Getting worse

New Orleans is a disaster and getting worse. Authorities are trying to do what they can. There is plenty of blaming going around, from the mayor blaming the feds (don't know whether they deserve it or not) to the FEMA director blaming the people who chose to stay in the city (for a reason, but now is not the time for it).

A large explosion happened in the city. Nobody had any clue what it is.

Looting is all over. I think it's normal that people steal food and drink, what with all the stores being closed and there being no water. I can even understand, though not approve, thieves taking advantage of the situation and stealing jewelry, but what is the deal with all the people stealing TV:s? I understand that the kind of person who would steal a TV set would generally be on the wrong side of bell curve, but I thought that even they might figure out that there is not much to do with a TV set when you have no electricity, no home to put it in and no transportation to get it out.

People are also shooting at each other, hospitals and rescuers (in the misguided hope that the rescuers will come and rescue the shooters first - don't you always come running when somebody is shooting at you?), raping and setting fire to things. Now I sort of understand why travel guides advise one to be careful there, and why even in the peacetime NOLA has a murder rate 7 times that of NYC.

Anyway, the violence is so bad that the rescue efforts are pretty much halted because it's not safe for the rescuers. They are trying to get the army in, and hopefully they'll do it fast, before more people die.