HURRICANE KATRINA Devastation and Progress and Her Lessons for Us All

Pipes, a seventh-generation New Orleanian, has developed a self-guided tour that is both touching and significant. The tour brings listeners through Katrina-ravaged neighborhoods and the sites of five major levee breaks. Pipes's careful directions pay particular attention to odometer readings and remind the listener of the potential dangers on the road, such as missing street signs and standing water. Each of the narrators, all prominent New Orleans residents, has something different to offer, from Charmaine Neville, whose tone is both patient and passionate, to King Milling, of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Coastal Restoration, who explains the levees' weaknesses and suggests paths for rebuilding. Speaking with tenderness and strength, the speakers remind nonresident listeners that Hurricane Katrina didn't happen on TV—it happened to us as a community and a nation. A.H.A. 2008 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 08]