The Wake-up Call

In 2005 our country suffered an unprecedented disaster; a massive and devastating hurricane striking a highly populated area along the Gulf Coast.   This catastrophe, known as Hurricane Katrina, stands as the largest natural disaster in America’s history and is one of the top five deadliest.  Despite weeks of tracking, several days of advance warnings, countless emergency and contingency plans,  untold millions in federal and state assistance and technological capabilities unimagined in previous generations at least 1,836 people lost their lives in the hurricane itself and the subsequent floods.  When the hurricane finally moved away, the stranded residents took to the streets in search of food, water, and other essential items. 

 

A nation, indeed the entire world, watched in horror as hour-by-hour the situation became increasingly desperate and reports of looting, carjackings, murders, thefts, shootings and rapes poured in.  With nowhere to go, those that survived soon joined the ranks of over one million Katrina refugees.  While Louisiana and Mississippi suffered the brunt of the devastation, over half of the fifty states suffered economic and social consequences due to the subsequent refugee migration, a migration that represented the largest dislocation of population in 150 years[1], with people having little or no resources dispersed over 28 states and completely dependent on handouts from the governmental and charitable organizations, relatives, friends and the kindness of strangers.

 

Since the time of that horrible event, federal, state and local authorities, community planners, emergency event coordinators and various other groups continue to study what happened during Hurricane Katrina and how they might avert a repeat performance.  Untold millions have been spent in the process.  The conclusion?  For all practical purposes, citizen preparedness is non-existent in our nation today.

Hurricane Katrina should stand as a large flashing warning sign to every American that, regardless of the relative ease at which our basic necessities are available at this present moment, in the event of a disaster every citizen is truly on their own. 

 

 So what do you do? 

 

This sight exists to help you understand precisely what you should do.  This isn’t alarmist, or extremist.  This is just prudence and common sense.  This is about being provident.  I am going to show you that your own Federal government expects you to do this.

 

 

 

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[1] Wikipedia – “Hurricane Katrina”; Christian Science Monitor 9/12/2005 – “The great Katrina migration”