I don't have anything original to say in the face of the series of disasters the people of the gulf coast are dealing with, but I've been reading a lot of good stuff out in greater blogistan that I can point you to if you're not already overwhelmed.
First off, if you want to do something to help, money to the Red Cross seems to be one of the better options. Check if your employer will match your donation like mine did.
One of the disasters in the chain has been the complete lack of a command structure in the aid response. Jim MacDonald over at Making Light shows that it isn't that we don't know how to do it, it's that we chose not to.
Making Light is a blog written by editors and they've been busy doing what good editors do: highlighting the good stuff so you don't have to read slush. Their main Katrina post is a good example, but everything they've posted since before the hurricane hit is worth a look. And it's one site where reading the comments is nearly essential.
UK science fiction writer Charlie Stross has some sobering musings about the potential global economic impact of shutting down one of the world's most active ports for the forseeable future.
Finally, if nothing else, this mess should bring home the importance of your own personal disaster preparedness plan. Because no matter where you are, there will be a disaster near you some time. Making Light has you covered again with Uncle Jim's excellent guide to assembling a "go bag". This is one of my projects for this weekend.
Posted by jeffy at September 3, 2005 01:35 AM