Aftermath

So Katrina certainly took its toll on Louisiana and New Orleans last night. There were apparently thousands huddled in the Superdome for shelter. But even the superdome, in all of its 1980's concrete glory couldn't stand up to Katrina. Big chunks of the roof apparently flew off. I found most of these pictures from NOLA.com. No word yet from the first year medicine resident I mentioned in the previous entry, but I received this email from a 4th year med student at Tulane who was no where near the hurricane. Still, I thought he sent a hilarious email, though many of his emails are:

"Actually there was a mandatory evacuation of the city and I went with some friends of mine to atlanta (I've spent the evening sitting in a hottub drinking margaritas). Apparently 80% of the city left. My roommate, who stayed ( he decided that since he had a
dog, the extra large pack of nutterbutters and a hunting rifle that he was prepared for staying) , is an idiot but I am secretly jealous of, since he has earned bragging rights for staying in NOLA during the worst hurricane in a decade. He's told me that the streets are full of water and there are a bunch of old uprooted oaks in some of the nicer neighborhoods. The poorer neighborhoods are underwater (some of the levys were breached) as are a bunch of the suburbs and a good chunk of the gulf coast MS and AL. They say that parts of the city will be without power for two months, and you have to boil the water before drinking it. I'm going to try to get back on wed, if the roads are OK and NOLA itself is clear enough of trees to drive around. I figure going without electricty or water for a few days will be like camping."

So, now its back to following things here in South Africa. Sorry to deviate from what this weblog is really supposed to be about, but I am a little obssessed with hurricanes and storms, especially since I have moved to Galveston. More exciting news like "What my New Apartment Looks Like" will undoubtedly top any story generated by a category 5 hurricane striking the most vulnerable city on the Gulf Coast.