Hurricane Katrina

1
Hurricane Katrina
August 29, 2005
The most damaging natural disaster in U.S.
recorded history encompassing more than 90,000
sq. miles.
2
Some Learnings

• We are all Vulnerable
• We are both Privileged and Underprivileged
• We are all Dependent and Inter-Dependent
• We Find Comfort and Strength in Community
• We Must Live By Faith

3
We Are All Vulnerable(susceptible to attack or
injury or hurt)

• We know not the time, the
• place, nor the hour. Life
• always hangs in the balance at
• any moment, and its chance
• that tips the balance.

4
We are both Privileged and Underprivileged

• Katrina did not discriminate between rich and
  poor all were affected.
• But some more so than others.
• The patterns of evacuation, return, and
  rebuilding.

5
We are all Dependent and Inter-Dependent

• I need some electricity around here!
• Why cant they deliver my pizza?
• I want my own bed! .... etc. etc. etc. etc.
• When is that darn plumber coming so I can get a
  hot shower?
• Are they gonna pick up garbage this week?

The least among us give the rest of us life.
6
We Find Comfort and Strength in Community

• Loneliness is an alienating thing.
• This is too big for me to tackle alone.

7
We Must Live By Faith

• When you are staring at everything and nothing
  at once, only faith in God and the support of
  neighbors, family, government, etc. ... makes
  the next step possible.

8
Katrina is helping us here to better understand
the suffering of our sisters and brothers living
in underdeveloped countries
in places like Haiti, or Nicaragua, or in the
Sudan, or in Iraq . . .
9

• who daily experience their lives as vulnerable
  . . .

10

• . . . our suffering can become a form of
  solidarity with people who suffer daily in all
  parts of our world . . .

11

• . . . we can now understand better
• the suffering of people on death row
• or undocumented immigrants,
• or the poor ...

12

• and know only too well the vast gulf that exists
  between the privileged and underprivileged . . .

13

• . . . we can understand better now the bitter
  suffering that is a daily and lifelong
  experience for so many millions of people in our
  world . . .

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• . .who must find strength only in God, family
  and community . .

15

• The faith and trust of the peoples of the 3rd
  World inspire us to live by faith and trust.

16
More than 1 billion people live on less than 1 a
day. Poverty in the developing world goes far
beyond income. It means having to walk more than
1 mile everyday to collect water and firewood it
means suffering diseases that were eradicated
from rich countries decades ago. Every year 11
million children die - most under age 5 . . . and
more than 6 million from completely preventable
diseases like malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia.
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It is estimated that with only 40 billion
dollars a year the peoples of the world could
have universal access to basic services - basic
education, health care, nutrition, safe water and
sanitation. This is less than one-tenth of
one-percent of world income.
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Faith that does nothing in practice is
thoroughly lifeless. (James 217)
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A Reflection ... unless we somehow live the
reality of disasters, we are turning away from
the cross of the crucified peoples whether the
cross takes the shape of a hurricane, an
earthquake or other natural disasters, or of
wars, repression, injustice. And we are turning
away from the paradoxical light that can come
from these things, and even from the hope and
solidarity that can grow out of
suffering... from Where is God by Jon Sobrino
S.J.
20
Ideas from presentation by Jim Huck, Jr. of the
Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane
University have been used in the preparation of
this power point presentation.
Matthew F. Rousso, Director Maryknoll Mission
Education Office New Orleans, Louisiana February
2006