Katrina
On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we revisit the storm that devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast—killing over 1,392 people, displacing thousands, and exposing the catastrophic failure of infrastructure, governance, and media accountability. Dr. Lisa and Dr. Shaunna discuss:
The flawed engineering behind the levee breaches at 17th Street, London Avenue, and Inner Harbor canals.
The environmental neglect that weakened natural buffers like the cypress swamps of St. Bernard Parish.
The legal immunity shielding the Army Corps of Engineers despite being found responsible.
The racist media narratives that shaped public perception.
The long tail of policy rollbacks and climate denial that continue to threaten our future.
We also spotlight powerful cultural responses—from Spike Lee’s Come Hell and High Water to Katrina Babies, Trouble the Water, and Five Days at Memorial—and ask: What does accountability look like now?
🎧 Tune in for reflection, resistance, and a call to action:
Demand climate-conscious leadership
Connect with local emergency services
Educate yourself and others
Hold media accountable
This isn’t just history—it’s a blueprint for what we must refuse to repeat.
Mentioned in the Show
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water (2025, Netflix)
When the Levees Broke (2006, HBO)
Hurricane Katrina: A Race Against Time (2025, Hulu/National Geographic)
Trouble the Water (2008, Netflix)
Katrina Babies (2022, HBO)
Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster (2007, by Michael Eric Dyson)
Five Days at Memorial (2022, Apple TV; adapted from Sheri Fink's 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name)
The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast (2007, Douglas Brinkley)
