Last night I had the privilege of viewing part-time New Orleanian/actor/musician/radio personality and journalist Harry Shearer’s documentary on the real cause of Katrina’s flooding, The Big Uneasy. Everyone knows about the flood and the suffering and destruction it caused, but not much media attention has been focused on the real problem: why our levees actually failed. The answers certainly make one uneasy about the future of the city’s safety, and indeed about the potential for levee failures throughout the US. That’s already starting to happen in other states (Sacramento, CA had a catastrophic flood this March as a result of very heavy snow melt).
Where the levees failed during Katrina.
The Big Uneasy documents the efforts by a group of scientists to scientifically evaluate and uncover the reasons for the Katrina levee fails, as well as to help provide answers to keep the levees from failing again. These scientists’ research and investigation pointed clearly to incompetence on the part of the Corps of Engineers. In the film, you’ll learn more about our federal government’s use of the Corps for congressional boondoggles and funneling money to state projects. The film has several heroes in the scientists who participated in the research, one of whom was Dr. Ivor van Veerden, who was the deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center. Van Veerden was fired as a result of his report, which clearly pointed to major engineering mistakes made by the Corps. Another heroine is Maria Garzino, an engineer and employee of the Corps who was a whistle-blower on the agency’s incompetence and lack of oversight.
Shearer and company have made a very important film that everyone in New Orleans—and the country—should view. Frankly, it didn’t help my personal cynicism towards our federal government, and it surely doesn’t make me feel very secure, should we experience another hurricane in the near future. Our country’s infrastructure and our levee protection is inadequate, and our tax dollars are being spent via an agency who clearly is not prepared to keep us safe. The film is now available on iTunes, Amazon and on Netflix.
Heads up: the Louisiana State Museum will open its new performance venue/recording studio on the third floor of the Old Mint in mid-November, as well as an abbreviated portion of their music museum on the second floor. The completed music museum isn’t scheduled to open until some time in 2013. The National Jazz Historic Park is a partner in the performance venue and will use it regularly for presentations.
This November’s show will focus on the 50th anniversary of Preservation Hall. More on this in our upcoming November issue.
