Shivangi Sinha
Hurricane Katrina devastated countless families and left them with immeasurable loss and heartbreak. Among those deeply affected was Robert Green, who endured the unimaginable tragedy of losing both his mother and grandmother in a single, harrowing disaster. In Netflix’s ‘Katrina: Come Hell and High Water,’ he shares his story and recounts not only the chaos of the storm but also the painful aftermath that followed. His testimony stands as a powerful reminder of the human cost of the disaster and gives voice to the unyielding spirit of those who lived through one of America’s most catastrophic events.
Robert Green Was Stranded on the Top of the Roof Along With His Family
On August 28, 2005, Robert Green gathered at his mother Joyce’s home on Tennessee Street in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. It was the house where he and his brother Jon had grown up and had now become their last refuge as Hurricane Katrina approached. The plan was to evacuate, but traffic jams and Joyce’s worsening anxiety due to Parkinson’s forced them to turn back. They tried to go to the Superdome, but it was already full, and they decided to come back and weather it from the house. With them were Robert’s three young granddaughters, Shaniya (4), Shanai “Nai-Nai” (3), and Shamiya “Muffin” (2), and their cousin Herman, who had special needs.
In the early hours of August 29, the Industrial Canal levee failed. Water surged into the house so quickly that within minutes, they were forced into the attic, then onto the roof as the home was torn from its foundation and carried down the street. Amid the chaos, Robert placed Nai-Nai on a rooftop, only to turn and find her swept away by the current. Crushed but compelled to keep going, he saved the others, spurred by little Shaniya’s courage as she leapt into the flood and clung to a submerged truck. It gave all of them a lifeline. By morning, Joyce had passed away beside them on the roof. Nai-Nai’s remains, like so many, were not found for months, and for Robert, it felt like his family fell apart.
Robert Green is a Make It Right Home Owner Today
Robert Green’s story was first published in The Times-Picayune under the headline “Searching for Solace.” It drew an outpouring of love and support. Donations and messages of encouragement poured in, helping him take the first steps toward rebuilding his life. FEMA provided him with a trailer, and his daughters received units nearby, allowing the family to remain close as they tried to heal. Near his trailer, Robert placed two simple grave markers, one for his granddaughter Shanai “Nai-Nai” and one for his mother Joyce, beneath a sign that read, “Roots Run Deep Here,” as a tribute to the family and community ties that had endured despite the calamity.
As New Orleans began its slow recovery, “disaster tours” of the city’s hardest-hit areas grew increasingly popular. While many criticized them as exploitative, Robert encouraged and supported them, believing they served an important purpose. He began leading tours himself and shared his personal story with visitors. For him, these tours were a way to expose the systemic failures of government mismanagement and crumbling infrastructure that had cost so many lives. He felt it would ensure that the devastation could not be ignored or forgotten.
In 2009, Robert moved into one of the much-publicized Make It Right homes, an initiative spearheaded by Brad Pitt to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward with sustainable, modern housing. At first, it felt like a new beginning, but problems soon surfaced. His home began showing serious structural issues, and recently, a contractor informed him that repairing its failing foundation would cost $50,000. Once hailed as a symbol of hope and resilience, Robert now feels he was used as a token for a project that failed to live up to its promises. “They made me the face of recovery,” he has said, “and now I’m left with a house that’s falling apart.” His struggle underscores Katrina’s lingering wounds and proves that, for many, the storm’s impact never truly ended.
Robert Green Carries the Stories and Pain of Hurricane Katrina With Him
Robert Green continues to live in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the Make It Right home. He is deeply rooted in the Lower Ninth Ward and remains an active voice in the community. He works to honor the memory of those lost during Hurricane Katrina and to keep the lessons of the storm alive. He is known as a local expert on the disaster’s impact and he frequently leads groups through the area to raise awareness and to preserve the memory. He has also spoken to others like him, who have lost family in natural disasters, and told them about acceptance and preparedness.
Each year on August 29, Robert and his extended family gather to remember the day that changed their lives forever. They meet at the site where his mother’s house once stood, wearing shirts emblazoned with “Roof Riders” and an image of a painting by fellow Lower Ninth Ward artist Ted Ellis. The painting depicts a family balanced on a floating house with a man at the front holding an American flag. From there, the annual procession begins, leaving the property where Joyce once lived and they walk quietly down Tennessee Street, retracing the path the house took during the flood, and stop at the large oak tree where it finally came to rest. For Robert, carrying this legacy is of the utmost importance, and he has given it his all.
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