A Solemn Milestone On The Gulf Coast

The Early Show Returns To Post-Katrina Big Easy And Gulfport

(CBS)  A year after Hurricane Katrina ravaged much of the Gulf Coast, there are places where it seems as if time has stood still, and there are also pockets of progress.

There is evidence of continuing anger and despair, but there are signs of an indomitable human spirit, giving many the will to press on.

The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith, who covered the storm's aftermath, returned to New Orleans and visited devastated Gulfport, Miss., as well.

Tracy Smith, who was also in the region covering the story a year ago, also went back for the first anniversary. And Dave Price recalled what those first hours were like there after the storm passed.

Together, they offered viewers a compelling package of stories Monday.

Harry spoke with New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas, who represents the Ninth Ward, one of the hardest hit areas of all. Among the topics: whether levees being repaired and rebuilt are better than the ones that broke; the current state of emergency preparedness in the city; and residents who still feel abandoned. To watch this segment, click here.

Tracy caught up with three families she met in the days after the storm: one that left but couldn't stay away, one that stayed and is starting anew, and one living on borrowed time in a rented house, not ready to settle in Baton Rouge, but not ready to come home either. To see that report, click here. For more on the songwriter featured in the piece, click here.

Dave remembers thinking, "I can't believe this happening in America." To get his recollections, click here.

It's much harder for people to stay healthy in New Orleans than it was a year ago, because Katrina drove away lots of physicians and mental health providers. Dr. Corey Hebert is a pediatrician with a growing caseload, and a lot of patients with problems, both physical and emotional. Harry chatted with him. To watch the interview, click here. Editor's note: Hebert's name was incorrectly spelled "Herbert" in versions of this interview seen in many portions of the country.

Harry took viewers on a very brief tour of a part of the Ninth Ward he says typifies what is there today. He also took them back to Gulfport, Miss., where he found things looking much the same as they did a year ago. Harry chatted with the head of a Baptist congregation whose landmark church was hit hard by Katrina and featured prominently in Smith's coverage a year ago. Parishioners are rebuilding further inland. Smith also looked at conditions in a trailer park with FEMA trailers, and found them wanting in many ways. He also heard complaints about the slow pace of rebuilding. To watch that report, click here.

Ever since Katrina hit, New Orleans Times-Picayune columnist Chris Rose has been writing about the victims and the effort to rebuild. This year, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Now, his newspaper columns have been turned into a book, "1 Dead in Attic." Rose spoke to Harry about the book, and the scene in the city. To see that segment, click here.

©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Add a Comment

by chandra57-2009 August 29, 2006 3:12 PM EDT

I%u2019m hoping you can help me help others by facilitating this %u201Cmatch pledge%u201D I envision. I would like to start by helping the family of the little boy Charles that I learned about on NBC%u2019s Today Show. His grandmother - as with most elders - doesn%u2019t have the stamina to endure the tedious navigation of bureaucratic %u201Cred tape%u201D. Plus, I don%u2019t see this frail woman surviving trailer life. Things need to be simple for her. The simple thing to do would be to pay her mortgage, so she won%u2019t have the worry of trying to raise a family in cramped, substandard conditions. Here%u2019s how I see helping not only this family, but many, many others: It's not much, but I am able to pledge $100.00 towards this family%u2019s mortgage. The way you (the networks) can help is by making this donation known as a %u201Cmatching pledge%u201D. I figure the mortgage on the house is maybe $100,000.00. If 1,000 Americans matched my pledge, that%u2019s $100,100.00. And once that mortgage is paid off, donations could continue, and another needy Katrina survivor could be a recipient.
Please don%u2019t suggest I contact the Red Cross. I want to make sure 100% of the money gets to the people who need it, and frankly, I%u2019m not confident the Red Cross (or the government, for that matter) will deliver. Thank you.

Most sincerely,
Chandra Washington
[e-mail]

cc: NBC's Today Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
ABC News

Reply to this comment

by sroneal August 29, 2006 1:50 PM EDT

thank you for covering Hurricane Katrina. I was in New Orleans during and after the storm and ended up in Dallas Texas before I returned home to Richmond VA I now live in Savannah GA. Hard to believe that last year at this very time I was praying to God above that the house that I was in wouldn;t fall apart any more than it already had. Never been so scared in all my life, I will turn 35 on the Sept 7th and grateful for each day I still have

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[chandra57-2009]

I%u2019m hoping you can help me help others by facilitating this %u201Cmatch pledge%u201D I envision. I would like to start by helping the family of the little boy Charles that I learned about on NBC%u2019s Today Show. His grandmother - as with most elders - doesn%u2019t have the stamina to endure the tedious navigation of bureaucratic %u201Cred tape%u201D. Plus, I don%u2019t see this frail woman surviving trailer life. Things need to be simple for her. The simple thing to do would be to pay her mortgage, so she won%u2019t have the worry of trying to raise a family in cramped, substandard conditions. Here%u2019s how I see helping not only this family, but many, many others: It's not much, but I am able to pledge $100.00 towards this family%u2019s mortgage. The way you (the networks) can help is by making this donation known as a %u201Cmatching pledge%u201D. I figure the mortgage on the house is maybe $100,000.00. If 1,000 Americans matched my pledge, that%u2019s $100,100.00. And once that mortgage is paid off, donations could continue, and another needy Katrina survivor could be a recipient.
Please don%u2019t suggest I contact the Red Cross. I want to make sure 100% of the money gets to the people who need it, and frankly, I%u2019m not confident the Red Cross (or the government, for that matter) will deliver. Thank you.

Most sincerely,
Chandra Washington
[e-mail]

cc: NBC's Today Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
ABC News

[sroneal]

thank you for covering Hurricane Katrina. I was in New Orleans during and after the storm and ended up in Dallas Texas before I returned home to Richmond VA I now live in Savannah GA. Hard to believe that last year at this very time I was praying to God above that the house that I was in wouldn;t fall apart any more than it already had. Never been so scared in all my life, I will turn 35 on the Sept 7th and grateful for each day I still have