Hurricane Katrina wreaked incredible havoc along the Gulf Coast of the United States last week.
No one knows for sure yet, but the storm’s death toll is expected to rise into the thousands.
Insured losses from Katrina will probably surpass $25 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in US history.
Beyond the insured losses, the hurricane has created more American refuges than any event since the Civil War.
The historic city of New Orleans faces years of recovery, and it may never be the same.
Here in the Cayman Islands, we had our own catastrophe just one year ago when Hurricane Ivan paid a visit, so it is easy for us to sympathize to some degree with what Gulf Coast residents are going through.
In addition, the Cayman Islands has had a long standing relationship with the Gulf Coast, forged through close shipping ties over the years.
It is probably not surprising then to see the outpouring of generosity by the residents of the Cayman Islands as they donate money to the Hurricane Katrina relief fund.
This past weekend, radio stations Z99 and Rooster in conjunction with the American Red Cross raised more than $15,000 in just six hours at Hurley’s Supermarket. At one point, nearly everyone walking through the door was donating something to the fund.
In addition, service clubs, private sector businesses and several other entities are all joining in the effort to raise funds for Katrina relief.
As commendable and generous as all these efforts are, we should not lose sight of the fact that many of our own people are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Ivan.
A drive down some side streets into neighbourhoods will still reveal dozens of roofs still covered by tarps. People are still displaced from their homes, some living in temporary trailer parks.
Right here in our home, full recovery from Ivan remains a long way off for many people.
This Saturday, right after Cayman is reminded of the Ivan’s devastation in the television programme about the hurricane, a fundraising event called ‘Raising the Roof’ will be held live to raise funds for residents who still need repairs to property one year later.
We hope Cayman residents will be just as generous to the victims of a disaster who live and work among us as they are to those living in the Gulf Coast.
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