Throttled in Mississippi

Update: Best article to date I've read on the human interest side of this thing...

My.

First chance to get to post due to lack of power.

That was one mean hurricane! And, of course, being significantly north of the coast in Mississippi we only lost power and had a good bit of damage because of downed trees, and other damage to buildings, etc. We are three hours north. The cost to our city (Jackson) will be in the millions. Some say it will be $25 billion total for the state. Power is out in my neighborhood. My family (eight of us) remain huddled in my office trying to escape the sweltering heat of the Deep South.

Lots of people have been evacuated here, of course. And the looting has started here too, according to the news accounts. But not covered much in the news are the people giving up rooms in their houses to evacuees, churches going the second and third mile, donations of money, food and general compassion. The latter is the real story.

My wife is a native Pascagoulan. Her town is devastated. Huge portions just wiped out. And so it is across the coast of Mississippi. New Orleans is to be evacuated, perhaps for months. And Katrina was no respecter of persons. Congressman Gene Taylor's house is gone. So, too, Senator Trent Lott's. The poor and elderly, of course, are the hardest hit. What do they do next?

The president is to be here tomorrow. What an eyeful he will see. Mr. Bush thought he saw devastation duirng 9/11. This will be 9/11 on sterioids...for mile, after mile, after mile. No wonder the radical Muslims are adopting Katrina as their sister in jihad.

Imagine living on the coast of Mississippi or in New Orleans. No job to go to. Food tough to come by. If you are in town, nothing to do but weep. If you are out of town, nothing to do but weep without knowing first hand what you are weeping about. You have a family. You have no idea what to do this week, or several weeks from now when your job and living prospects will probably be no better.

Devastation.

And the body count? Unknown - but thousands likely. Thousands.

Pray and give if you can. Mostly, pray.