Hurricane Katrina inflicted damage on a scale unprecedented in American history, nearly destroying a major city and killing thousands of its citizens. With far too little help from indifferent, incompetent government agencies, the poor bore the brunt of the disaster. The residents of traditionally impoverished and minority communities suffered incalculable losses and endured unimaginable conditions. And the few facilities that did exist to help victims quickly became miserable, dangerous places. Now, the victims of Hurricane Katrina find themselves spread across the United States, far from the homes they left and faced with the prospect of starting anew. Families are struggling to secure jobs, homes, schools, and a sense of place in unfamiliar surroundings. Meanwhile, the rebuilding of their former home remains frustrating out of their hands. This bracing read brings readers to the heart of the disaster and its aftermath as those who survived it speak with candor and eloquence of their lives then and now.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By EGD
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Another terrific installment in the stellar Voice of Witness series, Voices from the Storm tells the inside story on Hurricane Katrina from those who lived it at ground level. Those of us who experienced Katrina through television and radio must surely recall the frustrated rants of Mayor Ray Nagin or the tragic incompetence of FEMA, foreboding reports of levee breaks and the tales of floating bodies. But even accompanied by real-time video of the sunken city by helicopter, no distant news account could have captured the five senses of Katrina as the gripping, first-person accounts of survival told in Voices from the Storm do.
Masterfully edited, Voices from the Storm assures us that really, things were much worse than we thought. Experience the Superdome, where over 50,000 desperate people lived five days in darkened chaos, huddled in 90+ degree heat without adequate food, water, or sanitation facilities, and no medical care to speak of. Smell the greasy, putrid water as it rises higher and higher, forcing families to attics, balconies, and rooftops. Sense the dread and anxiety as New Orleans descends into a law-free zone. Feel the insect bites and the rats brush against your scalp as you sleep your third consecutive night on the surface of I-10. Wrestle with rage as you read of redevelopment plans that recolor the demographic of a once-great city. By the time your through, you'll appreciate the hurricane but understand the crime.
Masterfully edited, Voices from the Storm assures us that really, things were much worse than we thought. Experience the Superdome, where over 50,000 desperate people lived five days in darkened chaos, huddled in 90+ degree heat without adequate food, water, or sanitation facilities, and no medical care to speak of. Smell the greasy, putrid water as it rises higher and higher, forcing families to attics, balconies, and rooftops. Sense the dread and anxiety as New Orleans descends into a law-free zone. Feel the insect bites and the rats brush against your scalp as you sleep your third consecutive night on the surface of I-10. Wrestle with rage as you read of redevelopment plans that recolor the demographic of a once-great city. By the time your through, you'll appreciate the hurricane but understand the crime.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a heart-breaking book of interviews with Katrina survivors. And while heart-breaking, it is also eye-opening and should be read to understand how short-sighted the preparations were for the inevitable flooding of New Orleans.
Every person in local, state and federal government who is responsible for disaster relief should have to read this book as a cautionary tale of what can happen when people disregard the warnings that scientists and others try to get people to pay attention to.
-- Phyllis Zimbler Miller, [...]
Every person in local, state and federal government who is responsible for disaster relief should have to read this book as a cautionary tale of what can happen when people disregard the warnings that scientists and others try to get people to pay attention to.
-- Phyllis Zimbler Miller, [...]
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Teach
Format:Paperback
I found this book very interesting, if more than a little discombobulating with the shift from individual to individual mandated by the chronological approach. What troubled me the most about this book was the selection of narrators. Were they really representative of the population of New Orleans? Or were they chosen because of the dramatic nature of their stories?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wake Up
As an American, you think you are safer than other people in 'less developed' countries when disaster strikes. We think our governing agencies will be there to help us. Read more
Published on October 17, 2010 by Mary L. Sahd
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW!
This was a masterful book, heart-rending and poignant, and an emotional glimpse into the lives of people devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the government's response. Read more
Published on March 8, 2007 by Steven Friedman
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
- St. Augustine (American Forts and Their Strategic Importance) by William Thompson on page 38, and Back Matter
- Homeland Security by Alexa Hunt on page 117, and page 186
- My First Prayers: Thank You by Anne Riley in Back Matter
- Homeland Security (Reference Shelf) by Norris Smith in Back Matter
- The Windy City by Paula O. Anthony on page 191
See all 6 books this book cites
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