In yesterday’s edition of For Immediate Release: The Hobson & Holtz Report, Shel and I had some discussion about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the role blogs are playing.
Today the situation in New Orleans in particular is looking even worse than yesterday. This is simply horrific to see such a breakdown in society like this.
But there are more positive things going on than the TV news might lead you to believe. To focus for a minute on just three examples of goodness happening:
- Hugh McLeod has set up the Hurricane Katrina Help Page wiki in collaboration with the Slidell Hurricane Damage Blog. A great gesture from Hugh and Brian Oberkirch.
- The IABC Cafe is acting as a conduit and focal point for news and information about communicators in the whole area affected by the hurricane.
- Kaye Tramell created Kaye’s Hurricane Katrina Blog in which she chronicled her experience during the past week from where she lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Kaye’s writings provide some keen insight into the thoughts and emotions of one person which I think would provide some comfort to others as well.
If you’d like to donate anything to help the victims, go to the American Red Cross. And thanks to Six Apart for providing and hosting the Red Cross donation graphic.
Thanks for linking to my hurricane blog. I thought that it would be over when the winds died down. Not so.
It is true that it really could be just beginning, especially as Baton Rouge has been turned into a major hub for the relief efforts.
Given your interest in public relations, you might be interested in the Washington Post op-ed I wrote for today’s paper: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/02/AR2005090202120.html. At the end I touch on some of the comments from Rex & Josh H. that really seem to have come to head during this crisis.
Kaye, that’s a great article (which I eventually got to after jumping the hurdles that the Washington Post has in place re site registration).
I fear that, while we’ve seen images on our TVs and read texts online that paint a picture of a living hell in New Orleans, this is just the start of further living hell for many people, both the displaced and those in the places where the displaced have been taken to.
I’m still following your personal writings on the hurricane blog. Terrific writing, Kaye.
Google provides satellite imagery of Hurricane Katrina aftermath
Google Maps now provides you with an overlay to give you a before and after picture of areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, such as New Orleans(click on the red Katrina Button). Google Earth also has a page which allows you to take a look at H…