Katrina's Aftermath

Will Collier has some thoughts on Hurricane Katrina’s immediate aftermath, and the dangers of snap judgements:

As the storm moved north yesterday, a number of commentators, both online and in the major media, were already starting to yowl that the pre-storm predictions of mass destruction were overblown and unwarranted. After all, they said, the thing went through New Orleans, and look–the city’s still there. There’s no ‘giant bowl of toxic gumbo’ (to paraphrase many, many comments). Heck, I can see the Superdome on CNN, and it’s beat up, but it’s not an island or anything!

With one of the major levees failing this morning, several parishes under water (few of which could be reached by people with cameras yesterday), an entirely unknown death toll, hundreds of people trapped by flooding, and untold devestation on the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf coasts, it’s starting to look like the instant post-storm criticism was itself premature.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune has, for the first time in its history, published an electronic-only edition today–a notably ironic achievement, since almost nobody in the city has electricity, much less internet access. It’s in .pdf format, and it’s heartbreaking.

He’s got several links in his original post, so click over to read it.

Michelle Malkin has been doing an incredible job blogging Katrina. This post, which contains many links, has a gut-wrenching overhead view of an extremely flooded New Orleans. In its follow-up, Michelle explains that the military is stepping in to help.

Meanwhile, California Yankee has a list of ways you can help Katrina’s victims.