Erik Larson’s book Isaac’s Storm tells the true story of the September 9, 1900 hurricane which obliterated Galveston, TX–the greatest natural disaster in American history.
Here’s a quote without comment about some of the response by Americans to the hurricane: The Red Cross gave out food and clothing, but found much of its supply of donated clothing unusable, either too warm for the climate or too shabby, clearly the discards of distant souls who believed survivors were in no position to be picky. Someone donated a case of fancy women’s shoes, but all 144 shoes were for the left foot, samples once carried by a shoe-company traveler. (256).
