Brian Williams: We were witnesses

The living conditions in the Superdome went from grim to untenable, unlivable, very quickly.

We’d heard the story of a man killing himself, falling from the upper deck.  It got so awful inside that Superdome with the lack of toilet facilities, the lack of food, the lack of privacy.

I’ll never forget the people we met in there.  What I can’t shake is the feeling that some of the people we met and got to know aren’t around anymore.

What I can’t shake is knowing how kind and decent most of them were.  A lot of people were getting along, helping each other.

I can only shudder to think about the people I had to turn my back on when they opened the doors for the media to leave at the end of the storm.

I remember that first night.  Monday night.  The hurricane had blown over.  We looked back at the Superdome — half the roof had been ripped off.  We looked back at the skyline, all the windows at the Hyatt hotel had been blown out.

We were stunned to look around and see what it had done.

Remember the most important thing in New Orleans, those streets were dry.  You can replace windows.  But, you know, water, like toothpaste, can’t be put back in the tube.

One of our correspondents used the words — “they dodged a bullet in New Orleans.”

The president later repeated it when he was trying to defend his administration’s response to this.  He said the media people kept saying, “We dodged a bullet.”  I guess we’re guilty of that, but not of what happened next.

I remember saying on the air, hoping somebody would hear me, somebody in authority, “those people are still in there.”

Those people were still in the Superdome.  This was just day one and I found it outrageous, no one had told anyone anything at the height of the storm.

I get that there was no power.  But where were the bullhorns?  Where were the National Guardsmen to say, “Folks, the bulk of the storm is over.  We understand the damage so far is not severe in the city of New Orleans.”  But they somehow didn’t deserve that.

I kept putting myself in their place.  It’s part of who I am and I can’t help it.  I’ve been married for 20 years.  I’m a father of two kids.  And I’m enough of an idealist to believe that string of presidents I’ve grown up with telling me that we’re all of equal value, that if you take my two kids and their two counterparts in a family of color in New Orleans, that those children have the same worth, the same value.

And, it’s gonna take a long time to shake one of the lessons of this story, which was that I didn’t see that there.  I didn’t see people of equal value.  Starting with the treatment of the people in the Superdome.

FREE VIDEO Storm disaster teams in place Aug. 29, 2005: Watch Brian's interview with FEMA Director Michael Brown the day Katrina hit New Orleans. Nightly News

I remember on Monday night’s broadcast we had a live interview with Michael Brown, the head of FEMA, who was full of assurances.

We wrapped up Nightly News that Monday night — and headed back to our hotel — knowing that there would be more to cover the next day, but thankful that the streets were dry. 

MORE FROM KATRINA: THE LONG ROAD BACK

Katrina: The Long Road Back Section Front

Remembering Katrina Checking in on Katrina victims The changing face of New Orleans Gulf marks Katrina anniversary   Katrina-hit Biloxi bets on its future   After Katrina — then and now   There’s no place like home   Katrina relief program failing to deliver   Brad Pitt works to revive New Orleans   New Orleans works to woo teachers Katrina: The Long Road Back Section Front   Add Katrina: The Long Road Back headlines to your news reader: