Rivka at Respectful of Otters has a good post on the role cognitive dissonance has to play in people’s reaction to hurricane Katrina. I am currently fixated on hurricane Rita, which could just as easily hit my home town as anywhere else. When it does come ashore, the good and wicked will be affected alike.
September 21, 2005 at 11:51 pm
Many people are getting out of dodge, probably because of a shared group-fear of getting “Karinia-ized” – flooded, killed, etc.
Already the supermarkets’ water and canned goods sections are bare, ATMs are dry, Banks are nearly out (as of this afternoon), and 1/2 the gas stations are out of fuel.
One nice thing: people are allowed to bring their pets on the buses and to the shelters. According to the radio, City officials felt that one reason why so many people stayed behind in NOLA was because they didn’t want to leave their pets, so it was decided to allow them to bring them.
Hopefully in just 36 hours the worst part will be behind us.