Pictures of Evacuees Rescued from the Gulfcoast and New Orleans

I wanted to see for myself some of the faces of the victims of the storm. I needed to humanize this event. The pictures I chose below are in an archive on the Times Picayune website that has been carrying extensive updates for the past few days and for which I've been grateful to have some idea of what is going on in my former hometown. Some of these are quite graphic, but I wanted Ample Ramblings viewers to understand that these are real people with real challenges. Not everyone survived.

It is apparent to everyone that something went wrong with this emergency plan. It is apparent that something needs to be done in the future. It is apparent that any plan needs to include a better understanding of the needs of persons facing disabilities, chronic illnessses and poverty. It is also clearer to me why understanding travel as integral part of a community and its economy is important.

This is the cost of stigma.



Here is the caption for this photo:

"With IV attachments dangling from her arm, Chrons disease patient Julianna Hammond sits outside East Jeff Hospital after her medicine ran out. She strokes the head of a stray dog she has taken in and named Katie after Hurricane Katrina. 9.3.05"

I lived in New Orleans for eight years, including eight long summers. The heat and humidity are stiffling. There is no relief outside of air conditioning and lots of water. Those were missing after the storm. Go sit in a steam sauna for five days and you might get an idea of what these people were living through.



Among the most vulnerable were nursing home residents. I'm still not clear why they were not moved before the storm came instead of several days after.