Netflix has released the official trailer for Katrina: Come Hell and High Water, the three-part documentary event from executive producer Spike Lee. The series premieres globally on August 27, 2025, marking twenty years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.
With direction from Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles, and Lee himself, the series blends detailed survivor accounts, never-before-seen archival footage, and a sharp examination of the man-made failures that magnified the disaster.
A Story of Survival, Loss, and Unfinished Reckoning
The official synopsis describes the series as “the story of a brutal coastal hurricane turned cataclysmic through human error and neglect.” The levee failures, delayed emergency response, and systemic governmental neglect left the city defenseless, and the human cost was immeasurable.
Across three gripping episodes, residents recount what they endured, what they lost, and what New Orleans has become two decades later. These testimonies sit alongside powerful imagery of both the devastation and the rebuilding efforts that followed.
Watch the Trailer
Behind the Series
- Showrunner/Producer: Alisa Payne
- Directors:
- Episode 1 – Geeta Gandbhir
- Episode 2 – Samantha Knowles
- Episode 3 – Spike Lee
- Executive Producers: Spike Lee, Sam Pollard, Geeta Gandbhir
Lee and Gandbhir previously collaborated on When the Levees Broke, the Emmy- and Peabody-winning documentary that became a defining chronicle of post-Katrina New Orleans.
Why Katrina: Come Hell and High Water Matters Now
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water is more than a look back; it’s a mirror to the present. The series draws connections between Katrina’s failures and today’s climate emergencies, exposing how inequality and broken systems continue to shape disaster response.
As much as it’s about tragedy, the docuseries also captures resilience. New Orleans’ cultural heartbeat, community strength, and determination to survive are at the forefront, even as the wounds of 2005 remain visible.
Release Date
- Streaming globally on Netflix: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
The Poster
