Thank you for the visual aide to the story!

And still no one acknowledges N.O. East and the 9th ward were underwater before midnight.

This documentary is amazing all thru the eyes of one person like you don’t loose track of what’s happening

I had just turned 10 when this happened. I live in kansas. But I remember sitting in front of the tv watching the coverage and I cried because my heart hurt for all these people.

I think I've watched this doc 3 or 4 times now. Outstanding (literally). Thank you again for braving that nightmare! Obviously, very important work to so many us.

I'm half way in and this is by far one of the best videos I have ever watched on KZfaq Your commentary was next level amazing

I just stumbled onto this...and ended up watching the entire video in one swell foop. Brilliantly done,sir! No hype or sensationalized, politicized BS. The first-person perspective in the attempt to escape the flood was riveting. Old Mr. Smith nailed it: people place their faith in politicians and bureaucrats who take our money in return for utterly incompetent performance that isn't worthy to be called "government". It's still happening. There has to be a better way.

I watched it all the way through without daydreaming. Good job! Thank you.

"wait 30 hours." Oh man, that couldn't have been the most basic but true warning ever.

Here we are 16 years later to the day and Ida is on her way 😢🙏

This is easily the best look inside the storm I've seen. I mean, I certainly understand why there isn't more footage like this so thank you for this video.

I lived through this. I'll never forget it!

My memories of Katrina was the huge influx of patients we got from the area all the way into western NC. we normally hand single patient rooms and during the following days and weeks we had most rooms as double and even put other areas made into patient areas to hold the numbers we got in. Having our normal numbers just below max of our own area patients we were bombarded. Many locals had to reschedule some testing and operations because the number of hurricane victims took priority. Unless it was a surgery to save life it just had to wait. To say we all worked long hours is putting it mildly. We became not only their health providers we also became the link in finding family's places to stay and comforting any way we could. It was hard for us but not anywhere close to what the people affected directly of this storm suffered. It was heartbreaking. Still is. It's one I'll certainly never forget. Their telling of what they suffered has stuck with me as if it was yesterday. I am blessed to hand been able to meet some strong and amazing people, a people of strong ties to their home and their community and family. Without a doubt these folks will rise above what mother nature dealt them and will rebuild both their beautiful home, their history and their community. I think in times of complete destruction, one finds the blessings of care and those willing to go far and above to help in any painkiller way they can. I thank those that took their time to go help clean up and make sure food and supplies were there. I hope and pray I never see this again but sadly it'll happen to many. I can only do all I can to help when it does. We are not only responsible for ourself but we should do all possible to help others when in need.

My only question is: What car were you driving? It really outdid itself here combined with your quick thinking!

I was living in Southwest Florida when this happened. Went to bed that night and you would never know it was close to Florida. I knew it was headed to New Orleans that night. I just remember praying for God to help those people. I knew it was a bad storm.

A tree fell on my van When I just came out and the only person who was in the car was my sister. And she survived without getting hurt. It was like a 20 foot pine tree.

Without a doubt the best documentary I have seen about the devestation of Katrina. Thank you for the unbiased reporting.

This has got to be one of the Best and Up close hour by hour breakdowns I have ever seen 💯🔥🔥

Watching this makes me even madder, knowing what Mississippi went through and all the coverage was on New Orleans. I understand NOLA took on a major flood but the coast of Mississippi took a beating plus water.