[Report: First trip home after Hurricane Katrina]

Two news hour segments concerning the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The first is a look at the experience of returning to the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina through the Chapoton family. The second illustrates the struggles faced by Baton Rouge, LA and its residents.

0:03Copy video clip URL The Chapoton family travels through wreckage from Hurricane Katrina and makes comments on what was destroyed. They pick through what remains of their home and belongings. Interspersed with a voice-over from Brackett talking about the destruction.

1:20Copy video clip URL Family members shares feelings about returning to the wreckage. Eileen is fortunate that they were able to find some things, and Melissa is glad to have finally seen it for herself. Jack Holden, another family member, expresses the importance of making the effort to recover what was left. “…your house is part of who you are and what you are, and there are long traditions with that.”

2:45Copy video clip URL The family goes to see the remains of the historic Old Town district, of which there isn’t much. They discuss their amplified feelings of loss. “It’s not just me, it’s the whole little town… I knew when we left the house would be gone, and I was okay with that. But when you see that everything’s gone…”

4:50Copy video clip URL Neighbors and friends of the family begin to return to the town, and the Chapotons greet them and share condolences. Eileen mentions her sadness about the scattering of their community. “So my life as I know it is gone.”

5:37Copy video clip URL Cut to black, then color bars.

5:54Copy video clip URL Brackett introduces Baton Rouge, LA and a small town nearby. Cecilia and Mark talk about taking friends and family displaced by the hurricane. Cecilia shows cameras around her house. Raquel shares how much she misses New Orleans.

7:22Copy video clip URL Footage of a crowded shelter in Baton Rouge. Bracket talks about the strain it put on the city and the amount of people in need of assistance. Andren Wilson comments on how committed he is to the project of immediate food stamp cards, and an interviewee shares that this is her first time requesting government help.

8:08Copy video clip URL Jeff Leduff, police chief for Baton Rouge, talks about the strain of helping nearby towns during their own cleanup efforts. Kip Holden, Mayor of Baton Rouge, makes a comment about the city doubling in size. Brackett elaborates on the issues of overcrowding and interviews a woman about her concerns for the city.

9:48Copy video clip URL Issues of increased violence in Baton Rouge. Mayor Holden asks citizens to keep a level head in the face of rumors. He also sends a word of warning out to anyone who thinks they can take advantage of the hectic situation.