New Orleanians watching the dramatic images from Japan's tsunami cannot help but feel deep sympathy for the thousands of people affected by the disaster.
Shores are submerged in Natori city, Miyagi prefecture (state), Japan, after a ferocious tsunami slammed Japan's eastern coasts Friday. Much of the damage caused by the massive waves is eerily similar to Katrina's aftermath: Homes washed off their foundations. Cars piled on top of houses. Large fishing boats carried inland as if they were children's toys and deposited on highways.
New York Times columnist Nick Kristof, who covered the 1995 Kobe earthquake, writes that the Japanese are a particularly resilient and stoic people.
They are also a generous people. After Katrina, the Japanese government offered material and monetary assistance that surpassed $1 million and that included tents, blankets, power generators and portable water tanks. Japan also provided $200,000 to the American Red Cross to aid hurricane victims. In addition, Takashi Endo, a private businessman in Japan, donated $1 million from his personal funds to Katrina relief efforts.
Most metro New Orleans residents appreciate the help we received from the Japanese then. Now they need our help. Here's what you can do:
