That is sad news, my condolences to the family.

You are right that there are many victims in the aftermath of the levee failures that will never be recorded as such.

I'm not blaming those who are currently in need of FEMA's assistence, but I am criticizing our nation as a whole for relying on a federal bureaucracy to fulfill our individual needs. As long as we do, we will continue to see stories like this.

Definitely sad news, Paul. My condolences to his family, as well.

Paul,

It definitely puts things into perspective. My condolences to you and yours - as well as the family of your friend.

Sorry to hear about this Paul. Please pass my condolences on to his family. Keeping y'all in my prayers.

Losing documents is a government specialty. And they always make YOU do the work for THEIR failure.

That's heart breaking. I join with the others in sending prayers and condolences.

Paul, I'm sorry for your loss. His family is in my prayers.

My respects to the man's familiy...life must be tough (understatement) down there know.

But to say he was killed by Katrina seems to be stretching it just a bit. I'm not sure where this sudden onset of APitis is coming from....it might just be pure rage and pain that needs to be vented.

It just sounds a bit like the ole "G.W. killed the people in N.O." Only you didn't take it that last step.

Just a thought

I agree with kbiel.

The Government is not, and should not be, Nanny, when disaster strikes. All Americans need to have a plan for the unthinkable, whether it be flood, hurricane, nuclear, biological,etc., and should have a plan in place to respond to the unthinkable. Manhattan, NY was the unthinkable.

New Orleans was not the unthinkable. Devastating hurricanes have been predicted for hundreds of years. It was a culture of "dodging the bullet" of the unthinkable, that led New Orleaneans to stay in place in the face of a killer hurricane bearing down on them.

My condolences to your friend, and to you. God rest his soul, and peace be to you

Opine-
Yet another reader who doesn't read. Paul didn't say this guy stayed for the storm. He probably didn't. Like a lot pf people here, and particularly a lot of older people, the stress of losing everything he worked his whole life for was too much. Have you beeen here? Have you driven here? Believe me, this is unthinkable. You don't seem to understand that this is an entire community. Not blocks - miles. The magnitude of this needs, requires, and demands help from outside. That's why we're all in this union. Where should all of these people turn for help when they've lost everything, and everyone else they know has, too? Once again, the message from the blogosphere: Manhattan, worth preserving. New Orleans, apparently not. Everyone is stupid for living here to begin with, so they have no one to blame but themselves, right? And by the way, what it your personal plan in case of a nuclear strike?

Hmmm.

I'm very sorry to hear this. On top of all the other pain that family now has this added.

I wish them well and Hope things will get better for them.

Paul,
I am so sorry. You are right that we will never know the final death toll. Too many broken hearts. I would rather have a broken heart though than a heart of stone.