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So, I think what we have in Haiti is the definition of "Worst Case Scenario" for large scale emergencies. Katrina was a fender-bender by comparison and at every possible level from the scale of the destruction to the inability of the locals to do anything at any level to prepare for it.


I think that depends on the response from the International NGOs and especially the response from the US Government and US military. There are already French, Cuban and Norwegian SAR/Medic teams on site with many more international teams on route.

What is a little unsettling at the moment from media reports is the fact that the US military is sending 3,500 Soldiers and 2,200 Marines into Haiti. No doubt they will go in heavily armed as their initial mission will no doubt be a security one. I doubt the 82nd Airborne know very little about setting up triage centres and extraction of survivors from collapsed buildings. Having heavily armed US Marines standing on street corners sipping from their canteens, whilst looking on at the desperately thirsty locals as they pick away at the rubble along with the international NGOs could just be the beginning. I really hope I'm wrong on this one. The US military doesn't have an inventory of Blue Helmets and has never put them on and they aren't about to start.

I have this horrible feeling that it can only get worse, much worse.