Disasters

[dudemom_2000]

Message 28846--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "ivogun" 
<miamibarb at B...> wrote:
> -> They aren't Floridians, who *expect* hurricanes to hit *every 
year*.
> > {g}  
> 
> Last year was a freak year for Florida hurricanes--a bumper crop. 
However, if you include Central America and Texas, most of the all-
time worst hurricanes have stuck along the Gulf Coast.  Fortunately, 
for us in southern Florida,  the mountains of Cuba, Haiti and the 
> Dominican R. often weaken many of the storms heading our way.  
There is no such protection for those who live on the Gulf Coast.
> 
> I was listening to CNN last night and became so annoyed with the 
commentator blaming the mayor of New Orleans for the recovery mess.  
What more could he do?  Why couldn't the commentator understand that 
in such an overwhelming local crisis that help must come from state 
and national authorities?  In a state as poor as Louisiana--it means 
help from the federal government.  
> 
> Barbara Roberts
> Miami, FL

*****\(@@)/*****

>From what I have read, we are now out of a calm weather period and 
back into another major weather cycle. If you look back through 
time, there have been other periods where severe weather patterns 
emerged - after all the weather IS cyclical. There have been other 
disasters of great magnitude in this area. (the population was less 
at the time but no less a disaster) One that comes to mind is 
Galvaston in 1900 where 6,000 - 12,000 lost their lives due to storm 
surge and hurricane. A very good book to read is Isaac's Storm by 
Erik Larson  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/isaacsstorm/ 
You can see how history repeats itself....The warnings could have 
been given even with the primative weather instruments but weren't 
until it was way too late. There was infrastructure there (to a 
degree) to have gotten people out but wasn't used. 

Being prepared is one thing but something of this magnitude 
especially over such a great area including a major city was 
something government & FEMA postulated over but gambled wouldn't 
happen on the order that it happened. I think what infrastructure 
that was there was totally overwhelmed and getting response there 
was difficult. The local police/dispatchers/fire/hospital staff etc. 
had to contend with losing their own homes and possibly families as 
well as be expected to work and assist others. 

Anyone who has made the drive to the New Orleans/Gulf States area 
knows it is a very long drive from the north through lots and lots 
of very rural area. I think lots of people including the general 
population did what they could do and behaved themselves as best 
they could. Unfortunately the news media did exacerbate the 
situation by pointing up the violence and senseless looting by a 
certainly small criminal element. Looting to get food, water and 
clothing essentials is not a crime in my mind in this situation. 
Looting to get 50 pairs of jeans and jewelery, and tvs etc is. What 
the media wasn't showing were the people who assisted each other, 
those who did try to make a difference by comforting each other or 
assisting others as desperate as themselves or the multitude of 
small acts of kindness that I am sure occured. Sadly it will be the 
untold stories of the courage of these people and their endurance in 
this adversity and what they have to face in the future that the 
news media won't cover because it isn't as newsworthy as finding 
someone to blame for all this. 

Right now I can't see pointing fingers. It is the human condition 
that should concern us, rescuing these people, giving them their 
identities back, feeding them and giving them back a sense of their 
future. We can look back later and decide if there is blame and what 
we need to do for the future. I would love to see ALL the cities 
across the States offering jobs and placements to these refugees. I 
think it is the least that each city can do. We need to look at the 
example of the Greatest Generation and how they behaved in WWII and 
apply that to ourselves. What sacrifices can we make for the good of 
us all in this country during this crisis? We know we are capable of 
wonderful things and we need to show our own citizens they are not 
forgotten and that they are going to be cared for and assisted back 
on their feet. 

Sorry for the rant but my heart is breaking for the tragedy of that 
beautiful area which has a special place in my heart for many years 
since I have visited many of the affected places throughout 
Mississippi and Lousiana and have met many wonderful people there 
who I worry and pray they are safe and ok.

Dudemom_2000