I believe one of the greatest ancillary benefits of Google Earth and this community is the opportunity to not only learn about different parts of the visible earth, but also to share cultural differences and similarities.

Because of the global nature of the GE community, disasters such as this seem to always affect some part of our community, and when those affected the most contribute to our understanding of the true scope of the event, it brings it home in a manner not possible listening to sound bites and summaries on the evening news.

Sashi- thanks for the effort you've put into your placemarks, overlays and links to additional information to help us recognize the true impact. It is truly appreciated!