Stories from New Orleans and Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts"

I think when we look back on this many years from now, I'm confident that people are gonna see what happened in New Orleans as a defining moment in American history. Whether that's pro or con is yet to be determined. And that's one of the reasons why I wanted to do this film.

-Spike Lee

When my husband and I were ambling through the Satchmo Jazz Festival, we met a a very nice man from East New Orleans. We got talking and we asked him about his experience during Hurricane Katrina. He told us his story. He got his family out, but couldn't afford to get out himself. He was home and the storm was over. The sun was shining and suddenly he heard water outside. He looked out the front window and saw water coming, ran to the back to shut the door, and when he returned to the front of the house, he was standing chest high in water. When he tried to open the front door to get out, he couldn't because of the water pressure. This all happened in less than five minutes. Worried for his dog, he somehow managed to get his dog and a backpack to transport his dog as his house filled with water. Twenty five feet of water inundated his house.

He told us how the water knocked his friend's home off its foundation; the house turned sideways and the water rose thirty feet. This friend had to swim out of his house to a highway overhang where he used the guard rail to pull himself out of the water. He told us that some people couldn't swim. Others got so tired treading water that they gave up. He told us of a family he knew, and a wife who couldn't tread water anymore and told her husband, "Don't try to save me, just keep our child alive."

He told us how rescuers didn't take the information of children they saved to record where they brought them and how they transported family members to different locations, separating them. He said there are still 2,000 missing children. Later, on the news in our hotel room, my husband and I saw a child reunited with his family after almost a year.

The personal ads in the Times-Picayune search for missing persons. He told us how DNA tests don't work after a body has been decayed by water and how hundreds of bodies still lied unidentified in the morgue.

Finally, he said, "Somebody should really come and do a documentary of survivor stories. No one would ever believe what people went through. It's worse than anything you saw on tv." And so, I am thankful to Spike Lee for getting the story out there, for giving the people in New Orleans a chance to tell their story in their own words, so perhaps they can finally get the empathy, compassion, respect, admiration, and support they so deserve.

If you didn't catch Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Parts" Monday night, you can still catch the final two parts Tuesday on HBO at 9p.m. EST. The documentary will be reaired in its entirety on August 29th at 9p.m. I highly recommend it. It will change you and the way you view our country.

Personals
""Anyone knowing the whereabouts of ANITA ANN FLEURY or MICHELLE NICOLE FLEURY, please contact Melissa A. Miley, Attorney at Law, 3211 Monterrey Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70814, (225) 926-9415''. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/18

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of DEMETRIA POINTS GADDIES or ADRIAN GADDIES, please contact: Atty. Lisa Matthews, at Stephenson, Matthews, Chavarri and Lambert, LLC., 2305 World Trade Center, #2 Canal St., NOLA 70130. 504-523-6496. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/20

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Heidi Lee Molero Flores, please contact Attorney, Elaine Appleberry, (504) 362-7800 or 2245 Manhattan Blvd., Ste. 108, Harvey, Louisiana 70058. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/21

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of John S. Scott, please contact Andrew H. Wiebelt, II, Attorney 504-821-2669 Published in Times-Picayune on 08/18

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Lisa Lentz. Please contact J. Wagner at 225-667-9268. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/20

Anyone knowing the where abouts of Marilyn Elizabeth Jones or Leonard Parker contact Warren Montgomery, Attorney at Law, 321 N. Vermont, Suite 210, Covington, LA 70433; 985-893-6585 Published in Times-Picayune on 08/20

ANYONE Knowing the whereabouts of Martha Elaine Werner, wife of/and Francis C. Immich, and/or Joanne Genzale, and/or their heirs, if they or any of them are dead, their surviving spouses, if any, and their heirs, if they are also dead, please notify Jeff Bratton, Attorney at Law, P.O. Box 323, Covington, Louisiana 70434. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/17

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Mary Davis widow of Joseph Daigs, please contact Derrick Shepherd, Atty, 504-349-3535 Published in Times-Picayune on 08/18

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of MELISSA JAMES please contact: Cleveland R. Coon Attorney (225) 615-8001 Published in Times-Picayune on 08/21

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Melvin Wilson, please contact Atty. Aaron F. Broussard, 3329 Florida Ave. Kenner, LA 70065. 504-469-6699 Published in Times-Picayune on 08/21

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Mickey Malone, please contact Vivian V. Neumann, 730 Jefferson Street, Lafayette, Louisiana 70501 at (337) 237-1113. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/16

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Mr. Ripoll Robert and Mrs. Mary Cost Robert and any heirs, please contact Kim Glass, Atty. (504) 883-8334 Published in Times-Picayune on 08/18

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Peggy Thomas or anyone associated with PT-MS, Inc. please contact Candice L. Jenkins, Attorney at Law, 422 East Lockwood, Suite 102, Covington, Louisiana 70433 (985) 246-3998. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/20

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of RICHARD WARREN COOPER, please contact: William J. Scheffler, III, Atty-At-Law. 620 Adee Lane, Gretna, LA 70056. 504-433-8770. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/17

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of ROOSEVELT HARRIS, III, please contact: Atty. Bryan K. Jefferson, 228 St. Charles Ave., Suite 1110, NOLA 70130. 504-586-9395. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/21

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the Heirs of JOSEPH LEE MILLER, please contact: William J. Scheffler, III, Atty-At-Law. 620 Adee Lane, Gretna, LA 70056. 504-433-8770. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/17

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Thomas C. Dufrene, Jr. and Judy Robichaux Dufrene should contact Joel Levy, 7577 Westbank Expressway, Marrero, LA. 70072; (504) 340-2993. Published in Times-Picayune on 08/19

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Tywana J. Wilson and/or Roger Burkette, please contact Andrew H. Wiebelt, II, Attorney 504-821-2669 Published in Times-Picayune on 08/18