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Early morning today, when I logged into my mail box, I was greeted by this chain mail from a close friend:

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Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 09:44:08 +0530
Subject: PROUD TO BE INDIAN

Katrina (US) & Hurricane (India - Mumbai) an Interesting study

Inches of rain in New Orleans due to hurricane Katrina... 18
Inches of rain in Mumbai (July 27th).... 37.1

Population of New Orleans... 484,674
Population of Mumbai....  12,622,500

Deaths in New Orleans within 48 hours of Katrina...100
Deaths in Mumbai within 48hours of rain..  37.

Number of people to be evacuated in New Orleans...entire city..woh!
Number of people evacuated in Mumbai...10,000

Cases of shooting and violence in New Orleans...Countless
Cases of shooting and violence in Mumbai.. NONE

Time taken for US army to reach New Orleans... 48hours
Time taken for Indian army and navy to reach Mumbai...12hours

Status 48hours later...New Orleans is still waiting for relief, army and electricity
Status 48hours later..Mumbai is back on its feet and is business is as usual

USA...world's most developed nation
India...third world country.. (I wont accept this)
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From the long list of email addresses in the email I could make out that the mail had done several rounds before finding its way to my inbox.

And that made me react…

This was a ridiculous comparison!  

The devastation due to a hurricane has no comparison to what a flood does -- the former being comparable more to the aftermath of an earthquake. A hurricane is not just rain but rains accompanied by 'fierce' winds. Did the original author of this mail even know what a hurricane means and how they are classified based on their wind speeds?  

I quote the definition of a Hurricane from the BBC website: "A tropical revolving storm with sustained wind speeds of more than 118 km/h (73 mph). Also known as a typhoon or cyclone."  

Step back and ponder for a moment that the maximum speed reached by the fastest Rajdhani is 120kmph! 

Now imagine being hit by a Rajdhani at top speed. A hurricane gathers solid objects within itself as it moves along. Hence anything that it hits at that wind speed also gets hit by objects that are circulating within the hurricane.  

Katrina's winds prior to landfall in southeastern Louisiana were 140 mph - 165 (224 - 358 kmph)!   

Hurricane Katrina is one of the most powerful and destructive storms on record for the Atlantic Basin. It began as a Category 3 hurricane and within 24 hours had reached category 5 (the category classified as most destructive for a hurricane)! Some of Katrina's cloud tops were about 2 kilometers above the tropopause (the stable air between the troposphere and the stratosphere).  

A category 5 hurricane by definition causes catastrophic damage. Winds greater than 155 mph and storm surges generally greater than 18 ft above normal, complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. All shrubs, trees, and signs are blown down. Severe and extensive window and door damage can occur. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline occurs and massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline may be required. This is especially essential in the New Orleans area where most of the city lies below sea level and exists with the help of levees and pumps. To date, only 3 Category Five Hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records began.  

Katrina is the third-most intense hurricane to ever hit the United States since reliable records began in 1851, according to the National Weather Service. Only the "Labor Day Hurricane" that hit the Florida Keys in September 1935 and 1969's Hurricane Camille were more intense.

If that doesn’t convince us about the enormity of the disaster then we need to spend some time searching the net for images from after-Katrina. 

It is ludicrous then to compare the no. of deaths in Mumbai with New Orleans or for that matter the time in which electricity got restored. 

One doesn’t want to venture a guess on what would happen if a catastrophe like Katrina were to hit a high population city in India. The Mumbai flood was kid stuff compared to Katrina.  

And if not ludicrous enough it is downright disgusting to claim pride over a comparison which says that they lost 100 people while we lost only 37!   

Either way people died, families were destroyed -- US or India. Is it something that makes us proud? 

Have we run out of real reasons to circulate (on email) that praise our country? 

And if we do want to use the number of deaths or as a comparison, what would an Indian feel if he/she looked at this first: 

• "Deaths in Mumbai within 48hours of rain.. 37.

• Deaths in Godhra.. 58 burnt alive in the train !! (probably within 48 minutes)

• .. Over 650 were killed in the violence that rocked the entire state.
  
  Are we feeling equally proud now ?"

Soumitra Ranjan

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