| JMII |
| (Weather Master) |
| Tue Aug 30 2005 02:11 PM |
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Re: Katrina Aftermath
|
Quote:
Plus I made the mistake of going to a friend's house and looking at the network TV news. We switched between ABC, CBS, and NBC, and guess what the hurricane was about? The superdome roof, two feet of flooding in the French Quarter, and the cost of your gasoline is going to go up. I was so shocked. I thought, this terrible, terrible thing has happened and no one in the country has any idea because it is invisible to the media. Then we turned on the public television channel and it was a thoughtful interview with the MEMA director (MS's EMA), Frank Latham I think, and it made my day to hear him say that as soon as the winds died down enough that it was possible, search and rescue operations would start. Just knowing that made me feel so much better.
The same thing happened during Andrew down here in southern FL. The national media coverage is not very good in situations like this because they don't have the local knowledge to understand what they are seeing. They are not familar with the roads, the bridges, the buildings and neighborhoods like people that live and work in the area are. In situations like this you need street by street infomation and the only place your going to get that is from the local media sources. Last night people were calling CNN and asking about returning to their homes in this parish or that parish and reporters on the scene had no idea what area they were talking about. They only know the big names: French Quarter, Burbon Street, Casinos river boats... ect.
The level of reporting will only go down from here. After they get the main story out, show the worst damage and some individual human intrests stories they will go back to "regular" news as people in the rest of the country can't relate to what has happend and will (sadly) grow tired of the story. However WE all know those gulf coast residents will be suffering for MONTHS to come during the clean up and rebuilding stages. Still today some 13 years later there are places where Andrew hit that show the scars.
Some people do understand what you are going thru... and you will be OK, hang in there help is on the way. My donation went the Red Cross last night and urge others to do the same.