Original subtitles

Narrator: THERE‘S NO OTHER PLACE LIKE LOUISIANA...

\h\h\hA VAST LANDSCAPE OF WATER AND LIGHT...

\h\h\h\h\h\hHOME TO THE DELTA OF THE "BIG MUDDY" MISSISSIPPI

AND THE CAPITAL OF JAZZ.

A CITY OF GREAT CELEBRATION

AND TERRIFYING DEVASTATION...

\hWHERE ENTIRE CITY BLOCKS HAVE BEEN WIPED OFF THE MAP

\hAND DARK FORCES INSPIRED THE BEST-SELLING CHRONICLES

OF A VAMPIRE.

AERIAL LOUISIANA EXPLORES THE STARK CONTRADICTIONS

OF THIS SOUTHERN STATE.

IT‘S A NATURE-LOVER‘S PARADISE,

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHERE THE STATE BIRD HAS MADE A SURPRISING COMEBACK.

\h\hBUT ALSO A PLACE WHERE GIANT INDUSTRY

IS LEAVING LASTING SCARS.

\hIT WAS FROM HERE THAT A SPICY SAUCE

\h\h\h\h\hVENTURED OUT TO CONQUER THE GLOBE...

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND WHERE BATTLES OF THE CIVIL WAR

HAVE NOT BEEN FORGOTTEN.

WITH A MILLION-ACRE MARSH THAT‘S DISAPPEARING AT AMAZING SPEED

AND GIANT WALLS OF STEEL

ENGINEERED TO HOLD BACK THE NEXT GREAT SURGE...

THIS IS LOUISIANA.

[JAZZ PLAYING]

\h\hIT WOULD BE HARD TO IMAGINE LOUISIANA

WITHOUT ITS SPARKLING, \h\h\h\hPULSATING SOUL,

NEW ORLEANS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT‘S A MECCA FOR THE CULTURALLY CURIOUS,

\h\h\h\h\hA MELTING POT OF SOUNDS AND FLAVORS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS HERE WHERE CHEF EMERIL LAGASSE,

\h\h\h\hINSPIRED BY LOCAL CREOLE AND CAJUN SPICES,

LAUNCHED HIS FOOD EMPIRE,

AND WHERE A ONE-TIME BOOTLEGGER NAMED PAT O‘BRIAN

DISGUISED THE TASTE OF CHEAP RUM WITH FRUIT JUICE AND SUGAR

TO CREATE NEW ORLEANS‘S FAMOUS HURRICANE DRINK,

\h\h\hSTILL SERVED RIGHT HERE AT O‘BRIAN‘S POPULAR COURTYARD BAR.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT THIS CITY ISN‘T JUST A PLACE TO PARTY;

IT ALSO HAS A DARK EDGE...

EVEN IN DAYLIGHT.

[SLOW JAZZ PLAYING]

\h\h\h\hAND HURRICANES AREN‘T THE ONLY THREAT.

\h\h\hNEW ORLEANS HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST MURDER RATES IN AMERICA,

AND A COLORFUL HISTORY OF CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE.

ONE OF THE FIRST AMERICAN \h\h\h\h\h\hMAFIA FAMILIES

\h\h\h\h\hGOT THEIR START ON THE CITY‘S WATERFRONT,

EXTRACTING PROTECTION MONEY

\hFROM DOCKWORKERS AND OTHER LABORERS.

BUT THERE‘S A UNIQUE TWIST

ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING \h\h\h\h\hIN NEW ORLEANS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAROUND THE TIME THAT TRUMPETER LOUIS ARMSTRONG

WAS GETTING HIS START PLAYING ON RIVERBOATS LIKE THIS ONE,

\hA SERIAL KILLER CALLED THE AXEMAN

\h\h\hIS SAID TO HAVE VOWED THAT HE WOULD SPARE POTENTIAL VICTIMS

\hIF HE FOUND THEM LISTENING TO JAZZ.

EVEN BURYING THE DEAD HERE \h\h\h\hIS UNCONVENTIONAL.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHIS IS ST. LOUIS CEMETERY NUMBER 1.

WITH HALF OF THE CITY \h\h\hBELOW SEA LEVEL,

UNDERGROUND CEMETERIES \h\h\hAREN‘T AN OPTION.

IN THE 1700s, FRENCH SETTLERS \hSTARTED BURYING THEIR DEAD

IN TOMBS LIKE THESE--

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA PRACTICE THAT‘S STILL CARRIED ON TODAY.

IT‘S ALMOST A CITY OF ITS OWN,

WITH MULTI-STORY CRYPTS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hSOME DESIGNED TO HOLD ENTIRE FAMILIES.

\h\h\hMANY ILLUSTRIOUS NAMES HAVE BEEN LAID TO REST HERE,

INCLUDING MARIE LAVEAU,

\hA CREOLE HAIRDRESSER WHOSE UNCANNY POWERS OF DIVINATION

EARNED HER THE TITLE \h"QUEEN OF VOODOO."

NO ONE HAS CAPTURED

\h\h\h\h\h\hNEW ORLEANS‘S DARK UNDERCURRENTS BETTER

THAN AUTHOR ANNE RICE,

IN HER BESTSELLING VAMPIRE CHRONICLES.

RICE GREW UP IN THIS CITY

AND LATER LIVED HERE,

IN THIS 47,000-SQUARE-FOOT \h\h\h\hITALIANATE MANSION

ON NAPOLEON STREET.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN 1865 AS A BOARDING SCHOOL.

\hIT‘S ONE OF THE MANY GRAND VICTORIAN HOMES

\h\h\hTHAT COMPRISE THE GARDEN DISTRICT.

\h\h\h\h\hRICE HAS CAPTURED THE SWEETNESS OF THIS CITY

JUST AS WELL AS SHE HAS \h\h\h\hITS DARK EDGE.

"I RETURNED TO NEW ORLEANS,

\h\h\h\h\hAND AS SOON AS I SMELLED THE AIR,

I KNEW I WAS HOME,"

ONE OF HER CHARACTERS SAYS.

"THE SCENT OF JASMINE AND ROSES.

I WALKED THE STREETS, SAVORING \h\h\hTHAT LONG LOST PERFUME."

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hONE REASON SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE

HAVE CALLED NEW ORLEANS HOME \h\h\h\h\hOVER THE CENTURIES

IS THAT THIS CITY HAS WELCOMED \h\h\h\h\h\hJUST ABOUT ANYONE.

EVEN BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR,

\h\h\h\hA COMMUNITY OF FREED AFRICAN SLAVES THRIVED HERE,

IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD \h\h\hCALLED TREME.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT‘S HOME TO ST. AUGUSTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

\h\h\h\h\h\hBUILT IN 1842 BY FREE PEOPLE OF COLOR,

\hIT OPENED ITS DOORS TO BLACKS AND WHITES,

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHO EACH RACED TO BUY PEWS IN THE CHURCH

FOR THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE END, THE FAMOUS WAR OF THE PEWS

WAS WON BY BLACKS

\h\h\h\h\hWHO PURCHASED THREE FOR EVERY ONE BOUGHT BY WHITES

\h\hAND DESIGNATED MANY OF THEIR SEATS

FOR THE USE OF SLAVES,

MAKING ST. AUGUSTINE

THE MOST INTEGRATED CONGREGATION IN THE COUNTRY.

\h\h\hJAZZ GREAT LOUIS ARMSTRONG WAS BORN IN NEW ORLEANS IN 1901.

HE WAS THE GRANDSON OF AFRICAN SLAVES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hHIS LEGACY IS HONORED AT ARMSTRONG PARK,

NEXT TO THE VERY SITE

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHERE THE CITY‘S EARLY JAZZ FESTS WERE HELD--

CONGO SQUARE.

\h\hIT WAS IN THIS SQUARE THAT WEST AFRICAN SLAVES

\h\h\h\h\h\hONCE GATHERED TO PLAY MUSIC AND DANCE.

\h\h\h\hWHETHER HERE IN TREME OR DOWN IN THE FRENCH QUARTER,

NEW ORLEANS IS NOTHING

IF NOT A REFLECTION OF AMERICA ITSELF--

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA RICH BLEND OF CULTURES AND TRADITIONS.

BUT JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS

BEGINS A VERY DIFFERENT WORLD.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM NEW ORLEANS, ALL THE WAY TO THE TEXAS BORDER,

AND SOUTH TO THE GULF OF MEXICO

LIES A REMARKABLE LANDSCAPE--

MILLIONS OF ACRES OF WATERY MARSHES,

DELTAS, AND SWAMPS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY‘RE HOME TO FLOCKS OF WHITE EGRETS

\hAND WET FORESTS OF BALD CYPRESS.

\h\h\h\hTHESE UNIQUE TREES HAVE RESIN IN THEIR TRUNKS

THAT ENABLES THEM \hTO FEND OFF ROT

AND THRIVE IN WATER.

\hTHIS IS ONE OF THE RICHEST ECOSYSTEMS ON THE PLANET...

THE PROWLING GROUND OF NORTH AMERICA‘S \hLARGEST REPTILE.

\h\h\hTHERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 2 MILLION AMERICAN ALLIGATORS

IN THIS STATE.

\h\hTHE LARGEST ONE EVER RECORDED HERE

WAS MORE THAN 19 FEET LONG.

\h\h\h\hSOUTHERN LOUISIANA MAY BE A NATURAL PARADISE,

\h\hBUT THAT‘S JUST PART OF THE STORY.

\h\h\h\h\hUNDERNEATH THIS MULTI-MILLION-ACRE MARSH

IS A VAST, HIDDEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT KEEPS AMERICA RUNNING.

\h\h\h\h\h68,000 MILES OF INVISIBLE PIPELINE,

MOVING OIL AND NATURAL GAS TO AND FROM DRILLING RIGS,

SHIPS, PUMPING STATIONS, \h\h\h\h\hAND REFINERIES.

SOMETIMES THEY RISE ABOVE THE SURFACE.

THIS GIANT STORAGE FACILITY \h\h\h\hIS PART OF THE LOOP,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSHORT FOR LOUISIANA OFFSHORE OIL PORT.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT LIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MARSH,

\h\h\hMORE THAN 20 MILES FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO.

\h\h\hTHE LOOP IS THE LARGEST POINT OF ENTRY FOR FOREIGN OIL

IN THE U.S.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEACH DAY, 1.4 MILLION BARRELS OF CRUDE

FROM SUPER TANKERS OFFSHORE

\h\hARE PUMPED THROUGH HERE, TO THE COUNTRY‘S REFINERIES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM HERE, PIPELINES FAN OUT LIKE VEINS

ACROSS SOUTHERN LOUISIANA--

UNDERGROUND AND UNDERWATER.

IT‘S POSSIBLE TO TRAVEL \h\h\hRIGHT ACROSS THEM

AND NEVER KNOW THEY‘RE THERE.

BUT NOT ALL OF LOUISIANA‘S \h\h\h\hOIL INFRASTRUCTURE

IS HIDDEN FROM VIEW.

SOUTH OF THE LOOP‘S \hSTORAGE FACILITY

LIES PORT FOURCHON,

AT THE VERY SOUTHERN TIP \h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE STATE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHERE ARE NO PERMANENT RESIDENTS HERE,

\hBUT IT IS A CRITICAL NERVE CENTER OF THE OIL INDUSTRY.

\h\h\h\h\hLOUISIANA‘S UNDERWATER OIL FIELDS

WERE FIRST TAPPED IN THE 1940s.

\hTODAY, THERE ARE 3,500 DRILLING PLATFORMS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO,

EMPLOYING 55,000 WORKERS.

KEEPING THESE MEN AND MACHINES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWORKING 24-7

REQUIRES A GIANT REPAIR SHOP,

AND THAT‘S THE ROLE \hOF PORT FOURCHON.

DRILLING PLATFORMS

ARE THE TALLEST OFFSHORE STRUCTURES IN THE WORLD,

\h\hBUT EVEN THEY NEED AN OCCASIONAL OVERHAUL.

HIGH UP ON THIS 30-YEAR-OLD RIG CALLED THE HERCULES 204,

A CREW REPAIRS A HELIPAD.

\h\hNETS ALONG THE EDGE HELP KEEP THE MEN SAFE.

AN AVERAGE OF SEVEN RIG WORKERS

DIE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEACH YEAR.

HUNDREDS MORE ARE INJURED.

THE RECENT BLOWOUT

\h\h\h\h\h\hOF A DRILLING RIG KNOWN AS THE DEEPWATER HORIZON

KILLED 11 MEN IN A SINGLE DAY.

BUT PORT FOURCHON IS MUCH MORE \h\h\hTHAN A REPAIR FACILITY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT‘S ALSO A GIANT DISTRIBUTION HUB.

\h\h\hAN ESTIMATED 270 SUPPORT VESSELS

STEAM INTO AND OUT OF \h\hTHE PORT EACH DAY,

AROUND THE CLOCK,

HAULING THE FOOD, WATER, FUEL, AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT

\h\hNECESSARY TO KEEP THE GULF‘S DRILLING RIGS AND CREWS WORKING.

LOUISIANA‘S OIL INDUSTRY

\hACCOUNTS FOR 16% OF THE STATE‘S GDP.

AND THAT WOULDN‘T BE POSSIBLE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITHOUT SOME OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE AIR FLEETS

IN THE WORLD.

\h\h\h\h\h\hEVERY DAY, GULF HELICOPTER PILOTS \h\h\hLOG 2,000 FLIGHTS

TO CARRY 10,000 OIL WORKERS \hTO AND FROM OFFSHORE RIGS.

THAT‘S AS MUCH AIR TRAFFIC

AS THERE IS AT NEW YORK CITY‘S \h\h\hTHREE AIRPORTS COMBINED.

\hOIL RIG CREWS TYPICALLY WORK IN TWO-WEEK SHIFTS,

COMMUTING BY HELICOPTER \h\h\h\hTWICE A MONTH.

\hTHIS ONE IS FERRYING A SPECIALIZED DIVER OUT

TO MAKE REPAIRS.

WITHOUT HELICOPTERS,

CROSSING THIS COASTAL AREA \h\h\h\hCAN BE A CHALLENGE,

ESPECIALLY BY CAR.

WHEN THERE‘S NOT ENOUGH \hSOLID LAND FOR ROADS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE ONLY OPTION IS TO BUILD OVER THE SWAMP.

BEFORE NEW CAUSEWAYS \h\h\hARE COMPLETED,

THEY CAN LOOK LIKE ROADS TO NOWHERE.

BUT THERE IS ONE VERY FAST WAY \hTO SPEED ACROSS THIS MARSH:

AIRBOAT.

THESE FLAT-BOTTOMED VESSELS \h\h\hARE SO PREVALENT HERE,

\h\h\h\hTHEY‘VE BECOME SYMBOLS OF LOUISIANA.

POWERED BY AIRCRAFT ENGINES, THEIR NOISE CAN BE DEAFENING.

[SOUND OF ENGINE]

WITH A TIDAL SHORELINE OF NEARLY 8,000 MILES,

IT‘S EASY TO GET LOST.

THESE TWISTING INLETS

HAVE CONFUSED SHIP PILOTS \h\h\h\h\h\hFOR CENTURIES,

AND LOUISIANA‘S FIRST SETTLERS \h\h\h\h\h\hWERE NO EXCEPTION.

\h\h\h\hFRENCH EXPLORERS FIRST DISCOVERED THE LOUISIANA COAST

\h\h\hAFTER TRAVELING DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI

FROM THE GREAT LAKES IN 1682.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY CLAIMED AND NAMED THE AREA LOUISIANA

AFTER THEIR KING, LOUIS XIV.

SOON AFTER, FRANCE SENT SETTLERS TO START A COLONY.

THEY SEARCHED, BUT COULDN‘T FIND THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI

IN THIS ENORMOUS PATCHWORK \h\h\h\hOF LAND AND WATER.

SO THEY HEADED ON

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND SETTLED IN WHAT‘S NOW TEXAS INSTEAD.

BUT ON MARDI GRAS DAY, 1699,

\h\hA SECOND GROUP OF FRENCH SETTLERS

FINALLY LOCATED THE MOUTH \h\h\hOF THE GREAT RIVER.

\h\hTHESE DAYS, GPS GUIDES 6,000 OCEAN VESSELS A YEAR

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

RIGHT INTO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

A SINGLE BULK CARRIER \h\h\h\hLIKE THIS ONE

\hCAN BE LOADED WITH MORE THAN 100,000 CUBIC METERS OF GRAIN,

\h\h\hWHICH WILL BE EXPORTED TO COUNTRIES LIKE EGYPT AND CHINA.

THIS PORT AT NEW ORLEANS

\h\h\hIS PART OF THE BIGGEST GRAIN AND SOYBEAN EXPORT HUB

IN THE U.S. TODAY.

IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY,

\h\h\h\h\h\hCOTTON AND SUGAR WERE LOUISIANA‘S TOP CROPS.

THEY WERE GROWN HERE,

\h\h\hON PLANTATIONS THAT LINE LOUISIANA‘S FAMOUS RIVER ROAD,

\hWHICH FOLLOWS THE MISSISSIPPI FROM NEW ORLEANS TO BATON ROUGE.

WHEN IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1839,

THE OAK ALLEY MANSION \h\hWAS SET AT THE END

OF A DOUBLE ROW OF 28 OAK TREES

LEADING FROM THE RIVER \h\h\h\h\hTO THE HOUSE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTODAY, \hTHIS AVENUE OF GREAT TREES IS POPULAR WITH TOURISTS...

AND HOLLYWOOD.

"INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE" \h\h\hAND "PRIMARY COLORS"

WERE BOTH FILMED HERE.

IT‘S NOT PLANTING SEASON YET,

BUT SUGAR CANE CONTINUES TO BE GROWN IN GREAT QUANTITIES

ALONG RIVER ROAD TODAY.

IN THE EARLY 1800s,

ALMOST HALF THE SUGAR \hCONSUMED IN THE U.S.

WAS LOUISIANA SUGAR.

\hTHIS VAST ESTATE, KNOWN AS EVERGREEN,

WAS BUILT ON SUGAR CANE PROFITS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITH 37 CAREFULLY PRESERVED BUILDINGS,

\h\h\hIT‘S CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST INTACT PLANTATIONS

IN THE SOUTH.

IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY,

THE ESTATE‘S OWNER, \h\hPIERRE BECNEL,

\h\h\h\hSPENT SO MUCH MONEY REMODELING HIS FAMILY HOME

\h\h\hTHAT HE WENT BANKRUPT AND HAD TO SELL THE PLACE.

BUT WITH SUGAR SO PROFITABLE,

\hBECNEL WAS SOON ABLE TO BUY BACK THE ESTATE

AND THE PLANTATION‘S SLAVES.

\h\h\hTHEY LIVED HERE, IN THESE SIMPLE CABINS.

\h\hGREAT PROFITS FROM SUGAR WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE

WITHOUT SLAVE LABOR.

IT WAS BACKBREAKING WORK,

AND IN 1811,

SLAVES IN THIS PARISH ROSE UP--

\h\h\hTHE LARGEST SLAVE REVOLT EVER TO TAKE PLACE IN THE U.S.

\h\h\hSOME 500 SLAVES MARCHED DOWNRIVER TOWARDS NEW ORLEANS,

BUT WERE QUICKLY ATTACKED BY A MILITIA OF PLANTERS.

\h\h\hMANY OF THE SLAVES FLED INTO NEARBY SWAMPS.

MOST WERE SHOT,

AND OTHERS WERE HANGED.

IN LOUISIANA,

\h\h\h\hTHE CIVIL WAR BATTLES THAT BROUGHT AN END TO SLAVERY

ARE STILL BEING RE-LIVED TODAY.

\hSMOKE FROM CANON FIRE RISES OVER PORT HUDSON.

IN MAY 1863,

WHILE MAJOR GENERAL \hULYSSES S. GRANT

WAS ATTACKING VICKSBURG,

MORE UNION FORCES GATHERED HERE,

HOPING TO SEIZE CONTROL

\h\hOF ONE OF THE LAST CONFEDERATE STRONGHOLDS

ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

THE LITTLE-KNOWN BATTLE \h\h\h\hOF PORT HUDSON

WAS AN IMPORTANT TURNING POINT \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE CIVIL WAR.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEVERY YEAR, 500 MEN AND WOMEN GATHER HERE

FROM ACROSS THE SOUTH.

THEY ARE PASSIONATE RE-ENACTORS

WHO LIVE IN PERIOD TENTS BEFORE THE BATTLE BEGINS.

MOST ARE LOUISIANA NATIVES;

\h\h\hSOME EVEN DESCENDANTS OF THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS

WHO SURVIVED THE SIEGE.

ON MAY 23rd,

MORE THAN 30,000 UNION TROOPS \h\hARRIVED TO TAKE THE FORT.

THOSE IN RED UNIFORMS

WERE FROM AN ELITE FIGHTING UNIT CALLED THE ZOUAVES,

THE GREEN BERETS OF THE DAY.

\hDESPITE BEING OUTNUMBERED, THE CONFEDERATES FOUGHT HARD.

\h\h\h\hFOR A CAPTIVATED CROWD, THESE RE-ENACTORS TRY THEIR BEST

TO CAPTURE EACH IMPORTANT \h\h\h\hTURN OF THE SIEGE.

EACH AUTHENTIC CANNON CAN COST TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

\h\h\h\h\hEACH UNIFORM RUNS INTO THE HUNDREDS.

\h\h\hOVER JUST ONE WEEKEND, THEY PLAY OUT, STEP-BY-STEP

A BATTLE THAT LASTED MORE THAN SIX WEEKS.

ONCE THE UNION TROOPS \h\hCUT OFF SUPPLIES,

PORT HUDSON‘S DEFENDERS \h\h\h\hRAN OUT OF FOOD

\h\h\h\h\hAND WERE FORCED TO EAT THEIR OWN HORSES,

AND EVEN RATS, TO SURVIVE.

ON JULY 9, 1863,

\h\h\h\h\h\hAFTER HEARING OF THE FALL OF VICKSBURG,

THOSE WHO WERE LEFT FINALLY LAID DOWN THEIR ARMS AND SURRENDERED.

\h\h\hBUT BY THEN, BOTH SIDES HAD SUFFERED HUGE CASUALTIES,

WITH THOUSANDS DEAD OR WOUNDED.

JUST SOUTH OF THE BATTLEFIELD

LIES THE PORT HUDSON \hNATIONAL CEMETERY,

\h\h\h\h\hCONTAINING THE GRAVES OF NEARLY 4,000 UNION SOLDIERS.

THE CONFEDERATE DEAD WEREN‘T \hBURIED HERE IN TIDY ROWS.

\h\hTHEIR BODIES WERE LEFT IN THE TRENCHES WHERE THEY FELL.

\hTHE VICTORY AT PORT HUDSON FINALLY GAVE THE UNION FORCES

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCONTROL OF THE ENTIRE MISSISSIPPI.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT THE CIVIL WAR \h\h\hWASN‘T THE FIRST TIME THAT BATTLES HAD BEEN WAGED

\h\h\hTO CONTROL TRAFFIC AND TRADE ON THIS RIVER.

ARRIVING IN NEW ORLEANS, \h\h\hTHE HARVEST LEGEND,

A 45,000-TON BULK CARRIER,

PREPARES TO MAKE A 135-DEGREE \h\hTURN AGAINST THE CURRENT.

BEFORE THESE GIANT SHIPS

EVEN ENTER THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

THEY‘RE REQUIRED TO HAVE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA LICENSED LOCAL RIVER PILOT ON BOARD

TO GUIDE THEM UPRIVER.

THESE PILOTS KNOW BEST \h\h\h\hHOW TO NAVIGATE

\h\hTHE MISSISSIPPI‘S EVERY TWIST AND TURN,

ESPECIALLY THIS ONE, \hAT ALGIERS POINT.

\hTHE POWERFUL CURRENTS THAT RACE AROUND THIS SHARP BEND,

JUST FEET FROM THE CITY,

\hMAKE ALGIERS POINT THE MOST TREACHEROUS SPOT ON THE RIVER

FOR BIG SHIPS.

IT WAS HERE IN 1996

WHERE THE LIBERIAN-REGISTERED \h\h\h\h\hM.V. BRIGHT FIELD,

FULLY LOADED WITH GRAIN, \h\h\h\hLOST ENGINE POWER

AND SLAMMED INTO NEW ORLEANS‘ \h\h\hRIVERWALK MARKETPLACE.

62 PEOPLE WERE INJURED.

OVER MILLENNIA,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE MISSISSIPPI HAS FLOWED PAST ALGIERS POINT,

DEPOSITING SEDIMENT ON THE OPPOSITE BANK

AND BUILDING UP A NATURAL LEVEE SHAPED LIKE A CRESCENT,

\hINSPIRING NEW ORLEANS‘S NICKNAME, "CRESCENT CITY."

THE CITY‘S STRATEGIC LOCATION

\h\h\hALLOWED IT TO CONTROL ALL RIVER TRAFFIC AND TRADE

HEADING UP AND DOWN \hTHE MISSISSIPPI.

BUT IT WASN‘T JUST FRANCE \h\h\h\h\h\hAND THE U.S.

\h\hTHAT FOUGHT TO OWN THIS LUCRATIVE GATEWAY.

THE FRENCH MAY HAVE FOUNDED \h\h\h\hNEW ORLEANS IN 1718,

BUT THEY LATER CEDED IT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO SPAIN.

WORKING FOR THE SPANISH,

\h\h\hFRENCH ARCHITECT DON GILBERTO GUILLEMARD

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDESIGNED THE ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL,

THE OLDEST CATHEDRAL IN THE U.S. AND A NEW ORLEANS LANDMARK.

\hON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SAINT LOUIS

STANDS THE CABILDO, \h\hOR "COUNCIL"--

SPAIN‘S FORMER SEAT \h\hOF GOVERNMENT.

IN 1803, THE SPANISH RETURNED \hNEW ORLEANS BACK TO FRANCE.

\hAND 20 DAYS LATER, FRANCE TURNED AROUND

AND SOLD ALL OF THE LOUISIANA \h\h\h\hTERRITORY TO THE U.S.

FOR $15 MILLION.

\h\h\h\hON DECEMBER 20, 1803, THE FAMOUS LOUISIANA PURCHASE

\hWAS MADE OFFICIAL INSIDE THE CABILDO.

BUT THE STRUGGLE FOR THIS CITY \h\h\h\hWASN‘T QUITE OVER YET.

AMERICA MIGHT HAVE LOST \h\h\hITS NEW TERRITORY

IF IT WASN‘T FOR THIS MAN: \hGENERAL ANDREW JACKSON.

BEFORE BECOMING PRESIDENT,

HE WAS KNOWN AS THE HERO \h\h\h\h\hOF NEW ORLEANS.

\hNEARLY 40 YEARS AFTER AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE,

\h\h\h\h\hBRITAIN SENT TROOPS TO TRY AND WRESTLE NEW ORLEANS

\h\h\hOUT OF THE HANDS OF THE UNITED STATES.

FOUR MILES SOUTHEAST \h\h\hOF THE CITY...

SHIPS PASS BY THE SITE, \h\h\hCALLED CHALMETTE,

WHERE JACKSON ASSEMBLED \h\h\h\h\hA RAGTAG ARMY

OF A FEW THOUSAND MILITIA, \h\h\h\h\h\hHAITIAN SLAVES,

PIRATES AND SETTLERS.

CANNONS STILL LINE THE BATTLEGROUND.

\h\h\hON JANUARY 8, 1815, JACKSON‘S ARMY WAS READY

\h\h\h\h\hTO DEFEND THE CITY AGAINST 8,000 BRITISH TROOPS.

THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS LASTED JUST A FEW HOURS.

WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED, 2,000 BRITISH SOLDIERS

WERE KILLED, WOUNDED OR MISSING,

\h\h\hWHILE JACKSON AND HIS MEN ESCAPED

\h\h\hWITH LESS THAN A HUNDRED CASUALTIES

AND FULL CONTROL OF THE CITY.

\hTHIS MARBLE OBELISK WAS COMPLETED IN 1908

\h\hTO MARK THE SITE OF THE LAST CONFLICT

FOUGHT ON THE U.S. MAINLAND \hAGAINST A FOREIGN NATION.

\hJACKSON HAS BEEN A HERO IN THIS TOWN EVER SINCE.

MUCH HAS CHANGED ALONG THE BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

\h\h\h\h\h\hSINCE THE DAYS OF STEAMBOATS AND SLAVERY.

\h\h\h\h\h\hVAST FIELDS OF COTTON AND SUGARCANE

HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH NEW INDUSTRIES

\h\hAND FUTURISTIC-LOOKING LANDSCAPES, LIKE THIS ONE.

THIS RED LAKE IS WHAT‘S KNOWN \h\h\h\hAS A "TAILINGS POND."

AT FIRST IT LOOKS LIKE \h\hSOUTHERN RED CLAY,

BUT IT‘S ACTUALLY BAUXITE,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA TOXIC BYPRODUCT OF MAKING ROLLED ALUMINUM FOIL.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHIS POND CONTAINS 120 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF IT--

MORE THAN THE EARTH \hTHAT WAS REMOVED

TO BUILD THE SUEZ CANAL.

THE BEST WAY TO GRASP THE SIZE \hOF THESE ENORMOUS FACILITIES

IS TO SEE THEM FROM THE AIR.

THIS ONE IS A HOLDING TANK \h\h\h\hFOR PHOSPHO-GYPSUM,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE BYPRODUCT OF A NEARBY FERTILIZER PLANT.

\h\h\h\hTHESE FACILITIES LIE IN A VAST INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR

KNOWN AS "CANCER ALLEY."

IT STRETCHES 85 MILES,

FROM NEW ORLEANS \hTO BATON ROUGE,

AND IS HOME TO MORE THAN \h130 INDUSTRIAL PLANTS.

CANCER RATES IN LOUISIANA

ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST \h\h\h\hIN THE NATION.

SOME SCIENTISTS SAY THAT‘S DUE LARGELY

TO RELEASES OF TOXIC MATERIALS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFROM INDUSTRIES ALONG THIS STRETCH OF RIVER.

THE BIGGEST PLANT OF THEM ALL \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS THIS ONE,

JUST NORTH OF BATON ROUGE--

THE SECOND-LARGEST OIL REFINERY IN AMERICA.

THE EXXONMOBIL FACILITY \h\h\hWAS BUILT IN 1909

ON 225 ACRES OF COTTON FIELDS.

FROM AN ARRAY OF HOLDING TANKS,

500,000 BARRELS OF CRUDE A DAY \h\h\hTRAVEL THROUGH PIPELINES

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINTO THESE DISTILLATION COLUMNS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINSIDE THESE SUPER-HEATED TOWERS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOIL SEPARATES INTO DIFFERENT COMPONENTS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hWHICH ARE THEN STREAMED TO THE PRODUCTION

OF AN INCREDIBLE RANGE \h\h\h\h\hOF PRODUCTS:

GAS, JET FUEL, MILK CARTONS,

DIAPERS, AND LUBRICANT.

\h\hTHESE WHITE CLOUDS ARE JUST WATER VAPOR.

\hBUT BELOW ARE BLACK LAGOONS FILLED WITH TOXIC WASTEWATER,

A BY-PRODUCT OF REFINING CRUDE.

AERATORS PUMP OXYGEN \h\h\hINTO THE PONDS

\h\h\h\hTO FEED NATURAL MICROBES THAT HELP NEUTRALIZE THE SLUDGE.

\h\h\h\hBUT MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF CHEMICALS FROM THIS REFINERY

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSTILL MAKE IT INTO THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT

EACH YEAR.

WHAT MAKES THIS REFINERY UNIQUE

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS THAT IT‘S JUST A STONE‘S THROW

FROM THE LOUISIANA STATE HOUSE.

\h\h\h\hLEGISLATORS LOOK OUT OVER THEIR BIGGEST TAXPAYER.

\h\h\h\hEXXONMOBIL ALONE PAYS $100 MILLION A YEAR

INTO LOUISIANA‘S COFFERS.

\h\h\h\hBATON ROUGE HAS BEEN THE STATE CAPITAL SINCE 1849.

ITS FIRST STATE HOUSE \h\h\h\hSTILL STANDS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hON A BLUFF OVERLOOKING THE MISSISSIPPI.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMARK TWAIN FREQUENTLY PASSED THIS SPOT

AS A SHIP CAPTAIN IN THE 1850s

AND CALLED THE BUILDING AND ITS MEDIEVAL FACADE

"A MONSTROSITY."

IN 1930,

LOUISIANA‘S GOVERNOR \h\h\hHUEY P. LONG,

ALSO KNOWN AS THE "KINGFISH,"

DECIDED THAT LOUISIANA NEEDED A MORE IMPRESSIVE STATE HOUSE.

\hTHE CHARISMATIC LONG GOT THE PROJECT FUNDED

\h\h\hRIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

FINISHED IN 29 MONTHS,

THIS ART DECO-STYLE SKYSCRAPER \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hRISES 450 FEET,

\h\hMAKING IT THE TALLEST STATE CAPITOL IN THE U.S.

THE GRAND STAIRCASE \h\hAT ITS ENTRANCE

FEATURES 50 STEPS--

ONE FOR EVERY STATE \h\h\hIN THE UNION.

THE CAPITOL BUILDING

WAS JUST ONE OF MANY \hAMBITIOUS PROJECTS

LONG UNDERTOOK AS GOVERNOR.

\h\h\hTACKLING THE STATE‘S ANTIQUATED INFRASTRUCTURE,

HE ORDERED THE CONSTRUCTION

OF NEARLY 16,000 MILES OF ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND HE BUILT MORE THAN A HUNDRED BRIDGES,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINCLUDING THE HUEY P. LONG BRIDGE

THAT CROSSES THE MISSISSIPPI \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAT BATON ROUGE.

ITS MILE-LONG SPAN

SITS JUST OVER A HUNDRED FEET \h\h\h\h\h\hABOVE THE WATER--

NOT QUITE HIGH ENOUGH

FOR GIANT FREIGHTERS TO PASS UNDERNEATH.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLEGEND HAS IT THAT LONG DID THAT ON PURPOSE

TO KEEP LARGER SHIPS

FROM UNLOADING THEIR CARGO \h\h\h\h\h\h\hFURTHER NORTH

SO THAT LOUISIANA COULD MAINTAIN ITS HOLD ON SHIPPING.

\h\h\h\h\h\hEVEN TODAY, FREIGHT HEADING UPRIVER

HAS TO BE TRANSFERRED \h\hFIRST ONTO BARGES

AT BATON ROUGE.

ONE OF LONG‘S GREATEST LEGACIES WAS INCREASING THE SIZE OF LSU,

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY \h\h\h\h\h\hIN BATON ROUGE,

BY DOUBLING THE FACULTY

\h\h\h\h\hAND TRIPLING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS.

\h\hLSU‘S STUDENT BODY IS NOW CLOSE TO 30,000.

AMONG ITS GRADUATES:

PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER \h\h\h\h\h\hSHAQUILLE O‘NEAL,

MUSICIAN STEPHEN STILLS,

AND FORMER VICE PRESIDENT, \h\h\h\h\hHUBERT HUMPHREY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTODAY IT‘S QUIET OVER TIGER STADIUM,

BUT WITH 92,000 SEATS FOR FANS, THE ROAR CAN BE DEAFENING.

IT‘S A FRIGHTENING VENUE \h\h\hFOR VISITING TEAMS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSO MUCH SO, IT‘S NICKNAMED "DEATH VALLEY."

BUT HUEY P. LONG‘S WORK \h\h\h\hWAS CUT SHORT.

\h\h\h\hON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 8, 1935,

\hINSIDE A CORRIDOR OF THE STATE HOUSE,

A MAN NAMED CARL WEISS,

\h\h\h\h\hTHE SON-IN-LAW OF A POLITICAL OPPONENT,

GREETED LONG WITH A PISTOL \h\h\h\h\hAND A FATAL SHOT

BEFORE BEING GUNNED DOWN HIMSELF BY LONG‘S BODYGUARDS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAT LEAST, THAT‘S THE OFFICIAL STORY.

\hSOME CLAIM THAT IT WAS THE BODYGUARDS THEMSELVES

THAT KILLED LONG

AND SET UP WEISS.

HUEY P. LONG IS BURIED HERE,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN A PARK JUST OUTSIDE THE STATE HOUSE.

HAD LONG‘S KILLER LIVED \h\hAND BEEN CONVICTED,

CHANCES ARE HE WOULD HAVE DONE TIME HERE

\h\h\h\hAT LOUISIANA‘S MOST NOTORIOUS PRISON,

A PLACE KNOWN AS "THE FARM."

\h\h\hIMAGINE A PRISON FOR VIOLENT OFFENDERS

\h\h\hTHAT‘S SURROUNDED NOT BY PERIMETER WALLS,

BUT BY DENSE FOREST, \hRIVER, AND SWAMP.

THIS IS ANGOLA,

\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE LARGEST MAXIMUM-SECURITY PRISON

IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY.

LOCATED ON 18,000 ACRES,

\h\h\h\hIT‘S BIGGER THAN THE ISLAND OF MANHATTAN,

\hAND MOST OF IT IS COVERED BY FIELDS OF CORN, SOYBEANS,

AND COTTON,

\h\h\h\hWHICH IS WHY ANGOLA IS ALSO KNOWN AS "THE FARM."

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS ONCE A PRE-CIVIL WAR PLANTATION,

NAMED FOR THE AFRICAN COUNTRY

WHERE MANY OF ITS SLAVES \h\h\h\h\h\hWERE CAPTURED

AND FORCIBLY TRANSPORTED \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE U.S.

FOR MUCH OF ITS HISTORY,

HARD PHYSICAL LABOR \h\h\hHAS BEEN USED

TO MAINTAIN ORDER \h\hAT THE PRISON.

40 HOURS A WEEK,

MOST OF ANGOLA‘S 5,000 CONVICTS TOIL BENEATH THE LOUISIANA SUN,

\hALL UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF ARMED GUARDS ON HORSEBACK.

ANOTHER METHOD OF CONTROL \hIS CAMP J, "SOLITARY."

A PLACE RARELY SEEN \h\h\hBY OUTSIDERS,

ESPECIALLY FROM ABOVE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA FEW HOURS A WEEK, PRISONERS CAN LEAVE THEIR CELLS,

\h\hBUT MUST REMAIN ALONE INSIDE CHAIN-LINK CAGES.

\h\h\hIN AN EARLIER TIME, GETTING SENT TO SOLITARY

MEANT A TRIP TO THE INFAMOUS \h\h\h\h\hRED HAT CELLBLOCK.

IT WAS BUILT IN 1933,

\h\hAFTER ANGOLA‘S BLOODIEST ESCAPE,

LED BY CHARLIE FRAZIER,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAN OUTLAW WHO RAN WITH PRETTY BOY FLOYD

AND BONNIE AND CLYDE.

RED HATS WINDOWS HAVE ONLY BARS,

WHICH MADE PUNISHMENT HERE \h\h\h\h\hDURING THE WINTER

PARTICULARLY HARSH.

\h\h\hBUT THE TOUGHEST PLACE TO BE AT ANGOLA IS DEATH ROW.

IT‘S A PLACE THAT‘S INSPIRED

\h\h\h\h\hSOME OF HOLLYWOOD‘S MOST NOTORIOUS PRISON MOVIES:

"DEAD MAN WALKING," \h"THE GREEN MILE,"

AND "MONSTER‘S BALL."

\hUNTIL RECENTLY, ANGOLA WAS AMERICA‘S BLOODIEST PRISON.

IN 1995 ALONE,

THERE WERE 800 VIOLENT ATTACKS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAMONG INMATES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT‘S WHEN WARDEN BURL CAIN TOOK OVER

AND THINGS BEGAN TO CHANGE.

THE WARDEN MADE CHRISTIANITY \h\h\h\hA DOMINATING FOCUS.

HE BUILT NEW CHAPELS,

OFFERS BIBLE CLASSES-- \h\hOVER 400 A MONTH--

AND PLAYS CHRISTIAN RADIO \h\h\h\h\h\hALL DAY LONG.

AT A NEW PRISON SEMINARY,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINMATES CAN EVEN BECOME MINISTERS

AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO PREACH \h\h\h\hTO OTHER PRISONERS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hCAIN SAYS HE‘S JUST TRYING TO RESTORE HOPE

TO A GROUP THAT HAS NONE.

WITH AN AVERAGE SENTENCE LENGTH OF 92 YEARS,

9 OUT OF 10 PRISONERS \h\h\h\hWILL DIE HERE.

ANOTHER OF THE WARDEN‘S PROGRAMS

\hALLOWS INMATES TO MAKE THEIR OWN WOODEN COFFINS.

WHEN THEIR FINAL DAY COMES,

\h\h\h\hEACH PRISONER IS GIVEN A DIGNIFIED FUNERAL PROCESSION

WITH A HAND-CARVED HEARSE

\h\h\h\hAND A CORTEGE OF SINGING PRISONERS,

BEARING THEM AWAY.

VERY FEW INMATES

\h\h\hHAVE EVER SUCCEEDED IN ESCAPING FROM ANGOLA.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDENSE SWAMPS LINE ONE SIDE OF THE PRISON

\hAND THE BIG MUDDY CIRCLES THE OTHER--

\h\hNOT AN EASY PLACE TO MAKE A RUN FOR IT.

BUT THAT DOESN‘T STOP HUNTERS FROM BUILDING WEEKEND ESCAPES

IN THIS SWAMPY LAND.

LIVING SO CLOSE TO THE RIVER COMES WITH TREMENDOUS RISK.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBEFORE THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

BEGAN TRYING TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF THE RIVER,

\h\hTHE BIG MUDDY ROUTINELY FLOODED ITS BANKS EACH YEAR

\h\h\h\hAND HAS GRADUALLY SHIFTED COURSE OVER TIME.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSOMETIMES ENTIRE CURVES OF THE RIVER

ARE SIMPLY LOPPED OFF

\h\h\hWHEN THE WATER FINDS A MORE DIRECT ROUTE SOUTH.

THAT‘S WHAT HAPPENED HERE.

THIS BOW-SHAPED BODY OF WATER

\h\h\h\hUSED TO BE A CURVE IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

\h\h\h\hBUT 400 YEARS AGO, THE RIVER SHIFTED COURSE,

\h\h\hCUTTING OFF THIS CURVE AND TURNING IT INTO A LAKE.

IT‘S NOW KNOWN AS "FALSE RIVER."

ROUTINELY STOCKED WITH STRIPED BASS,

IT‘S A HAVEN FOR SPORTSMEN.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOXBOW LAKES AREN‘T THE ONLY ODD SHAPES

IN THIS WATERSHED.

\h\hA PATTERN OF STRANGE LINES CARVED INTO A LOUISIANA SWAMP,

PERFECTLY VISIBLE FROM THE AIR,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY LOOK LIKE THE SPOKES OF GIANT WHEELS,

\h\h\h\h\hTHE MARKINGS OF AN ANCIENT SOCIETY.

\h\h\hIN FACT, THEY ARE HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD SCARS

MADE BY LOGGERS.

AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY,

\hTHE LACK OF ROADS AND FREQUENT FLOODS

MADE IT HARD TO EXTRACT TREES

\h\hFROM LOUISIANA‘S VAST WATERY FORESTS.

SO LOGGERS, OR "SWAMPERS," \h\h\hAS THEY WERE CALLED,

\h\hCARVED CANALS THROUGH THE MARSH.

\h\h\hTHEN THEY‘D FAN OUT, CUT ALL THE NEARBY TREES,

AND DRAG THEM BACK TO THE BOATS,

SO THEY COULD BE TOWED \h\h\h\h\hTO THE MILLS.

THESE DEEP DRAGGING SCARS \h\h\h\hHAVE NEVER HEALED.

BUT SOON, THEY,

\h\h\h\hAND VAST STRETCHES OF SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA,

COULD DISAPPEAR FOREVER.

6,000 YEARS AGO, THIS AREA \hWAS STILL JUST SEA WATER.

THEN, OVER MILLENNIA,

THE MUD AND SEDIMENT THAT FLOWED OUT OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

\h\hGRADUALLY BUILT UP A VAST STRETCH OF LAND,

\h\h\hREACHING INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO.

BUT WHILE THE MISSISSIPPI

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMAY HAVE CREATED SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA NATURALLY

OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hHUMAN INTERVENTION IS NOW CAUSING IT TO DISAPPEAR

AT A TERRIFYING SPEED.

OVER THE PAST 80 YEARS, \h\hTHE STATE HAS LOST

NEARLY 2,000 SQUARE MILES OF SHORELINE TO EROSION--

AN AREA EQUIVALENT IN SIZE \hTO THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

\h\h\hDELTAS ERODE NATURALLY FROM STORMS AND TIDAL FORCES,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT MAN-MADE SHIPPING CHANNELS LIKE THIS ONE

SPEED UP THAT RATE OF EROSION.

\h\hFAST-FLOWING WATER PULLS MUD AND SEDIMENT

\h\hRIGHT OUT INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO.

\hTHAT‘S WHY THE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TO TRAP SEDIMENT

BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS.

AT THE END OF THIS LONG, WIDE \h\h\h\h\h\hSHIPPING CHANNEL,

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS \h\h\hHAVE CONSTRUCTED

A SERIES OF NARROW ISLANDS

THAT FAN OUT FROM THE MOUTH \h\h\h\h\h\hOF THE CHANNEL.

\hFROM THE AIR, THEY LOOK LIKE BRANCHES OF A TREE.

IT‘S A PROJECT KNOWN \h\h\hAS "THE JAWS."

\h\h\h\hTHESE ISLANDS SHOULD GROW OVER TIME

\hAS THEY TRAP SEDIMENT FLOWING OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE CHANNEL.

\h\hTHIS PROJECT ALONE IS EXPECTED TO CREATE

2,000 ACRES OF NEW LAND.

AND IT‘S JUST ONE OF MANY \h\hANTI-EROSION PROJECTS

ALONG LOUISIANA‘S COAST.

\h\h\hIF THEY‘RE NOT SUCCESSFUL, SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT BY 2050,

700 MORE SQUARE MILES OF DELTA \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCOULD DISAPPEAR,

\hLEAVING THE OPEN OCEAN AT NEW ORLEANS‘ DOORSTEP.

IN THE 18TH CENTURY,

FREEDOM-SEEKING REFUGEES \h\h\h\h\h\hFROM ACADIA,

OR WHAT‘S NOW CANADA,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARRIVED IN THESE COASTAL BAYOUS.

THEIR DESCENDANTS, \hKNOWN AS CAJUNS,

\h\h\h\h\h\hARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR UNIQUE BLEND OF PEPPERY SPICES.

AND LOUISIANA‘S AVERY ISLAND

\hIS HOME TO ONE SPICY SAUCE THAT‘S CONQUERED THE GLOBE.

IN THIS BRICK FACTORY, \hTHE McILHENNY FAMILY

RUNS A HUNDRED-MILLION-DOLLAR- \h\h\h\h\h\h\hA-YEAR BUSINESS,

\h\hTURNING CHILI PEPPERS, SALT, AND OTHER SEASONINGS

INTO TABASCO SAUCE.

\h\h\h\h\hBUT THE McILHENNYS DIDN‘T COME TO AVERY ISLAND

FOR CHILIES.

200 YEARS AGO, THEY CAME HERE \h\h\h\h\hTO RAISE SUGARCANE,

\hONLY TO DISCOVER THEY WERE SITTING ON BURIED TREASURE.

THEIR CIRCULAR ISLAND

\h\hWAS ACTUALLY THE TOP OF A GIANT DOME OF SALT.

\h\h\h\hTHEY STARTED HARVESTING THE SALT--

AN OPERATION THAT‘S STILL ACTIVE TODAY.

1,600 FEET UNDERGROUND,

MINERS DETONATE AND COLLECT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hPURE ROCK SALT

AND THEN LOAD IT ON RIVER BARGES FOR SHIPMENT UP THE MISSISSIPPI.

DURING THE CIVIL WAR,

AVERY ISLAND WAS A TARGET \h\h\h\hOF THE UNION ARMY

\h\h\h\h\h\hSINCE SALT WAS USED IN GUNPOWDER.

THE McILHENNYS FLED,

AND WHEN THEY RETURNED,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY FOUND THEIR SALT MINES FLOODED

AND THE SUGAR CANE FIELDS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBURNED.

\h\h\hBUT THEY NOTICED THAT RED PEPPER PLANTS

WERE FLOURISHING.

BEING SOMETHING OF A GOURMET,

\h\h\hEDMUND McILHENNY ALLOWED THE PEPPERS TO AGE AND FERMENT

SO HE COULD MAKE A SPICY SAUCE.

IN 1868, HE SENT SAMPLES \h\hTO FOOD DISTRIBUTORS

IN SMALL COLOGNE BOTTLES,

HOPING HIS HOT PEPPER CONDIMENT WAS MARKETABLE.

HE CALLED IT TABASCO.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNOW IT‘S SOLD IN MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHESE DAYS, MOST OF TABASCO‘S PEPPERS

COME FROM MEXICO.

BUT EVERY BOTTLE OF THE SAUCE

IS STILL FILLED AT THIS FACTORY ON AVERY ISLAND.

AND THERE‘S MORE TO THIS PLACE \h\h\h\hTHAN SALT AND PEPPER.

BY 1892, EDWARD AVERY McILHENNY, THE SON OF TABASCO‘S FOUNDER,

\h\h\hWAS CONCERNED THAT THE HIGH DEMAND

FOR FEATHERED WOMEN‘S HATS

\hWAS DRIVING LOUISIANA‘S SNOWY EGRET TO EXTINCTION.

\hHE WADED INTO THE SWAMP, CAUGHT EIGHT YOUNG EGRETS,

\h\h\h\hAND RAISED THEM HIMSELF IN A ROOKERY NEXT TO HIS HOUSE.

\h\h\hIT WAS LOUISIANA‘S FIRST WILDLIFE PRESERVE.

TODAY IT‘S CALLED BIRD CITY,

A NESTING SPOT FOR 20,000 BIRDS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hINCLUDING SNOWY AND GREAT EGRETS,

\h\h\h\h\hBLUE HERONS, WOOD DUCKS, AND GEESE.

BACK IN THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY,

IT WAS LOUISIANA‘S BIRDS \h\h\hTHAT FIRST INSPIRED

\h\h\h\hONE OF AMERICA‘S MOST FAMOUS NATURALISTS.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN 1821-- 36 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME--

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON ARRIVED HERE AT OAKLEY PLANTATION

\h\h\hTO TUTOR MISS ELIZA PIRRIE, THE DAUGHTER OF OAKLEY‘S OWNERS.

\hTHE PLANTATION‘S DISTINCTIVE PORCHES

\h\h\h\h\hWERE DESIGNED IN A WEST INDIES STYLE

WITH ELABORATE JALOUSIES \h\h\h\hTO KEEP THEM COOL

IN LOUISIANA‘S HOT SUMMER.

\h\h\h\h\hAUDUBON SPENT ONLY FOUR MONTHS HERE,

\h\h\h\hBUT WAS INSPIRED BY THE ESTATE‘S MAGNOLIA TREES,

AND THE MANY WARBLERS \h\h\h\hAND THRUSHES

THAT FLEW AMONG THEIR BRANCHES.

IT WAS ON HIS AFTERNOON STROLLS THROUGH THESE GROUNDS

THAT HE BEGAN PAINTING \h\hPORTRAITS OF BIRDS.

\h\h\h\hWHEN HE LEFT, HE CARRIED WITH HIM 32 DRAWINGS HE‘D MADE--

THE START OF A CAREER \hTHAT WOULD MAKE HIM

AMERICA‘S BEST-KNOWN PAINTER OF BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE

AND INSPIRE THE CREATION \hOF THE AUDUBON SOCIETY.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBIRDS HAVE THRIVED IN LOUISIANA‘S COASTAL WETLANDS

FOR MILLENNIA.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT TODAY THIS ECOSYSTEM IS THREATENED,

\h\h\h\h\hAND WITH IT, LOUISIANA‘S STATE BIRD,

THE BROWN PELICAN.

THESE PLUNGE-DIVING \hFISH-EATING BIRDS

USED TO BE IN GREAT ABUNDANCE

ALONG THE STATE‘S \hCOASTAL MARSHES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT IN 1963, THERE WASN‘T A SINGLE ONE LEFT.

\hPELICANS HAD BECOME A VICTIM OF THE CHEMICAL PESTICIDE, DDT.

\hSTATE BIOLOGISTS SWUNG INTO ACTION,

RELOCATING 50 YOUNG PELICANS \h\h\h\h\hHERE FROM FLORIDA

AND REPEATING THE INTRODUCTIONS FOR 12 YEARS.

TODAY, THE BROWN PELICAN

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS OFF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.

THEY‘RE BREEDING ON THEIR OWN,

UP AND DOWN THE ISLANDS \h\h\hALONG THE COAST.

BUT THERE ARE NOW NEW THREATS

TO LOUISIANA‘S BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEVERY YEAR, MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF OIL

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE RELEASED OFF LOUISIANA‘S GULF COAST.

\h\h\h\h\hTHE RECENT EXPLOSION OF THE DEEPWATER HORIZON ALONE

\h\h\hRELEASED A TOTAL OF 185 MILLION GALLONS.

WAVES OF CRUDE HIT THE PELICAN \h\h\hAND SPOONBILL ROOKERIES.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTAR BALLS WASHED UP ON THE BEACH.

CLEAN-UP CREWS SEARCH FOR \hAND REMOVE OIL DEPOSITS

ALONG GRAND ISLE.

THANKS TO THEIR EFFORTS,

THE LOUISIANA COAST \hIS BOUNCING BACK

\h\hAFTER ONE OF THE WORST OIL SPILLS ON RECORD HERE.

\h\h\h\hRESILIENCY IN THE FACE OF HUMAN AND NATURAL DISASTERS

IS A TRADEMARK OF LOUISIANA.

\hAND THE BEST PLACE TO SEE IT ON DISPLAY

IS BACK HERE IN NEW ORLEANS.

FROM THE AIR,

\hSPARKLING LIGHTS STRETCH AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

\hBUT ON THE NIGHT OF AUGUST 29, 2005,

\h\h\h\h\hTHERE WASN‘T A SINGLE BULB BURNING.

THE CITY‘S ELECTRIC GRID \h\hHAD BEEN KNOCKED OUT,

AND A HURRICANE THREATENED TO WIPE NEW ORLEANS OFF THE MAP.

IN A LOUISIANA FIELD \h\h\hSTAND REMINDERS

OF THE VULNERABILITY \h\h\hOF THIS STATE

TO NATURAL DISASTER.

\hTHESE ARE JUST A FEW HUNDRED OF THE REMAINING FEMA TRAILERS

\h\h\hTHAT WERE SENT TO HOUSE TEMPORARILY

THE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS \h\h\hWHO FLED THEIR HOMES

\hAFTER ONE OF THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANES

\h\hTHAT EVER HIT THE UNITED STATES.

92,000 OF THESE TRAILERS \h\h\h\hWERE DISTRIBUTED

AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA.

NOW EMPTY, THOSE IN THIS FIELD \hWILL SOON BE AUCTIONED OFF.

BY AUGUST 2005,

THERE WAS NO CITY IN AMERICA AS VULNERABLE AS NEW ORLEANS.

\h\hIT WAS LITERALLY SURROUNDED BY WATER,

BUT WITHOUT ADEQUATE BARRIERS \h\h\hTO KEEP THAT WATER OUT

IN THE EVENT OF CATASTROPHE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO THE NORTH, THE VAST LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN,

A GIANT BODY OF SALT WATER,

CROSSED BY THE SECOND LONGEST \h\h\hCAUSEWAY IN THE WORLD.

\h\h\h\hON ALL OTHER SIDES, “THE BIG MUDDY” MISSISSIPPI.

\h\h\h\hWATER HAS EVEN BEEN KNOWN TO BUBBLE UP UNDER CITY STREETS.

\h\h\h\hMANY OF THEM LIE BELOW SEA LEVEL.

FROM ABOVE, SITES THAT BECAME HEADLINE NEWS IN AUGUST 2005

AFTER KATRINA CAME ASHORE,

\h\hAPPEAR, AMAZINGLY, UNCHANGED BY THE STORM.

\h\h\hTHE ICONIC SUPERDOME NOW STANDS ON DRY GROUND,

AND ONCE AGAIN HOSTS HOME GAMES OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

\h\h\h\h\hAND CONCERTS OF MAJOR ENTERTAINERS.

BUT IN 2005,

\h30,000 KATRINA SURVIVORS, WITH NOWHERE ELSE TO TURN,

FLOODED INTO THE DOME,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSEEKING A "REFUGE OF LAST RESORT."

\h\h\h\hCOMMUTERS HAVE RETURNED TO THE CRESCENT CITY CONNECTION.

\hIT WAS ACROSS THIS BRIDGE THAT HUNDREDS FLED ON FOOT

AFTER THE STORM SUBSIDED,

\h\hHOPING FINALLY TO GET OUT OF TOWN.

\h\h\hBUT THEY WERE QUICKLY TURNED BACK

BY A WALL OF ARMED POLICEMEN.

\h\h\h\h\hMANY CLAIMED IT WAS AN ACT OF RACISM

AND THAT THE POLICE \hWERE ONLY TRYING

\h\h\h\hTO KEEP NEW ORLEANS‘S AFRICAN-AFRICANS EVACUEES OUT

\h\hOF ONE OF THE CITY‘S PRIMARILY WHITE SUBURBS.

BUT NOT EVERYTHING HERE HAS RETURNED TO NORMAL.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS \h\hOF THE 9TH WARD,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hEVIDENCE OF KATRINA‘S TERRIFYING FORCE

REMAINS CLEARLY VISIBLE.

FOUNDATIONS STILL LIE BARE

\h\h\h\h\hAFTER 20 FEET OF HURRICANE FLOODWATER

SURGED FROM THE GULF,

LEAVING THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD UNDERWATER.

MANY WHO ONCE LIVED HERE \h\hHAVE NEVER RETURNED.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAFTER KATRINA, THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

SET OUT TO STORM-PROOF \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE CITY.

THEY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION

\h\h\h\h\hON A 1.8-MILE-LONG CRESCENT-SHAPED SURGE BARRIER

ACROSS LAKE BORGNE.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLAKE BORGNE LIES EAST OF NEW ORLEANS.

\h\h\h\h\h\hWITHIN HOURS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA CAME ASHORE,

\h\h\h\hA WALL OF WATER, PRIMARILY FROM THE LAKE,

FILLED CITY CANALS,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THEN BROKE THROUGH FLOOD WALLS,

\h\h\hRUSHING INTO THE LOWER 9TH WARD

AND NEARBY COMMUNITIES,

\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWIPING HOUSES RIGHT OFF THEIR FOUNDATIONS.

\hTO TRY AND KEEP THAT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN,

THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

HAS BEEN BUILDING \hA FLOOD BARRIER

THAT SPANS THE LAKE.

IT‘S PART OF THE LARGEST \h\h\hCIVIL WORKS PROJECT

IN THE CORPS‘ HISTORY.

THIS MUCH CONCRETE

HASN‘T BEEN POURED CONTINUOUSLY IN THE UNITED STATES

\h\h\h\hSINCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOOVER DAM IN THE 1930s.

RISING 26 FEET ABOVE THE WATER,

\hTHE BARRIER IS BUILT TO KEEP SURGES FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO

FROM REACHING NEW ORLEANS.

SOUTH OF THE CITY, ANOTHER GIANT PROJECT IS UNDERWAY.

\h\h\hIT‘S MUCH MORE THAN JUST A BARRIER.

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIF ANOTHER KATRINA-SIZED STORM WERE TO HIT,

FLOOD WATERS WOULD NEED TO BE \h\hFUNNELED OUT OF THE CITY.

THAT‘S WHY THE ARMY CORPS \h\h\hHAS CHOSEN THIS SPOT

\h\h\h\h\h\hTO CONSTRUCT A GIANT PUMPING STATION.

\h\h\hTHE LARGEST DRAINAGE PUMP STATION IN THE WORLD,

\h\h\hIT TOOK MORE THAN THREE MILLION MAN HOURS

\h\h\h\h\h\hAND 18 MILLION POUNDS OF REBAR TO BUILD.

THAT‘S AS MUCH STEEL AS IT TAKES TO BUILD THIRTY 747 AIRPLANES.

\h\h\hWHEN THE NEXT TROPICAL STORM HITS,

\h\h\hTHIS FACILITY WILL BE ABLE TO PUMP

\h855,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER SECOND OUT OF THE CITY.

THESE PROJECTS ARE PART

OF A 350-MILE-LONG SYSTEM OF LEVEES AND FLOODGATES

THAT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HOPES WILL STORM-PROOF NEW ORLEANS.

\h\h\h\h\hMEANWHILE, ONE SECTION OF THE 9TH WARD IS BOUNCING BACK

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN TYPICALLY COLORFUL NEW ORLEANS STYLE.

THESE HOMES WERE THE BRAINCHILD OF ACTOR BRAD PITT.

\h\h\h\h\h\hAFTER VISITING THIS DEVASTATED COMMUNITY,

HE VOWED TO HELP.

HIS "MAKE IT RIGHT" FOUNDATION

BROUGHT TOGETHER ARCHITECTS \h\h\hFROM AROUND THE WORLD

TO DESIGN AND BUILD

DOZENS OF ECO-FRIENDLY FLOOD-RESISTANT HOUSES

\h\h\h\h\h\hSO FAMILIES FROM THE LOWER 9TH WARD

CAN RETURN HOME WITH DIGNITY.

POWERED BY SOLAR ENERGY,

NO TWO OF THESE HOMES \h\h\h\hARE THE SAME.

THE FOUNDATION IS ALSO HELPING \hREBUILD STREETS AND GARDENS.

IN A CITY WHERE MUSIC IS KING,

IT‘S NOT SURPRISING

\h\hTHAT ONE OF THE FIRST AND BIGGEST POST-KATRINA PROJECTS

WAS TO HELP DISPLACED MUSICIANS.

IN THE UPPER 9TH WARD,

NATIVES HARRY CONNICK, JR. \h\hAND BRANFORD MARSALIS,

\h\h\h\hTOGETHER WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY,

BUILT MUSICIANS VILLAGE--

MORE THAN 70 NEW HOUSES

\h\h\hCLUSTERED AROUND A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER.

SINCE IT WAS BUILT,

\h\hTHIS ARTIST COMMUNITY HAS HELPED RAISED SPIRITS AND HOPE

\hAND INSPIRED OTHERS TO RETURN AND REBUILD

IN THE 9TH WARD AND OTHER \hHARD-HIT NEIGHBORHOODS.

MUSICIANS IN NEW ORLEANS \hARE LEADING THE CHARGE.

\h\h\h\h\hFROM THE CREATURES THAT SOAR OVER ITS MARSHES...

\h\hTO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO DRIVE ITS ECONOMY...

\h\h\h\h\hTHESE ARE THE PASSIONATE SOULS

\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT KEEP LOUISIANA‘S SPIRIT ALIVE.