Talk:Hurricane Katrina

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This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Hurricane Katrina article.
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[edit] Gas Price Pic Photoshopped

While the gas hikes after Katrina were ludicrous, the $15/gallon picture is obviously photoshopped —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.178.160.96 (talk) 01:49, 1 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Fake words

You don’t know how lucky you are that that word was already in the inventory; Forgive us “commoners”, but a lot of us don’t know some of the fancier (wholly fictitious) words you people (sort of) can make up at times. Try to avoid fake words, and use real ones only. Andy REDDSON —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.246.120.224 (talk) 00:59, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

Care to elaborate on which "fake" words they made up?129.7.254.33 (talk) 05:18, 4 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Neutral Point Of View Issue

The article routinely blasts the US Government’s actions, yet pays no attention to when they got it right (the Coast Guard was singled out for special praise by many). In fact, it doesn’t appear to mention ANY praiseworthy actions (Salvation Army who tended for many survivors, Coast Guard who rescued most of those who did get rescued [despite FEMA’s interference], NOAA who did attempt to raise alarm but was ignored [by just about everyone]). It also ignored non-US Federal response criticism (just as Red Cross wasting supplies, and in some case stealing them- indeed, they’re identified for praise). Also Andy REDDSON. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.246.120.224 (talk) 01:12, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] More updates needed

It is now 2.5 years after the hurricane, and still the regular updates are not happening (I asked about this before). If this article is to remain featured (and I ask this out of genuine uncertainty as to how WP:FAR handles this sort of thing), should it be including things like this and this? Some quotes:

  • "A city still suffering from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina nearly 2½ years ago, New Orleans is home to one of the best teams this season, the Hornets. Unfortunately, a population that, at slightly more than 300,000 is only just over half its pre-Katrina level, is struggling to support the Hornets..."
  • "The recovery is still a work in progress. The breaching of over 50 badly-designed levees in and around the city in August 2005 led to 80 per cent of it being flooded, the deaths of at least 1,836 people around the region and $81.2 billion (about £40.6 billion) of damage. In total, more than 90,000 square miles – roughly the size of the UK – were declared federal disaster areas by a Government widely criticised for its handling of Katrina."
  • ""Every team that has come through here has done some sort of event,” Chris Wallace, an NBA spokesman, said. “Whether it’s bringing kids to the game from devastated school districts, going out to help build a playground or assisting with habitat builds. The feedback we are getting is that the city still needs a great deal of help.”"
  • "In the worst-hit areas – such as the notorious Ninth Ward – the scene that greeted the millionaire basketball players was one of near postapocalyptic devastation; staircases stand twisted in isolation, the only reminder that they were once connected to dwellings."

At the very least, there should be an article covering the longer-term aftermath and recovery process, not just the immediate rescue and funding and emergency efforts.

Other news articles include:

I'm going to ask at WT:FAR what the normal procedure is here. See Wikipedia talk:Featured article review#Long-term updating of articles. Carcharoth (talk) 02:06, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] "Katrina Ballads" and other artistic responses?

I want to add to the article a brief mention of a new cantata, "Katrina Ballads," which sets a bunch of texts transcribed from the news to music. I don't know where to put it -- should there be a section on artistic response to the disaster? (I'm not sure it's appropriate to put under the sections on criticism of government response or media involvement.) Anybody have an opinion on this sort of thing?

I should add, this isn't a plug for the composer or anything -- I just think the piece would make a really interesting addition to the article. (It's written by Ted Hearne, who I'm in composition class with. If you get a chance, check out the piece: it's really good.) -- The Realms of Gold (talk) 05:28, 20 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Celine Dion

There is a totally outrageous thing about Celine Dion posted at the bottom of the "International Response" section. While the poster may feel that Dion's reaction to Katrina is worthy of a longer note than pretty much any other subtopic in the article, someone really needs to get rid of it. Immediately. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.61.30.41 (talk) 22:41, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

Agreed, it takes up half the section, is poorly written, and is unsourced and unneeded. Deleted it. --Golbez (talk) 22:54, 11 April 2008 (UTC)
Endorsed. Sounded like some promotion or something. Der Wohltemperierte Fuchs (talk) 23:12, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Needs NPOV Edit Re: Contractors

The claims made regarding price gouging by contractors are NPOV and, as currently written, are not merely "citation needed" but not possible to verify for inclusion in Wikipedia. It discusses the experiences of contractors, immigrant laborers, and homeowners as monolithic -- this is obviously not the case. If this section stays, it needs both a citation to a particularized incident or complaint and some serious NPOV work. 211.125.163.66 (talk) 10:24, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Info on Pictures

The caption that accompainies picture that shows US President George W Bush and the cabinet at the time needs to be updated to show that Donald Rumsfeld is the Former Secretary of Defense instead of the Current Secretary of Defense.

Jayzwuzhere (talk) 02:01, 30 May 2008 (UTC)jayzwuzhere