Disaster in the making

摘要

The impact of hurricane Katrina has been truly dreadful. Even with the full toll not yet known, it is clear that thousands of people have lost their lives. Hundreds of thousands have been left homeless and jobless, and the clean-up bill could top $50 billion. The realisation that an iconic American city can be destroyed at a stroke is utterly shocking. As New Orleans police continue the grim task of collecting corpses and the Army Corps of Engineers pumps out the flood water, it is easy to forget that the devastation was predictable and to a certain extent preventable. Powerful hurricanes will hit New Orleans as surely as earthquakes will strike Tokyo or San Francisco. Terrorist attacks may or may not take place, but some natural disasters are inevitable. We don't know when they will happen, but happen they will.