Trying to find a pre-Katrina documentary on what would happen if New Orleans was hit with a hurricane.?

Question

I watched a documentary before Katrina hit and sadly I'm not sure how far in advance the show was - it could be two months or two years for all I can remember.

It detailed the horrors of what could happen to New Orleans if a big hurricane hit it and offered computer animation on what the city would look like. Interestingly enough, it was pretty much right on target.

I've searched high and low for this documentary, but I've been unable to find it. Does anyone know what show it was or how I could go about finding something so obscure? I've tried Googling it but I only get hits of post Katrina, even if I specifically tell it "pre Katrina" OR "before Katrina".

I'm fairly sure it was on something like the Discovery Channel, TLC or History Channel. It was not an episode of Mega Disasters as that show didn't begin to air until 2006. In any case, I'm looking for this particular episode and not any one series.

Thanks to anyone who can help me!

Answer 1

This progam was likely based on a actual hurricane drill sponsored by FEMA the summer one year before Katrina.  In 2004, Federal, state, and local emergency management officials ran a drill where  a CAT 3 "Hurricane Pam" would come onshore in the New Orleans area.

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fem...

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Compon...

Frontline (PBS) did a story on it, but I do not remember whether it aired before or after Katrina.  Anyway, here are some web links that may be helpful to you.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/...

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/...

http://federaltimes.com/index2.php?S=121...

http://www.femaanswers.org/images/6/6e/K...

http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/arti...

Answer 2

I recall seeing something (Discovery Channel?) released about 2002 that showed animation with a "tidal wave" that crashed onto the city during a hurricane. It was NOT "pretty much on target".

No one predicted what happened, and the city was flooded because the US Army Corps of Engineers designed and built a levee system that was insufficient.

However, you might call the Times-Picayune newspaper and ask - they ran a related story in 2002 that also did not predict what happened, but they probably recall the "documentary" you are asking about:   www.nola.com

If the program was based on the "Hurricane Pam" exercise (I don't recall that being the case), then "Pam" did NOT predict what happened during Katrina.

Good luck!

Answer 3

PBS did a show on this that I recall... something with the words Big One in it. Check their archive. I predated Katrina and pretty much  described Katrina's effects fairly closely.