"I think I can, I think I can" written in duct tape on a blue tarp outside S&WB pump station 1 @WWLTV pic.twitter.com/aDQtnYUIop— Katie Moore (@katiecmoore) August 29, 2017
It's Katrinaversary 12 today. I guess I've mentioned it a little. But mostly, and rightly, our attention has been focused on Texas where they're reliving a version of our tragedy for us. What Harvey is doing and how it's doing it, is different from what Katrina did. But there is a lot about the experience that is resonant including the slow motion unfolding of events.
Katrina blew through in one morning, but the disaster occurred over the several days that followed as levees failed, water rushed in, rose and sat there while people waited days for relief. The terrible President showed up and made a bad speech. It would be another month before most of us were allowed back.
Harvey arrived near Corpus on Friday. The water is still rising in Houston right now. The terrible President is there giving bad speeches. They're on a familiar track. We don't know how much it will cost or how long the "recovery" period will last there.
In New Orleans, we threw a big victory party after a nice round ten years. But that was really just for appearances. In reality, there still isn't anything about life here that doesn't trace back to the flood in one way or another. Although we style ourselves "recovered" we're really still dealing with the disaster. I'd argue there have been more failures than successes along the way but people don't like to hear that kind of talk.
Still it's reassuring that we're sable to laugh at our own dismal state of affairs more often than not. The little banner at the pump station was the most inspiring image I came across on this anniversary. So, despite everything that's gone wrong and is currently going even more wrong, it is true that some version of this city convincingly similar to what we were before still exists. Maybe that's the best they can hope for in Texas now. But I hope they'll do better.
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