Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer on New Orleans' revival after Hurricane Katrina

New Orleans was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina 20 years ago, and the damage didn't stop there. 

The levies around the city broke in the days after the Hurricane, flooding parts of the city and destroying countless buildings. 

BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton has visited the city many times since, and says it's succesful recovery to a vibrant, musical city has been outstanding.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks atb.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
And it has been twenty years since Hurricane Katrina. Someone
who has spent some time in New Orleans is our
travel correspondent Megan Singleton, blogger at large dot com, and
she joins me, now, good morning.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
Good morning. That song gives me goosebumps. It's Fats Domino
and my father used to love him. Fats was rescued
from the waters of Hurricane Katrina out of his attic.
They thought he died, and no one knew where he was,
and then he was eventually found rescued in Baton Rouge

(00:46):
because people were just having to be evacuated and heading
all over the place. And so my first visit to
New Orleans was in two thousand and seven, two years
after Hurricane Katrina had hit. And I don't know if
you've been watching sort of docos that are happening at
the moment, it's horrendous. When I was taken for a

(01:07):
drive through the Lower Ninth when we were there, and
houses had exes on their walls, and weeds had grown
up where pilings and you know, houses were used to
sit and it was still utter devastation, and the musicians
Village was being built, and so that was the brainchild
of Mary Connot Junior and Branford Marsalis, who is from

(01:31):
the legendary Marsalis family of New Orleans. And they went
on and built eighty houses to bring back the musicians,
because back in two thousand and seven there were no
street musicians anywhere they'd know where to live. So they'd
gone and it was quiet and the city didn't have
its vibe that it has today. The French Quarter itself
wasn't actually flooded because it was on higher ground. And

(01:56):
if you've been watching anything this week, you'll you'll remember
that the hurricane came through flooded everything, But it was
actually the next day that the levees were broken, and
that what filled up the whole bowl that is this
ninth Ward and all those areas under sea level. So
it's just horrendous.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
No, I no, just I know.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Sorry. I noticed that Netflix had a documentary Katrina Come
Halloa High Water Ave. If somebody has watched it, text
me on ninety two ninety two if it's worth checking out,
because yes, I do, I remember that story and I
can remember, you know, at Haattan, We're all like it's okay,
and then it was like, hey, on a minute, it's
not okay. And then one unfolded, just sort of unfolded
in slow motion, almost.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Disorganization and the racism, and it's We've been watching that
Netflix Docko series. Actually we finished it yesterday, and it's
horrendous what went on. They were rescuing white people over
black people, side by side. It was just horrendous. However,
next year will mark my tenth visit to New Orleans.
I absolutely love the city. It's been rebuilt, it's got

(03:02):
its vibe, it's colorful, it's got the music is back,
the cuisine is back, it's absolutely thriving. And I love
the visit, love the city so much. I will be
going back for my tenth visit next April. I'm actually
going to host a tour, another one of music tour
from New Orleans up to Memphis and finishing in Nashville.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
And what a great combination.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
And we're going to add Dollywood as an optional add
on for those who really want to get immersed in
the music right through to Dolly Oh No.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
That's a fabulous So how long will that to be well, that'll.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
Be about two weeks all up. People can start in Washington,
D C. With me first if they want to see
the blossoms, and then we kick off in New Orleans
for four nights. There. I'll take people to my favorite
jazz bars and yeah, and just get amongst that whole
vibe there. We'll go out to Staine, a plantation. We
might do a swamp tour. We'll go up on the
Mississippi on a paddle steamer and have lunch and we'll

(04:02):
just make the most of the music and the jazz,
and then we'll hit the blues and then we'll finally
get to country. I love it.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Sounds amazing, Megan, Thank you so much. If you want
to learn more about that, hittoo blogger at lunch dot com.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks a B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.