Creole and Oranges

It's time to play "Compare and Contrast". On today's episode, we'll break down the differences between San Diego and the wildfires to New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. It starts now.

CAUSES Category 3 hurricane hits New Orleans and parts of the Gulf Coast, caused by warming waters in the Gulf of Mexico and massive winds. Brushfires from Los Angeles to the Mexican border caused by tinder-dry conditions and Santa Ana winds blowing from the east. In some cases, arson is suspected. In both cases, some people point to climate change as the culprit.

DAMAGES New Orleans was literally underwater, thanks to the city being under sea level and poorly-designed levees that broke. Some sections of the city that were destroyed may never be rebuilt. San Diego and Los Angeles are still standing, as far as we know.

EVACUATIONS Katrina victims (most of whom are poor and black), forced to leave kicking and screaming, are scattered across the country. Most haven't returned, and may never. In Southern California, over a half-million people (mostly rich and white) are evacuated from multi-million dollar homes in secluded areas. Most will rebuild on the same sites, depending on what kind of financial settlement they got from their insurance company.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE Local and federal officials blamed for initial lack of response in Katrina, even though they've had years to prepare for something like this. President Bush does fly-over tours of the region. FEMA becomes national punchline. State and local officials in California respond relatively quickly, mainly because wildfires happen too often out there. Bush visits the area--on foot. FEMA holds fake news conference, embarrasses everyone involved.
In both cases, the additional help and equipment that would have come from the National Guard are currently dodging car bombs in Iraq.

STADIUMS The Louisiana Superdome, symbolic of poor conditions involving overcrowding, violence and lack of amenities including running water, working toilets and emergency power. Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego hosted 10,000 evacuees. According to media reports, the mood was considerably lighter and relatively peaceful.

NFL TEAMS The New Orleans Saints were forced to play their 2004 home schedule in San Antonio and Baton Rouge, LA. The San Diego Chargers had to move their practice to Phoenix, but otherwise did not lose a home game.

TOURISM New Orleans' iconic restaurants and jazz clubs in the French Quarter are slowly reopening. Mardi Gras is still celebrated. San Diego? They have beautiful weather.

In both Southern California and New Orleans, the damage caused by these acts of nature will forever transform the lives of the people who live there. How quickly they recover depends largely on who you are and where you live.