The 4th anniversary of the devastation Hurricane Katrina brought upon New Orleans just passed. I’m not proud to admit that I found this out on Facebook this weekend from a friend who experienced the tragedy. I consider myself someone who keeps up with the world’s news, developments, and events that impact and displace people but I hadn’t really heard of the anniversary before hearing it from my friend.
I write this post full of sadness because this is a disaster, a tragedy, that happened in North America and we (I’m not referring to the many advocates who work tirelessly to keep New Orleans in the public eye) as a people can’t seem to acknowledge or appreciate the devastation that Katrina brought as the levees failed and continues to bring upon the lives of those still displaced.
I remember paying attention to the news as Katrina swept through New Orleans. I remember the Governor declaring a State of Emergency on Friday, August 26, 2005. I remember hearing of approximately 30,000 evacuees gathering the at the Superdome. And I remember hearing of the National Guard Troops arriving two days after they were requested.
I remember watching television to see news reporters arriving before official aid had been dispatched.
That’s what I remember. And I’ve learned so much more since then.
I learned of the nation’s failed response and of Bush admitting it. I have learned that the Iraq War “hindered Katrina relief,” that the effort suffered “near catastrophic failures due to endemic corruption, divisions within the military, and troop shortages caused by the Iraq war.” I learned that nearly three months after Katrina hit over 6,500 people were unaccounted for in the hurricane’s wake and more than 400 bodies remained unidentified.
I learned that at least 1,836 people lost their lives in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. “Preliminary damage estimates were well in excess of $100 billion, eclipsing many times the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.”
I could go on and on but those are facts you can read yourself – I will add links at the bottom of this post.
But I write not to discuss politics, engineering, minorities, or botched plans.
I’m here to talk about loss.
If you haven’t experienced a significant loss in your life – you will. It’s a unifying human connector. We all experience loss. From loss we learn of finality and how you can never really go back.
This devastation that occurred right here in North America to people just like you and I is no different than the devastation and tragedy that happens in Africa, China, Darfur, Rwanda, Vietnam, and far too many places to list here.
Don’t turn away because it’s “too close and too real”.
Remember a single loss you have suffered and then remember the people from New Orleans.
All my information in quotes and otherwise comes from here:
Think Press
Rising Tide Conference Blog
Humid City
Wikipedia
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Kathryn,
I appreciate your bringing attention to this. I went to college in New Orleans, and later returned to live for many years after. I look back at my time in New Orleans as some the best years of my life. When the tragic events surrounding Katrina occurred, I remember feeling shock, then anger, then profound sadness.
I realized right away that what was occurring would change the city forever. It was the local residents that made the city what it was. I knew how poor most were (I think when I lived there more than half lived below the poverty line) so I knew that if they were sent to live somewhere else, most would not return. Unfortunately I was right. The city has lost a bit of its soul, the part that makes it special. If you have ever been there, you have to feel that loss. Thanks for remembering.
Hey Katherine, thanks for the lovely post. One of the main things that is really painful to those left in the wake of the levee failure is the feeling that outside f the flood zone no one really cares anymore. Posts from “the outside world” are most appreciated as a result.
You’ll probably see a variety of New Orleans bloggers stopping by as I have shared the link with them. Its a wild and wooley bunch, but also a group that will answer any questions you or your readers might pose.
Thank you fr remembering New Orleans while most of America was wrapped up in the fact that it was Micheal Jackson’s birthday. You are a jewel.
(Transparency: I’m the friend on Facebook and also the admin for the HumidCity team blog.)
In the discussion on this Blogher post, I left a comment that’s chocked full of links to Just The Facts items about The Flood. It’s a good start. I’m at work, or I would replicate it here. I’ll check back later if I get a chance.
http://www.blogher.com/fourth-anniversary-katrina-and-well-still-here#comment_form
Kathryn, I’m glad you exhort readers to remember a time of personal loss and use it to empathize with the people of New Orleans. Not only do we get caught up in trying not to focus on our losses; we also get caught up in worrying whether we will offend those whose losses are fresher. We’re told, for instance, never to say “I know how you feel,” because as individuals, we all experience loss differently. Yet the raw pain and anger and “why?” are near-universal. The trick is in figuring out how to channel it towards making a new human connection between the individuals.
Thank you for the acknowledgement. Yes, New Orleans is my hometown. I love my city. My mother’s home flooded after the 17th Street Canal Levees FAILED.
It is important to support the rebuilding of the coastal wetlands and to build the same FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEM that Holland has built which protects their entire country. Please speak with Sandy Rosenthal of http://www.levees.org who is doing some wonderful advocacy on behalf of the city of New Orleans. It is a Gem and we cannot afford to lose it. Senator Landrieu has visited Holland and the difference is that Holland makes Flood Protection it’s number one priority for it’s country and it’s people, The USA does NOT…this must Change.
I don’t think the media has been helpful in showing the true picture of this Engineering Disaster
Katherine, I’ve been Blogging on New Orleans and the recovery since the Flood. I have massive ammounts of pertinant links on my Blog.
Thanks for wanting to know more. Blessings!
Kathryn…
How easily we forget the losses…and how slow we are in the repair…
Thank you for writing this post so that we can remember, we can reflect and most importantly, act…especially in memory of all those lost and for all those who still remain in need.
Great article, thank you Kathryn.
Few people know that a number of virulently bigoted rednecks used the occasion of Katrina’s aftermath for their own brand of ethnic cleansing check this http://google.ca/search?as_epq=Katrina+murders
Kathryn,
Thank you for keeping this tragedy in the foreground. I can feel the sincerity and longing in your words. Out of respect for the victims, I hope that we as a nation and a government have learned lessons that will enable us to better handle events like this in the future to minimize the human losses.
Regarding loss, we all fail to respect the fragility of human life. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, but we live like it is. Learning to respect such fragility is a life changing paradigm shift that will make compassion and love the cornerstones of your entire being.
Thanks for your beautiful post. Sign me up as one who would love to read more of your posts soon!
Peter