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