On The Horns of Katrina
While the focus of Katrina’s aftermath remains on New Orleans, it is becoming obvious that everyone in the world feels the effects emotionally. Since the tsunami disaster in Asia we’re tuned to the power of wind and water. Unlike earthquakes that strike without notice, hurricanes take a while to develop. The science of identifying tropical depressions is fodder for the Weather Channel. Only when a storm approaches landfall do CNN and the big boys jump in, with a choreographed coverage we’ve seen dozens of times, some poor reporter getting drenched while stop signs whistle by. The sight is so familiar that it has no impact, almost as though we’re watching the second reel of a disaster movie, waiting for the happy ending.
It seemed especially cruel that the levees around New Orleans broke hours after the storm passed, that relief turned so quickly into despair. Real assistance is slow in coming and the media’s top down look at the situation accentuates the fact that an entire city is beyond our reach and for the moment, everyone in that town is living in a shock induced vacuum. Let’s hope and pray that the ending here includes getting those survivors to safety.