The New Yorker Blog, which is a consistently great feed, published a fascinating piece today on "tsunami tourism" that is a must read for anyone who understands why we fail, and when we don't fail, in recovering from disasters. This is a subject I'm deeply interested, precisely because disaster, in various forms, has been around for all of human history, but we still don't react to it very well or prepare nearly enough for it.

The article profiles Aceh, a region of Indonesia hit hard by the tsunami over four years ago. Thanks to a massive effort at reconstruction and an influx of relief aid, news home have sprung up, a new high school has been built, and even a Tsunami Museum is in the works. In short this area, which was nearly demolished, is now, at least partly revitalized, and trying to revitalize their economy and regain their lives.

The Tsunami Museum, Indonesia 

Now, from the AP, an update on post-Katrina New Orleans. Even though recovery in the city has been "stronger than anticipated" and amazingly, the city has remarkably low unemployment and foreclosure rates. The public school system, which was in dire straights pre-Katrina, is being overhauled. Neighborhoods have been rebuilt, to be greener and more flood proof. The city is (slowly) coming back to life.

Of course, neither place was perfect to begin with, and rebuilding is slow and effects some areas and some people more than others. Many parts of New Orleans are still effectively abandoned, many residents haven't returned, and public services are still struggling. And Aceh is now strongly controlled by insurgent forces which have been rooted in the area for 30 years. And both are in for more rough times ahead as aid dollars dry up and tourism dwindles due to the credit crunch. Still: the fact that the people of both areas have fought for their homes, and for their lives, it a testament to human nature.

From the latter article:

"New Orleans, I think, is going to be better and going to be greater," Jill Miester said. "It has to be."  

Yes, we need better national, state, and local preparedness, and better response plans, and more aid. But at the end of the day it's good to know that regardless, human beings never give up.