Let's Try This Again

Three plus weeks after Katrina became one disaster after another, we're going to find out this weekend just how many lessons were learned from that event when hurricane Rita slams into the Texas or Louisiana coastline sometime Friday night or Saturday morning.

For a nation with short memories, having Rita, which could be a stronger, more devastating storm, so close on the heals of Katrina, the focus on our preparedness will be just as intense. Were the agencies and administrations that so bungled the response to Katrina not faced with another emergency so soon, many would have forgotten how poorly they fared.

Looking at the storm path it is very possible Rita will veer north and slam into New Orleans, just as Katrina did following a similar route. This would be a double whammy for a city already down. Otherwise Galveston, Texas looks like the most likely target for the wrath of Rita, and beyond that, the President should be concerned that his own "ranch" in Crawford, Texas might find itself in the way of the raging storm.

Perhaps that will make all the difference in how he responds. We're soon going to find out.