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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Through Hell and High Water,” a serial narrative told in 22 daily chapters, reveals what happened inside two hospitals, one private and one public, during the days after the levees broke in New Orleans.
It is an intimate portrait of medical professionals who faced unprecedented conditions and acted heroically to keep their patients alive. It is also the tale of daring rescuers who came to the aid of those the government had abandoned.
As the official beginning of hurricane season approaches on June 1, this series offers an opportunity to examine what became a textbook example of disaster response.
To report this story, staff writer Jane O. Hansen interviewed more than 50 people over six months, beginning two weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit, when recollections were still fresh.
She spent time in New Orleans, where she went through both hospitals. To interview sources, she also traveled to Nashville; Houston; Columbus, Ohio; and the Louisiana cities of Baton Rouge, Covington, Robert and Lake Charles.
While the story may read like a novel, it is reported using the same principles of accuracy and fairness we apply in every article.
Dialogue and reflections recalled by participants appear in italics. The words are precisely as they remember saying or thinking them. Statements in quotes were spoken directly to the reporter or appeared in documents or media transcripts. In instances where people’s perceptions of events differed, both versions are presented. In reconstructing events, the reporter corroborated the details with multiple sources. All dates and times in the story reflect the participants’ recollections of the chronology.
Participants provided hundreds of photographs they shot during the week to document the events. Some are used in the series with their permission.
Finally, in each of the two hospitals, there were more than 1,200 people who faced extraordinary circumstances, and dozens of others outside the hospitals were involved in the rescue. Many who played important roles are not mentioned here. This story captures that remarkable week through the eyes of a handful of key participants.
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