Floodlines

The story of an unnatural disaster.

Hosted by Vann R. Newkirk II.

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Part I

Antediluvian

It all started long before a hurricane named Katrina.

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/ 32:34

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Part II

Come Sunday

In New Orleans, the disaster wasn’t the hurricane. The disaster was what happened after.

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/ 23:47

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Part III

Through the Looking Glass

A universe of rumor and misinformation plays out on television.

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/ 28:42

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Part IV

The Bridge

Rumor becomes tragedy.

00:00

/ 25:02

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Part V

Exodus

A hero arrives. But not the one everyone expected.

00:00

/ 30:41

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Part VI

Reckoning

How could the levees have failed?

00:00

/ 36:13

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Part VII

Destiny

People try to come home. But does home want them anymore?

00:00

/ 30:01

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Part VIII

The Wake

Water, like history, repeats itself.

00:00

/ 54:32

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Credits

Host

Vann R. Newkirk II

Executive Producer

Katherine Wells

Lead Producer

Alvin Melathe

Editorial Consultant

Katy Reckdahl

Producer

Kevin Townsend

Editor

Scott Stossel

Music

Christian Scott aTunde

Adjuah, Anthony Braxton

Sound Design, Mix,

& Additional Music

David Herman

Production Assistance

Emily Gottschalk-Marconi,

Kaila Philo, Myles Poydras

Fact-Checking

William Brennan

Art Direction

Paul Spella

Product Design

Ellie Budzinski

Animations

Erik WInkowski

Product & Engineering

Ana Carano, Melissa

DePuydt, Frankie

Dintino, Erica Irving,

Tolulope Edionwe

Gerald Rich, John Thiel

Special Thanks

Eve Abrams, Roy Arrigo,

Earl Barthé Jr., Rachel

Breunlin, Douglas

Brinkley, Sarah Broom,

David Dennis Jr., Robert

Green, Ronnie Green, Pam

Jenkins, Ashley Jones,

Ronald Lewis, Yvonne

Loiselle, Travis Lux, John

McQuaid, Richard M.

Mizelle Jr., Diane

Newman, Garrett

Pittman, Robert Ricks,

Clint Smith, Leona Tate,

Eve Troeh, Eric Waters,

Kalamu ya Salaam,

WWNO, the Louisiana

Division/City Archives

at the New Orleans

Public Library

Archival Credits

WWL Radio, NPR’s All Things

Considered, Jacqueline Soohen, CSPAN,

ABC News, CBS News, BBC, CNN,

Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News

Image Credits

Photo of Vann R. Newkirk II: Emily Jan.

Part 2: Chris Graythen / Getty. Part 3:

Sorapong Chaipanya / EyeEm; James

Nielsen / AFP / Getty. Part 5: Robert

Sullivan / AFP; David Howells / Corbis /

Getty. Part 7: Bettmann / Getty. Part 8:

Ty Alexander / Getty.

Host

Vann R. Newkirk II

Executive Producer

Katherine Wells

Lead Producer

Alvin Melathe

Editorial Consultant

Katy Reckdahl

Producer

Kevin Townsend

Editor

Scott Stossel

Music

Christian Scott aTunde

Adjuah, Anthony Braxton

Sound Design, Mix,

& Additional Music

David Herman

Production Assistance

Emily Gottschalk-Marconi,

Kaila Philo, Myles Poydras

Fact-Checking

William Brennan

Art Direction

Paul Spella

Product Design

Ellie Budzinski

Animations

Erik WInkowski

Product & Engineering

Ana Carano, Melissa

DePuydt, Frankie Dintino,

Tolulope Edionwe

Erica Irving, Gerald Rich,

John Thiel

Special Thanks

Eve Abrams, Roy Arrigo,

Earl Barthé Jr., Rachel

Breunlin, Douglas

Brinkley, Sarah Broom,

David Dennis Jr., Robert

Green, Ronnie Green, Pam

Jenkins, Ashley Jones,

Ronald Lewis, Yvonne

Loiselle, Travis Lux, John

McQuaid, Richard M.

Mizelle Jr., Diane

Newman, Garrett

Pittman, Robert Ricks,

Clint Smith, Leona Tate,

Eve Troeh, Eric Waters,

Kalamu ya Salaam,

WWNO, the Louisiana

Division/City Archives

at the New Orleans

Public Library

Archival Credits

WWL Radio, NPR’s All Things

Considered, Jacqueline Soohen, CSPAN,

ABC News, CBS News, BBC, CNN,

Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News

Image Credits

Photo of Vann R. Newkirk II: Emily Jan.

Part 2: Chris Graythen / Getty. Part 3:

Sorapong Chaipanya / EyeEm; James

Nielsen / AFP / Getty. Part 5: Robert

Sullivan / AFP; David Howells / Corbis /

Getty. Part 7: Bettmann / Getty. Part 8:

Ty Alexander / Getty.

Host

Vann R. Newkirk II

Executive Producer

Katherine Wells

Lead Producer

Alvin Melathe

Editorial Consultant

Katy Reckdahl

Producer

Kevin Townsend

Editor

Scott Stossel

Music

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah,

Anthony Braxton

Sound Design, Mix,

& Additional Music

David Herman

Production Assistance

Emily Gottschalk-Marconi,

Kaila Philo, Myles Poydras

Fact-Checking

William Brennan

Art Direction

Paul Spella

Product Design

Ellie Budzinski

Animations

Erik WInkowski

Product & Engineering

Ana Carano, Melissa DePuydt,

Frankie Dintino, Tolulope Edionwe, Erica Irving,

Gerald Rich, John Thiel

Special Thanks

Eve Abrams, Roy Arrigo, Earl Barthé Jr.,

Rachel Breunlin, Douglas Brinkley, Sarah

Broom, David Dennis Jr., Robert Green, Ronnie

Green, Pam Jenkins, Ashley Jones, Ronald Lewis,

Yvonne Loiselle, Travis Lux, John McQuaid,

Richard M. Mizelle Jr., Diane Newman, Garrett

Pittman, Robert Ricks, Clint Smith, Leona Tate,

Eve Troeh, Eric Waters, Kalamu ya Salaam,

WWNO, the Louisiana Division/City Archives

at the New Orleans Public Library

Archival Credits

WWL Radio, NPR’s All Things Considered, Jacqueline Soohen, CSPAN, ABC

News, CBS News, BBC, CNN, Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News

Image Credits

Photo of Vann R. Newkirk II: Emily Jan. Part 2: Chris Graythen / Getty. Part

3: Sorapong Chaipanya / EyeEm; James Nielsen / AFP / Getty. Part 5: Robert

Sullivan / AFP; David Howells / Corbis / Getty. Part 7: Bettmann / Getty.

Part 8: Ty Alexander / Getty.

Host

Vann R. Newkirk II

Executive Producer

Katherine Wells

Lead Producer

Alvin Melathe

Editorial Consultant

Katy Reckdahl

Producer

Kevin Townsend

Editor

Scott Stossel

Music

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah,

Anthony Braxton

Sound Design, Mix,

& Additional Music

David Herman

Production Assistance

Emily Gottschalk-Marconi,

Kaila Philo, Myles Poydras

Fact-Checking

William Brennan

Art Direction

Paul Spella

Product Design

Ellie Budzinski

Animations

Erik WInkowski

Product & Engineering

Ana Carano, Melissa DePuydt,

Frankie Dintino, Tolulope Edionwe, Erica Irving,

Gerald Rich, John Thiel

Special Thanks

Eve Abrams, Roy Arrigo, Earl Barthé Jr.,

Rachel Breunlin, Douglas Brinkley, Sarah

Broom, David Dennis Jr., Robert Green, Ronnie

Green, Pam Jenkins, Ashley Jones, Ronald Lewis,

Yvonne Loiselle, Travis Lux, John McQuaid,

Richard M. Mizelle Jr., Diane Newman, Garrett

Pittman, Robert Ricks, Clint Smith, Leona Tate,

Eve Troeh, Eric Waters, Kalamu ya Salaam,

WWNO, the Louisiana Division/City Archives

at the New Orleans Public Library

Archival Credits

WWL Radio, NPR’s All Things Considered, Jacqueline Soohen, CSPAN, ABC

News, CBS News, BBC, CNN, Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News

Image Credits

Photo of Vann R. Newkirk II: Emily Jan. Part 2: Chris Graythen / Getty. Part

3: Sorapong Chaipanya / EyeEm; James Nielsen / AFP / Getty. Part 5: Robert

Sullivan / AFP; David Howells / Corbis / Getty. Part 7: Bettmann / Getty.

Part 8: Ty Alexander / Getty.

Host

Vann R. Newkirk II

Executive Producer

Katherine Wells

Lead Producer

Alvin Melathe

Editorial Consultant

Katy Reckdahl

Producer

Kevin Townsend

Editor

Scott Stossel

Music

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah,

Anthony Braxton

Sound Design, Mix,

& Additional Music

David Herman

Production Assistance

Emily Gottschalk-Marconi,

Kaila Philo, Myles Poydras

Fact-Checking

William Brennan

Art Direction

Paul Spella

Product Design

Ellie Budzinski

Animations

Erik WInkowski

Product & Engineering

Ana Carano, Melissa DePuydt,

Frankie Dintino, Tolulope Edionwe, Erica Irving,

Gerald Rich, John Thiel

Special Thanks

Eve Abrams, Roy Arrigo, Earl Barthé Jr.,

Rachel Breunlin, Douglas Brinkley, Sarah

Broom, David Dennis Jr., Robert Green, Ronnie

Green, Pam Jenkins, Ashley Jones, Ronald Lewis,

Yvonne Loiselle, Travis Lux, John McQuaid,

Richard M. Mizelle Jr., Diane Newman, Garrett

Pittman, Robert Ricks, Clint Smith, Leona Tate,

Eve Troeh, Eric Waters, Kalamu ya Salaam,

WWNO, the Louisiana Division/City Archives

at the New Orleans Public Library

Archival Credits

WWL Radio, NPR’s All Things Considered, Jacqueline Soohen, CSPAN, ABC

News, CBS News, BBC, CNN, Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News

Image Credits

Photo of Vann R. Newkirk II: Emily Jan. Part 2: Chris Graythen / Getty. Part

3: Sorapong Chaipanya / EyeEm; James Nielsen / AFP / Getty. Part 5: Robert

Sullivan / AFP; David Howells / Corbis / Getty. Part 7: Bettmann / Getty.

Part 8: Ty Alexander / Getty.

Host

Vann R. Newkirk II

Executive Producer

Katherine Wells

Lead Producer

Alvin Melathe

Editorial Consultant

Katy Reckdahl

Producer

Kevin Townsend

Editor

Scott Stossel

Music

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah,

Anthony Braxton

Sound Design, Mix,

& Additional Music

David Herman

Production Assistance

Emily Gottschalk-Marconi,

Kaila Philo, Myles Poydras

Fact-Checking

William Brennan

Art Direction

Paul Spella

Product Design

Ellie Budzinski

Animations

Erik WInkowski

Product & Engineering

Ana Carano, Melissa DePuydt,

Frankie Dintino, Tolulope Edionwe, Erica Irving,

Gerald Rich, John Thiel

Special Thanks

Eve Abrams, Roy Arrigo, Earl Barthé Jr.,

Rachel Breunlin, Douglas Brinkley, Sarah

Broom, David Dennis Jr., Robert Green, Ronnie

Green, Pam Jenkins, Ashley Jones, Ronald Lewis,

Yvonne Loiselle, Travis Lux, John McQuaid,

Richard M. Mizelle Jr., Diane Newman, Garrett

Pittman, Robert Ricks, Clint Smith, Leona Tate,

Eve Troeh, Eric Waters, Kalamu ya Salaam,

WWNO, the Louisiana Division/City Archives

at the New Orleans Public Library

Archival Credits

WWL Radio, NPR’s All Things Considered, Jacqueline Soohen, CSPAN, ABC

News, CBS News, BBC, CNN, Associated Press, Fox News, NBC News

Image Credits

Photo of Vann R. Newkirk II: Emily Jan. Part 2: Chris Graythen / Getty. Part

3: Sorapong Chaipanya / EyeEm; James Nielsen / AFP / Getty. Part 5: Robert

Sullivan / AFP; David Howells / Corbis / Getty. Part 7: Bettmann / Getty.

Part 8: Ty Alexander / Getty.

Ante­diluvian

Support our most ambitious journalism.

Come Sunday

Through the Looking Glass

The Bridge

Exodus

Reckoning

Destiny

The Wake

Credits

Related links

Antediluvian