E-mail a friendStephanie Frederic
airdate September 7, 2005
Stephanie Frederic is a veteran news correspondent and an Emmy-winning producer. She's covered earthquakes in Nicaragua, San Francisco and L.A. and the first democratic elections in South Africa. Her company, FGW, produced the award-winning bio series, Journeys in Black, and several other specials. Frederick made her directorial debut with The Donnie McClurkin Story. She's a founder of the African American Film Critics Association and has won numerous awards and professional commendations.
Tavis: Before we lost the sunlight in New Orleans tonight, I spoke with our reporter, Stephanie Frederic, on the conditions in the Crescent City, and efforts to evacuate the remaining residents. Stephanie Frederic, it's been a while since we've worked together on television. But nice to see you, and I'm glad to have you reporting for our program.
Stephanie Frederic: Nice to be with you, Tavis.
Tavis: Let me start by asking the obvious question, how are things today in New Orleans? I get the sense from looking behind you, and I'm sure you will tell me in a second where you are standing exactly, but I'm getting the sense and starting to hear, at least, that while some may think it's too little, too late, the waters are starting to recede.
Frederic: It has started; the waters are starting to recede just a little bit. I'm on the corner of Canal and Bourbon Street. This is the French Quarter, and quite frankly, Tavis, this is dry land. Although you see a little bit of water, this is dry land compared to most of the city. 60% of the city remains under water. It's a vast improvement from a few days ago, but this city is still very much in trouble and submerged.
Tavis: Have you seen any signs, specifically, that the water is going down? For example, have you seen any landmarks that you saw a couple of days ago that you have seen since then, that you know for certain that the waters are starting to go down?
Frederic: Oh, there is no doubt. You can tell the water's going down. I mean, we were on an airboat today with a rescue team, and you can see the water lines on the houses. You know, you can tell where the water used to be. You're even starting to see like the mold on some of the houses and some of the buildings. So you can tell that where the water once was this high, now it's down this high, you know. But it's still up there.
Tavis: You mentioned a moment ago that you were on a rescue boat today with a team. Tell me what that was about and what happened today.
Frederic: Well, as you mentioned, the Mayor has ordered everyone to evacuate this city. It's amazing. Some folks just don't want to go. And they remain kind of holed up in their homes. They're not on their rooftops; they're not on their porches like you have seen earlier last week. Instead, these people are locked up in their homes. And the way that the rescue teams are able to know that someone's there is if they see a window open, or they see the curtains pulled back, or a curtain move. And they go in and literally knock on the door and say, "Hey, we need you to come out, we need you to come out." And some people, they're having to coax out. I mean, the water's clearly way too high for them to go anywhere, they're trapped in their homes, but they just don't want to go.
Tavis: Have you had a chance to talk to any of those persons or to overhear the conversations about why these persons don't want to go? I can make some assumptions here. What have you heard from them about why they don't want to leave?
Frederic: Tavis, there are a variety of reasons. Some people feel like this is all they have. Some don't have anywhere else to go. And the little they have, they don't want to leave it. It's just that simple. We ran into an older gentleman who was holding out, and he was standing on a porch with a gentleman probably 20 years younger, and he said, you know, "Look, I'm not going to leave my friend.' The older gentleman didn't want to go, so the younger gentleman said, you know, "I'm going to stay with him.'
Also today, we helped rescue a 50-year-old man who just was staying in his house. He said he had enough batteries, he had enough water, he had enough meals. Food that he thought sustain could him, but at this point he said, you know, nine days later, he felt like it was time to go.
He heard from the radio that the Mayor had ordered everyone out, and he did come out from his apartment and get on the boat. He just voluntarily got on the boat. And this is what the mayor says is gonna happen. Basically, he's ordered the evacuation. Those who want to go voluntarily, they're ready to take them today. They'll let them walk out today. Tomorrow, it's not by choice, it's by force.
Tavis: I was just about to ask you whether or not the Mayor had the authority and what authority he did, in fact, have to force these people out of their homes if they choose not to go. Because you said earlier that you all were coaxing people out. So I guess the answer is that tomorrow somehow they're going to start forcibly removing people?
Frederic: Well, you know, we've seen the National Guard actually bust down a couple of doors here, and, you know, it can be a scary situation for somebody inside. But they are about to start busting down doors. I really think that they don't want the P.R. nightmare, but I think they're going to have to gently do this with some of these people.
Some of them are elderly. Some of them are diabetics. From what one lady told us, they just don't want to go. Some of them don't even realize how bad of a situation it is. All they know, the water is up to their home. And here is what one gentleman told us today. He said, you know, "These people have been through hurricane and hurricane, and flood and flood before, they're thinking the water is going to recede quickly, and they'll be able to go on with their lives." But that's not what's happening here.
Tavis: How could they still think that after you know, nine, ten days of this, that it's going to end quickly? I mean, you have seen the same devastation I saw over the weekend down there, and I am wondering if New Orleans will ever come back to be the city that it once was. I certainly hope that it will, but how can they, nine days later, think that this is going to change anytime soon?
Frederic: Well, you know, they're hearing reports that one of the levees has been repaired. They're thinking, okay, the water's kind of pushing back. They're watching the water levels drop. I think these people are just resilient people, and they want to just believe the best. These folks love New Orleans and don't want to go.
Tavis: Yeah. Aside from the fact that you visibly see the waters receding, are there any other signs that you can see that suggest that there is any sense of normalcy, any sense of progress, starting to take place in New Orleans?
Frederic: Tavis, it is a very strange thing, but there are some parts of this city, the Garden District, you see trees, you know, downed power lines and everything there, but those neighborhoods look pretty good. It didn't flood there. And the other day, we, you know, we saw a young couple walking the street like nothing had ever happened. It looked like they were taking just a walk in the park on a beautiful, sunny day. We also saw another couple and their young five-year-old child sitting on the porch of their home, water all around the home. And they were determined they weren't leaving. I think that's one of those families that the Mayor's going to have to go in and get.
Tavis: Any new reports that you can share with us about what you are hearing today about what we expect this body count to be? I raise that only because, as you well know, being there, that as these waters start to go down, on the one hand, that represents progress. On the other hand, as these waters go down, as you well know, we're going to find more issues, more fires, perhaps, obviously the dead bodies are going to start to surface. So any word yet, have you heard anything today about the body count or anything along those lines?
Frederic: Tavis, it's estimated the body count could go as high as 10,000. Quite frankly, quietly, people believe it's going to be even higher than that. So I think once the waters do recede, once they're able to pump the rest of the water out of this city, I think the real story is going to happen then. But listen, you can walk around this city and you will see bodies. We ran upon one today. So, actually, we ran upon a couple today.
Tavis: Just--walking around the city, you're seeing dead bodies?
Frederic: Walking around the city. And the thing is, they're busy trying to recover the living right now. They're trying to rescue the survivors. They're really not in a rush to get to the bodies. But they will.
Tavis: Yeah. I assume at this point, though, that everybody in the city, save those persons who are in their homes refusing to go, that is to say, the Superdome, Convention Center, everything else at this point basically is empty of people?
Frederic: That is correct. The Superdome is empty. The Convention Center is empty. And, I mean, it is trashed outside. It looks like they had about 10 Super Bowl parties out there all at the same time. It's a mess. This city is a mess. It's going to take quite a while for New Orleans to rebuild. It's going to take quite a while to get some people in here to start cleaning up this place. I got to tell you something. What you see on TV is nothing. It's worse. It's a lot worse than what we're seeing here on the ground.
Tavis: I had the same reaction when I was there over weekend. I was trying to describe to some people, some friends and family, indeed on this program last night, trying to describe to people what it was that I saw. And as catastrophic as it looks on television, it's so much worse when you see it in person. Television, with all due respect, doesn't do justice to what's actually happening there.
One other question before I let you go, for those persons who are still there, still inside their homes. You mentioned one guy earlier who had been following what the Mayor had ordered earlier today on radio. Is it your sense that these people in these homes are in touch with the outside world in terms of getting information inside their homes about what's happening around them?
Frederic: Tavis, that gentleman was lucky because he had a great supply of batteries, so he was able to keep his radio powered. But many of these people don't have a clue what's going on. They really don't. They just see there is water all around them. They see helicopters above them. And you know, here is New Orleans; a city where people used to come to have fun, hear great music. And now what you are hearing is the sound of helicopters and the National Guard troops rolling through the city. It's very, very surreal.
Tavis: I'll let you go. I'm just imagining, though, what it must be like, one, to have endured this. But to be inside your home now, nine, ten days later, and not really, because you have no electricity, if you don't have batteries, not really being in touch with the outside world, to know what's happening in the city around you. It must be an interesting and dire place to be, but yet, there are those who don't want to leave. We'll see come tomorrow what happens when the Mayor starts, with the help of the National Guard, forcing people out.
Frederic: I think you will see the city cleared out here in just a few days.
Tavis: Yeah. Stephanie, nice to have you on the program. Wish it were under conditions. But we'll talk later in the week, I promise.
Frederic: All right, good deal. Good to see you, Tavis.
Tavis: Thanks for being there for us. Up next on this program, the former Mayor of New Orleans, and now head of The National Urban League, Marc Morial. Stay with us.
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