Hurricane Katrina 10 years later: TV programming

Early in the morning on Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Gulf Coast of the United States. The devastation that resulted in the region, especially in New Orleans, coupled with questions about the preparedness for and handling of the event, has led Katrina to stand out in the minds of many Americans as an epic tragedy on a variety of scales. This year, 10 years after Katrina struck, some programs will be airing over the next few days (a few other specials have already aired) to remember the storm, its victims, and how the Gulf Coast is fairing a decade on.

hurricane-katrina

Katrina 10 Years Later: TV Programming (All Times Eastern; descriptions from networks)

Katrina 10 Years Later: Through Hell in High Water — Aug. 26 at 8pm on BET. Jeff Johnson hosts this special will explore the devastating impact of Katrina and its effect on communities, schools and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. This special will feature firsthand accounts from survivors such as Robert Greene as he relives the horrifying events of the storm that resulted in the death of his mother and 2-year-old granddaughter. The special will also feature interviews with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Principal Doris Hicks of MLK High School in New Orleans, artists PNC (Partners N Crime) at their recording studio in New Orleans and B Mike who has used art in New Orleans to transform a neighborhood left dilapidated by the storm and inspired his community. Also featured in the program are Wendell Pierce, Charles Allen, Wayne Baquet and more.

Katrina 2065 — Aug. 27 at 8pm on The Weather Channel. Instead of looking back, The Weather Channel is taking a futuristic look forward to examine likely scenarios that could take place if a storm with a similar magnitude to Hurricane Katrina were to hit 50 years from now. Hosted by Sam Champion and Jim Cantore, the special utilizes cutting-edge weather animations to address the question much of the Gulf Coast still asks itself: Could we endure this again?

Katrina: 10 Years Later — Aug. 28 on The Weather Channel. Wake up with Al will feature Al Roker and Stephanie Abrams live from New Orleans at 5am; AMHQ will feature Jim Cantore and hurricane specialist Michael Lowry live from Gulfport, MS at 7am.

America Tonight special coverage – Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 on Al Jazeera America. The primetime news magazine program hosts two special episodes from New Orleans. Shows will feature Soledad O’Brien reporting from two New Orleans neighborhoods hit hard by Katrina: New Orleans East, which sits above in the Lower Ninth Ward, and Lakeview, adjacent to New Orleans East to see how the two very different neighborhoods are recovering. The programs will also feature reporting from the city’s special landmarks and communities; a low-income housing update; and an update on the approximately 300,000 school-aged children in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi who were displaced as a  result of the storm, and how they are faring today.

Only New Orleans — Aug. 29 at 10pm on Al Jazeera America. (First aired Aug. 23.) This documentary looks back at how the Big Easy has changed over the last decade, buoyed by the uplifting and connective power of music. It is a powerful story of the unbreakable spirit of the people of New Orleans and how this extraordinary city found the strength to push on following the storm. Including interviews with legendary New Orleans’ musicians Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, and James Andrews among others, Only New Orleans reveals how music has been at the heart of the city’s reinvention following Katrina.

___________________

Image: mit.edu