As I write this, Hurricane Katrina is looming off the coast of New Orleans, its advance guard of wind & rain already raking over the Gulf coast. I'm hoping, along with everyone else, that this "once in a lifetime storm" will weaken and start to break up overnight, though most forecasters are doubting that possibility. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this, and somehow I'm feeling glad that I gave blood this week.

One of the most telling stories to come out at this stage is the estimated 100,000 or so inner-city (read: poor) residents who don't have the means to leave the city--no cars, not enough money. I saw some news footage tonight of hundreds or thousands of people streaming into the Superdome, and most were obviously poor, and most of them were black. As I thought back to the images of thousands of cars and SUVs streaming out of town on the interstates, and compared it to this, I felt sad. Sad largely for those unfortunate people who once again come up short in the game of life, who are left in harm's way due to the socio-economic factors stacked against them. This storm is a more overt example of the fact that thousands of people there, and untold millions everywhere else, are at risk all the time. The next time you think how much affluent white people need tax breaks, think about the people who don't have social and economic levees to protect them.

Of course, I feel a great sadness for all those who were able to evacuate; I can only imagine what it must feel like to know that there may be nothing left when you return, and of course they'll be suffering great losses over the next few months. But I can't help but feel greater sorrow for those trapped with the dual helplessness of not being able to flee this approaching monster, and also having to deal with the aftermath of loss. These poor folks, with less income and less insurance, will be last in line again in the recovery phase. Not being either the prime business movers nor the prime consumers, they will no doubt be overlooked long after the storm as passed.

We can't do anything about the storm, but we can control what happens afterward. Here's hoping no one is overlooked.

Labels: Culture