I've received the following email from Galveston native Joe Jaworski:
"Just spent 2 hours on the island with mayor, city manager and city department heads. They are brave heroes for riding this destructive storm out. We had to navigate army convoys, three checkpoints, debris of all kinds and finally the last of Ike's rainbands. Everyone we saw was tired, but happy to be alive. The destruction is widespread, but the debris removal contractor I am working with assures me it could have been much worse - as was the case in Waveland, MS when Katrina's storm surge essentially removed the community. The authorities here include federal, state, local and a noticeable military presence - as in exotic, camouflaged rolling stock with uniformed men with helmets driving. The police will enforce a 6pm to 6 am curfew. There is an ongoing search and rescue effort. I believe there will be deaths reported. I believe electricity won't be restored for at least one month - CenterPoint's main terminal for Galveston was fried. They will let us on to do inspections of our homes but we will have to leave again while the city is cleaned of debris and restored to some level of functionality. More later today."
Speaking of the Red Cross. Has anyone else noticed how they use these disasters to campaign for blood when blood serves no purpose in hurricane recovery? My wife and I were watching TV last night when the Red Cross came on with an appeal for blood. Now my wife is a doctor and has been working overtime helping hurricane evacuees here in Waco. Yesterday she was late at the hospital delivering the baby of a woman who was under armed guard...having been evacuated from some prison or jail in Galveston. She says they absolutely do need a lot of things...mainly medical staff and space for evacuees. But the one thing they absolutely don't need any of is blood.
Blood is used for trauma injuries (car wrecks etc.) Hurricanes mostly produce a flood of evacuees with chronic medical conditions that need care. They see lots of elderly diabetic types with all sorts of chronic conditions who need all sorts of meds and care. But they don't ever see any trauma injuries and don't ever need blood unless its to patch up evacuees who crash on the highway. And the local blood supplies are far more than adequate for that.
Yet every single time there is some sort of hurricane or other disaster the Red Cross is up immediately on the airwaves asking people to give blood. Anyone else find that a little odd? It's like they're capitalizing on the tragedy and emergency to meet other unrelated goals.
Posted by: Kent on September 14, 2008 11:08 AM