Katrina
Most people remember the First Moon Landing as the big news story of 1969. Not me. I lived in Biloxi, Mississippi when Hurricane Camille hit. I was only in the 6th grade at the time, but it made an impact on me.
In the years since, whenever a big hurricane would hit the Gulf Coast, they would say, "This is the biggest hurricane to hit the coast since Camille."
They're not saying that about Katrina.
Last night I watched a news special on Katrina with tears streaming down my face.
New Orleans, Louisiana, a city of about 4.5 million people and the fourth largest freshwater port in the world, has for all intents and purposes ceased to exist. All that remain now are the dead and the dying. Gangs of looters battle with National Guard. With no electrical power in the area, there are no air conditioners or even fans to ease the tropical heat.
Originally there were over 9,000 people sheltered in the Superdome. That number more than doubled after the levees broke and the floodwaters came pouring in. The Superdome had no food or fresh water, and the toilets are all overflowing. Plans were made to evacuate over 20,000 to the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, but this morning it was reported the evacuation was postponed because of the danger to rescue workers (from guns being fired).
Many of those who did not evacuate before the storm stayed behind because they had no means to do get out -- no running vehicle, or no money to buy gas. Now, with 80% of the city under water and no running water or electricity, those remaining quite probably have no idea what is going on outside their own little section of the city. If they did own a television it doesn't work now (no electricity), there is no internet availability, no land-based phone lines, and most cell phones can't get a signal. They probably don't even know of the dangers they face of cholera and other diseases from the raw sewage and dead bodies floating in the flooded streets.
Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast just as hard, shattering the region. Miles of devastation. Fleets of shrimp-fishing and pleasure boats destroyed. Floating casinos that had brought millions in tax revenues to the area torn apart.
My wife left Tuesday morning to go to McComb, Mississippi to serve as a Red Cross volunteer. She's working with Southern Baptists to feed refugees and the community. She contacted me at 7:30 p.m. yesterday and said she had been serving food to refugees and to the community since 5:30 that morning. She was able to take a short break to call me while more food was being prepared.
The Baptists try to schedule their volunteers to work no more than a week, so she expects to come back home by the end of next week as fresh volunteers come in to take her place. But this effort will go on for months.
My Mom called me last night. She said the hotels as far north as Sikeston, in southwest Missouri, are filled with refugees from the coast.
I just received a call from a local Red Cross coordinator here in Columbia, Missouri. The Red Cross is opening a shelter here to take in refugees. I'm on my way over there now to do what I can.
In the years since, whenever a big hurricane would hit the Gulf Coast, they would say, "This is the biggest hurricane to hit the coast since Camille."
They're not saying that about Katrina.
Last night I watched a news special on Katrina with tears streaming down my face.
New Orleans, Louisiana, a city of about 4.5 million people and the fourth largest freshwater port in the world, has for all intents and purposes ceased to exist. All that remain now are the dead and the dying. Gangs of looters battle with National Guard. With no electrical power in the area, there are no air conditioners or even fans to ease the tropical heat.
Originally there were over 9,000 people sheltered in the Superdome. That number more than doubled after the levees broke and the floodwaters came pouring in. The Superdome had no food or fresh water, and the toilets are all overflowing. Plans were made to evacuate over 20,000 to the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, but this morning it was reported the evacuation was postponed because of the danger to rescue workers (from guns being fired).
Many of those who did not evacuate before the storm stayed behind because they had no means to do get out -- no running vehicle, or no money to buy gas. Now, with 80% of the city under water and no running water or electricity, those remaining quite probably have no idea what is going on outside their own little section of the city. If they did own a television it doesn't work now (no electricity), there is no internet availability, no land-based phone lines, and most cell phones can't get a signal. They probably don't even know of the dangers they face of cholera and other diseases from the raw sewage and dead bodies floating in the flooded streets.
Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast just as hard, shattering the region. Miles of devastation. Fleets of shrimp-fishing and pleasure boats destroyed. Floating casinos that had brought millions in tax revenues to the area torn apart.
My wife left Tuesday morning to go to McComb, Mississippi to serve as a Red Cross volunteer. She's working with Southern Baptists to feed refugees and the community. She contacted me at 7:30 p.m. yesterday and said she had been serving food to refugees and to the community since 5:30 that morning. She was able to take a short break to call me while more food was being prepared.
The Baptists try to schedule their volunteers to work no more than a week, so she expects to come back home by the end of next week as fresh volunteers come in to take her place. But this effort will go on for months.
My Mom called me last night. She said the hotels as far north as Sikeston, in southwest Missouri, are filled with refugees from the coast.
I just received a call from a local Red Cross coordinator here in Columbia, Missouri. The Red Cross is opening a shelter here to take in refugees. I'm on my way over there now to do what I can.