ABC News and ABCNEWS.com will begin marking the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina this Sunday. ABC says the “comprehensive series — Katrina: Where Things Stand” — will air across ABC News’ broadcasts and platforms.
Coverage includes GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts‘ return to the Mississippi Gulf Coast as well as investigative reports from Jim Avila, and reports from Dan Harris and Steve Osunsami in New Orleans.
The ABC News press release is after the jump…
ABC NEWS’ COVERAGE OF THE 2nd ANNIVERSARY OF HURRICANE KATRINA
— “KATRINA: WHERE THINGS STAND†— TO BEGIN SUNDAY, AUGUST 26
ABC News will mark the 2nd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with a comprehensive series – “Katrina: Where Things Stand†– airing across ABC News’ broadcasts and platforms. The series begins Sunday, August 26 and will include: “Good Morning America†co-anchor Robin Roberts’ return to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, investigative reports from Senior Law & Justice Correspondent Jim Avila, and reporting from “World News†Sunday anchor Dan Harris and correspondent Steve Osunsami in New Orleans.
On Sunday, August 26, “Good Morning America†will feature a report from Avila on the state of mental health in New Orleans. As the city struggles to rebuild, many residents are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses. The report will look at what is being done to help them.
Sunday’s “Voices†segment on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos†will feature Robin Roberts, a native of Pass Christian, Mississippi, whose own family was affected by the Hurricane. Roberts will discuss her involvement with the Pink Hearts Fund, an organization founded by a breast cancer survivor who has helped other survivors impacted by Katrina. Roberts, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, will be the key note speaker at a Pink Hearts event in Biloxi.
Sunday evening on “World News,†Harris will report on the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. Harris was one of the first correspondents in the city following Katrina’s aftermath, and he returns to profile residents who refuse to leave the neighborhood despite warnings that it’s unsafe and won’t be rebuilt. The broadcast will also feature a report from Avila on the ongoing trial of the owners of St. Rita’s nursing home, where thirty-five residents died as a result of flooding after the Hurricane.
On Tuesday, August 28 on “GMA,†Avila will investigate a joint state/federal grant program intended to help rebuild homes in Louisiana. Instead of doling out aid, the program has created bureaucratic hurdles for thousands still struggling to find a home since the storm. On Wednesday, Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts will co-anchor “GMA’s†coverage of the anniversary. Roberts, who has reported extensively from the Gulf Coast over the past two years, returns to Mississippi to revisit the people and places devastated by the storm.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, “World News with Charles Gibson†and its webcast will feature reports from Steve Osunsami and Jim Avila. Reporting from New Orleans, Osunsami will examine the rise of violent crime in the city and the challenges facing law enforcement. Avila will investigate the state of the levee system. Two years and a billion dollars worth of work later, have the reinforced levees really made the city safer? Plus, with all of the hardships facing the residents of New Orleans, why do they stay? Later on “Nightline,†Harris will report on the receding Gulf Coast line and its vital importance to keeping the region safe from another natural disaster. How vulnerable is the region to another storm?
ABCNEWS.com will feature extensive reporting from the “Katrina: Where Things Stand†series. A selection of online resources, including slideshows and video clips, will complement reporting on ABC News’ broadcasts. ABC News Radio will also provide coverage with correspondent Alex Stone reporting from New Orleans. NewsOne, the ABC News affiliate news feed service, will offer live reports from correspondent Yunji De Nies in New Orleans. “ABC News Now†will feature reports from the Gulf Coast region and New Orleans, in addition to special guests and programs revisiting the people and places affected by the storm.