The third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina arrived last Friday and with it a new hurricane to threaten the Gulf Coast’s shores. Gustav rumbled across the Louisiana coastline on Monday, bringing the Republican National Convention to a near halt and offering up a stark reminder of what Katrina had wrought there three short years ago.
The good news is that both local, state and federal agencies had learned their lesson and coordinated a successful evacuation of New Orleans and surrounding coastal areas from what Mayor Ray Nagin pronounced hyperbolically, the “storm of the century.” However exaggerated his words may have been, people heeded the warnings and made their way inland. Luckily, Gustav turned out not to be the cat 4 killer that some had feared but still an intense category three storm that dealt the Crescent City a glancing blow. This time around, there were not victims on rooftops, survivors holed up in dome stadiums hoping for authorities to come to the rescue.
But by no means does the lesser magnitude of the storm mean Gulf Coast residents weren’t in need of help. This time around, Dan Sheffer stayed in Florida. And for good reason. Hurricane Hannah and Ike are eyeing the Sunshine State coastline as I write this and he’s got to take care of his own family and home. After spending the last year or so helping people affordably hurricane proof their houses, our documentary subject may face his own potential Katrina if forecasts for Ike hold over the next few days.
While Dan couldn’t go to help Gulf Coast evacuees this time around, he hopes you’ll take the time to consider the importance of volunteering your time and money to help those devastated by Gustav or any other disaster. That’s what A Bridge Life is about: people helping people. I also would like to implore you to help us finish the film and tell Dan’s story by making a donation. In return, we’ll list your name in the credits. Just check out our See Your Name Campaign section for more details.
Thanks for your support.
Josh
