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September 1, 2005

Personal Note on Hurricane Katrina

I have never mentioned it on this blog, but I grew up in a small town in Mississippi outside Jackson.

I only bring it up now to say to my personal friends who read my blog that my parents are fine. They lost power, which is par for the course, and are now headed to Nashville for a few days.

On an editorial note, I'm inclined to agree with the talk shows that the government response is disgraceful. New Orleans is now an amphibious environment. An Amphibious Readiness Group should be dispatched immediately, as it will have the amphibious vehicles and shipping availble to make an impact on law and order on the ground. I don't know where they are now . . . the East coast MEU could be in the Med somewhere . . . but of all the capabilities of the US military, an ARG is most needed now.

On another note: what are the odds? On Sunday I finished an old cold-war novel of nuclear holocaust, "Alas, Babylon," which tells the story of a small town in Florida which struggles to survive a nuclear exchange between the US and the Commies. And the next day, New Orleans itself became "Babylon." Downright eerie.

UPDATE: I may have been incorrect about the presence of an ARG. It appears one is there now. Forgive me for being overworked and underinformed. An ARG will make a huge difference as it can serve as a hospital or two, can make lots of water, can service helicopters, and can do all manner of things from an amphibious standpoint that other capabilities can't. Good news that it is there.

A look back at the handling of the human suffering caused by Hurricane Andrew in the 1990s may provide some insight into what steps will be taken in the coming days as to relief efforts.

Posted by Chester at September 1, 2005 10:48 PM