In late August, 2005, the city of New Orleans was projected to be in the bullseye of a potentially devastating hurricane. Named Katrina, the storm was to hit the Big Easy as a category 4 or 5 hurricane. Residents were ordered to evacuate. But the for many, the order came too late. Some felt it was wiser to stay seeing as the area had always managed to avoid a direct hit. But for a tragically large number of citizens, it just wasn't economically viable nor possible to flee.When Katrina made landfall on August 29th, a pressure system pushed the storm further East. Yes, there was structural damage to buildings and homes, there was no power or running water and some flooding. But once again, it appeared that New Orleans had dodged yet another tropical bullet. And then, the levees fell.
A little geography lesson about New Orleans. The city is actually set mostly below sea level. The mighty Mississippi and massive man-made Lake Pontchartrain actually sit at higher levels than most of the city. Thus if ever there's a massive rainfall, even if the storms happen to be miles and miles away, New Orleans will fill up like a gigantic bowl.
To combat this, the people of the Crescent City erected a series of levees, water walls and pumping stations. However with no power, the pumps couldn't operate, meaning whatever minor flooding had been brought by the storm couldn't be removed. The swollen banks of the Mississippi gave the levees as good as it could take. Unfortunately, many of the protections were way past date for improvements. Within hours of Katrina's passing, the walls fell and NOLA was powerless to divert the flooding waters.
Enduring intense heat with no clean drinking water, dwindling food supplies and disease carrying rats and mosquitoes, a crisis was unfolding. The refugees of New Orleans suddenly found themselves trapped as promised evacuation buses never arrived. Nearby townships held residents seeking to escape on foot back with armed weapons and blockades. There was reports of violence and looting; much of which was unjustified. However as it became increasingly clear that assistance from the federal government was long in coming, some of the citizens who stayed took it upon themselves to dole out life sustaining food, water and clothing by any means possible.
Cartoon journalist Josh Neufeld was moved to help with the recovery efforts to rescue and aid those stranded residents who were struggling to survive. Once the region was finally reopened for relief efforts, Neufeld was among the first wave to arrive as a volunteer with the Red Cross. For several weeks, he helped to deliver hot meals to the survivors of the aftermath of Katrina. But not in New Orleans. Neufeld was stationed in nearby Biloxi, Mississippi which has seen more of the burnt of Katrina's damaging winds Upon returning home, Neufeld was inspired to chronicle his time in the Gulf of Mexico on his blog. Eventually, Neufeld collected his posts into 2006's Katrina Came Calling, with profits going to continuing relief work in the region.
The following year, Neufeld was contacted by SMITH Magazine, an online publication devoted to all types of media. His assignment was to tell the story of Katrina in the form of a web comic. Agreeing to the project, Neufeld began researching stories of survival from the aftermath of Katrina. Eventually, he narrowed his focus to 7 people in hopes of providing the most complete picture of the devastation of the Gulf Coast, with a focus on New Orleans in particular.
Denise lives in a tiny apartment with her mother and niece. They're taken to the Superdome in downtown New Orleans in order to get on an evacuation bus to anywhere. Only the arena turns into a fetid cesspool as more refugees are deposited at the Superdome; but departing buses never arrive.
Leo and Michelle are able to escape to Houston in time. Unfortunately, the couple are unable to return to New Orleans for several weeks. When they do return, they learn that they've lost everything; including Leo's 15,000 strong collection of comic books.
Abbas owns a convenience store and deli. Along with his pal Darnell, they stay at the shop to prevent looters. When the flood waters swell to nearly 14 feet high, they become 2 of hundreds of residents who were forced to survive atop their building's roofs for many sweltering days until help arrives
Kwame is a high school senior who also manages to flee before Katrina hits. However, he'll spend nearly 3 years in exile while his parents struggle to rebuild their home and family Church.
Lastly is Dr. Brobson. He rides out the storm by throwing a hurricane party. He'll eventually become the sole source of medical care for his neighbors who turn the few surviving watering holes into makeshift community centers until help from the outside can eventually arrive.
After appearing on SMITH Magazine, A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge was archived in a separate web page. Interviews with survivors, news clippings, and more is stored. There are tracking maps of Katrina. Podcasts featuring the subjects of Neufield's web comic are linked. Surfers can also find some of Dr. Brobson's favorite cocktails, which were served at his hurricane party.
As much as Josh Neufeld was proud of his completed project, he felt that the single panel format of a web comic was clunky. So he went about filling out some of the storylines in order to better prepare these stories for a print release. Neufeld also included a 'where are they now?' section to inform readers of how the lives of his 7 subjects have changed in the 3 years since Katrina. In August, 2009 Pantheon Graphic Novels released a 208 page hardcover. A year later, a paperback edition hit store shelves. A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge has since been released in Dutch and French translations.
Completing this review completes Task #39 (Involving a Natural Disaster) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.
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