My Katrina Days
I had the privilege of working for NPR's News & Notes in the days after Katrina. Producer Teshima Walker (now of NPR's Tell Me More) and I flew into Jackson, Miss., a couple days after the storm. What was supposed to be a four-day trip turned into nine days because what we saw was so compelling.
Communication was dicey to say the least. At one point, I tried to text message my bosses--since you couldn't find a full cell signal--not knowing that their phones, at the time, were not text-enabled. It was just one of a series of small mishaps that paled in comparison to the tragedy on the ground.
An aerial view of the flooded area.
Farai Chideya, NPR
Perhaps the most striking moment was flying over the flooded city of New Orleans and the shattered homes of Biloxi, Miss. The homes in Biloxi were shredded into what looked like matchsticks by the full force of Katrina.
I was in a helicopter with General Honore, who took control of New Orleans temporarily in the absence of civil authority. I also got to sit in on a meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney and outgoing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Vice President Dick Cheney (center) and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (top, right)
Farai Chideya, NPR
Finally, perhaps the most poignant moments were simply sitting around the home of Bernie, a recent law grad, and classmate of our friend Mary Honore. All of the hotels were taken by evacuees, so most reporters were couch-crashing. Teshima and I were couch-and-floor crashing. (In a moment of foresight, I brought an inflatable mattress.)
The conversations with Bernie, her teen and tween children, and our friend who arranged the housing, Mary, allowed us to decompress from what we saw and frankly discuss issues like poverty, race, and trauma.
Thank you again, Bernie, and blessings to all the survivors of Katrina and Rita.
4:00 PM ET | 08-29-2007 | permalink
