Reporter’s Notebook: When Producer Angela Shelley returned to her hometown of New Orleans in the summer of 2006, we asked her to take along a video camera and share her experience with us.
In Part One of her video diary, ‘Big Sadness in the Big Easy,’ we ride along with Angela as she explores devastated New Orleans neighborhoods, including the Ninth Ward and Lakeview.
We TV types generally consider ourselves to be unflappable. We thrive on challenging situations, tough interviews and demanding deadlines. We also thrive on having control of things.
But “control” is exactly what I didn’t have last year when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans – my hometown.
Most of my family still lives there and they were lucky to be evacuated before the storm. I stayed in Los Angeles and continued to work at “California Connected” for one simple reason. There was nothing – absolutely nothing – I could do to help at the time.
I returned on the one year anniversary of the Big Sadness in the Big Easy and shot a video diary. I have five hours of footage but – don’t worry – this is only about twenty minutes worth.
My hope is that it will help us all remember something we should never forget.
- Angela Shelley, Producer
Meet Angela’s family who describe their lives one year after Hurricane Katrina in Part Two of her video diary - ‘Big Hope in the Big Easy.’
How you can help:
- Common Ground Collective, a community-initiated volunteer organization offering assistance, mutual aid and support. Common Ground’s mission to provide short term relief for victims of hurricane disasters in the gulf coast region, and long term support in rebuilding the communities affected in the New Orleans area.
- Habitat For Humanity, New Orleans area
New Orleans is a tourist city and it needs your dollars:
More information on New Orleans:
- The Times-Picayune, daily newspaper for the greater New Orleans area
- New Orleans - Wikipedia entry