Writer Debo Kotun and his production team spent two months traveling the state of California interviewing survivors of Hurricane Katrina now living in California. “Our goal was to explore the underlying humanity beneath the news reports and images,” Kotun said.

Mary Armstrong, in her 60's, was uprooted from New Orleans and now resides in Fremont with her 92-year-old mother.

Among others, Kotun talked to an electrical engineer; a disabled truck driver; a husband and wife, both nurses; an Air Force reserve officer; and an 83-year-old grandmother.

Freddie and Cynthia Monroe, both nurses, relocated to Woodland Hills.

The interviews were edited into a 90-minute documentary and broadcast on KPFK Pacifica Radio 90.7FM Los Angeles and 98.7 FM Santa Barbara and on Pacifica Radio stations throughout the country.

“What we learned was that Californians of all colors, religions, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds came out to enthusiastically help the survivors.”
Debo Kotun, project director

Listen to the broadcast:

Hour 1

Hour 2

Hour 3, part 1

Hour 3, part 2

Hour 4

Theodore "Teddy" Meyers is paralyzed from the waist down and had to swim to safety.