Stayed up last night watching coverage on hurricane Irene, crossing my fingers and holding my breath that damage would be as light as possible.

Tragically, the death toll stands at 19, and damages in the billions of dollars; hundreds of thousands are without power. To say Irene could have been worse is no consolation for those most affected, and my prayers go out to all of them.

Still, I couldn't help but think of how loss of life was limited, largely to the immediate and definitive actions of state and local officials.  People heeded tersely worded orders to evacuate.  Buses and trains were commandeered and helped carry away thousands.  No one dithered, pointed fingers, waited, or blamed others.  Safety measures were implemented.

On the other hand, when Katrina hit--there was an indifference to orders to evacuate; many stayed.  Officials left thousands of buses parked that could have removed people.  State and local officials waited on federal officials, rather than acting to provide safety for their own citizens. 

Granted, circumstances were different--Katrina was stronger, came in a deadlier location, and would have, probably, overwhelmed the best of efforts.

Then again, the east coast and New York seldom deal with hurricanes.

Their success in limiting loss of life is admirable, even if there are reports that some of the folks are annoyed with the severity of measures taken.

Lives are worth saving, and it seems the state and local officials along Irene's path understood that perfectly.