Katrina: the Height of Devastation

Hurricane Katrina was undoubtedly one of the most horrific natural disasters in United States history. Three days after the maelstrom nearly leveled the Lousiana and Mississippi coasts, over 80,000 are still trapped in New Orleans alone. Hundreds of thousands have been made homeless in just a few days. The original blast of wind and water was bad enough, with 27-foot storm surges and gusts powerful enough to rip gigantic structures apart and carry ships across the land. Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said Tuesday that the coastal city of Biloxi "looks like Hiroshima," with 90% of the buildings leveled or damaged beyond repair. But the water dumped as Katrina continued through the U.S. flooded rivers and lakes, bursting dams and spilling billions of gallons of sewage, gasoline, and putrid water into below-sea-level New Orleans. What has become one of the most-viewed pictures of the tragedy was taken by the Coast Guard on August 29th (see image at right). The photo shows one of the major highways completely flooded, with overpasses leading straight into the brine. Although officials have refused to release any casualty lists, they say that the death toll is probably in the thousands already, with tens of thousands more still at risk. Right now, people are still huddled in attics and on rooftops, hoping beyond hope to be rescued. But help is not far away. National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters have been working around the clock, hoisting stranded refugees from their perches and carrying them to safety. Thousands of people left homeless are crowded into the giant Louisiana Superdome, where conditions are steadily worsening. Sadly, however, this is the least of worries now. Looters are rampaging through flooded cities, destroying what little is left of them. Some are only trying to get food. But most . . . are not. When the water began to rise, officials threw open the doors of the jails in the Big Easy, releasing thousands of convicts into the streets. These desparate criminals have stolen automatic weapons and roam New Orleans in gangs, looting anything and everything in sight. In bursts of anger, they have even taken to firing on rescue helicopters. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin has declared the equivalent of martial law in the devastated districts due to the mounting chaos. A large contingent of the police force has been told to stop relief efforts and end the looting. BlackHawk and Chinook helicopters will be flying in 240 Regular Army troops from Fort Hood to Louisiana to quell riots and aid in the rescue work. After surveying the damage, Bush is asking Congress to approve a $10.5 billion relief package for the ravaged territory. He said that even so it will take years for the area to recover. And the hurricane season is not yet over! What can I say? I will end with a quote from Luke 21:

"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. . . . When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! In Him, D3