Weather & Space News Blog
 since Feb. 2003
 WX - Telegraph abbreviation for weather often used with Morse code
 The Wire - Name once given to the telegraph

Four months before Hurricane Katrina took lives and structures in Mississippi, Alabama, and, of course, Louisiana, including New Orleans, The Weather Channel was preparing for the debut of its new series, “It Could Happen Tomorrow.”

The first episode, scheduled to air in January 2006, examined what would happen should a major hurricane strike the Crescent City.

As we all know, the events unfolded before the show went to air, and it was shelved because of sensitivities the disaster created.

Now, about four months after the series debuted (without that New Orleans episode), The Weather Channel will air parts of the first “It Could Happen Tomorrow,” dubbing it the “lost” Katrina episode.

Several minutes of the original are included in the special, which clocks in at an hour — twice as long as regular episodes in the series.

The host is The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore: a man some residents in towns across the U.S. probably fear seeing in person (because his visit oftentimes precedes a severe weather event).

Several other Weather Channel regulars make frequent appearances in the special, including storm expert Dr. Steve Lyons. In addition to TWC meteorologists, scientists and emergency managers comment on the original episode, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and the future of the region.

But the most gripping and memorable segments come from interviews with survivors who lost everything but their lives.

While the episode examines how New Orleans plans to improve its levees, it also wisely spends a fair amount of time explaining that coastal wetlands have been deteriorating at an alarming rate and contributing to the Big Easy’s vulnerability to hurricanes.

It also serves as a beacon to those in the path of a future hurricane: Residents who can get out need to evacuate as soon as possible, and cities must act swiftly to make sure everyone else escapes.

An unedited version of the original might have been interesting, but “Katrina: The Lost Episode” is among the series’ best episodes, and reminds us that we should all be prepared for Mother Nature’s wrath.

“It won’t happen to me” doesn’t apply here…

“Katrina: The Lost Episode” airs Sunday, June 4 at 9 p.m. ET as a part of “Hurricane Week” on The Weather Channel, which includes the following Katrina and Rita specials:
Sun. June 4, 8 p.m. ET: “Storm Stories: Covering Katrina”; 8:30 p.m. ET: “Katrina Students”
Mon. June 5, 8:30 p.m.: “New Orleans Katrina”
Tues. June 6, 8:30 p.m.: “Mississippi Katrina”
Wed. June 7, 8 p.m. ET: “Storm Stories: Kennard vs. Katrina”
Thurs. June 8, 8:30 p.m. ET: “Hurricane Rita”