Overview

• The five-part documentary premiered July 27 on National Geographic and will stream on Hulu and Disney+ beginning July 28, featuring fresh interviews with Malik Rahim, Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré and other survivors
• Years of oil and gas–driven wetland loss and flawed levee design left New Orleans vulnerable to the storm surge that breached flood defenses
• Despite a 2004 storm simulation, evacuation plans collapsed and FEMA director Michael Brown’s mismanagement from Baton Rouge drew harsh scrutiny and led to his resignation
• Sensationalized coverage of the Superdome as a violent war zone discouraged emergency response crews while poor, predominantly Black residents endured armed intimidation
• Director Traci A. Curry warns that escalating climate threats demand that future disaster planning prioritize the needs of communities most at risk