The Worst is Over?

In some sense the worst seems to be over in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Over the weekend tens of thousands of National Guardsmen and active duty troops deployed in the disaster area. As a result the security situation seems to be much better. The Superdome and the Convention Center were cleared out and rescuers say that most houses in New Orleans have been checked for survivors, with many thousands rescued. Unfortunately some people are refusing to be rescued, a rather mind boggling refusal that to me brings into question the mental competence of most of these people. They've been through a terrible trauma and they may not be thinking right.

So perhaps the worst has passed and focus can start shifting to the long recovery process. In another sense though, the worst for many people is yet to come. Soon the retrieval of the bodies will be a priority. They expect to find thousands, maybe over ten thousand. We just don't know yet. The full horror of what went on at the Convention Center is also starting to come to light. This story includes an account from a national guardsmen who entered the Center on Monday. It's not for the faint of heart. People were beaten. People were raped. People were brutally murdered.

CNN's hurricane coverage today
They've also got a special section on how to help through donations and volunteering, how to get help, etc.