I keep coming across the headline "Our Tsunami" with regards to Hurricane Katrina. There are always quotes around this phase, as it's attributed to the mayor of Biloxi, but that doesn't make the headline any less stupid.
250,000 people died in the Boxing Day Tsunami while 68 people have thus far perished as a result of Katrina. Still, this isn't what makes the comparison ridiculous. Citizens of Mississippi and Louisiana saw Katrina coming days in advance. There was literally a count down to her arrival and many were able to seek refuge, either by leaving town or finding appropriate shelter. Nobody saw the tsunami coming. It's was a devastating surprise that erased a quarter of a million people from this planet. There's no comparing the two natural disasters.
It's a stupid statement that the press is jumping all over, no doubt desperate for a red, white and blue tsunami. With the Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson trials over and done with, there's a great void to fill. The Darfur genocide won't do the trick.
Update (19:52 EST): I certainly wasn't trying to make light of what's happening in Mississippi and Louisiana. If my love of The Hip's music has taught me anything it's that New Orleans is sinking. No doubt, the death toll will rise and there is a very real fear of widespread disease. It's horrible, but describing the hurricane as "our tsunami" is still ridiculous.
