Disease?
Jo Fish at Democratic Veteran took time out from the bacchanal in celebration of his Half Century to wonder if people have realized what a potential there is for disease in the ever worsening mess that New Orleans is becoming.
I haven’t heard a single Emergency Management official mention it to the local media down here on the Gulf Coast.
All of the diseases that mosquitoes carry are present in the “Big Easy” and, with holes in the roof, they certainly have entry to the Super Dome. The sewage system is out and you have to assume that it is backing up and mixing with the floodwaters. Contaminants from the industrial area and the oil leaking from a damaged tanker are also in that water.
Snakes and fire ants will go for higher ground, even if it is a building to avoid the water.
With high temperatures, high humidity, no functioning sanitary facilities, hospitals shut down, scarce drinking water, and the other problems – it is a potential epidemic.
Jillian mentioned Direct Relief as an organization that specializes in medical assistance to disaster areas.
Realistically, as a result of this storm we are going to have tens or hundreds of thousands of refugees for months. Forget Mardi Gras 2006.
