This is episode one of two about the police and National Guard. New Orleans was in chaos during the aftermath of the hurricane and for a long while was virtually a non-functioning city. In this episode Andrea, Baruch, Scott and Noah tell us about their positive and negative interactions with those tasked with keeping order.

Katrina Stories is a documentary podcast built from first-person accounts recorded after Hurricane Katrina as part Mondo Bizarro's I-10 Witness Project. Each episode weaves together voices that reveal the human impact of the storm—stories of loss, resilience, anger and hope. The series preserves these testimonies as living history, offering listeners an intimate connection to the people and places forever changed by the disaster.

For more information about Mondo Bizarro visit www.mondobizarro.org.

If you are inclined to financially support this show and other programs of Mondo Bizarro you can make a one-time or recurring donation here.

Our theme music was composed by Peter Bowling.

Today we hear from Deonta, Ismaelite, Kenya, Ngoc-Dung, Terionne, and Louise. Each of these interviewees describe how they and loved ones made it through the immediate aftermath of the storm with flood waters rising around them.

Katrina Stories is a documentary podcast built from first-person accounts recorded after Hurricane Katrina as part Mondo Bizarro's I-10 Witness Project. Each episode weaves together voices that reveal the human impact of the storm—stories of loss, resilience, anger and hope. The series preserves these testimonies as living history, offering listeners an intimate connection to the people and places forever changed by the disaster.

For more information about Mondo Bizarro visit www.mondobizarro.org.

If you are inclined to financially support this show and other programs of Mondo Bizarro you can make a one-time or recurring donation here.

Our theme music was composed by Peter Bowling.

Our six storytellers today, Sharon, Francis, Kristen, Mai, Jenny and Cindy, tell us some eye opening stories about taking care of one another, especially the very young and the very old, assuming responsibility, and keeping it together when tensions are high and you’re packed like sardines in a three bedroom house with 54 people.

Katrina Stories is a documentary podcast built from first-person accounts recorded after Hurricane Katrina as part Mondo Bizarro's I-10 Witness Project. Each episode weaves together voices that reveal the human impact of the storm—stories of loss, resilience, anger and hope. The series preserves these testimonies as living history, offering listeners an intimate connection to the people and places forever changed by the disaster.

For more information about Mondo Bizarro visit www.mondobizarro.org.

If you are inclined to financially support this show and other programs of Mondo Bizarro you can make a one-time or recurring donation here.

Our theme music was composed by Peter Bowling.

In this episode we talk with the founders of the I-10 Witness Project to learn how Mondo Bizarro got into the business of oral histories. We hope this episode will provide you with some context and background on all of the stories you'll hear on this podcast. We will return next week with more first-hand accounts from Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina Stories is a documentary podcast built from first-person accounts recorded after Hurricane Katrina as part Mondo Bizarro's I-10 Witness Project. Each episode weaves together voices that reveal the human impact of the storm—stories of loss, resilience, anger and hope. The series preserves these testimonies as living history, offering listeners an intimate connection to the people and places forever changed by the disaster.

For more information about Mondo Bizarro visit www.mondobizarro.org.

If you are inclined to financially support this show and other programs of Mondo Bizarro you can make a one-time or recurring donation here.

Our theme music was composed by Peter Bowling.

The Louisiana Superdome was meant to be a shelter of last resort — a place of safety during the storm. But for many who took refuge there, it became a place of terror, confusion, and turmoil. In this episode, we hear from Lanisha, Errol, Cheryl and Gloria who lived through the chaos inside the Dome. Their stories offer a firsthand account of what it was like inside.

A word of caution: while almost every episode of this podcast will come with some amount tragedy because of our subject matter, this episode contains graphic and disturbing details, including references to death and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.

Katrina Stories is a documentary podcast built from first-person accounts recorded after Hurricane Katrina as part Mondo Bizarro's I-10 Witness Project. Each episode weaves together voices that reveal the human impact of the storm—stories of loss, resilience, anger and hope. The series preserves these testimonies as living history, offering listeners an intimate connection to the people and places forever changed by the disaster.

For more information about Mondo Bizarro visit www.mondobizarro.org.

If you are inclined to financially support this show and other programs of Mondo Bizarro you can make a one-time or recurring donation here.

Our theme music was composed by Peter Bowling.

As Hurricane Katrina bore down on New Orleans, not everyone had the means or opportunity to evacuate. In this episode, we hear from Courtney, Robin, Adonica and Rose— four residents who lived through the storm in New Orleans. Courtney recalls how fast the water rose, cutting off options for escape. Abram found herself wading through flood waters along the I-10 in the heat with no food. Adonica was eventually rescued, but first she also had to face flood waters and find her mother in the Super Dome. Rose describes the scene from the interstate where she stayed for four days. Their stories offer a glimpse into the early hours of the crisis.

Katrina Stories is a documentary podcast built from first-person accounts recorded after Hurricane Katrina as part Mondo Bizarro's I-10 Witness Project. Each episode weaves together voices that reveal the human impact of the storm—stories of loss, resilience, anger and hope. The series preserves these testimonies as living history, offering listeners an intimate connection to the people and places forever changed by the disaster.

For more information about Mondo Bizarro visit www.mondobizarro.org.

If you are inclined to financially support this show and other programs of Mondo Bizarro you can make a one-time or recurring donation here.

Our theme music was composed by Peter Bowling.

There were a lot of reasons why people stayed in New Orleans for Katrina. Some people stayed because that’s what they always did for hurricanes, they even threw parties for the occasion. Some people wanted to be on hand to help others and protect their property. The majority of people who stayed simply didn’t have a choice. Today Christine and Ashley talk about the circumstances of many New Orleanians that rings just as true today as it did in 2005.

Katrina Stories is a documentary podcast built from first-person accounts recorded after Hurricane Katrina as part Mondo Bizarro's I-10 Witness Project. Each episode weaves together voices that reveal the human impact of the storm—stories of loss, resilience, anger and hope. The series preserves these testimonies as living history, offering listeners an intimate connection to the people and places forever changed by the disaster.

For more information about Mondo Bizarro visit www.mondobizarro.org.

If you are inclined to financially support this show and other programs of Mondo Bizarro you can make a one-time or recurring donation here.

Our theme music was composed by Peter Bowling.

Welcome to the first episode of Katrina Stories: Tales from the I-10 Witness Project. Whether you evacuated before or after Hurricane Katrina, the road out of New Orleans was often just the beginning of a new set of hardships. In this episode, we hear from Verna, Ruby, Maeci, Thien-An, and Bob— each offering a different perspective on what it meant to leave. From overcrowded buses and unwelcoming shelters to the emotional toll of separation and uncertainty, their stories highlight how evacuation was not always an escape, but sometimes a journey into its own kind of crisis.

Katrina Stories is a documentary podcast built from first-person accounts recorded after Hurricane Katrina as part Mondo Bizarro's I-10 Witness Project. Each episode weaves together voices that reveal the human impact of the storm—stories of loss, resilience, anger and hope. The series preserves these testimonies as living history, offering listeners an intimate connection to the people and places forever changed by the disaster.

For more information about Mondo Bizarro visit www.mondobizarro.org.

If you are inclined to financially support this show and other programs of Mondo Bizarro you can make a one-time or recurring donation here.

Our theme music was composed by Peter Bowling.