Stories from the Storm

Hurricane Katrina Survivors, In Their Own Words

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

No people of color?!

Hurricane Katrina disproportionately affected people of color yet this group of stories does not include a single poc. That is very disappointing considering the toll the storm took on black communities, in particular.

Biased?

Is it me or no black folks were interviewed for this show? Where are the stories from the Dome?

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!

Stories of relatively privileged white people

This is a wildly incomplete picture of Katrina. Each story is about a white person and many of them clearly had more than modest means. Several even joke about "cocktail hour" as they weathered the storm. There are no black or poor people represented in this book at all, which is shameful considering those groups were most affected by the tragedy that was Hurricane Katrina.

Watch when the levees broke

The stories are interesting but not the full picture. Watch when the levees broke. This perspective is missing from this book.

Annoying

The choice of people was bad, they talk like they have no emotional maturity whatsoever. Especially the 17-year-old girl who’s impossible to listen to for the whole half an hour because she sounds like she’s 12. To sum up, this is disappointing. I expected more reflective accounts.

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.

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.

interesting stories from those who experienced it

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

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!