Katrina's impact is just beginning to be felt

Now that the excitement of the anticipated arrival and passage of Hurricane Katrina is over, the extent of devastation, flooding, losses, and heartbreak is just beginning to dawn on folks thousands of miles away from the disaster.

Cable news coverage of the event and its aftermath has been outstanding.

Despite understandable repetitive segments in the early stages as the storm approached, new film footage available after crews were able to get into the field has served to create awareness of what folks in the stricken area are facing.

The reality of seeing fires burning without the ability of fire equipment to reach the scene, people stranded on roof tops trying to attract rescuers, scenes of thousands of homes with flood waters reaching almost to the roofs, other residences and businesses totally demolished, the certainty that the death toll will continue to rise, the knowledge that dreams and hopes of thousands of people have been shattered … and the list goes on.

As we sit in relative comfort in Montana, we suddenly realize that our complaints about a hot summer, smoke from forest fires, State 2 fire restrictions, difficult labor negotiations, political posturing … those things pale in comparison as we begin to realize what people in the southeast are experiencing and will continue to try to cope with in weeks, months, perhaps years ahead.

Just thinking about it and writing about it makes the heart ache. It's impossible to imagine what the victims are feeling, sensing the frustrations of search and rescue people trying to get to victims before it's too late, the desperation of relatives trying to locate loved ones when communications — even the oft' criticized cell phone — are disrupted; the discomfort of 90 degree weather and 90 percent humidity. Some of the news anchors were obviously close to tears as they reported on the breaking news. The trauma is far reaching.

How can we help? Some Montanans are volunteering time and expertise to work in the storm stricken areas.

Perhaps the most effective way to help at this point is to direct money contributions through local Red Cross chapters to be used where most needed.

And, as one survivor told a TV reporter, "Pray for us, pray for us, pray for us."