"> each week "reel america brings you archival films. 50 years ago on september 9, 1965, hurricane betsy made landfall at grand isle, louisiana. it was a category four storm with winds up to 155 miles per hour. "hurricane called betsy" is a defense department film documenting billion dollar betsy, the first storm in u.s. history to cause over $1 billion in damage. it surged over 10 feet, leading to breached levees and 76 deaths. many residents had to wait for rescue on rooftops and relief shelters were overwhelmed. >> 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ignition. lift off. >> say again?

on our when -- on our way. >> stage two. >> the air was fair at cape kennedy. --ey clausen warm august spy sky as gemini five took off. in outer space there is no weather at all. the only problem was a leaky fuel cell. out in the atlantic something else was brewing. ♪ a rising bunch of winds soon to be known as betsy. ♪ >> dawn, august 27.

a florida bases, navy, weather bureau, air force planes are warming up. 180 miles overhead, astronauts are still alone in space. but not quite alone. from the first day on they have been scouring the sky, circling, clicking their pictures back-and-forth. on the 27th they make a discovery. >> tropical depression at 13 degrees north latitude. >> the astronauts see it first. >> do you have any kind of report on that possible threat? -- ahmed tropical depression? >> we passed right over it. >> it is a rather large storm with heavy activity. we can see air to ground

lightning. even in the daytime. it doesn't have an eye. >> name of that is betsy, in case you have not been told. >> a hurricane is born and christened betsy. in two places the news travels. -- the news spells trouble for the national hurricane center in miami, where gordon done is checking reports. and in houston they are scheduled to splashdown right in the path of the storm. the first victim of betsy, gemini five, the flight cut short. hooper and conrad splashdown safely. ♪ for weeks betsy wonders north towards the bahamas. american tourists our site suing, buying souvenirs, shopping.

in the native churches only a , few bother to give thanks. that another hurricane has passed them by as betsy swings by safely to the east. toward cape hatteras. florida relaxes as well. .he start of labor day weekend ♪ but for the weather bureau and hurricane watchers, it is no holiday at all here in has 2000 miles. -- betsy has traveled 2000 miles. coming towards leeward island, skirting cuba and the bahamas. now 300 miles north she runs , into westerly tradewinds. there is a lazy loop the loop and then stalls. north and west toward hatteras, new jersey, and new england but bad news wherever it hits.

it's packing 125 mile per hour winds, swirling around and warm as i. -- an enormous eye. ♪ suddenly, on sunday night that -- betsy runs head-on into a high-pressure ridge, traveling south and coming fast, back towards the bahamas. monday morning, the wall clouds rips over into nassau, carrying on for nearly 15 hours. then it turns toward the main island. hurricane flags are flying now from key west to cape kennedy. in miami the civil defense emergency operating center have been on alert. to direct government services.

small craft warnings winds may , reach hurricane forces by tuesday evening. all vessels should be -- should seek safe harbor. >> for the first time in history, miami beach will be underwater. get out now. all groceries and lumber yards are closed for the holidays. the public can lay in food and emergency supplies. useou are boarding up, nails and everything else securely. remove coconuts from nearby palm trees. >> advanced winds begin coming in. along the gold coast. on the beaches, youngsters are finding the best surfing since hurricane carol. fairwinds for the skateboard

sailors as well. not so much for last-minute shoppers. by nightfall the wind has turned to driving rain. at miami international airport, normally one of the busiest in the world, the last bird of passage has flown. witnesses are still tying down traffic lights and making other last-minute preparations. >> all storm shelters are now open. if you feel that your home is now insecure, go now to your nearest red cross emergency shelter. >> gail force winds are striking now. in -- gale force winds are

striking now. 6000 people are packed into red -- more than 18,000 people are crowded into the red cross shelters, just waiting for it to happen. ♪ >> wind gusts are now topping 100 miles per hour. the tide is three feet above normal in my area and escape routes will be cut off shortly. >> unidentified female reported, fallen, paralyzed. 1721 north 18th place. >> in the luxury hotels along miami beach, water already pours over the welcome mat. >> fish have been swimming down the avenue. fish and eels swimming right

down the main drag of miami beach. >> this is the key largo area. the road is washed out. >> a long night for civil defense. all the dull, quiet things done over the years, the free hurricane drills, the planning and preparation for any kind of disaster, the coordinated efforts of the government and voluntary agencies are finally paying off. >> 8, 23. roof blown off a house. there are injuries. >> seven hotels badly damaged. >> betsy, with her hurricane winds, is on the hurricane -- onto the mainland and on key largo. >> at dawn, the eye of the hurricane crosses key largo with heavy winds.

heading west. ♪ hurricane winds would continue for hours. as will calls for help. >> >> do you need some amphibious docs? are there any other injuries involved? only evacuations. >> for families marooned. -- four families marooned. >> as betsy blows by florida, she leaves damage behind. around for -- 140 million. several dead. 4000 homes wrecked, flooded out. plus smaller losses. on riviera beach a bigger whale has been grounded. a freighter driving blindly through the night.

it has been luckier. it was putting back into miami safely the next morning, this boat with sale another day. -- will sale another day. the hurricane roars on hunting for land and 900 miles of coastline ahead to choose from, all the way to texas where the aftermath are safely home but beginning to wonder if they are being followed. >> hurricane betsy is taking a northwesterly turn. and is now heading directly for the louisiana coast. >> warnings go out from civil defense in baton rouge. >> coastal areas should be evacuating early today before escape routes are cut off by rising waters. >> offshore oil rigs are abandoned. ships had into part and cars come streaming up from the delta ep -- from the delta. a quarter of a million refugees, many of them headed for new orleans.

♪ for new orleans itself, there is literally nowhere to go. it is surrounded by rivers, lakes, and swamplands. so, the town boards up and battens down in the shelter of its levees. already the civil defense emergency operating center is manned by nearly 200 people, representing all the city emergency services. the mayor comes down the stairs to hear disturbing news. >> flooding has occurred just to the south. strong, northerly winds. >> we are expecting 12 feet of water in this area over the lakefront. >> the city civil tense director, charlie goodman. >> when we get in shadow water -- shallow water?

>> what about preparations in this area? >> i would suggest this. a vacuous these people from this -- evacuate these people from the parish line and from the lakefront. two florida avenue. >> lake pontchartrain hurricane , wind will scoop the lake clear over the levy. the mayors warning goes out. >> if you look out on the boulevard you will find public service. >> in one place in particular the news strikes home. the home on wingate drive south of the lakefront. for nearly six years now jean has been half paralyzed by polio, dividing days and nights between an iron lung and a rocking bed. both needed every day to keep the life in his body. if hurricane winds knock out the pile -- power lines, the equipment to stop.

-- will stop or if water starts bring over the levy he will have , no chance of escape. >> let me talk to henry for a minute. >> she called her brother for help. >> gene is in the hospital this afternoon. i was wondering if you or the other authorities could help. as soon as possible. that would be ok, as soon as he gets home from work. area because it's important. -- hurry up because it's important. >> other distress calls are pouring into the distress center. >> we want any available to report to 2000 tulane avenue. >> you want gasoline for your auxiliary generator? all right, we will try to get you put together. >> can you not get her to a hospital? your wife is having a baby now? hold on, we will get a doctor on

the line. >> the doctor is rodney jones, the city health director. he calls a frightened young father to tell him how to deliver his first baby without training. too late under rising winds, the phone lines have already gone dead. time is growing short. on wingate drive, lauren is getting her husband ready for the trip to the hospital. out of the bed and into the wheelchair, getting him dressed and worrying over what's keeping her brother. when will they get off work and get here? finally, time to go, out towards the door. and then goodbye, the baby, the family, the sun and the wife. to escape the flood they will

all be going to assist the department in another, safer part of town in the southeast quarter of new orleans. jean is going to charity hospital. now betsy roars down, closing up bourbon street, unpredictable to the last. she veers again. the 9:30 whether the litton says -- weather bureau bulletin says that the eye of the hurricane may pass west of the city, rather than the east. a last-minute reprieve, probably bad news somewhere else.

>> no one else can reach you. we have fallen trees. >> have you heard anything about the woman with the baby? have you heard anything about the woman in labor? >> no word yet, but bad news elsewhere. the hurricane has come sweeping up the delta. >> i don't know how to stay on this live. >> tell us the situation. >> the greater part of it must be right here, right now. it's one continuous blow. i'm telling you, she's glowing and she's shaking. >> at 11:46, all the power fails and the wind gauge blows off the roof. at the weather bureau. falling trees are knocking out telephone lines all over town. but not until dr. jones finally gets the word. >> that woman that you were

worried about had her baby engine is doing fine. and is doing well. >> by midnight, betsy is overwhelming the city. just pushing 150 miles per hour. the church bells are flowing wildly in the wind. -- blowing wildly in the wind. baton rouge is next in line. >> the wind in the baton rouge area is increasing in philosophy -- velocity. to hurricane force with winds near 100 miles power. >> in this state emergency operating center, the governor and his staff has asked the coordinator and the civil defense director to work with the red cross, public health, and salvation army. welfare groups and the national guard. emergency calls are coming in from all over the state, including one from national guard headquarters in new orleans.

>> baton rouge. >> now we are in the jackson barracks. >> you are kidding. >> no one is kidding. betsy is bringing danger from totally unexpected quarters. the winds are pushing a 16 foot wall of water out of the gulf, the greatest title surge in louisiana history. topping the highest levees. roaring across the industrial canal into the southeast section of new orleans. no one knows the full size of the disaster yet. in the wake of betsy there is only darkness and confusion at best. daybreak. devastation. as the church bells are quiet now.

hurricane winds have done their worst. the title surge has topped them. >> the fatality list is as follows. found in the was franklin avenue ditch. she was swept away by floodwaters in the flooded area. >> people are still being pulled off of roofs and out of the water. >> i felt that this was right at the house. it looked like as tall as the house. my husband, he ran. my brother-in-law got the last call through and he screamed -- tell her to get out. the levee broke. >> it was flooded on the second floor. the water was coming in high. >> another 25,000 refugees. to swamp the overcrowded shelters. >> you seem pretty happy.

>> my congestion is out. have you seen anything like this? >> never before. >> i hope that i never see it again. >> it's that bad? >> by midafternoon the presidential plane is on its way from washington. flying out over the gulf, flying low, following the trail of destruction. grand isle, where the hurricane first made landfall, nothing left. of the mississippi, houses swept five miles from their front doorsteps. levees strewn with batter and -- battered ships and barges. more than 450 beached and missing your baton rouge,

somewhere on the river bottom, large mtc 602, laden with 600 tons of deadly liquid chlorine. enough to produce more poison gas than both sides used in all of world war i, more than enough to wipe out baton rouge. at 5:00 air force one lands in new orleans, bringing the president, his aides, and leaders of the delegation to survey the damage to see what needs to be done. in one old grade school near the industrial canal, not meant for use as a shelter at all, they find 3000 refugees from the flood and only for young volunteers on hand to help. >> how much training have you had? >> about 15 minutes, i guess. >> the president declares both areas disasters.

louisiana and florida. he orders the coordination of federal help. more than 1,200,000 people and nearly every agency of the national government will be involved. down the delta, roads are flooded out. 2500 national guardsmen come in by steamer to begin the rescue operation. coast guard helicopters are flying more than 2000 the sins. -- missions. the military choppers are matching them. red cross is flying in staff from all over the country. with them to help in this overwhelming task, hundreds of health and welfare workers on loan from other states and cities. the other voluntary agencies. >> the captain has placed an urgent request for clothing of any kind. especially children's clothing. blankets, diapers, food, money to purchase clothes.

a refugee city is being created at the algiers navy facility. over 12,000 people will be betting down at the algiers naval station by nightfall. >> we are providing betting and latrines. the red cross is providing transportation. for these evacuees. >> officials have requested that all people entering the parish must stop at the shop because of the dead animals in the area. >> blood donors can give blood anytime from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.. the clinics will be closed and there will be no visiting hours. >> no visitors. no word at all to tell jean if his family is even alive. in this section the phone lines are down, the water is still up, laughing at the door sills. -- lapping at the door sills.

for three straight days this whole clan has been marooned in a small first-floor apartment. short on food and eight adults, 14 little monsters with nothing else to do with their time. but relief is in sight. >> hurricane betsy has blown itself out and is headed northeast through tennessee to new york. i hope it's as an of rain and it when it gets to new york to alleviate their water shortage. >> finally, the pumps are taking effect. the water levels are falling. for the first time in four days it's possible for mona to get out and call charity hospital. >> hey, honey. it's mona. >> the family is safe and coming home tomorrow after all of that worry. ♪ >> so, life begins again.

people starting all over. >> we are not out of it. we are down but we are not out. >> what about your family? everybody good? >> oh, yeah. they are all safe. >> you don't think that this is knocked out? >> we are going to build a levy -- higher. >> how do you feel about it? >> i always wanted to do

redecorate. >> a man who dealt with over a dozen disasters set it. >> no city in the world can deal with something this big alone. it's just overwhelming. >> major disasters in one form or another have to be organized for. using resources for many public and private agencies. at new orleans city hall, they are working around the clock to meet the needs of their people, fighting 1000 problems at once. welfare assistance for victims of the flood. arranging to fly in the civil defense emergency hospital unit. emergency calls for food. answering and water and sanitation a crib meant. the endless job of cleanup. fumigation. inspection. at the civil defense office the coordinating point for this kind of planning, the lights burn late, and endless string of

coffee cups with no sleep in sight. betsy's final bill will not be in four months. the barge near baton rouge will take $1 million to raise. engineers are supervising the salvage job. army, red cross, evacuating the sick and the aged in case anything goes wrong. if gas starts to sweep the city. the others can take care of themselves. and they do. two months to the day since the hurricane hit, they bail out of town in a hurry. but 602 will rise again. so will louisiana. and betsy? long gone. after 16 days and 3000 miles, whistling out through the woods of northern louisiana, arkansas,

tennessee, to die the next day in a simple oral of dest -- dust. --whirlof dust -- world of dust. over at last. until the next one comes along. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] >> the can't sumpter military prison in georgia was built an early 1864 to hold pows during the civil war. by the time it closed, over

45,000 soldiers had been imprisoned. almost 13,000 had died. today at noon, american history tv will be live from andersonville national historic site, where ceremony remembering the soldiers. keynote speakers include command of the army daniel daily. and leslie gordon. they will all take your questions before and after the ceremony. again, that is today starting at noon eastern on c-span3. >> in august of 1945, 70 years ago, american forces dropped two atomic bombs over japan. one in hiroshima, the other in nagasaki. up next teacher gruen recalls graduating from northwestern university --dieter gruen recalls graduating from northwestern university and joining the atomic bomb project. he discusses government support for science from the 1940's to the present day.