Katrina - The Aftermath

Looking at some of the blogs about Hurricane Katrina and life in New Orleans, it does appear that the authorities have dismally failed their citizens, leaving people to fend / fight for themselves, in many cases leaving people fighting for their lives without much success. Government at all levels has failed, locally and nationally and the mayor of New Orleans must take as much criticism as any other authority figure including Bush. Michael Moore has pitched in with a cynical open letter to Bush, which isn't really helpful as the time for mud slinging is not yet - soon but not yet. Now is the time for helping the survivors get their lives back together and help them to rebuild their communities. This will inevitably take a long time, but it's a job that has to start and it will need a huge commitment from all the players. What this job doesn't need is political point scoring.

What is clear from the blogs I've been reading is that the Salvation Army and the Red Cross are doing some brilliant stuff reaching out to the victims, providing food, clothing etc. The consensus appears to be that if you want to help financially, give to these two charities as the money will end up where it is needed.

Anyway, that's enough of my ranting. Below are some photos lifted from various blogs. Some of these photos are truly shocking but they show the reality of daily life for the citizens of New Orleans. If you're of a sensitive disposition, don't scroll down!

HELP written in the road, did it arrive in time?


Residents face new challenges by the day: fires, no water pressure; floating oil and leaking gas.


Many people had to abandon their pets as the fled New Orleans


This is horrific, but as the number of deaths is realised, more and more bodies will be found in such circumstances.


I'm going to see if I can find a church link in New Orleans so that we can post relevant prayer topics and items of praise. In the meantime, please pray that through this tragedy God's name be glorified. Pray for the destitute and the desperate, clearly 'men' are unable to provide practical answers and solutions, whereas the living God can more than meet those needs, pray that the needy would come to the point of acknowledging God as their saviour.