Without hesitation, one can say that the California fires are a major disaster but I'm surprised to see some considering components of the disaster to be "worse" than Hurricane Katrina of 2005. For instance, yesterday, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender was attributed as saying that the San Diego County evacuations resulted in more evacuees than Hurricane Katrina. That isn't the case. Half a million have been evacuated in San Diego while most report that about a million people evacuated for Hurricane Katrina.
The California fires have caused the destruction of about 1600 homes while Katrina destroyed nearly 350,000 (not to mention many hundred of thousands of homes damaged). Katrina caused more than 1500 deaths but the wildfires have fortunately only claimed a half-dozen lives.
Following Katrina and subsequent storms, nearly 400,000 people left Louisiana and did not return in 2005. We won't see 9% of Californians leave the state because of this disaster.
Comments
its true 9% will not leave. but the reason is, they will fend for themselves and not wait for the gov. to save them. they fled on their own and will survive on their own. how many tv’s were stolen in calif? we all know how important electronic equip is during a flood. how many pharmacies have been looted? how many murders? how many cops/firemen shot at? dont compare animals to humans
Yo Jeff, the true ‘animal’ resides in the White House.
Again. Blame someone else. The fact of the matter is that Californian took care of themselves and did not wait for the Feds to come in as a savior. Even the state of Louisiana took forever to take care of its own people. The success resides with the people, not the government or the white house.
It comes down to home owners vs renters.
High income vs med. – low income. The haves and the have nots. This will determine how we are treated in this world.
What sticks in my mind most (after the scenes of destruction, of course) is the comparison between the party-like experience of evacuees at Qualcomm stadium in San Diego versus the horror that took place at the stadium in New Orleans
I am disappointed in this article. So many people have lost their homes and their livelihoods in southern California ,and there is a competition as to who has it worse? How can a comparison be drawn when people are suffering? I credit the attitude of the San Diego people to their love for their city and their willingness to stay no matter what, because of that love, whether they are rich or poor. The people in that Center did not know if they had a home to go to when they returned home. They had no where else to go. Comparison? I applaud their attitude. They were making the best of a deplorable situation.
The people in San Diego have cars. Most of the Katrina victims did not. The San Diego victims had money
for food and were not stranded for weeks and Qualcomm Stadium was not on fire, where the Superdome felt the effects of the hurricane. The temperature in San Diego is like paradise compared to the temperatures in New Orleans while the victims were waiting for help. These things make a difference!!!!
While fire is devastating, it can be fought and now as I understand is is getting more under control. What can you do against a hurricane. Basically nothing. There is nothing that can counteract the devastation of a hurricane except nature healing itself. So the only thing they could do was evacuate, wait for things to settle and return to some semblance of normalcy, and try to rebuild as they are doing. There is a big difference with the way people react and respond when you can fight the destruction (fire) and when you have to yield (hurricanes). There is also a difference in mindset between wealthy and poor. Unfortunately there is also a difference in the way these groups are treated by the general public. Case in point as we see with some of the comments here. Please don’t say someone is comparing animals to humans.
I resent the fact that they are asking for donations. Tru, they lost a lot but these people have horses and land. The people in New Orleans started out with little and needed help before the disaster.
The thing that bothers me the most about this topic is that when Katrina hit land it was the State of Mississippi specifically the city of Waveland that took the most damage. Whole cities were leveled and destroyed. New Orleans was flooded by a breach in the level system.
I applaud the people that did not wait on the government. The government should not be in the business of rebuilding peoples lives. Contrast the State of Louisiana vs. the State of Mississippi. Mississippi did not wait until after the storm to prepare, they started before the storm. New Orleans was waiting for the Federal Gov’t to step in a take over. The Federal Gov’t was not designed that was. The city must request the help. Louisiana never did that until much later.
I am here in New Orleans and have lived here over half my life. I love it here. Yes, the government failed us, yes, the city failed us. I came back a few days after the storm under armed guard to check on my house and my dog. understand that we thought we were going to be back after a few days like every other hurricane in the past and we would have if it wouldn’t have been for the levees breaking. That’s why I left my dog.
I opened the door to the truck and found my dead dog. The back of my house was gone, but I had no flood water. The official who brought me here stood on the porch with his gun and said you have 5 minutes to get what you want and get out. I threw down my list that I had made, grabbed a pillowcase and started stuffing it. I felt like a looter in my own home which I thought was rather comical. The city was like a war zone, with those low humvees and militia carrying automatic weapons. I was so thankful for them being here.
I came back for good as soon they allowed us to and immediately started working on my house. I’m going on my 5th contractor and each one tells me how the last one messed up something that was done. It’s hard to keep doing things over when you only have so many insurance dollars to work with. One of my adjustors was drinking on the job! Every adjustor who came here managed to miss the fact that I have 14 foot ceilings and only paid me to repair 8 foot ceilings. Amazing!
we are still suffering but some people are crying more than others and I recognize that fact. I hate that! I was recently interviewed on the health care crisis and we are definitely having one. One other woman who was being interviewed was getting so into complaining that she was contradicting herself. That sort of thing helps no one. I also agree that President Bush failed us. He stood in Jackson Square and told us he would help us rebuild and that hasn’t happened.
I could go on, but the pictures of the devastation definitely reminded me of Katrina and brought back so many bad memories. There is still much healing to be done. We are humans, not animals. Thanks for all the support and BOO to those negative commenters who have NO IDEA what we went through because they weren’t and aren’t here. I know some people acted badly but you will have that everywhere. Thanks for letting me speak up and giving me a forum to do so.
some may not like the truth but it is what it is. the truth is most if not all of the ppl in california was doing well financially. not saying that it should change things because personal belongings and memories are priceless. but lets look at the picture. it took them 7 days to respond to n.o. we saw it day after day the ppl begging for water, food, clothes, or anything. it had to be like a slap in the face for them to look on t.v. and watch the ppl in california at the qualcomm having the options to have a massage done. mcdonalds and krispy kream…it looked more like a carnival than a rescue place. the difference is there. and it shows that race and class plays a heavy part in response time for getting help. how many ppl have been put on a bus and sent to another state because of the fire? how many families have been split up? how many times have they referred to them as “Refugees”? wake up ppl. whether you want to admit it or not…there’s a difference. we are all citizens of this country and we should all be treated equally. we are fighting in other countries trying to restore “peace” there when we need to be here restoring PEACE at home.
Way to go Jeff!!!!
Kareena:
Hang in there—I can imagine what you are dealing with because my sister just re-built in Old Metairie. I pleaded with her to move to Denver but New Orleans is her home and through a lot of hard work and effort she got it done. I’m not sure I would have gone through what she did. I grew up in New Orleans until I moved to Denver 10 years ago. I have a lot of family still there and some were affected by the storm—they are all staying.
While Bush spends all our money in IRAQ, there are people in the U.S. who are suffering from injustice and we need to help our own first!!!
People become animals only if they are treated that way—I suspect by people like the one who commented on it above are who I am talking about.
Let’s get serious here folks! How many Californians drowned trying to save their homes? How many were left either stranded/surrounded by water or not allowed back into their water logged homes, that is if there was a home left? None that I can recall. They got out by getting into their cars and going to a stadium, which by the way still had its roof and wasn’t giving everyone inside an unwanted shower.
Katrina survivors couldn’t get back in to salvage what they could for days. Looters salvaged whatever they could, wherever they could which only delayed homeowners from getting back in.
Insurance companies will pay for California’s damage because it was caused by fire. Katrina survivors are still fighting a losing battle trying to get “reasonable” settlements because the insurance companies want to find the easy way out of paying them.
Californians will get the help they need because you have all the golden people out there and no one is willing to risk getting sued by one of them for lack of payment. California is big news all day, every day. Glitter and gloss gets you everything, deserved or not.
Compassion is best served with a gracious heart. Next time it could be you that needs a hand up.
I would hope that the country never sinks lower than it did in the Katrina response. I hope that we respond better and more effectively in California, and continue to respond better in the future. I hope that we as Americans will react with kindness, compassion, and aid any time we see our fellow countrymen suffering, no matter where they live, what their social status is, or whether they’re part of a disaster that affects millions or only one person.
I can’t sit here and read all of these comments, and not add my two since worth!
Why do we have to compare tragadies? Is one BETTER than the other? It’s not like we are comparing who’s car is better than the other persons. Both were bad and still are bad in California. People are so quick to judge and point fingers. I for one am SOOOO sick of hearing about houw it is always the President’s fault. Hello people…he did not start the fires out in California, nor did he order up the hurricaine! People in New Orleans should have been pissed at their own local leaders….the mayor and govorner of California SENT 100′s of buses to hospitals and old folks homes to pick up these people and bring them to safe shelters, were they did not in New Orleans. And people in New Orleans were TOLD for DAYS before the hurricane hit to GET OUT…did they listen, NO. People in California had no notice that their state was going to burn to the ground. Where were the elected officials in New Orleans?
I wish people in the United States would start taking care of themselves, and quit waiting for everyone else to take care of them for them. That is the difference between San Deigo people and New Oleans!
Hey, Yall! I’m not trying to say one disaster is worse than the other. I was simply trying to illustrate what it’s like here to those who comment without knowing the real deal. I am saddened by the events in California, but as you may have read, some of those people declined to leave as well. And as for the bus comment, I’m afraid I agree with Lisa, our mayor SHOULD have gotten those buses to get people out. One thing you all should be aware of and keep in mind is that no one knew that the LEVESS WOULD BREAK! The hurricane itself was bad, yes, but it was all the water that came when the levees (that the Corps of Engineers was supposed to have built correctly) broke that caused most of the tragedy that ensued. Now THAT is a topic that deserves it’s own comments column. Another response for Lisa: In the levee issue, the government didn’t do what it was suppposed to do to protect us, so how can we take care of ourselves when we’re not protected in the first place?
If anyone thinks the author of this piece is the first to make comparisons between the fires and Katrina, they would be wrong. The national press has been doing that for days. When Bush visited California, it was noted that he stepped foot on the ground and saw the devastation “up close”, as opposed to the fly-over he did after the hurricane. The national media used the president’s appearance to bolster the belief that “he learned from the mistakes made after Katrina.” The national media made sure to advise us that FEMA had reacted much more quickly than it did 2 years ago on the Gulf Coast.
What the national media did not say, but what I realize as a casual observer, is exactly what this article is attempting to point out. There are no comparisons between the two disasters, nor of our government’s reaction to either. Rich and white get the attention over poor and black. Whether or not any of us think that is unfair is of little consequence. That is the way our government has always worked, and if you think that isn’t so, you simply are not thinking.
This is not a Louisiana vs. California nor Katrina vs fires ‘thing’. Any time life is lost, way of life is lost, dreams and families are torn apart – there are no winners – everyone loses. What is sad is that a comparison is made at all. No warnings for fires. No warnings that there would not be air support because winds were too high and aircraft grounded. No warnings for levees breaking. No warnings that assistance wouldn’t come sooner – let alone that so much loss of life would result. Both are horribly sad events that will forever shape and change us all. The one difference I see here is the compassion and volunteerism that is evident here. We do not all have “land and horses” we are not all “wealthy” – in either place. No more than are all those in New Orleans “poor” nor were they “waiting for someone else to help” We are humans with lives that have been touched by disaster – reaching out to help one another. We all (not just CA) gave money to help Katrina victims, just as we are our neighbors now. Why the attitude that someone (any one) deserves what they get, or don’t deserve help? Please just be good to one another. Live our lives as we’d like to be remembered. Don’t wait for someone else to bail you out – pick yourself by the bootstraps and keep going — those that did in Katrina are the ones who live after – as they will be in CA – More than survivors – they are the ones who LIVE after. Please stop the pointing and negative comments as they do no one any good. Feel sad for others’ losses and be glad there are people who, when they can come to the aid of others, will and do what they can. To do otherwise just shows the worst that is in humans – and is not being the best ‘neighbor’ we can be. The world changes when one person begins with the first step. Please people – stop pointing, blaming and fault finding – I know you are (we all are) better than that.
You Americans just think that you can build anywhere and just expect nature to either fall in line or to be controlled.
New Orleans was a victim of the obsession for controlling the Mississippi in the past which lead to building below rive level.
Now that is OK in the Netherlands where they are not subject to Hurricanes or the flooding from a river whos catchment area is a massive proportion of the North American land mass.
The Corp of Engineers is guilty of the American disease of thinking that the world can be controlled (physically and politically). The poor, mostly black residents of New Orleans paid a high price for that.
We in Britain are going down the same route as you have already troden. You just have to look at the flooding in this country in July to see that.
The federal government was in a no win situation in San Diego. If they failed to act they would be criticised. If they acted swiftly they would be accused of helping rich whites more swiftly that poor black.
I bet as the crisis was unfolding some politician was cursing his luck that the next (and there will always be a next) disaster had not happened to a poor black area – that way they could show how much better they had become – and be politically correct.
I’m a white guy living in connecticut and even I can see what’s evident in this disaster. And it disgusts me. “Hey all you poor black people in new orleans- see what we white affluent folk do in the face of adversity? We don’t beg for help from the government,we pull ourselves up from our bootstraps and get on the problem and resolve the situation at hand!” Why do I feel that is what was expressed among community leaders just prior to the firestorm? “We’ll show those lowlifes how people of value and substance deal with adversity!” And of course they did it with the full concerted effort of governmental bureaus eager to exonerate themselves at the first opportunity. What a collectively sick motivation for community mobilization this was. It looks like it was carried out in this manner to spite the rest of the nation. “Come look at the carnival at Quallcom! See how only eight people died! And they were probably derelicts anyway! Aren’t we great!”
And go ahead- blather at me about not appreciating individual human tragidy, and making blanket assesments about a huge pool of people, and all the homilies and human interest anecdotes-blah blah. I’m 47 years old, my mother died of lymphoma at the age of 51 when I was 34, my father fell out of a tree hunting as is presently partially paralyzed, my oldest brother was sent to jail by my other brother’s wife who accused him of molesting their daughter, the same two brothers I spent the age of 21 until 28 working dutifuly at night jobs at cotton mills and cnc machine shops to support because my mother-an ex-nurse as the result of her perception to have been responsible for the death of a patient resulted in her employment being a sock factory worker making 3.50 dollars an hour with a father sending no child support (also estranged). Oh and by the way- I was manning fuel station six on the U.S.S. Nimitz that night on may 25 1981 when the e-a6b plowed into the row of parked tomcats above fuel station 4 at the juncture of the main cats and angled flight deck. Had I been at station 4 I might have been on immolated instead of the crewmate whose life I saved for which I was awarded the navy commendation medal. That’s right- missiles flying, bombs exploding and planes and people on fire. Go ahead- google it. So blah blah yourselves people, who would accuse me of being an inexperienced person lacking empathy for the poor souls in california.I know what it’s like to come home in the morning from work hoping a tomato has ripened for a tomato sandwhich. Those folks in new orleans probably too. And I’m a white guy from connecticut.
Who cares? You are all arguing over something that doesn’t matter. These events were both natural disasters. These events were both uncontrollable. The one thing I have the biggest problem with is how quickly people are to point out the color of someones skin. Who cares if the people in san diego are white or black. Same with the victims of katrina. The most important thing is that they are all in need. How would you feel if you were in that situation? Wouldn’t you want your country and your community to come together and support and help one another? So, instead of arguing and comparing, go help someone who needs it! If money is something they dont need, maybe they just need someone to talk to. Come one people, use your heads.
The primary difference is the Cal. fires affected primarily the upper and upper middle economic class while the marjority of the New Orleans victems were poor. It was not a black and white issue as much as a have and have not issue. Cal. will rebuild quickly and it will end up being better than it was prior to the fire, while in New Orleans it is a whole different story. Like I said it is the differece between the haves and have nots of our country.
Jeff,
You said: Comparing Katrina victims to the California fire victims is like comparing animals to humans. You didn’t specify this in your statement on Oct. 25th, but I’m going to assume you are saying the African American victims of Katrina were animals and the White California wildfire victims are humans.
There were HUNDREDS of well-to-do White zombies and business owners who took advantage of the Katrina disaster by fraudulently requesting and receiving federal funds, amounting to over a billion dollars, meant for the people who needed them. If these zombies reflect the method by which those, you call humans, acquire their wealth, then they too are animals. How much further than the gutter can you get. These vermin did not deserve nor need that assistance, yet they took it. Are these, the highly moral and self supportive White folk you refer to in your unfortunately racist statement?
Jerks like you always fail to mention the good ole’ White folk, who commit atrocities, when spewing your racial insults. Did you know a Caucasian “human” named Russell Daves is suspected of starting or fueling the California fires?
Jeff. Why don’t you tell the readers here how the authorities are looking for more Caucasian “humans” who are believed to be involved in starting these devastating and costly fires.
Jeff, answer this. Are those Whites; humans or animals? Are they Jeff? And guess what Jeff. The Black and White Katrina victims who are now employed again, will have taxes taken from their paychecks to assist the self-sufficient White “humans” who were victimized by the tragic fire which was started by White “humans”
Believe this. ALL WHITE PEOPLE DO NOT ACQUIRE THEIR WEALTH THROUGH ETHICAL MEANS. You too are animals and everyone knows it. I’ve personally witnessed dozens of fellow White college classmates cheating on final exams and getting away with it. It infuriates me to know things like this occur, and then have some White Frankenstein degrade people in need.
There were indeed those whose behavior was disgusting during Katrina. However, the vast majority of people in the Katrina disaster were innocent victims of a natural disaster just as many of us, Black and White, are victims of the disasters of that White animal in the White animal house.
Jeff. You have no moral authority to shoot racial insults. You open a Pandora’s Box of return fire.
The people in California who tragically lost their homes, will receive Federal funds to rebuild and make things right again. You may not realize it, but they are not going to exhaust their personal wealth to rebuild. They deserve that assistance from the government as did those victims of the Katrina hurricane. I gladly offer the money taken (in the form of taxes) from my hard earned paycheck, to assist fellow Americans in need. Be they Black or White.
Jeff. Find yourself a good woman to spend time with. They have a wonderful way of soothing the savage beast in us guys.
It’s amazing that Americans can blind themselves to the truth and justify racism and inequality.
Jeff, your comments infuriated me.
Arrangements were made for the wealthy residents of the wildfires. From Day 1 they had food, electricity, medical care, water, and entertainment. They even immediately provided shelter and veterinary services for pets while the Katrina victims (humans) were, as you referred to, treated as animals. Lisa and others blame the residents for not leaving, but most didn’t have the option. Try evacuating your home without money, transportation, or gas. If you remember, it wasn’t the hurricane that killed them, it was the failure of the levees. They were told they had dodged the bullet.
Six deaths as opposed to 1,500. The entire infrastructure of San Diego County was not destroyed. They lost homes and possessions for which the majority are insured. Those people in Louisiana lost homes, jobs, schools, hospitals, public safety, etc. They were sent to a stadium and abandoned. Many insurance companies cancelled or refused their policies so they don’t have the resources to start over.
Of the hundred of thousands “good people” who were victimized by nature and our government you choose to justify their inhumane treatment and condemn them all because of the actions of a few. I note that you failed to mention the heroism and self-sacrificial deeds of many of these “animals”
I remember the picture that showed Blacks breaking into a store for food. It was called “looting” but when they showed caucasians, it was labeled “survival”.
Jeff, God forbid, but if you ever in one day lose your livelihood; job, car, home, belongings, and your family, and have to steal food or medicine to survive, then we’ll see if your opinion is still as mean-spirited and narrow minded.
I wonder how many of the folks in California will get FEMA money. I was displaced for over two months after Hurrican Katrina, and never got a dime because I had homeowners insurance. How many people in the affected area in California do you think don’t have homeowners insurance?
Did yall read that the FEMA workers were so bored they were watching TV and surfing the net?
The comments posted to date were predicatble. If you are poor and a minority, or an upper-class white person, its all George Bush’s fault.
If however, you are a legal resident of California, of any race, you are prepared to face whatever calamity appears.
As to the Superdome vs Qualcom stadium: all you need to do is look at the remains. The people of N.O.’s destroyed the place, acting like a bunch of animals, whereas, the people in Qualcom Sadium begaved themselves in an orderly manner.
Hate the comment but face the facts two different situations, one involving a group of people who remained civilized and another who reverted to acting like hey were in their rat infested ganster holes….still with their hands out demanding money.
Suffering is suffering. Losing one’s home is a devastating loss regardless of the cause. And contrary to what it may have looked like on TV, not everyone in San Diego is white or wealthy. And all are suffering. Contrary to what some have said here, hundreds remain without water or electricity a week later.
And regardless of color or social position, most of us in San Diego have lived in terrible fear this week not knowing which city would be the next to be evacuated, whose home would be the next to burn as the fires engulfed neighborhood after neighborhood.
For two days, the fire officials just looked at us, shook their heads, and said there’s nothing we can do. Someone in this thread said fires are controllable. Not!! Often not until they’ve caused havoc.
Perhaps you heard that the worst devastation occurred in the rural areas. Where, yes, some people do have horses. But this is not the Kentucky Derby and these people live in the rural areas because that’s where they can afford to live. San Diego is expensive and for many the rural areas are the only place they can afford.
In Fallbrook for example, 200 of 250 homes were destroyed in a mobile home park. Fallbrook is a very rural yet upscale city, no doubt, but the mobile home park isn’t – wasn’t.
I almost forgot. Shame on us because we have cars to evacuate. If you’ve ever been to Southern CA you know why. We have virtually NO public transportation. If you don’t have a car, you walk. And those people who live in the rural areas drive those cars an hour or two one way every day to get to work.
I love New Orleans and I prayed it wouldn’t get hit hard by Katrina never dreaming that the levees would breach!
And I love San Diego, but it isn’t the easiest place to live. Yes, we have lovely weather, but sometimes we have devil winds that literally turn against us. And I don’t want to leave San Diego anymore than someone who’s always lived in New Orleans wants to give up their home.
I think I wrote because I want you to know that this has been a terrifying week. And I’ve lived through many wild fire seasons before. This was an inferno. In so many cases, there was no where to go. People were encircled by flames. It’s scary having officials tell you to evacuate and then hearing that the only two freeways out of the area are both closed! It’s scary watching the latest maps and realizing that one of the fires is rapidly approaching the nuclear power plant – tho the media rarely mentioned it – and figuring we’re all going to be crispy critters.
And Matt. I believe you have your numbers vastly understated. Look them up again and get them right before you print them again. Please.
I live in Covington, LA. I am very sympathetic to the fires in CA even though I watched first hand the disaster of Katrina. It is unfair to blame all of LA for the aftermath of that hurricane. Not everyone stole tvs or looted houses. Most evacuated this area. Even with evacuating though, we came back to a big mess. There was water in houses that had been left unattended while we had been evacuating. That caused mold and further damage. Businesses were affected the same way so even coming home meant that many jobs were no longer there. Corporations abandoned their office buildings and the jobs went with them. Many and most residents did not sit around and wait for the government to fix it but without some aid, and no place to live, how do mommas feed their babies? Try to remember it happened during our hottest season and without clean water from the army or redcross, sickness was abundant. I am not a victim of Katrina nor am I a survivor. But I lived through it and hope to never have to do so again. We have the threat of hurricanes every year…multiple times a year in fact! We know this when we live here and choose to stay. California has earthquakes and fires and mudslides. Its residents know that as well. And choose to stay. I agree with the author. Unless you have been there, don’t judge. The media only gave you one side of Katrina.
Has anyone done any computer modeling on the extent to which the Southern California fires will have the effect of shifting what was a mortgage industry disaster to a fire insurance industry disaster?
The hill behind my house burned completely last week! it was frightening.
Both Katrina and the Cali. wildfires were devestating, and some may have different views. Next, people are gonna compare these to 9/11, for crying out loud! People have their different views on this, and the blame, politics, and everything else are all thrown at one another. I see the significance of both disasters, and I don’t exactly see the point of this argument, but I’m pretty sure that we can all agree both had devastating effects on the land, the people, the economy, etc.
P.S.: Paul, us “Americans”? Take a look around. That aspect is present in all people, one way or another. And though I may not know much about where you’re at, we get the hurricanes, the fires, etc.
NO one said that after a disaster there are consequences. Everything was caused naturally. In addition, nobody in the world it is protected from Mother Nature. It is not about race, money, comparison, and politics. It is about people (human being). Do not say that one was worse than the other one. You will not belief if it was worse than the other because you have to had lived both of them.
The wildfires are the equivalent of a minor hurricane, not a Katrina. The wildfire damage was awful, but the evacuation was no great trick. Suburbanites gassed up their SUVs and drove into the city where everything was okay. All of the San Diego metro area did not have to evacuate hundreds of miles inland. Hundreds of thousands of Louisianans and Mississippians boarded up their homes and evacuated far inland. The ten percent or so that remained did not just have a cross-town trip to a secure place. They had to deal with total destruction for hundreds square miles around, with no electricity, no water, impassable roads, etc. for weeks. Do not compare other disasters to Katrina. The Katrina aftermath was much worse than Andrew or Hugo or Camille or any earthquake or fire. Good luck California but stop taking make cheap shots at Louisiana.
Ok after reading ALL of the comments about this situation, it is truly sad to see just how ignorant some ppl remain about certain situations going on in our country. the corps were pulled off the levee job to go to Iraq…mistake number 1…fatal mistake…The fire in Cali was started by a child…a RESIDENT…it was on the news ppl…none of that matters…the RESPONSE…is what has everybody temper alittle flared. Anybody that watched the turmoil day after day of Hurricane Katrina can see the difference. Yea its true, no disaster is good or welcomed…but you expect certain treatment from your Government both local and federal when they occur. In N.O. both governments FAILED. We’re not trying to pick at old wounds, but they can easily blister open when you see so clearly the difference. The families in Cali were victims as well…nobody is doubting that, but they can and will rebuild. The ppl in N.O. have yet to do so. Some may be trying and they are catching hell trying to do so. Half the families were split up. They placed those ppl on buses and planes and sent them all over the U.S. Can you imagine being caught in a situation like that and on top of that…your family is split up? You’re put on a bus to God knows where with nothing? The ppl in Cali never had that fear. It was said that some of the ppl homes were only vacation homes…meaning they had another home to go too. Some of the things ppl are saying on here makes it seem like the ppl in N.O. are worthless ppl with no jobs. There were plenty of ppl with good jobs and homes and they lost everything. If you ask me, the government let down the ppl on N.O. along time ago. I just hope that they are all able to rebuild and continue with their lives…Cali ppl included. We are all humans. We are all citizens of this country and we all deserve fair and good treatment.
Dear Matt; well said. Your comparison was made necessary by the shocking and unconscionable lies being told by extremist Republicans. They are also the ones who refused to pay for many dozens of needed fire trucks so the fires in CA could have been fought, and for the personnel who could have fought them. They made the CA–NO comparison that so saddened all of us–realists like you and like me are only answering theirt lies. What is sadder is seeing Hurricane Katrina–not extremist postmoderist pseudo-religious republicans’ neglect of the levees in Mew Orleans blamed for the deaths and damage in that victimized city.
Remember whenever someone lies: for over 30 years, the defenses of New Orleans were neglected, underfunded and scientifically warped so that instead of a mile of land between the city and the sea, it was on the water; several other water projects by the Army Crops of Engineers including the misdesigned levees also made ths situation worse; the rather modest cost of fixinf what these blunders had caused was never paid. Moreover, the terrible damage was supposed to occur in that city inly if a Category four or five hurricane struck it– directly…Katrina was a Category three storm by the time it arrived there, and it missed the city. New Orleans was ruined and hundreds of thousands of persons’ lives were permanently disrupted and impoverished because of neocons’ unrealism, god-playing tsaristic government decision making and total neglect of scientific evidence, reasonable conduct and responsibility–all of which were very predominantly the characteristic unrealistic actions of members of a party of power-seeking liars and faslifiers of information and of those horribly failing to do their sworn job of protecting individuals–regardless of race creed or color–from any source of harm that it lay within ther powerrt to mitigate or contain. These incompetent infallibility-spouting unAmericans utterly faiked to do what they wee sworn and supposed to do. We in CA and those in New Orleans are all victims of a party whose imperial=preident worshiping adherents and dupes refuse to deal with that which is real and who prefer instead to believe in their own in the own myths, in their warped attitudes and in the ‘inevitability’ of what are self-evidently crimes of neglect and snon-science committed against indviduals citizens–against those who have no rights under their public interest scheming–at least none that motiuvate them to do anything that works. They are the guilty in both cases; and individidual citizens are the victims in both cases–that is the scientific truth.
Wow! are you people f**king insane you are comparing Hurricane Katrina to the San Diego wild fires this is the most ridiclous thing in not saying that the San Deigo wild fires are a terriable thing but the fires happen every year in the californa area. Hurricane Katrina is the worst worst thing that ever happen on american soil. the hurricane not only effected the poor citizens ( not refuges )they hopefully affected all of us or atleast msot of us. the govt or the lack of that this country is disgusting we have the money to go out to fight a war that we should not even be in but not have the money to save are own damn people i dont care if your black. white, brown, yellow,or purple, rich, poor,or middle class we are tax paying American Citizens and we should all be treated the same it should not matter are social class. the govt sure many or reacted to the Hurrican but it makes me a little suspcious that it took f**king 6 days were the govt reacted to the fires right away it is sad to say that the Hurricane was way worse way more devastating then the fires but since the people in San Diego had more money that was all the govt george bush whoever called about was not the people but the moeny and im sad to say it but that is what this country is about the MONEY!!!!!!!!!
You can agree with what i am going to say or you can disagree i honestly do not care but besides the fact. I believe that in both cases the people of the towns new what was going on and they should have evacuated. More towards New Orleans because they were notified that it was going to be a horible hurricane and i think you would have to be really stupid to stay and think that the storm would pass over. I know some people didnt want to leave because it was there home, but, its your life. So you need to ask yourself that question of what you care about most. It seems that if you were wealthy you got out faster and it prolly was the truth but you cant sit there and blame government for it after the hurricane or fires because you were first told to evacuate. But regardless you cant really should try to forgot about it, because the past is the past. And although most people wont forget both tragedies you need to let it go and look at your future and look what is best for you.
I AGRRE THAT THE RESPONSE IN NEW ORLEANS WAS BASED ON CLASS BECAUSE THEY WENT TO THE RICH PEOPLE’S HOMES FIRST AND THEN TO THE POOR COMMUNITIES.BUT IF THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS KNEW THAT HURRICANE KATRINA WAS COMING,THEY SHOULD OF GOT OUT.BUT IT WAS ALSO THE GOVERNOR AND STATE OFFICIALS FAULT FOR NOT ASKING FOR HELP AND WAITING FOR DAYS.MEANWHILE,THATS WHAT LEAD THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS TO START STEALING MERCHANDISE THAT THEY NEEDED IN WALMART.
HOWEVER,I DON’T GET WHY PEOPLE SAY THIS WAS WRONG BECAUSE IT REALLY WASN’T AND YOU CAN’T BE SAYING THIS IF YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS AND YOU DON’T KNOW KNOW HOW THE PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS FELT.
SO,YOU NEED TO PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES.THEY HAD 6 FEET OF WATER OVER THEM AND THEY HAD NO ELECTRICITY AND THERE WAS OLD PEOPLE THAT NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION BUT THEY NEVER GOT IT BECAUSE THERE WASN’T ANY. WHY DOES OUR PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH SPEND MILLION OF DOLLARS ON THE WAR AND NOT SEND MONEY TO NEW ORLEANS SO IT CAN BE REBUILD.WHEN THE PRESIDENT SAW THAT ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING HE SHOULD OF REACTED RIGHT AWAY INSTEAD OF WAITING TO BE ASKED.
In response to the last three comments, I believe this is a class issue. Yea maybe we shouldn’t be complaining to the response time of the federal government, but we should take a look at it. Why are people in California already getting their houses rebuilt while the people of New Orleans are still sitting there suffering. Is it becasue they are richer and more well off? Maybe the government learned from their mistakes, butI doubt that they did because if they truly did then they would not fake a press conference. And for all those that say that the true animal resides in the white house well it does not, there is no animal in this situation the ISSUE is FEMA who took longer to respond to New Orleans, why who knows. But it has nothing to do with race it has to do with class, for all those that disagree then I really dont care. But California(mainly rich or well off to be politically corect) and New Orleans(middle class and poverty) who would recieve the most attention. All I have to say is that we need to re-evaluate us as individuals and as a country. We should be there for all, it should not take longer for one class of citizens than it should for another. We are all one and need to act as one. With that said I do believe that we should not complain and just help eachother out and move on. I know it cotradicts myself, but seriously we cannot dwell on this forever, we must learn from it, not fake a press conference. We cannot forget though what has happened we must remeber and take this issue to improve our federal system. My heart goes out to all those that were affected.
P.S I dont see how we can have money for a war and not any to help people rebuild. But we can help Californians waive fees so that they can rebuild faster, while peolple in New Orleans are still homeless and struggling? Just a thought!
THE RESONSE OF NEW ORLEANS IS PROBALY ONE OF THE SADDEST THINGS THAT HAPPENED. THE GOVERMENT IS SOMTHING THAT US AS AMERICANS RELY ON TO SAVE AND PORTECT US FROM DISASTERS. THE GOVERMENT OFFICALS OF NEW ORLEANS WERE INFORMES THAT THIS HURRICANE WAS GOING TO BE THE WORST EVER, YET THE MAYOR DID NOTHING TO TRY TO EVACUATE THE PEOPLE WHO COULDNT AFFORD TO MOVE SOMEWHERE SAFE. I MEAN DID HE HONSTLY THINK THAT EVERYONE COULD AFFORD TO PICK UP AND RELOCATE?? IN THE FIRE OF CALIFORNIA IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THEY RECEIVED ATTENTION AND HELP ASAP. WHILE IN NEW ORLEANS IT TOOK THEM DAYS TO RESPOND. I FEEL THAT THE SADDEST PART IS THAT WHILE WE ARE BUSY ALREADY TRYING TO REBUILD CALFORNIA, THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE SUFFERING IN NEW ORLEANS WITH NO WHERE TO GO. BUT TO BE HONEST WHO ARE THEY GOING TO HELP FIRST, THE POOR PEOPLE OR THE WEALITHER STATE WHICH ALREADY GETS A LOT OF PUBLICITY? I THINK THAT IT ALL JUST REVOLVES AROUND THE CLASS THAT YOU FALL UNDER, ITS SAD BUT ITS THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS. I FEEL THAT THERE IS NOT JUST ONE PERSON TO BLAME,( I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY POEPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BLAME THIS ON BUSH..OF COURSE) BUT ITS SOMTHING THAT WE UNFORTUNELY LEARN FROM AND GROW AS A COUNTRY.
most of these comments are true about both sides. true the help to New Orleans could have way better. i ask those that were affected to please think would u want another person to go through that pain and the many things that will haunt you for the rest of your life. as Americans we have to help each other and not depend on the government because they obviously can’t do it alone we are a nation. we are supposed to help each other in any way possible. how are we supposed to be changing other nations when we have bigger problems in our backyard. i mean seriously look the the past seven years look what our country was put through and all some people can do is sit there point a finger and complain about the way that certain things were handled. if so many people can sit there and complain and judge i don’t understand why more people aren’t doing something about it. we are a nation a nation that has to be supported by all that are in it. i feel terribly for all those who have been affected any which way possible by these disasters but i ask of them think if we don’t help and try and fix the problems now that means we are going to go downhill we need to build and grow from every thing that challenges us. we are a strong nation and if we pull together in these times of need. i for one believe this will be a much more pleasant place to live
I would like it to be known before reading this that I am neither a victim of Katrina nor California, but have my own opinions upon investigating these situations through the news.
Race, income, and geographical location should not be a factor in today’s society when dealing with the lives of others. Equality is what this country is known for, but it is evident that we don’t practice what we preach. Any life is significant, and we can not afford, as a country, to let these national disasters destroy our well built cities. FEMA, an organization who takes care of natural disasters, is in charge of approaching the city and evacuating people to a safe location until conditions are suitable for the people to live in once again. I find it unsuitable for them to respond at their own leisure when people’s lives are at stake- that’s ridiculous! Taking six days after Katrina before entering the state of Louisiana, what hope did that give the people, what do you think their chances of survival felt like? The California people were evacuated by FEMA just one day after the blaze – and the chances of controlling the wildfire were much grater than that of an unpredictable hurricane. The responsibility was to FEMA, they were in charge of making sure the victims were taken care to the best of their ability – and they couldn’t even do that. The pathetic meals, clothes, and living conditions Katrina victims were forced to live in were inappropriate and repulsive, and the government should have tried just a little harder to make their lives easier knowing their whole lives were just demolished by a hurricane and will never be the same. The wild fire victims were moved to an evacuation center that was prepared for them in advance for such an emergency – I guess to receive treatment better than an animal you must have a lot of money… It comes down to one thing, equality amongst the people, and until this nation finds a leader who actually believes in and reacts to the situation, we can expect this to happen in the future. I leave this with one final thought… In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., a very dignified man,
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
Maybe one day this nation will heed his advice, and not abolish men who try to make this country a better place.
I find it interesting that people comment on the few people that didn’t evacuate for Hurricane Katrina and how they acted. Most of us did leave. I left when they said for sure the storm was coming our way. And we did not have days, we had about 36 hours. Before that, they thought it was going to hit Florida again. So we weren’t 100% prepared and we didn’t have days and days of warning. We had already evaculated 2 times before that year, it’s not like you leave your stuff packed by the front door when it is time to go – you have to pack and get everything together.
Regardless, we left and took whatever we could fit in our car. I had a job, owned a home, paid my bills, had full insurance, was a good law-abiding citizen, but my life was destroyed anyway. My home flooded and I didn’t received any SBA loans or FEMA assistance (other than the first emergancy amount that everyone received) because I did have insurance.
The insurance company and my mortgage holder didn’t want to pay out the insurance money and I had to file a lawsuit to get it. I didn’t receive ANY money – insurance or otherwise – until May. In then meantime, I had no place to live because my friends’, neighbors’s, and family’s homes had all flooded as well. The FEMA trailer I was promised and qualified for wasn’t ready until April. Where was I supposed to live from August until April with a child and another on the way! Plus, both my husband and I lost our jobs because the businesses flooded and his wasn’t available again until January. Mine didn’t get repaired until late March. What was I supposed to do for income between August and March? There were no neighbors to give us donations of clothing because they lost all of their stuff too.
I did everything I was “supposed” to do but I was still completely left flying in the wind. Thankfully, a family friend lent us the money to purchase a used 5th wheel trailer we put on our property and we began doing the cleanup and demolition work ourselved. We started our own business cleaning up debris from people’s yards for income. It took almost two years to get our home repaired completely. It has been almost three years since the storm and we are still struggling financially (and emotionally) and are still in litigation with the insurance company for the remainder of the insurance moeny. Road Home didn’t apply to our situation. We did “pull ourselves up by the bootstraps” as did many other people I know. And it has been really hard. The majority of people down here haven’t been waiting around for a handout – that is just what gets media attention. But tell me, with no home, no job, no government assistance… what would you have done? We had savings but it was two months worth (as recommended) and it was three weeks before we were even allowed to come see the damage to our home. That money was quickly gone. So, those who sit there and judge – what would you have done – would you have made it through? Our home was also looted while we waited to return adding to our financial loss. Would you have stayed?
Personally, we are moving out of state next month, I can’t go through it again. And now I see those poor people in California and the flooding in the MidWest… unless you have lived through a disaster where you lost everything or near everything – you have no right to comment on how others act in those situations. The mental and emotional toll this has taken on my family hasn’t healed to this day three years later. You have no idea until you live it and I wish to God that you never have to personally go through what we did down in Lousiana or what they are going through in California or the flooding in the midwest. Don’t you judge, don’t you dare judge.
I live in Cali & Katrina was nothing compared to what happened in Cali!