November 6, 2007

Comparing Disasters

posted by m.d.


It looks like Katrina in Mexico, except for one thing:
Images of filthy water engulfing Mexico's southern city as residents clung to the rooftops were reminiscent of the flooding that devastated New Orleans in 2005. But in the desolation of Villahermosa, there has been no widespread breakdown in law and order or four-figure death tolls. On the contrary, observers here say that Mexico's rapid response to its worst flooding in recent history was a factor in averting a catastrophe on the level of Katrina.

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"You never felt that the government had totally disappeared even though our homes and city had been destroyed. You saw that officials were here and some help was coming in," said Javier Mendoza, 43, who fled his house with his family of eight on a navy boat.
The cynic in me wants to say, "Just wait two years."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

River rising from rain flooding is more gradual than wall of water 'cause the levees broke flooding. I do not mean to diminish in any way the suffering in Mexico. It's just apples and oranges.

m.d. said...

I don't know about "apples and oranges." I'll give you "navel and valencia," but it's at least the same fruit.

Anonymous said...

When your house is underwater as is 80 percent of the State I think it is not apples and oranges.

A lot of the flooding came with a wall of water when many of the small damms that are built failed and then there were landslides and continued rain.