50,000 Souls?

UPDATE: As of 09.09.05 estimates of fatalities have been sharply reduced - perhaps below 10,000. Let's hope, and pray that this trend toward reducing fatality estimates continues. This reduced estimate in no way mitigates the senseless, needless nature in which the victims of hurricane Katrina lost their lives.

Original Post Follows:

I saw an interview of the Mayor of New Orleans today. He stated that the population of the city of New Orleans had been Five Hundred Thousand.

He further stated that under the mandatory evacuation they believe eighty percent had the time, and means to evacuate, leaving One Hundred Thousand remaining in the city.

So far aproximately forty thousand people have been evacuated from the city since the disaster.

No one knows for sure just how many more are still alive and await rescue.

But the math is frightening.

I keep wondering if somehow I've died without knowing it, and this is some version of hell? But no, my spouse assures me, that I am still alive, right here in the United States of America, and the year is 2005.

Something is very wrong here.