RESILIENCE REWIND

Countdown to Catastrophe

Episode 6 – Countdown to Catastrophe
 
This episode dives into the chaos of the storm and the days leading up to it. It is a chronological account of the journey toward landfall, showing exactly where early warnings were issued and where structural systems began to fracture. We break down how a standard tropical disturbance near the Bahamas transformed into a massive monster of a storm.
 
Episode 7 will go into the immediate aftermath of the storm and the nightmare that follows.
 
Music: "Tree of Life" by Broad Sky
 
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Cracks in the Crescent

Episode 5 — Cracks in the Crescent
 
After a brief pause due to health challenges and life’s unavoidable demands, Resilience Rewind returns—because resilience doesn’t mean uninterrupted momentum, it means continuing anyway.
 
Before Hurricane Katrina ever appeared on the forecast, the ground beneath New Orleans was already unstable.
 
This episode steps back from the storm itself to examine the world it was about to collide with. In the early 2000s, America was living through compounding crises—political turmoil, national trauma, and a growing distrust in institutions. At the same time, New Orleans was navigating its own deep fractures: aging infrastructure, entrenched inequality, weakened disaster preparedness, and systems stretched far beyond their limits.
 
Cracks in the Crescent explores the national and local failures that left New Orleans exposed—fragile leadership, dismantled disaster response, and communities already pushed to the edge.
 
Episode 5 of Resilience Rewind reveals how Katrina didn’t create these failures—it exposed them, all at once, under rising water.
 
The storm hasn’t made landfall yet—but the cracks are already everywhere.
 
Episode 6 arrives soon.
 
Music: “Tree of Life” by Broad Sky

Marshes In Peril

Episode 4 – Marshes in Peril:
Before Hurricane Katrina ever formed, Louisiana’s first line of defense was already disappearing. The wetlands—vast marshes that once shielded the coast from storm surges—were being eaten away by time, industry, and neglect.   This episode unravels how decades of oil and gas extraction, levee construction, and environmental mismanagement transformed a natural buffer into a fragile floodplain. As we trace the erosion of these marshes, we uncover the quiet crisis that left New Orleans dangerously exposed long before the storm arrived.   Episode 4 of Resilience Rewind dives into the geography, ecology, and policy failures that turned Louisiana’s wetlands from protectors into victims—setting the stage for disaster.
Stay tuned — the storm is getting closer. 

Music: “Tree of Life” by Broad Sky

Port of Cultures

Episode 3 – Port of Cultures: A City Built on Resilience
 
This episode explores how the history of New Orleans shows culture itself as a survival strategy. Through music, food, faith, and community, generations turned hardship into resilience. From Congo Square to Creole traditions, the city’s identity became its greatest defense against disaster.
 
Stay tuned — the storm is getting closer.
 
Music: “Tree of Life” by Broad Sky

Storms Within

Episode 2 – Storms Within: Trauma and Resilience


In this special episode, we’re taking a brief detour before diving into episode 3: Port of Cultures to share a bit of my own lore as your host. This episode delves deep into what trauma and resilience truly mean, weaving in some of my personal journey and favorite resources on the topic.
 
We’ll explore lessons from Resilience for Dummies, What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry, and The Body Keeps the Score. Plus, we’ll highlight Tear Soup, another cherished book on grief and healing.
Check out a read-aloud version of Tear Soup on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/-S-sxHSaE2M?si=AvMN2Ov9KEUxLrlQ
 
Enjoy a free PDF of the official DBT workbook to explore these practices yourself:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/577d2ce937c58194f7d39816/t/60c7e92fa3583448b8c6fa19/1623714139969/dbt_skills_training_handouts_and_worksheets_-_linehan_marsha_srg_.pdf
 
Most importantly, this episode is dedicated to the memory of Lauren Colby, my eight-year-old sister who passed away from cancer in 2007. Her strength is a reminder of the resilience this podcast seeks to honor.
 
Music: “Tree of Life” by Broad Sky 

Episode 3 arrives soon.

Before the Storm: Resilience Rewind Trailer

Resilience rewind explores events that have shown the resilience of humans in face of difficult circumstances. It’s been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina shocked the world. The devastation and trauma of Katrina is still felt today. This is the story of the inspiring people who overcame insurmountable obstacles and odds.

A Furious History

In the debut episode of Resilience Rewind: Hurricane Katrina, we step back more than 500 years to explore the long and violent history of hurricanes in the Americas. Drawing heavily from Eric Jay Dolin’s A Furious Sky, we uncover how the past has a way of repeating itself — a haunting reminder that the storms we’ve endured before are warnings for the storms still to come. This foundation sets the stage for understanding why Katrina was so destructive in 2005 — and why the lessons of history still matter today.