In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many victims now found themselves dazed and confused, and in a strange place. Their lives had been interrupted abruptly and now they were being shipped off to various makeshift shelters. With morale low and tension running high, refugees were getting to the end of their ropes. They were becoming desperate.
According to an article written by Isabel Wilkerson in the October 09, 2005 edition of the New York Times, almost every refugee experienced culture shock when entering into unfamiliar territories oftentimes hundreds of miles away. Spirits of the volunteers were high for the first few weeks but after almost two months of long hours and almost zero gratitude, smiles were wearing thin. Americans residing outside of "ground zero" began to feel the effects of Hurricane Katrina when filling up at the pumps or getting a cup of coffee.
It may be too soon to determine the long-term impact of this disaster, but people worldwide have the felt the widespread pain of losing loved ones, and seeing national landmarks submersed.
View of the eyewall of Hurricane Katrina taken on ...
English: Isabel Wilkerson at the 2010 Texas Book F...
English: Isabel Wilkerson at the 2010 National Boo...Hopefully we are able to witness this part of American history and learn from our mistakes, in the hopes that the cataclysmic effects of a natural disaster can be minimized.
Wilkerson, Isabel. "Scattered in a Storm's Wake and Caught in a Clash of Cultures." New York Times 9 Oct. 2005.