Stories from the Storm

By: Audible Studios

Narrated by: Carter Hooper, Celia Collins, Tom Fitzmorris, Elizabeth Feltmate, Sarah Taylor, Michael Davis

Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, Audible reached out to customers in the affected area to offer help. Many customers responded and several agreed to be interviewed about their experience. Stories from the Storm was recorded in mid-November, in the days when many people were still clearing debris and figuring out how to restart their lives. From a 17-year-old who stayed in an east New Orleans hospital to a casino executive huddled in his closet just a couple of blocks from the beach in Biloxi, these riveting stories will remind listeners of the heartbreak, confusion, and perseverance of Katrina's survivors.

Audible wants to thank everyone who participated in these interviews, especially Carter Hooper, Celia Collins, Peter Ascani, Tom Fitzmorris, Elizabeth Feltmate, Sarah Taylor, Michael Davis, Alan Larkin, Jim Nadeau, and Robin Woods.

Producers: Kerry Donahue and Gayle Hendrix
Post-production: George James and Sam Rodriguez
Original music by Guy Story

(P)2006 Audible, Inc.

Critic Reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Original Work, 2007

interesting stories from those who experienced it

Told in their own words, you can often see what they are talking about.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Very Moving

Very moving to hear from people just like you and I that survived this disaster. Thank you Audible for providing this for your subscribers!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Could've Been Powerful. Alas, Was Not...

What did you like best about Stories from the Storm? What did you like least?

I became obsessed with Hurricane Katrina after the storm hit, and went to N. Orleans to do animal rescue later. I suffered some pretty severe PTSD from it. I suppose I was expecting to hear stories that were more hard-hitting, that echoed my memories of all that happened. For the most part, however, these were bland and weren't conveyed with much emotion. One thing to note, I suppose, is that they were recorded only a couple of months after it all, and the people involved could have been functioning and relating their experiences at a necessary emotional distance.
One story, though, was shocking. It's that of the teen-aged girl who seems as though she'd never been faced with any serious challenges in her life, only to find herself working around the suffering, the dying, the dead.

Would you recommend Stories from the Storm to your friends? Why or why not?

As it's free and barely over two hours, I suppose I'd recommend it to others. It's not bad, it's just not as powerful as I thought it could have been.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

One thing that really bugged me was the complete and utter glibness of some of the people who recorded their stories. I mean, asking for ice so that you can have cocktails? Really? Is that how challenged and frightened you were? It was rather offensive.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Given my experiences, I'd see anything about Katrina. I would hope, however, that it'd be enhanced some, with necessary drama and import edited into it.

Any additional comments?

I don't regret listening to this. It's a decent enough audio, but I was disappointed. For really hard-hitting Katrina experiences, I recommend "Five Days at Memorial." Now THERE'S a portrayal of the descent into chaos, fear, and the lack of resources that Katrina caused!

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Can't get enough of Katrina

Any additional comments?

I teach classes in emergency preparedness and am always on the lookout for the stories of people who have been through disasters. These are great - not professional, but full of the details I was looking for.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

A truly compelling listen

Stories from the Storm may have been the first Audible selection I listened to, but it's definitely one that I return to over and over again. It consists of people sharing their experiences of Katrina - individuals that experienced it alone, that lost everything, that had to escape New Orleans, that saw the towns and cities they loved change perhaps forever. Real experiences, real emotions.

I only wish there was some follow up - I hope these people, most of whom were traumatized and had lost their homes, found a way to recover from the tragedy. I wish them all well, and hope they've made new lives and are thriving.

Eye opening !

These accounts give a real perspective on what it feels like to live through a deadly hurricane.

the truth

Would you consider the audio edition of Stories from the Storm to be better than the print version?

the storys they were good to the heart of it all

What did you like best about this story?

they were sad some made me feel bad

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

nothing

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

cry

Listen to these voices

I recently visited New Orleans for the first time and fell in love with this remarkable city. After listening to our cab driver share his story of "the storm" I've been seeking more first hand accounts. This Audible collection was deeply moving to listen to. Hearing these regular people, young and old, spontaneously share their personal memories felt like listening to friends. I learned a lot and felt such empathy for each person who shared.

Interesting!

I found these stories interesting. I followed Katrina when it went down and I cannot believe what some had to go through. Each story is really good. It puts you in several different parts of the hardest hit areas. These people were so brave to go through this terrible time. Once I started listening I couldn't stop.

Waste of time

Would you try another book from the author and/or the narrators?

Would not waste my time on another Audible original. These were by far the most boring stories describing hurricane Katrina. All of the narrators were middle-class whites who suffered the least in the aftermath. As a result their stories are not interesting or in any way insightful. No wonder it was free.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Nothing free from Audible.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of the narrators?

Yes.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Hell no.

Any additional comments?

No.

1 of 4 people found this review helpful