A look back on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the dawn of Hurricane Gustav. link

ChezNiki reports on a meeting in Roxbury about the last days of the last Katrina evacuees at Camp Edwards:

... Families separated, no privacy, no continuity of care, untreated depression and high stress, filth, open disrespect from the Base and State police. Additionally, Evacuees were only allowed to take two bags off the base and forced to leave items behind. Some were sent to Taunton during the time that the Whittendon Dam was about the break. Some have been offered jobs on the Cape at lower than the normal going rate; many of the women have been steered into Domestic work. But the most heartbreaking stories were about the evacuees who asked, "What took you (the Black community) so long?" and "Where were you?" People in attendance at the meeting on Wednesday were literally crying. ...

She also reports a bizarre confrontation after the meeting with Sen. Dianne Wilkerson's chief of staff about what she's posting on her blog.

The Herald is aghast that people of legal age are spending money on legal products and services. Will we learn tomorrow that Katrina evacuees have been photographed buying condoms and copies of Playboy?

Yeah, yeah, they were spotted drinking in public, and gosh, that's illegal here in Massachusetts and the locals would never, ever do that (plus, as the story notes, way at the bottom: "Falmouth police Chief David Cusolita said police cracked down on public drinking at the Wal-Mart after complaints last month but he reported no recent incidents").

Rob, however, finds the evacuees' actions truly absurd!!! and adds:

You know, there is NO reason why Katrina victims should be shipped all the way to Massachusetts for temporary housing except that it has politicians with Presidential aspirations who want to fawn over them. What stupidity ...

The Unchosen One is a bit more sympathetic:

... OK, I can't condone their actions, but I can't really condemn them either. These people lost everything. No houses, no clothes, sometimes no family, no jobs, nothing to do all day. I say let the poor bastards spend a few weeks wallowing. ...

My standard newspaper disclosure.

Paul watches slackjawed as CNN has somebody try to stand in a wind tunnel at 111 m.p.h. as part of its live, continuing coverage of Tropical Storm Rita:

... For some unknown reason the cable news networks adopted a policy that once NOAA indentifies a hurricane they will devote every single broadcast minute tracking it until it makes landfall. Unless something really important happens like a plane landing safely at an airport. ...

Before Katrina, Michael was a law student in New Orleans. Now he finds himself in Boston, sharing a new apartment in Brighton with girlfriend (and fellow Katrina survivor) Sarah and attending BU Law School:

... Honestly, all things considered, life is good. I'm happy living with Sarah, attending a great law school, am able to work out, and now live in a tremendous city. As long as my student loans come through, I can squeak through on that account too. Plus, so many people have been generous already, sending clothes or money to help us through this difficult time. I am very thankful for all of that.

Nonetheless, many things are just difficult. Starting all over has sucked, as has leaving behind everything you own. As soon as Mayor Nagin said we could return to New Orleans, Sarah and I booked tickets back to salvage her damaged apartment and hopefully to store things in mine, which we hoped at the very least would secure our peace of mind. And allow us to return with some winter clothes. But now this new hurricane is creating problems, and wouldn't you know it, we're supposed to fly through Houston.
...

Sarah is also blogging:

... Cried a lot, then had a drink, or three. Then I woke up at 5:00 AM after a dream in which Bry and I were on top of a building and there was a tidal wave coming and we were about to wash away. Stared at the ceiling some. Didn't sleep.

Somebody tell me what to do. I cannot let it go, if there's a chance I can save it.

Earlier, I expressed some optimism that were Boston to be faced with a Katrina- or Rita-like impending disaster, we could evacuate the city. After all, City Hall has A Plan (charmingly dubbed Exodus), and never mind that the state officials who would have to re-configure state highways to get us all out haven't even read it.

Recent events, however, make one wonder.

Dennis wonders why Brookline schools aren't doing more to discuss Katrina with students:

... When my daughter was in fourth grade, she too looked up nervously at jets overhead, asking which one might crash into Brookline. This year she watches Katrina's devastation, asking, as she did four years ago, "How could this happen?" The tragedies of Manhattan and New Orleans - more visually and emotionally powerful than the mere threat of disaster that assaulted my generation - and the endless War on Terrorism's escalation of fear of The Other will form the backdrop of her generation's memories of childhood and adolescence. The inevitable anxieties are certain to play themselves out in decades to come.

In response to this changed world confronting our children, our schools should be expanding coverage of intense events. This is no time to stick to a pre-packaged curriculum. ...

Peter has the details on the New Blue Cross 2005 Benefit for Louisiana Blues Community Relief, a 12-hour benefit marathon featuring blues musicians from Louisiana and Boston on Oct. 9 at Shooters/Club 58 in Quincy.

Jay writes some alternative history:

... Menotomy Minutemen! Where do you think you're going? Who authorized you to defend that village against Redcoats? It's not even on the map. It says here "Arlington." You haven't even filled out a Sparsely Populated Urban Warfare AQ-207-1 form!!! Get back to the stonewall!

This Sunday, September 18, Otto's Angels will collect items to be sent directly to refugee families in Louisiana.

The collection will take place from 9am to 3pm at Marty's Furniture, 99 Washington Street in Melrose (1/2 mile from the Oak Grove T station). They need donations of common household goods (toiletries, newly purchased underwear, bed linens, baby items -- see below for a full list). They also need volunteers that day to help collect and sort the donations.

For more information, read the message below from Stephanie Wilson, who directs Otto's Angels.