Picking Up The Pieces

Left: Christopher Cox of Galveston surveyed the damage to his trailer and property. Hundreds of power lines must be fixed before electricity can be restored to the island city, and the sludge left behind represents a "toxic soup" of mud, waste, asbestos, lead and gasoline. (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters, via the NY Times).




Really interesting stories are beginning to emerge from the fetid, humid, post-apocalyptic wasteland left by Hurricane Ike in the vicinity of Galveston.

It is a very difficult decision to leave one's home, even under the threat of death, and it's no surprise that many people refused to do so and rode the storm out rather than endure traffic jams and the uncertainty of life on the road. The big surprise is how few people seem to have died.

But now, the survivors face life in a place that cannot support them: no electricity, no clean water, few services. Perhaps disease and death still lurk to cull the weak. And the refugees can't return yet.

This unacceptable situation might last for months, despite people's best efforts.