What can the tech world do to help with the Hurricane Katrina aftermath?

Josh Bancroft writes:

I just can’t believe that a major U.S. city is practically completely submerged under 20 feet of water. Millions are homeless, and will be for weeks, if not months. Basic service infrastructure is wiped out, as well as most communications. Can we do something with WiMAX here, to get VoIP and internet access to the area? Information about loved ones, evacuation routes, emergency services, etc. are in extremely high demand right now, and there’s no way for most people in the affected area to get any of it. The geeks of the world are trying to put their heads together to come up with ways to help.

Not that I have any specific ideas, but I’d love to see Intel come up with something to help, similar to what we did with 9/11. While the loss of life is nowhere near other disasters that have happened (9/11, the tsunami, etc.), the magnitude of this disaster is huge. Almost incomprehensible to me. Let’s put our heads together and come up with some ways that we can help where perhaps no one else can…

Josh also has links to citizen journalist coverage of Katrina.

My heart goes out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Watching the anguished face of one father whose wife was swept away when their house split in two, my mind instantly flashed back to Sri Lanka in December, where I’d seen the exact same expression in a victim of the tsunami.

We are all united in the transience of life and the preciousness of our families, and no degree of first world technology can entirely protect us from the risks of being torn apart from our loved ones without warning.

I’ve added relief for Hurricane Katrina victims to the list of recommended charities for Berry 411 and encourage everyone to do what they can.