RANDOM THOUGHTS ON KATRINA

This was a huge catastrophic storm!
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Living in the gulf coast area of Texas, we are familiar with storm warnings. When a storm hits the gulf, we become magnetized to the Weather Channel. We know the stages well - disturbance, depression, tropical storm, Category 1,2,3,4,5. "Getting organized" is one of the most interesting descriptions when there is a disturbance. It is as if there is a committee meeting out in the gulf to determine if they want to come together to form a tropical storm. Then if the meeting really went well, the storm becomes a hurricane.

Everyone in the gulf knew that Katrina was coming. When she went through Florida, the meteroligists began alerting Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle. Then they took Texas and the Florida panhandle out of the picture. People had enough time to get out of Katrina's path, they just didn't have enough belief.

Another common theme in the hurricane reporting business is the temperature of the water. The Gulf of Mexico waters were 85 + degrees. Warm water is the fuel of the hurricane. Katrina was fueled with high octane salt water with temperatures as high as 90 degrees.

Because of Hurricane Andrews anniversary, there have been quite a few reports and documentaries on the worst hurricane to ever hit America. One of the programs had a segment on a scenario of what would happen if a Category 5 or a lesser powered storm with a huge amount of water (like tropical storm Allison which hit Houston a few years ago) hit New Orleans. The prophecy came true. We had all the facts, but not enough people believed.

When New Orleans realized the hurricane was coming, many of them waited to the last minute. By the way, if a category 5 hit the southeast Texas area, I would be one of the ones on top of my house praying for a helicopter, or floating in a boat towards Brenham (north). Phyllis would be safely with her parents in Dallas. She has wanted to leave in the past when a tropical storm was close. The bottom line is that they really didn't have a plan. They didn't believe the flood was coming, so why build an ark.

By nature, we are risk takers. Some of us more than others. How many times have you heard, "I didn't think it was going to happen to me." Louisiana has been gambling, since their last major hurricane, that they would be all right. Before the hurricanes hit, I watched people being interviewed in the French Quarter, with the leadership of Jack Daniels, telling reporters that New Orleans was going to be spared. At the same time you had people like Jim Cantori on The Weather channel pleading for the evacuation of the people on the coast of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

It is incredibly sad what is happening. My heart aches for the hundreds of thousands stranded. Like cities all over the south, Houston, and the town I reside, Katy, is becoming a place of refuge. It is also sad that New Orleans is bringing with it so much lawlessness. Refugees around the Astrodome are already breaking into cars, houses, and trying to scam people according to to a friend of mine who is a Houston policeman.

You may be thinking, "David, you don't understand. These people are victims." Victims yes, but these are victims who need God. Regardless of the theological, philosophical, or the ontology of the hurricane -- these people need God! There is hope.

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Al Sharpton, please stay home unless you want to help without becoming part of the story. Houston has many authentic spiritual leaders who have already opened their doors to the refugees. Christians all over the greater Houston area are opening there homes and there church buildings.

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We are living in an era of "symbolism over substance." Some politicians, especially since the early 80's have become masters of symbolism. Sometimes the substance equaled the symbolism, sometimes the symbolism was so powerful, people believed it was the substance.

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When I was in the roofing business, I learned a valuable lesson. During tropical storms, people would call and say their roof was leaking. It is very difficult to fix a leak during a storm, or in the case of a flat roof, when you have a huge amount of ponding water. The problem with most of these roofs was that people should have fixed their roofs long before the storm. What I learned is once you start trying to fix a roof that is beyond repair, the roofing company "marries" the problem. The kind thing to do is to let people know that this roof can not be fixed. They need a new roof. If you try to fix it, even thought you tell the owner of the building that because of the current condition of the roof, that you can't guarantee it, the owners start to blame you. It is kind of like news reporters and people blaming the government and President Bush. I just heard a CNN reporter do that very thing. The odd thing was that this was right after a meterologist explained how destructive this storm was.

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There are so many lessons to learn from this storm. I am afraid however, because of partisan politics and some of the pervasive beliefs about victimization in America, that enough minds may not be open.

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Where are the victims gathering for singing and prayer in the Dome and other places. Something tells me they are there, it is just not being reported.

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This is our 21st Century "Great Depression." Hopefully, the men and women of the Gulf Coast will the ones to build their cities and towns back. This can change the sociological landscape. There is great despair, yet there is great hope.