SwimFinsSF

Katrina aftermath

Watching the news this week has been absolutely surreal. We spent last weekend in Houston and flew out as people were coming into Houston to get out of the hurricane’s path but I had NO CONCEPT of what was to come. There were no real signs in Houston that anything major was going on as I flew out and I guess I kind of assumed that people were just gonna hang out in town for a bit so they didn’t get wet and in case windows blew out or water came in. Now watching what actually is going on there is breaking my heart and has me really embarrassed for trivializing the potential damage in my mind. I had no concept of just how powerful a storm a Class 4 hurricane is or how vulnerable New Orleans and the surrounding parts of Mississippi and Alabama were. I know what a magnitude 7 earthquake is vs a Magnitude 6 but I have no frame of reference for hurricanes..

This is another one of those surreal events where I feel kind of at a loss as to what to do to help.. I heard of people hanging out on a dock on the coast of Louisiana waiting for a ferry to take them to shelter and the ferry sitting idle because there was no captain for the boat - but I can’t drive a ship. There are people without power and water in their houses - but I can’t fix power-plants or pumps. There are people without access to phones to tell their loved ones they’re alive - but I can’t fix downed cell towers or phone lines.. And there are people without food, water, and basic needs.. But that I can help out with and did and it was as easy as going to the iTunes music store and clicking donate - and 100% goes to the Red Cross…

As always the american red cross is accepting donations to help and thats at least a little something that I hope can help.. not much but something - and working with the red cross in the past I know for a fact that it has a very real impact and will help people… So if anyone else wants to help, and I really hope you do, you can donate on the American Red Cross web site or even via iTunes… and for those of you who would like to give to someone other than the red cross here is a partial list of other Relief Organizations and services that you can choose from.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone down there and wish I could do more to help…