Continuing Louisiana's string of misfortunes with bad weather was the recent catastrophe dubbed "Zeta." Nearly 10 hurricanes have directly threatened New Orleans in the past few months, and while we have been fairly fortunate, compared to some of Louisiana's parishes, in past storms, Zeta was the first to make noticeable damage. According to recent NBC coverage, there are a minimum of six deaths among the Southern states affected by Zeta, not to mention the myriad of people who are injured, uprooted, homeless, or all of the above. Aside from injury to person, utilities and the like have suffered an especially punishing blow from Zeta's gusts and rain.

Though New Orleans faced somewhat minor structural and tree-related damage, the city generally lost power and, at the time of this article's writing, there are even a noticeable number of traffic stops reverting to the standard four-way-stop rules in the absence of working traffic lights. A quick pass by Audubon Park will reveal to you innumerable scattered branches and shrubs, but people are already resuming their usual exercise and leisure routines. College campuses made do with generator power for a bit but are seeing a general return to regular electricity as providers and electricians are hard at work restoring power to the city.

Louisiana and the South in general have recently been getting absolutely slammed by a relentless stream of hurricanes, with areas like Lake Charles taking the brunt of much of the pain. However, not all is lost for these affected areas, despite the seemingly endless misfortune. For those of us fortunate enough to only be suffering inconveniences such as a lack of electricity or otherwise, it is important that we do our part to donate to foundations like SBP, which ensure the safety and recuperation of those in dire need as a result of these catastrophes.