“Its Katrina all over again”…

When I received word last night that I was to fly to Texas in the morning to assist NAACP units with hurricane relief efforts I honestly questioned my reason for going. According to reports and images on television, the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike wasn’t nearly as bad as what was seen after Hurricane Katrina. This time there were no pictures of crying babies in need of formula. No stories of mass “looting” by people in search of food and supplies. No video of government helicopters flying past citizens screaming for help on the tops of submerged houses.

From what I saw, the situation in Galveston and Houston may have been bad, but everything seemed to be under control…ahhh…welcome to reality.

As our team of staff from Baltimore began a series of conference calls with leaders from the NAACP Texas State Conference and members residing in the affected areas, it quickly became evident that the effect of Hurricane Ike cut much deeper than the uncomfortable flesh wound portrayed on TV. To put it bluntly, people down here are suffering and need help now! Shirley Moore, President of the Galveston NAACP Branch told us about the conditions in one local high school designated as a “shelter” of last resort. I put shelter in quotes because literally a roof over your head was the only thing being provided to the residents displaced by the storm. There was no food, no clean water, no operating toilets. In fact, in the words of Ms. Moore, “Galveston has been totally leveled – all infrastructure is gone”. Sadly, the only things that remain are debris and some buildings left standing due to foundations built on higher ground.

Perhaps most disheartening of all is the isolation felt by those who remained on the small island of Galveston. You see, there is no electricity or gas on the island – meaning no television, radio or phone service. And although some people should be able to receive cell phone service, FEMA has secured all the networks; resulting in no incoming or outgoing calls (hmm…no calls in or out…talk about controlling the message). Sure people are going to wonder why so many chose not to evacuate the city; but when you’re dealing with an extremely mobile population with limited resources, you cant assume that everyone had the means to evacuate – even if they had the desire.

Today we spent most of our time strategizing over ways to ensure that all areas affected by the hurricane receive relief in a timely manner. Unfortunately Hurricane Katrina revealed that all people, especially communities of color, aren’t adequately assisted by traditional aid organizations – if they’re assisted at all. But this time around NAACP members, trained and assisted by American Red Cross staff, is working diligently to help our communities in need. Today was a long day; however it wasn’t nearly as long as the days ahead for the thousands of residents left homeless by Hurricane Ike. Only God knows what tomorrow holds…but when you really think about it, I guess the rainy days really do make you appreciate the sunshine so much more.

Stefanie Brown

National Director

NAACP Youth & College Division