Looks Too Easy When Ya Do It Right

Gustav vs Katrina

It isn’t over for coastal residents yet, there are hurricanes queuing up behind Gustav like kids waiting to see the next must-see movie, but it appears the levees in New Orleans are holding their own despite not *quite* having gotten all the attention we’d like to see since hurricane Katrina came thru.

In addition, the lessons from Katrina appear to have been learned… whether you’re talking federal, state, local… or the citizens themselves. The various branches of government coordinated like a Swiss watch compared to last time.

• The national guard was back home and ‘boots on the ground’
• The city of New Orleans PD, castigated for leaving to take care of their own last time, was allowed time off in advance to secure their families before the storm hit this time
• The civil authority has people in place ro enforce a curfew, and made it crystal clear looters would be dropped immediately in general populace at Angola Prison
• The citizens didnt stick around to give stupid macho “We’ve lived here forever so we can deal with it” soundbites… they did the rational thing and got the hell outta Dodge
• Measures were taken to coordinate with other states to provide places for those that didnt have options and transport to get them there

MEDIA RESPONSE: “Cry Wolf?”

For any in the media that push the “Did you cry wolf?” storyline… go take a freakin hike. Thank god the city was prepared, thankk god the feds were ready… and god bless the guys that worked on the levees when it got scary. It got real close a rew times, but they held (whew!). It doesnt require a LOT of holes in the seawall to screw the whole thing.

It is REAL easy to discount the danger when things work according to plan. It could have been worse. Sixteen hundred people DIED in Katrina. Taking this seriously was the ONLY rational response.

THANKS TO “The Heroes”

Thank you, thank you, thank you… to ALL the heroes that helped in planning, implementation, and in assisting those displaced by the storm. That includes the internet heroes like a vet in Merkel Texas named Brad Banner who quietly helps match those in need meet those who can help via the Gustav Wiki.

Brad lives nowhere near the affected area, and *could* have been doing things that paid him instead… because aside from his veterinary practice, he’s a member of the BOTW Editor Team. Nonetheless, he did more than most of us. Thanks. Volunteers like you are heroes, and an integral part of the fix.

As a former New Orleans area resident (long ago right after “Betsy” trashed the place), or even just as a human being… thanks to those involved. Better a “close miss” than what we had before.