It is shaping up as a disaster of biblical proportions. Perhaps more than 10,000 people have been killed by one of the worst natural disasters this country has seen.

And see it we have. Every day, images of what happened, is happening and is likely to happen come across our TV screens and through our radio speakers.

It is unimaginable, even for those of us who witnessed the fury of Hazel (1954), Camille (1969), or, more recently, Hugo (1989) and Fran (1996).

While we're helping the good folks who escaped, let's not drop our own guard. The hurricane season doesn't end until Nov. 1. So as you're rounding up money and materials to aid and comfort (see opposite page), make sure you're prepared not to become yet another statistic.

New guys

On a brighter note, today I'd like to introduce two new members of our staff, photojournalist Shawn Rocco and editorial cartoonist Dennis Draughon.

Neither are strangers to the area. We stole Shawn from our sister paper, The Chapel Hill News, and got Dennis in exchange for the departing John Cole from the Scranton (Pa.)Times-Tribune. Dennis spent several years at N.C. State and 'tooned for the old Raleigh Times. We think you'll like 'em both.