Segacs's World I Know

Posts Tagged ‘hurricane katrina’

Bush may be hoping that his mea culpa on the botched response to Katrina will lead to a jump in the polls, similar to what Martin experienced after apologizing for the sponsorship scandal on prime-time.

However, Bush might want to consider this: there’s a world of difference between the embezzlement of a few billion dollars and the loss of a few thousand lives.

I don’t think it’s right to directly blame Bush for the disaster that has emerged in Katrina’s wake. That’s reserved for people who want to politicize everything.

However, a true leader recognizes that the buck stops with him. In that sense, Bush’s move is the right one. That said, I suspect his words will ring hollow to the people who have lost their homes, families, communities, livelihood, and loved ones.

For every person who was in the area, who knew someone in the area, or who is stranded, there’s a story. Most of these are just starting to emerge. Here’s just one.

And then of course, there are the stories that will never be told. Far too many of them.

We’re seeing blogbursts, celebrity fundraising drives and desperate appeals for help for Hurricane Katrina relief. Plenty of organizations are collecting funds, including Federation CJA, who is collecting on behalf of UJC.

Here in Montreal, the chief effects of Hurricane Katrina have been a bit of rain and higher gas prices. Not much of a price to pay, considering.

It’s times like this when I’m grateful to live in Montreal; we may get cold weather and ice storms, but at least we avoid the more disastrous weather phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis or hurricanes.

To make a donation to the relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, the Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations.

Update: Most official estimates say hundreds of people have likely been killed as a result of Katrina. The mayor of New Orleans fears that the death toll may run into the thousands as the city prepares to evacuate tens of thousands of residents to Houston. Estimates are that most of New Orleans will be uninhabitable for months.

Update #2: At least two radio stations have decided to pull the song I’ve been ironically humming for days off the air for the moment:

Ottawa’s rock radio stations The Bear 106.9 and CHEZ 106.1 have both decided to pull The Tragically Hip classic New Orleans is Sinking from their playlists at least until Hurricane Katrina abates and the Louisiana city gets back on its feet.

Am I the only one who finds the song suddenly more appropriate?

Residents of New Orleans are evacuating ahead of the expected devastation of Hurricane Katrina:

A statement from the National Weather Service in Slidell, near New Orleans, Louisiana, warned that much of the affected area “will be uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer.”

With highways out of the city jammed and people seeking refuge in the Superdome, things are certain to be a mess there for a while. I guess that’s what happens when you build a city below sea level. Here’s hoping that everyone stays safe.