Maria

Hurricane Maria struck the US dependency of Puerto Rico in 2017. Until very recently, the deathtoll was put at a risible 64. Today, this was upped to 2975. The damage is now quoted at an eye-watering $139 billion. Without wishing to compare suffering, the response to the devastation wrought by Maria jars with that to Harvey's devastation in Texas and Louisiana, some weeks earlier. It took nearly a year for full power to be restored to Puerto Rico, to but name a sore point.

This year's hurricane season, thus far, is quiet. However, the peak will occur on September 10th, and the season won't end until November 30th.

13 years ago today

The hurricane in focus on 29 August 2005 was of course Katrina, one of the most devastating tropical cyclones to affect the US mainland in modern times. Although it had weakened prior to landfall in New Orleans, its impact was devastating. This entry is dedicated to the memory of those lost in that disaster, in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.


Gulfport