The Gulf Will Rise Again (Op-Ed Contributor John Grisham)

[merh]

September 25, 2005
The Gulf Will Rise Again
By JOHN GRISHAM

Biloxi, Miss.

ON Aug. 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille roared onto the Gulf Coast with winds of more than 200 miles an hour, only the second Category 5 storm to hit the mainland United States. It killed 143 people in Mississippi, and 201 more in flooding in central Virginia.

Over the years, Hurricane Camille's legend grew, and it was not uncommon when I was a child and student in Mississippi to hear horrific tales from coast residents who had survived it. I myself was sleeping in a Boy Scout pup tent 200 miles inland when the storm swept through. Our losses were minimal - the tents, sleeping bags, some food - but over time I managed to spice up the adventure and add a little danger to it.

For almost 40 years, it was a well-established belief that the Gulf Coast had taken nature's mightiest blow, picked itself up, learned some lessons and survived rather well. There could simply never be another storm like Hurricane Camille.

After walking the flattened streets of Biloxi, though, I suspect that Hurricane Camille will soon be downgraded to an April shower. The devastation from Hurricane Katrina, a storm surge 80 miles wide and close to 30 feet high, is incomprehensible. North from the beach for a half a mile, virtually every house has been reduced to kindling and debris. At least 100,000 people in Jackson County - poor, middle-class, wealthy - are homeless.

<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/opinion/25Grisham.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

[phantom power]

1. Unless it happens again next year. And the year after that...

[merh]

2. Gee, do you like shitting in folks wheaties?

:shrug:

[RevCheesehead]

5. See, I always go with "pee in the cornflakes."

Otherwise, people might think you have Raisin Bran.

[merh]

17. LOL - I'll try to remember that!

:rofl: :hug: :loveya:

[Radio_Lady]

34. Tonight, I told my husband I was in the KO Estrogen Brigade --

He told me to start a new brigade called The KOFEB. It stands for the Keith Olbermann FAKE Estrogen Brigade. (I take Premarin conjugated estrogen, which, incidentally, comes from pregnant mare's urine.) The makers of it say it's not fake, but I say it's fake unless it comes from humans.

PS. I plan to taper off soon. I'm taking it for a couple of important reasons.

[Horse with no Name]

6. MERHHHHHH!!!!

:hug: How are you?

[merh]

16. I'm holding my own. How are you doing?

:hug: I'm trying to get the city to tell the power company that I can have power, the permitting process is challenging, but not daunting! :hi:

As Molly Brown purported said in the Titanic's life boat "I ain't down yet!"

[phantom power]

8. I think the coast-dwellers need to recalibrate their expectations.

Otherwise, next year those folks are going to be halfway thru trying to rebuild their lives, and it's all going to be flattened again by another couple of cat-5 monsters.

What we used to call rare storms aren't rare anymore. That's a bitter pill, but pretending it's not going to happen can only make it worse.

[merh]

11. And who are "WE" - please tell me your expertise and while you

are sharing that with me, please suggest what the Coast folks should do.

I am sure you have your opinion relative to "the recalibration of their expectations" so please let us know what we should do. Please take the time to expound upon your grim forecasts and wise suggestions as to the direction of our future.

[phantom power]

22. Whatever gets rebuilt, needs to withstand cat-5 storms. And floods.

My grim forcasts aren't "mine", they are borrowed from climatologists. I hope you're willing to believe them, since we've all seen how well the BushCo strategy of ignoring scientists is going.

What would I do regarding the future? First, cat-5 building standards for every new structure, from dog-house on up. I'd make sure all levees were upgraded for cat-5 storm-surges, and prior to next year's hurricane season.

I'd also start work on restoring the lost estuaries, but that will take many years.

I would give serious consideration to not rebuilding in some areas, especially those closest to the shoreline. Places like Galveston, basically built on a sand-bar, really ought not to be built upon.

And I'd start doing something serious about CO2 emissions, since that's the root cause of what's coming our way. It will take decades for even major reductions to have any effect, but the sooner we start, the sooner the nightmare ends. Maybe for our great grandchildren.

[merh]

29. So glad you changed the "we" to correctly reflect your adoption

of another's predictions.

I am sure that FEMA and the cities will set standards for rebuilding based upon the new experiences of Katrina. As for the CO2 emissions, I am sure you are driving a gas efficient auto, probably a hybrid. I would also venture to guess that you conserve energy by turning out all unused lights in your house and setting your thermostat at the most tolerable, not the most comfortable.

We all must do our part.

[blondeatlast]

15. Can we expect to see you celebrating there when Bourbon Street reopens?

Sheesh. :eyes:

[phantom power]

25. I wish Bourbon Street all the best. Just sayin: forewarned is forearmed.

If everybody plans for major storms being the new normal, The odds of Bourbon Street staying open go way up. Everybody wins.

[pitohui]

32. oh screw you

a storm the size of katrina is a freak event, look at the history of these storms

stop kicking ppl in the head while they're down, thankyouverramuch

[xmas74]

10. Ya'll rebuild -I know you will.

And when it's done I'll take my kid down there so that she can see what people really can do when they want to.

Don't listen to any naysayers-I have faith in all Southerners. Especially the Gulf.

[merh]

21. We did it before, we can do it again.

I was just a kid when Camille hit, but I do remember that drive and spirit that kept us going.

:hi: We'll do it again! :hug:

[xmas74]

27. And I know you'll do it better than before.

The buildings will be stronger and hopefully the building will boost the economy(I hope it does) in your area.

[Spazito]

3. Grisham and his wife were in Biloxi, I believe

promising to help, they had already donated 5 million towards it and said they want to make sure it does, indeed, rise again.

[merh]

4. He was here -- it is a nice piece he wrote, one that explains the

heart of the folks here.

[Me.]

9. Get On With The Rebuilding Mehr

Don't let yourself be discouraged by anything. What's your own situation?

[merh]

14. Hello Me!

I promise, I'll try not to. I am trying to get my footing. It is going to be battles with the insurance company before I can rebuild. FEMA has been good to deal with, but it is impossible to get anything from the Red Cross. I am just doing what I can to get my balance. One step at a time, one day at a time.

Thanks for asking! :hug:

[Me.]

24. You'll Get Through This

if I "know" you. LOL. And please, for the sake of all of us, kick some nasty insurance a**.

[merh]

35. LOL, funny you should say that about the insurance company.

I just called my auto insurance company and read them the riot act. They have yet to send me the papers to finalize my claim or the check in payment of my claim. I reported the loss on the 3rd (when I could finally get out on a phone) and they acknowledged it totaled on the 17th. I got the song and dance routine "we have over 6,000 claims" to which I responded "and so you have collected premiums from those 6,000 claimants, so you have been paid, what about us?" I told them I lost my house and my car and all that I had, they would get no sympathy from me.

I don't take being ignored or shitted on very well. :evilgrin:

I'll fight all right, not just for me, but for others. I don't want these bastards to screw us out of what is rightfully ours. The only industries over the years that have consistently showed profits are insurance companies. We can't be held accountable for their bad investments and the weed's economy.

[Catherine Vincent]

7. I saw him and his wife on CNN yesterday talking about

helping Mississippi and it's people recover from Katrina. I don't know them but I really believe they will see to it that it does. I especially love the part his wife said....something like "after everyone else leaves, we will still be around to help". And I love his books.

:hi:

[merh]

18. I've actully met him before.

He is as good looking in person and that voice and his warm smile, I promise you, I couldn't speak when we were introduced. The friend that introduced us had to shake me by the elbow. :wow:

He is a very nice guy and I believe he means every word he has said about helping us rebuild. He loved the coast very much.

It is good to see you cat! :hug:

[Sgent]

12. He

announced today he was donating another 5million -- for 10million of his personal money.

Thanks John, we as always wish you the best.

[merh]

19. I hadn't heard about his additional donation.

Thank you Mr. Grisham! :hug:

[blondeatlast]

13. The American Library Association is still planning their 2006 conference

for New Orleans and the members are enthusiastically supporting having it there.

http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2006a/2006an.htm

Keep your chin up, friend. If there is any area of the US that can recover from hellish circumstances, that area can.

ALA is a surprisingly tough group. EXPECT to see a bunch of happy librarians on Bourbon Street next year--I'd wager on it!

[merh]

20. That's great to hear about NOLA. I have no doubt they will bounce

back.

But some folks don't understand, the Mississippi Gulf Coast (and some parts of Alabama's coast) were wiped out! When he is talking devastation, he means "ain't nothing left".

The links below give some idea as to the destruction that stretches from the eastern border of Mississippi to the western border.

Aerials of the MS Gulf Coast
http://www.sunherald.com/multimedia/sunherald/KRT_packages/archive/katrina/090205_katrina_aerials/index.htm

video
http://www.sunherald.com/multimedia/dfw/news/archive/devastation/index.html

More images found at www.sunherald.com (local newspaper site)

[finecraft]

23. Hey Merh! Don't forget us folks over on the Louisiana coast!

Let's see....we have nothing between Lake Charles and New Iberia, and nothing between Morgan City and New Orleans. We took a hit here in New Iberia with Rita, but all in all things are still standing...surrounded by about 3 feet of water....but still standing! You are right, most people just can't visualize an entire coastline of a state just gone. No buildings, no people, no animals, no trees or plants, just water. And not even pretty beach-front property here, just oozy black muck. But us Cajuns are tough old birds...those of us that are still here aren't going anywhere, and those that were forced to leave will be back....I'm sure of it. You can't get rid of us that easy! :grouphug:

[merh]

28. You are right finecraft, I neglected to mention the other parts of

the Louisiana coast that took a huge blow. I apologize. Folks think of Katrina and they think of the waters in NOLA - hell there are so many cities that have been wiped out - thousands upon thousands of homes destroyed or so gutted, you wonder if they can be saved.

Like you cajuns, we coast rats in MS will rebuild, we love it here and can't imagine living anywhere else.

Take care finecraft, keep me up on how things are going. We all have to stick together! :hug:

[Horse with no Name]

26. wow @ pictures.

:cry:

[merh]

31. It is hard to fathom the extent of the destruction.

It is just so vast, and as Grisham wrote, Katrina destroyed the homes of the rich, the middle-class and the poor. She was an equal opportunity destroyer. :-(

[pitohui]

33. yes it's hard for the mind to comprehend

an entire industry wiped out from biloxi to bay st. louis, i know how long it used to take me to make that drive every day, i cannot imagine this, so many good ppl i know w. no homes, nothing left, rich & poor alike

it is sickening the size of this storm

[pitohui]

30. what a kind man

i have tears in my eyes, thanks for the link

my mind hasn't yet accepted the reality, all the ppl & places i will never see again