Stories from the Storm Audiobook By Audible Studios cover art

Stories from the Storm

Hurricane Katrina Survivors, In Their Own Words

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Stories from the Storm

By: Audible Studios
Narrated by: Carter Hooper, Celia Collins, Tom Fitzmorris, Elizabeth Feltmate, Sarah Taylor, Michael Davis
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In the weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, Audible reached out to customers in the affected area to offer help. Many customers responded and several agreed to be interviewed about their experience. Stories from the Storm was recorded in mid-November, in the days when many people were still clearing debris and figuring out how to restart their lives. From a 17-year-old who stayed in an east New Orleans hospital to a casino executive huddled in his closet just a couple of blocks from the beach in Biloxi, these riveting stories will remind listeners of the heartbreak, confusion, and perseverance of Katrina's survivors.

Audible wants to thank everyone who participated in these interviews, especially Carter Hooper, Celia Collins, Peter Ascani, Tom Fitzmorris, Elizabeth Feltmate, Sarah Taylor, Michael Davis, Alan Larkin, Jim Nadeau, and Robin Woods.

Producers: Kerry Donahue and Gayle Hendrix
Post-production: George James and Sam Rodriguez
Original music by Guy Story

(P)2006 Audible, Inc. Political Science Politics & Government Heartfelt Survival

Editorial reviews

Audible.com performed a surprising feat after Hurricane Katrina. They took the headphones off several Gulf-based customers and replaced them with microphones. The result is a cross-section of stories that provide the details missing from the major news accounts. A woman huddling with her horse, a partying teenager who suddenly finds herself transporting dead bodies‚ each story has its own aspects of horror and surrealism. Listeners will find these everyday tales compelling because these people are so much like us. Cleverly executed‚ the production has no connecting narration, no interviewer’s voice. Let’s hope this project popularizes the concept of the documentary audiobook.

Critic reviews

  • Audie Award Finalist, Original Work, 2007
All stars
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Personal stories of survival by individuals who have experienced the force of Hurricane Katrina.

Personal Survival

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I recently visited New Orleans for the first time and fell in love with this remarkable city. After listening to our cab driver share his story of "the storm" I've been seeking more first hand accounts. This Audible collection was deeply moving to listen to. Hearing these regular people, young and old, spontaneously share their personal memories felt like listening to friends. I learned a lot and felt such empathy for each person who shared.

Listen to these voices

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These stories were great and it was nice to hear the actual person trek their own story.

LOVED THIS!

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Some of the stories are revealing and not what you hear from the mass media.

I learned things that I didn't know.

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I desperately want a follow up on where these people are now please! especially the Badass Horse Lady and the 17 year old Hospice Girl.

if you live in a hurricane prone area, LISTEN

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Sad and hard to hear what all some of the survivors of hurricane Katrina went through but well worth listening to. I felt so sad for what the people in this reading and all who were affected by Katrina went through. I also liked that it included people in other parts of the Gulf Coast of the US and not strictly those in New Orleans.

Very Good, very well done!

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What did you like best about Stories from the Storm? What did you like least?

I became obsessed with Hurricane Katrina after the storm hit, and went to N. Orleans to do animal rescue later. I suffered some pretty severe PTSD from it. I suppose I was expecting to hear stories that were more hard-hitting, that echoed my memories of all that happened. For the most part, however, these were bland and weren't conveyed with much emotion. One thing to note, I suppose, is that they were recorded only a couple of months after it all, and the people involved could have been functioning and relating their experiences at a necessary emotional distance.
One story, though, was shocking. It's that of the teen-aged girl who seems as though she'd never been faced with any serious challenges in her life, only to find herself working around the suffering, the dying, the dead.

Would you recommend Stories from the Storm to your friends? Why or why not?

As it's free and barely over two hours, I suppose I'd recommend it to others. It's not bad, it's just not as powerful as I thought it could have been.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

One thing that really bugged me was the complete and utter glibness of some of the people who recorded their stories. I mean, asking for ice so that you can have cocktails? Really? Is that how challenged and frightened you were? It was rather offensive.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Given my experiences, I'd see anything about Katrina. I would hope, however, that it'd be enhanced some, with necessary drama and import edited into it.

Any additional comments?

I don't regret listening to this. It's a decent enough audio, but I was disappointed. For really hard-hitting Katrina experiences, I recommend "Five Days at Memorial." Now THERE'S a portrayal of the descent into chaos, fear, and the lack of resources that Katrina caused!

Could've Been Powerful. Alas, Was Not...

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I found this to be very interesting. All that they went through, and how much damage the water did to - everything. They've got quite an amazing spirit to be in the path of such terrible storms. Strong people, to go through all that and then, mostly, to rebuild. Amazing stories. Thank you .

Interesting First Person Accounts

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Would you consider the audio edition of Stories from the Storm to be better than the print version?

the storys they were good to the heart of it all

What did you like best about this story?

they were sad some made me feel bad

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

nothing

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

cry

the truth

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I learned a lot of things that I didn't know about Hurricane Katrina. The audio book was a good compilation of interesting first-person experiences of the hurricane - who offered a pretty wide range of perspectives.

very interesting and informative

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