This one didn’t turn out to be quite as bad as we thought. A lot of us are still a little shaken after Katrina, and thank goodness, we did seem to learn some lessons from that. The losses were not nearly so great this time.

But there is damage. There is always some damage after a large storm. Many people are without power, running water, etc. in South Louisiana and the Mississippi coast. The claims people from all the major insurance carriers are out, and the utility companies are working hard. If you’d like to help in some material way, the best thing you can offer is not necessarily money. After Katrina, many churches and other civic organizations came down with trucks full of food, water, clothes, and furniture. These things were priceless to those of us who went through that storm, and I’m sure they would be to the wind blown people in the hardest hit areas this time too.

If you live near one of the shelters, you might ask if they need anything. Often certain items get neglected in panicked packing, and some people will have forgotten to bring their toothbrushes, enough clean underwear, pet toys and food, books, games, magazines, etc. If you happen to have some of these small things around, there are people who could use them. If a church or other organization in your area is planning on making a run to bring clothes, etc. consider cleaning out your closet. Some shapelings might find their donations particularly welcome. I understand they tore through piles of plus sized women’s clothing after Katrina on the coast.

I was fortunate this time that the storm did nothing more than knock down a few tree branches in my city. And knowing I can afford to buy more if there’s another hurricane, I plan to send a few cases of bottled water, some batteries, and some food items from my own hurricane stash to the shelter just outside town. Big thanks to anyone else who does the same. I remember how being able to brush my teeth and change my clothes after a week of Katrina aftermath felt life changing, and I hope we can do that for someone else.

I apologize, Kate, for the word “hysterical”. Since I would never say or even imply anything like “death by hurricane” should be a consequence faced by an illegal immigrant, I felt your reaction was excessive. Perhaps I should have used the word “dramatic” instead.

I jumped the gun based on hearsay, and I’m very happy to be wrong on this one.

Because, frankly, if that happened here and I couldn’t take my dog, the gov’t would essentially be responsible for my death as I would stay wherever Zelda was.

I agree that some of the fear is due to lack of information in their native tongue, but I’m sure the general sentiment post-9/11 adds to it. Also, in my state, whenever law enforcement arrests someone for a felony or DWI and has reason to believe the arrestee is an illegal alien, they are legally bound to report it to I.C.E. This directive came about last summer after an illegal alien who should have remained incarcerated on already-pending serious charges (and would have, had he had an I.C.E. detainer) somehow was allowed to make bail…and then he shot 4 teenagers execution style on a playground.

I can’t say I support illegal immigration – we waited 10 years to come here legally – but I certainly understand what motivates people to do it. In my experience, most people come here just to work and send money home to their families; they want nothing other than just to live their lives. However, if you come here and kill people, molest children, assault people, etc, then I have no problem with deportation. I just completed a training at work led by the Supervisory Deportation Officer of the local I.C.E. office regarding the aforementioned directive, and that is apparently their stance as well. Their resources are limited – they’re not concerned about the folk who are just living their lives and not harming anyone, just the criminals.

Given what I’ve seen in the documents, you couldn’t pay me enough to live in Louisiana. Not only has the state really not learned anything, they’re still massively unprepared (although to be fair they’re getting better). What’s worse is that [government officials] have a staggering contempt for the residents of their own state. Some of them are convinced that the ONLY reason people didn’t evacuate in Katrina was that they were afraid they’d lose their valuables, and that the ONLY reason campers/trailers/etc. were clogging up the evacuation routes was that people wouldn’t want to lose “second cars and recreation vehicles.” Not because, you know, people knew they’d be LIVING out of those vehicles until they could return home.

I would not want these people in charge of my safety.

Also, there have been many, many people with serious medical needs (e.g. dialysis).

I also am confused about the disconnect between what my experience at work has been and the CNN article. I am absolutely not saying that some of those things aren’t happening, it just seems very different than what I have been seeing.

RE: the undocumented immigrant issue. In my experience working with immigrants, even when government agencies do have the best of intentions and nobody would be in danger of deportation, there is not necessarily a way for the immigrant community to know this outside of experience. I often have to make it clear up front that I am not ICE and have nothing to do with ICE and will not report anyone. I have observed a lot of fear in the immigrant community (particularly the non-English speaking community) often fueled by lack of information in the community’s language.