When artists are profoundly moved by a traumatic, tragic event, they often turn to their craft. Writers pen stories, poems, and books. Actors take roles to express and share their feelings. Singers create and perform tracks that convey emotional messages. In that vein, fiddler extraordinaire and singer Amanda Shaw has just released a single she co-wrote and performs. Her memorable new song, "Before Katrina," marks the 20th anniversary of the fierce storm that raked the Gulf Coast beginning on August 29, 2005, and for days afterward.
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It's a poignant, beautifully evocative ballad that depicts romantic heartbreak against a backdrop of the deadly havoc caused by Katrina, especially in hard-hit New Orleans. That vibrant city was battered, but not broken. (Stream it HERE.) Shaw's warm, gentle vocals give the track a mellow intimacy that will linger in your soul.
Listen to "Before Katrina"
The Storm's Wrath Was Monstrous
Statistics give an idea of Katrina's impact and magnitude. Estimates of the damage in dollars and the death toll can vary somewhat by source. Regardless of where the numbers come from, however, they are staggering. According to the National Weather Service, "It is the costliest hurricane to ever hit the United States.... In all, Hurricane Katrina was responsible for 1,833 fatalities and approximately $108 billion in damage (un-adjusted 2005 dollars)."
The hurricane reached Category 5, packing 175 mph winds before becoming a Category 3 as it made landfall. Levees gave way, inundating 80 percent of New Orleans with water. Tornadoes were spawned, particularly in parts of Alabama and Florida. Per the NWS, between five and ten inches of rain fell, with some areas getting more than 12 inches.
Some 900,000 homes were without electricity, per Louisiana State University. Many residences had no gas, power, or water "for weeks." People sought emergency shelter at the Superdome, which teemed with 10,000 human beings. The facility was ill-equipped to handle that many. A chilling headline in the Seattle Times read, Trapped in the Superdome: Refuge Becomes a Hellhole.
Amanda Shaw Recalls Living Through Katrina
Shaw, 35, an acclaimed fiddler who is in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, grew up in New Orleans. She vividly remembered the upheaval sparked by Katrina in an interview with Wide Open Country. "I was 14, 15 when it happened. It just really impacted my life."
She said that Katrina was the first time her family ever evacuated their home because of an impending hurricane. "Everything was so incredibly chaotic," Shaw mentioned. Her family of four fled their home in the middle of the night. They had just $200 or $300 in cash with them, not knowing what the next hectic and uncertain days would bring.
The Valuable Lessons She Still Carries in Katrina's Aftermath
Shaw now lives in Nashville, but she still has an apartment in New Orleans. That beloved city is very much a part of her to this day, and always will be. She takes the lessons of Katrina with her as well, conveying them in her music and in her personal interactions.
Shaw noted, "At the end of the day, all you have is each other. Try to be a good, empathetic human. We all have things that we're working through at all times. Going through Katrina taught me a lot of those things. Telling people that you're grateful for them is important, too. You don't know if you'll always get that opportunity."
She added, "In Nashville, I still try to carry those messages of resilience, of joy, and living life to the fullest everywhere I go."
Photo by Libby Danforth
