They are no stranger to telling stories that matter!
Nearly 20 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, filmmaker Ryan Coogler and his wife and producing partner Zinzi Coogler are helping ensure the stories of those who lived through it aren’t forgotten. The couple executive produced Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, a new five-part docuseries that premiered July 27 on National Geographic and is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, ABC reports.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Traci A. Curry and produced by Coogler’s Proximity Media and the award-winning team at Lightbox, the series centers the voices of New Orleans residents, those who lived, recorded, and survived the chaos of Katrina in real time.
Instead of retelling the disaster through news footage or outside commentary, Race Against Time allows locals, from Ninth Ward families to first responders and community leaders, to recount what really happened minute-by-minute.
“There are so many stories of survival, heroism, and resilience that didn’t make the headlines,” Ryan and Zinzi Coogler said in a statement. “This series goes beyond the news—it’s a vital historical record and a call to witness, remember, and reckon with the truth of Hurricane Katrina’s legacy.”
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck southeastern Louisiana, killing an estimated 1,392 people and causing over $125 billion in damage. In New Orleans, the storm and the government’s failed response exposed deep racial and economic inequalities. The series doesn’t attempt to break new facts—instead, it offers an emotionally raw and visually gripping account of what happened, and why it still matters.
“Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time” urges us to remember, and not repeat, the past. With Traci Curry directing and Ryan and Zinzi Coogler producing, this story is told with the care and power it deserves.
Cover photo: Still from Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time / National Geographic