I've started using the #Kat5 tag on Twitter when tweeting about events and ideas related to the upcoming 5th
Anniversary of Katrina. It's shorter, leaving more room for text, and has its own interesting subtext. While Katrina made landfall as a Category 3 storm and dealt New Orleans only a glancing blow, the collapse of the city's federally constructed and maintained flood protection system under conditions it was supposed to withstand, which represented the final fraction of a gargantuan and complicated failure of a national flood protection system many decades in the making, was, at least metaphorically, a colossal Category 5 Perfect Storm of Failure.
It's hard to believe it's been five years, but it has. I remember it like it was yesterday, with a clarity including feelings, and I'm a little surprised at just how emotional I feel in the run-up to my trip to New Orleans next week. There are all sorts of remembrances going on, events in New Orleans and online, and I'm going to highlight a just a few for you here.
Katrina 5.0: A Symposium on Technology & Blogging: Wednesday, August 25, 5:30 - 8:00 at The Presbytère, Jackson Square. I'm still trying to figure out how to get away early enough to get down there for this event held by the Louisiana State Museum. Subtitled, conversations on the social web and how it can help in a disaster, this event features our friends and NOLA Bloggers Bart Everson and Troy Gilbert. It's a short program, in the evening from 5:30 until 8:00 and lets you off in a perfect spot for dinner in the Quarter. I think I've just talked myself into it. To get a sense of how much these fellows know about using social media to communicate in an emergency, mosey on over to Troy's blog, scroll down past his Twitter updates to "Remembering Katrina - Top 15 Posts" and start with #1 The Storm, then work your way to #16 The Void, Troy's "live blogging" of the flood. You won't regret it.
A Howling in the Wires : An Anthology of Writings from Postdiluvian New Orleans: Thursday, August 26, 7:00 until, Mimi's in the Marigny Upstairs. This is a book launch, and the book features the writing of too many friends to list here. There will be selling and signing and reading and drinking and eating and bloggerati in abundance, and Mimi's is a delightful spot with wonderful tapas.
Rising Tide 5: A Conference on the future of New Orleans: Alone, reason enough for the trip. RT5 is being held entirely at The Howlin' Wolf in the warehouse district, both the Friday night social on August 27 and the main conference from 9 - 5:30 on Saturday, August 28. The pre-registration price of $25 includes breakfast beverages and pastries provided for the third year by sustaining sponsor Levees.org and The Howlin' Wolf's lunch. Author and human rights reporter Mac McClelland, who's provided some of the best coverage we've seen of the Gulf oil spill for Mother Jones is delivering the keynote address, and will be followed by an expert panel discussion on the environmental issues facing New Orleans. The day will also bring panel discussions on local politics, public safety and HBO's Treme. The Treme panel includes Eric Overmyer, the show's co-creator and executive producer, but that's really only the beginning. There will also be a presentation on "the inequities between the Federal Government's design methods for dams and levees," given by Tim Ruppert, but don't take my word for any of this. There is much more detail about the panels and panelists here or with chronology added and even MORE details, here (subject to updates). Go. Now. Read. Wait. Or go here. Go. Now. Register. Through the 19th, you can reserve a room with our special rate at our "official" hotel, the Marriott Springhill Suites right across the street from the Howlin' Wolf so you can get to Rising Tide on foot and won't miss one single thing. I know what I'm going to do.
Sunday will be a day of solemn remembrance, perhaps involving some collapse, some staying indoors and with any luck, some blogging. I was initially planning on driving back to Atlanta on Monday, but have decided to stay to see the New Orleans showing of last year's Rising Tide Keynoter Harry Shearer's film The Big Uneasy at The Prytania Theater (beware noisy link), with Harry on hand for a Q & A. The film is playing nationwide for that one night only, so check for a theater near you. It would be a nice way to remember, y'all.
Finally, I will be live-blogging as much of these activities as possible, and will include instant pictures whenever possible (is it a great time to be alive, or what?), but realistically, there will be more live-tweeting and live-Facebooking going on. You can see my tweet stream in the right gutter on this page or follow me on Twitter here. It's a lot to do, and those are only a few of the events (um, President Obama at Xavier U. on Sunday), and I'm getting tired just writing it all, so scroll back up and click some of those links.
See y'all in New Orleans next weekend. Peace.
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