Hurricane!

Some preliminary Hurricane Katrina fatality estimates.

Hurricane Katrina may be the deadliest hurricane in the United States since the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which killed around 8,000 (possibly up to 12,000) people. As of 7 PM CDT September 1, 2005, more than 20,000 are still reported missing. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin stated on August 31 that the death toll of Katrina may be “in the thousands”, an estimate also provided through a statement by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco on September 1. Accurate numbers are not known. Damage was reported in at least 12 states. Hurricane Katrina will be remembered for its vast devastation of the Gulf Coast regions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The hurricane will also be remembered for the ineffective pre-planning for hurricane preparedness in New Orleans, as well as the slow response on the part of federal, state and local governments to provide effective search and rescue and safe refuge for the storm’s victims. It will not be remembered for the hundreds of thousands of Americans who pitched in with their own money to send water, food, diapers and other necessities to the region. It will not be remembered for the children who emptied their entire life’s savings in coins to help either. It will not be remembered for the brave military units called up from around the country during a time of war and an already stretched deployment schedule. They will also find that when there’s a REAL emergency (which doesn’t include talking to certain people camped outside his ranch), the President will end his vacation early and get back to work.