Reporting from Pensacola

We're back from Florida. Pensacola is still a big disaster. As we approached the runway from the air, we could see that the landscape was dotted with houses that still had blue tarps on their roofs. Not a good sign.

Going around town, we could see that FEMA still had a big presence. They have offices set up several places around the city. There are also many areas with gov't-provided trailers that people have been living in since the hurricane.

Dad took us out to Pensacola NAS, and we got to see the extent of damage there. The golf course is filled with uprooted trees or branches, and it was hard to believe that much cleanup had taken place yet. Apparently many of the Navy personnel had their quarters damaged as well, so they've been relocated to other places in town.

The beach is a complete mess. Hardly anything is open. Construction crews are everywhere, moving debris or gutting hotels/condos. Many businesses (like those along the Boardwalk) were simply empty shells. It's very sad.

Of course, while we were down there, news broke of the terrible earthquake and tsunamis in south Asia. As my mom said, "we sure didn't go through anything compared to those people." On that note, one of the places to contribute to the relief effort is through Amazon.com.