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CNN Saturday Morning News

Five Year After Katrina

Aired August 28, 2010 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. I'm Brooke Baldwin. T.J. Holmes is off this morning.

And this time, every single Saturday 9:00 Eastern we spend a half-hour on one topic that a lot of you are talking about each and every week. And today, what did we choose? We're taking a trip back to the Crescent City.

What has changed? What lies ahead for New Orleans? You will hear from the general who took command, boots on the ground, right, when all seemed lost. You'll see it through the lens of a famed photographer plus a story of perseverance that saved this landmark restaurant. And it'll make you hungry. We're talking ribs.

But first I want to start with a special report with, of course, the levees. It would have been a very different story if they had not failed the city of New Orleans five years ago and failed all of its people. They have since been fortified but the question still remains, will they hold if another Katrina hits?

Homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve is live from New Orleans this morning. And Jeanne, how will we even know how fortified they are until a storm makes its way?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, some people ask that question. About $14 billion is being spent to rebuild and refortify the levees and the flood walls and the pump stations. The Army Corps of Engineers saying that they're going to provide 100- year level of protection by next year.

But despite those assurances that the city is safer, some people who live near the levees are skeptical.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: The long road back from Hurricane Katrina has brought Sonya Hill (ph) here to one of the handful of houses rebuilt right where the industrial canal flood wall gave way.

SONJA HILL, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Looking at that wall I'm thinking, what if it breaks again? What if it breaks right here in front of the door and I'm inside with my kids? I don't feel safe back here if a hurricane comes through.

MESERVE: Sonja says she can't afford to live somewhere else. But Roy Arrigo doesn't want to move. His house is just a few hundred feet from where the 17th Street Canal flood wall failed.

(on camera): This is the same kind of wall that failed five years ago.

ROY ARRIGO, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Yes, it is. Yes.

MESERVE: Is that scary?

ARRIGO: Yes, it is. And this is a fragile wall.

MESERVE: Arrigo was angry at the Army Corps of Engineers and blames it for the destruction of a city.

ARRIGO: We see the work and we're told about all of the progress, but can we trust it? And to be quite honest, I don't think that we can.

MESERVE (voice-over): In the Gentilly neighborhood, near the London Avenue canal breach, Willean Brown believes the engineering isn't what matters.

WILLEAN BROWN, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: They can make the levee as high as you want to. God has the power so if you want to take down a building where it is low, how high, 25 feet, 30 feet, you can knock it down with its power.

MESERVE: Her faith makes her feel safe here. Not her sister, Callie.

CALLIE BROWN, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: I have to give the government the benefit of the doubt that the wall's going to hold. Well I'll try. But that don't mean it's going to work.

MESERVE: For Callie Brown, and many others, the shadow cast by the levees is long and dark.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MESERVE: Now we did talk to some people who had a bit more confidence in the levees, but everyone we spoke to said if a big storm is headed towards this city, they are heading out of town. Brooke, back to you.

BALDWIN: Now, Jeanne, as we here at CNN are telling all these different stories of the five-year anniversary, and I see the rain coming down so it is sort of an odd quiet I'm sure right now in the French Quarter, but what events in the city are marking this significant anniversary.

MESERVE: Well, there are a number of different celebrations going on both today and tomorrow at various elections around the city, including the Ninth Ward, which was badly hit when the levees breached. But the big event will be tomorrow when President Obama is coming here to New Orleans to commemorate this anniversary. Brooke.

BALDWIN: You got it. Jeanne Meserve, thank you for standing out in the rain for us and telling the stories of the levees. I appreciate it.

But now we're going to have a conversation with the man responsible for the military response after Hurricane Katrina. The nation called on General Russel Honore when disaster struck. You know what? He delivered. He really became a household name. Really instilled chaos - rather, instilled calm, I should say, in a very chaotic situation days, weeks and months later.

In fact, his book "Survival" outlines some frightening moments during the evacuation but it also shows and offers us tips on how we can protect our family if and when a natural disaster strikes. General Honore is joining me now from that same spot in New Orleans. General Honore, first, just good morning to you.

LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE (RET.), CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Good morning, Brooke.

BALDWIN: First question is, I just want you to take me back five years. When you got the call and they said, "sir, can you lead the charge, boots on the ground," what was that like and can you believe it was now five years ago?

HONORE: Time has passed quickly for observers or those that are here to help. We come back every year. But to the people who continue to struggle here to build this great city back, it's been a challenge and from those challenges have come much improvements in the city, but many challenges left to - problems left to be solved such as continuing to work on the levees, continue to rebuild the schools and just this week the federal government put $1.8 billion after five years to rebuild all the schools.

All that good news is going to mean progress and the city will come back very strong. Still got a lot of work to do on public housing and affordable housing for the poor.

BALDWIN: Now, General Honore, I want to talk about and I know you speak of New Orleans, so there's a tale of two cities, right? You've written about how there is the haves, and the have-nots. I was there last weekend. The central business district is hopping, right? But the Ninth Ward and also St. Bernard Parish, very much still struggling. Take me through your city. Where's the good, where's the ugly?

HONORE: Well, I tell you what, the good is the central business district. Yesterday, we had some sunshine here this time yesterday morning this place was hopping with tourists, with artists, bands, people were playing music. This city is open for business. Tourists are here.

We had a great football game last night. A lot of people in the city and it shows the capacity of the city to have a safe and secure visitors area in the French Quarter and around the football as well as in the business district. So all that's very strong. What's got to be worked on now, Brooke, is that development in the Ninth Ward and in St. Bernard Parish and lower Plaquemines Parish that never really recovered from this storm and now they've been hit by the BP oil spill.

So lot of work left to be done on infrastructure. Getting the schools back. Helping small businesses who did not get a fair shake right after Katrina dealing with the SBA and with FEMA. Over.

BALDWIN: Let's look forward. You mentioned that grant, right, to the public education system in New Orleans. But looking forward, where do you see needs the biggest improvement? Where do we go next for New Orleans?

HONORE: I think the changes that are being made in the school system here, which is about the future and the children, most people I talk to has a very promising forecast of what this might mean, the charter schools they put in, the way the schools have been structured, the way they've been resourced. Much of that with federal money. The public health and clinics that have been built, all with federal money. The federal government put a sack of money in here to keep the health system up and they continue to pour money into New Orleans.

I've got to give the federal government credit on that. That happened and they sustained the health of the people in New Orleans. They're also building a new VA hospital and a new big charity hospital. There's going to be a new teaching hospital. All of that will make this city stronger. But those hospitals don't come online for three or four years so those clinics that they've put inside the communities are going to make a big difference because it is community-based health care, a wave of the future in health care and the country.

And New Orleans will have that as these centers continue to be built. What we've got to work on now is public health because it's not just going to the clinics, we've got people that need mental health care. We need to be able to monitor people's health after the follow on impact of what might have happened from Katrina and now the BP oil spill. So a lot of work need to be done in public health in this region of the country.

BALDWIN: Absolutely. I know there are still FEMA trailers five years later. I was talking to the president of Xavier University yesterday. They still have FEMA trailers right at their university parking lots. And I know though you gave credit to the government in some respects, credit also to all those volunteers who came down five years ago and still continue to give.

General Honore, thank you so much. Good talking to you.

HONORE: And to the volunteers, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Yes.

HONORE: They did a great job and they still come to help. Let's think about Pakistan. Let's give some money to help the poor people of Pakistan. I'll write my check today.

BALDWIN: Yes, sir, let's all follow in your lead. General Honore, Thank you. Pleasure talking to you. And you know, we talk Katrina, right? But we can't talk Katrina without talking about food in New Orleans. Many of the kitchens there certainly suffered from all of the flooding. Right? But all the kitchens are also world famous. Katrina tried to ruin that. Did she? You will hear how one very determined restaurant owner rolled with the punches and brought back his menu at a landmark.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Well, people are living along the Gulf coast, they're quick to point out that New Orleans was not the only town decimated by Hurricane Katrina. In fact, no town was hit harder actually than Waveland, Mississippi. It was virtually wiped off the map. 95 percent of the town's homes were taken by the storm and every single one of its businesses.

Today, about two-thirds of the town's residents have returned home to Waveland and about two out of every three businesses has been rebuilt or even reopened.

Now, the same was true in New Orleans. Thousands and thousands of businesses and restaurant owners had to just totally flee the disaster zone. Right? But not Scott Craig, owner of New Orleans- famed "Katie's Restaurant." For more than four brutal years, he stayed behind working all kinds of odd jobs to bring the legendary restaurant back. He even cooked for CNN crews, which I can wait to ask him about. And his ribs, right? On location there in New Orleans.

He's joining me this morning in the rain in New Orleans, from the quarter to talk about the tough road back. Sir, we'll talk ribs in a minute but first I've seen the pictures of your restaurant five years ago. Talk to me about some of the destruction. You had like seven feet of water after Katrina hit in your restaurant.

SCOTT CRAIG, OWNER OF NEW ORLEANS' LANDMARK RESTAURANT "KATIE'S": Yes. Hello, Brooke. How are you? Yes, it was wiped out pretty much. I got back after the storm. I got a call from CNN about 10 days after the storm. A friend of mine called me and said that CNN needed someone to cook for them and I immediately came in.

We looked at their mobile kitchen that they had brought in and it was amazing. It was a dream job and I was so happy to be cooking for someone that appreciated it as much as they did.

BALDWIN: And we appreciate it.

CRAIG: The restaurant was wiped out.

BALDWIN: Yes, we appreciated it very much. But if you can, just tell me about your restaurant itself. I mean were you concerned about looters?

CRAIG: Oh, it was looted. I had a bunch of sports memorabilia that was - taken, wiped out. Someone got in there after the storm and - or before the storm. I'm not sure which. And pretty much wiped everything out. You know, with seven feet of water standing in the restaurant for two weeks, it didn't smell very well. But I was able to clean it out with the help of a lot of friends and you know, work from CNN.

BALDWIN: Well, Scott, we're looking at some of your pictures. You were good enough to share some of your pictures inside. I mean, chairs overturned. I don't even know what some of this stuff is we're looking at. It looks like total wreckage inside there. I imagine the rebuilding process, not so easy. How was it?

CRAIG: No. It took a long time. I had had to work to get the funds together to take care of it. But like I said, with the help of a lot of people and a lot of odd jobs I was able to do it. I lost everything. I lost everything in the restaurant. But I didn't lose my home like most people did so I was able to rebuild.

BALDWIN: But you're back and you reopened. When did you reopen?

CRAIG: We just reopened in March. It took quite a while. 4 1/2 years. And it's been great. It's been great. The response has been wonderful from the community and from our neighborhood. The Mid City Neighborhood Association has supported us and it's very close-knit association, very close-knit neighborhood. So we're doing well.

BALDWIN: It's been great, which is great to hear. You mentioned how you were lovely enough to feed our CNN crews which we have very big bellies. So for seven months you were feeding us. I'm supposed to ask you about some ribs which are apparently now on your menu, right? The CNN Gulf coast ribs special. Tell me about it.

CRAIG: Yes. They're the smoked ribs. They're the CNN Gulf coast ribs. That's what we call them on the menu at Katie's. They are blackberry jalapeno sauce is the signature on them, but we smoke them for six hours, and then we grill them when they're - to prepare them to make them hot. They're quite popular. Quite popular.

BALDWIN: You're making me drool at the pure thought of them. I will most definitely come and visit you in "Katie's Restaurant," the next time I'm in Nola. Hello to the hostess with the mostest, right, who is your mom? Hello from CNN.

CRAIG: Yes, that's my mom. I couldn't do it without her. She's outstanding.

BALDWIN: What an amazing family operation. Scot Craig, "Katie's Restaurant," thanks a million.

CRAIG: Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: Now, worth more than 1,000 words, right? What is that? Pictures. From food to pictures from the front lines after Katrina struck. We're talking to the man behind these poignant images. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My child has - this is what he owns. The pair of shoes he's got on. That's it. He owns not a single piece of clothing. I don't know whose clothes I even have on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Haunting images, haunting sounds. Right? In the wake of Hurricane Katrina five years ago. Through the lens of a famed photographer, Harold Baquet spent 25 years working as a professional photographer. That is a quarter of a century covering the change in social, cultural, social influence of the region but nothing in his vast experience prepared him for the day the levees broke.

And Harold is joining me in a rainy French quarter as well this morning. And Harold, I know you're Nola, born and raised, you're a charity hospital baby. So, you offer a great perspective in terms of some of these pictures. But before we get to the pictures, just briefly where were you when Katrina hit?

HAROLD BAQUET, PHOTOGRAPHER, LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS: My wife and mother-in-law and I, we stayed home during the storm and we never evacuated. Before Katrina, we would all put together our hurricane kits to prepare three days of food and provisions to stay home. But nowadays we prepare our evacuation kits and we get out while the getting is good.

BALDWIN: So you're prepared now but let me ask you back five years ago, what point after the storm had hit, what point did your photographic instinct kick in and say, "hey, you know what, I'm going to grab a camera and start taking pictures."

BAQUET: Well, we had successfully evacuated about three days after the storm and that's about the time that we realized that the civilization was coming to an end, that civility and humanity, your personal humanity and your dignity was at stake. We eventually evacuated safely. And you know, we wonder why if we could evaluate safely why couldn't help and provisions be brought into the city safely?

And before the storm, we had all these rich bounties of seafood and just vegetables and fruits down in the southern Gulf area and we could live off of the land here. During the Great Depression, my grandfather was always - my grandmother would complain that if we were living down in the country with our cousins that we could be eating every day and fish with fish and fruit. Instead he was in New Orleans, trying to live as a carpenter and a musician.

BALDWIN: And Harold, let me jump in. We're looking right now as you are explaining that, we're looking at some of these pictures. This is the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. You know, people standing around. I see people standing by a trailer. I know you don't have a monitor, you can't walk me through this literally photo by photo, but what do you remember about that time and what pictures really resonated with you?

BAQUET: Well, during the time I could just tell you that it is very important that in a situation of catastrophe that you get home as soon as possible to begin rebuilding as soon as possible. Here in New Orleans, yes, that's what we did, the people with means were able to come down and you know, use whatever skills they had, and whatever resources they had and rebuild, dig out.

I could tell you gut your house out as soon as you can and get that stuff out on the street and get back home as soon as you can. This city, we have spent time - everyone in this city who survived this will spent time on that cross. There's something about the cross, the glory, the grace. That when you're off of it, you know that things will be better and you appreciate it and you grow and you learn and your life is changed forever and our lives here have been changed forever. And no, things will never be exactly the same. Some things are better.

BALDWIN: You captured those memories in photos.

BAQUET: One of the poignant things I remember about our evacuation was just the dozens of fires that I saw over our shoulders as we were leaving as we were crossing the expressway. Just the countless, tens of thousands of people up on the expressway as I'm evacuating. I thought I heard my name. It seemed at the time like a Katrina hallucination. My wife was saying "what are you doing? We're on top of the expressway trying to get out of town. People are converging on our vehicle. And I said I thought I heard my name. And all these helpless folks you weren't able to help. You just feel so guilty. I drove on.

Months later after the storm during the holidays when people were beginning to return back to the city, my nephew came to my house and said, Unc, we saw you driving past us. We yelled out your name and you stopped about 100 feet beyond us. I didn't hear. And he said he had been on the bridge for two days and was just too tired to respond a wave or follow me on the bridge. I left my nephew on that bridge.

BALDWIN: Unbelievable pictures. Unbelievable stories out of New Orleans.

BAQUET: Gracefully, he has moved to Houston and he's doing a lot better.

BALDWIN: Thank goodness.

BAQUET: I get so jealous when I go to big cities like Houston.

BALDWIN: We're glad to hear he's OK and we're glad you're OK. Thank you for sharing your pictures. You lived through it. I'm sure those are memories that will last you really forever.

Harold Baquet, thank you so, so much. Stay right there, CNN SATURDAY MORNING will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right. Checking your top stories here. Why Glenn Beck is calling his restoring honor rally, live pictures, by the way, of the beginnings of that rally. It starts in about half-an-hour there at the Lincoln Memorial. In Washington, civil rights leaders, meantime, are very much so criticizing this event. It coincides, check your calendars, with the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

And fending off two firefights in Afghanistan. The International Security Assistance Force says coalition troops have repelled two separate attacks today on military bases in Khost province, which borders Pakistan there on the map. Meanwhile the NATO-led security forces admits its troops killed two private security contractors who were mistaken as insurgents by coalition soldiers.

And Paris Hilton is now out of the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas. She and her driver were arrested last night after a traffic stop. The driver is charged with DUI. Hilton is accused of cocaine possession.

And "YOUR BOTTOM LINE" starts with Poppy Harlow right now.