Hurricane Katrina

[Khamûl]

In light of recent events, here is a thread for everyone to discuss your feelings about Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing devastation.

Personally, I'm sure everyone is doing everything they can to help the horrible situation. All we can do is send money and pray.

[Earniel]

It seems there is devastation everywhere this summer. There are terrible ongoing fires in Portugal and the other part of Europe has been drowning in floods as well.

Although we don't have category 5 hurricanes here and thank god for that! I can't really imagine what it would be like. I hope the relief efforts get on their way soon. I find it mind-boggling to think people would just have to leave New Orleans for months before coming back and rebuild the city.

[Valandil]

OK - third time's a charm:

I've just been staggered by this whole thing (and rarely post here in GM anymore anyway). The concept that a major - and famous - city like New Orleans might even have to be abandoned or something (at least a good chunk of it - and for at least a long time) - is just mind-boggling.

And then there's all the deaths... I don't even know how long it'll be before we truly have a good count. They'll have to get the water out of New Orleans and go into every attic... As well as all the ones in other places.

BB - let's keep this thread about Hurrican Katrina and the people affected by it.

[Tree Dweller]

I am curious to know if any of our Mooters live in the affected areas, I pray if so that they are all safe. I live in Pensacola, FL and Katrina side-swiped us. I just now have power again and wonder how many others here cannot get online?

[The Gaffer]

Truly horrific. The death toll is staggering, and those poor people trapped in their apartment blocks with no food, water or electricity must be going spare. The entire city looks like it will be abandoned for at least several weeks.

I guess it's also a massive cultural blow to the US, with New Orleans' francophone roots etc.

Not much more to say, other than I hope everyone gets out safely and they fix it up as quickly as they can.

[brownjenkins]

i have a very good friend from another board (sound's crazy, but you probably all know how you can develop close friendships via the net )

he lives in Metairie... left side of map here



i haven't heard from him since sunday night... i'm hoping it's just the lack of internet thing

[Insidious Rex]

Thanks Khamul. Im shocked it took this long to make this thread. This happened Sunday. Maybe we are all too busy focusing on our chit chat threads and minor gripes. This is The Great Flood of ’05 people. The worst natural disaster in the United States in a century. Its really quite bad. Devastation to the coasts of three states and flooding in half a dozen others. Over a hundred dead in Mississippi and possibly thousands in Louisiana. In New Orleans, a horrific apocalyptic scene. 80% of the city under water. And not just harmless water but essentially a city wide open sess pool of oil and gas and toxic waste and sewage. Dead bodies both human and animal are everywhere. And nevermind the poisonous snakes and alligators… This is not water you want to wade in. Thousands stranded on roof tops and in attics. No power. No running water. Fires. Looting. Open anarchy and chaos. Downtown New Orleans, my favorite city in the world, looks like a third world country. Refugees from the storm are streaming into sports stadiums in Texas. Thousands and thousands of people lost everything in the world they had. Everything…

The recovery and rebuilding will take years… The mental devastation will take a generation to heal. As soon as its feasible Im going to go back to New Orleans to spend as much money on their economy as I can. To bring the city with the richest culture in the country back to where it was before. I was supposed to go in November but all those plans have been dashed now. In the mean time lets do what we can by donating to The Red Cross and other organizations. Tens of thousands of people need our assistance. I mean evacuating a city the size of New Orleans?? That’s just unthinkable. How can that possibly happen? This is colossal…

To help go here http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/resou...na.shtm#donate or call these resources:

· American Red Cross
1-800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English,
1-800-257-7575 Spanish
·
Operation Blessing
1-800-436-6348

America’s Second Harvest
1-800-344-8070

Donate Cash and/or Volunteer

Adventist Community Services
1-800-381-7171

Catholic Charities, USA
1-800-919-9338

Christian Disaster Response
941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
1-800-848-5818

Church World Service
1-800-297-1516

Convoy of Hope
417-823-8998

Corporation for National and Community Service Disaster Relief Fund
(202) 606-6718

Lutheran Disaster Response
800-638-3522

Mennonite Disaster Service
717-859-2210

Nazarene Disaster Response
888-256-5886

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
800-872-3283

Salvation Army
1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)

Southern Baptist Convention -- Disaster Relief
1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440

United Jewish Communities
1-800-462-8657, ext. 6440

United Methodist Committee on Relief
1-800-554-8583

For further information: visit the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) .

[Ben]

This is a terrible tragedy. You know, for the first 24 hours after the storm had hit, I was convinced based on news coverage that New Orleans had largely dodged a bullet. Then the full extent of the damage started to come out.

The city seems to be in chaos now: police have now shifted from trying to find survivors to trying to stop the looting. It's interesting that there's much more lawlessness happening in New Orleans than in New York after 9/11. Of course, the scope of destruction is much greater in the Gulf Coast.

[Tree Dweller]

Not trying to be pushy, and forgive me because I am a relativly new member. But I'll ask again, are there any members here who live in the affected areas? (that we know of)

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Tree Dweller in Temporary venting thread

Hubby and I had the same discussion last night about how the USA dishes out money to help other countries, but when something happens here the rest of the world is silent.

I think partially that most people reckon the USA is one country that would (or should?) have no need of foreign aid. Anyway Belgium offered help too.

How is the relief-aid coming? It'll be a giant operation, I'm sure. Luckily you've had warning that the storm was coming so you've had a few days to make at least some preparations for the relief-efforts. Although I can hardly imagine how one can prepare for this scope of destruction.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

I think partially that most people reckon the USA is one country that would (or should?) have no need of foreign aid. Anyway Belgium offered help too.

Well, I would say in a disaster like this that aid is always needed and welcome nomatter what country it is. Even if it were not needed, it is nice to have it offered.

How is the relief-aid coming? It'll be a giant operation, I'm sure. Luckily you've had warning that the storm was coming so you've had a few days to make at least some preparations for the relief-efforts. Although I can hardly imagine how one can prepare for this scope of destruction.

There was warning that the storm was coming, but the evacuation was tough. So many people that were to sick, poor, or without the means to evacuate are the ones that have suffered the most. Even though there was warning, the levies breaking in New Orleans was not forseeable. The devistation would have been much less but for that. New Orleans is in a bowl below sea level and surrounded by water on three sides.

Tree Dweller, to answer your question: the only member of Entmoot that I know of in or near the effected area is Khamul.

[Insidious Rex]

'Desperate SOS' for New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued "a desperate SOS" for the thousands of people stranded in an around the city's convention center with no food or water and fading hope.

CNN's Chris Lawrence described "many, many" bodies, inside and outside the facility on New Orleans' Riverwalk.

The alert comes as violence and lawlessness disrupted efforts to get help to people around the city.

Charity Hospital has halted patient evacuations because it has come under sniper fire, according to Dr. Tyler Curiel, who witnessed the incident.

"There are multiple people dying at the convention center," Lawrence said. "There was an old woman, dead in a wheelchair with a blanket draped over her, pushed up against a wall. Horrible, horrible conditions.

"We saw a man who went into a seizure, literally dying right in front of us."

In a statement Thursday, Nagin said that "currently the convention center is unsanitary and unsafe and we are running out of supplies for (15,000 to 20,000) people."

He said the city would allow people to march up the Crescent City Connection to the Westbank Expressway.

People were "being forced to live like animals," Lawrence said, surrounded by piles of trash and feces.

He said thousands of people were just laying in the ground outside the building -- many old, or sick, or caring for infants and small children.

Video from the scene showed a group chanting 'we want help, we want help,' as mothers tried to console their tired and hungry children.

More people were arriving at the center, walking south along Canal Street. The route north to the Superdome is blocked by chest-deep water.

The convention center was used as a secondary shelter when the Louisiana Superdome was overwhelmed.

As reports indicated a mounting death toll in New Orleans, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said that "we understand there are thousands of dead people" in Louisiana, according to media reports.

This sounds like Somalia for gods sake. Snipers shooting at hospitals? Whats next suicide bombers? This is horrible. Cant they airlift in food and water?

[Spock]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Fats Domino was missing Thursday, days after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, said his longtime agent, Al Embry.

Embry told The Associated Press that he hadn't been able to contact Domino since talking to him Sunday evening by phone.

The 77-year-old R&B legend, whose real name is Antoine Domino, told Embry that he planned to stay at his New Orleans house with his wife, Rosemary, and their daughter.

"I hope somebody turns him up, but as of right now, we haven't got anybody that knows where he's at," said Embry, who has worked with Domino for 28 years. "I would think he might be safe because somebody said he was on top of the balcony."

Checquoline Davis, Domino's niece, posted a message on Craigslist.org Thursday pleading for information. Davis wrote that Domino, his wife, their children and grandchildren "didn't get out" of the second floor.

[Rían]

Wow - I had no idea it was this bad - we've had the tv off for 3 months now (social experiment) and I haven't had access to news besides the internet.

That's incredible I'll give my husband a call and see what our charity is doing about it.

What's with the snipers? What possible reason is there for that?

[brownjenkins]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

What's with the snipers? What possible reason is there for that?

hard to say... could just be gunfire from authorities or criminals interpreted as sniper fire

[Insidious Rex]

Its thugs and crazies who have broken into gun shops and wal-marts and got there hands on weapons. Last night someone with an AK47 started spraying the Police station in the French Quarter. All the cops could do was duck and run for cover. They just had shot guns. In other places people are shooting at the police when they try to stop them from looting. Road Warrior syndrome seems to be setting in.

[Spock]

yep, and check out the media videos....they could justify 'profiling'....oh, wait, they can't do that

[Insidious Rex]

Pardon? You mean like anyone running around with an AK-47? Sounds good to me.

[The Gaffer]

Thanks for posting those links, IR. Get your credit cards out folks.

Though it seems that the main problem is how everyone has been taken by surprise by the vast scale of the devastation, not by lack of money. I would guess that organisations like the Red Cross are better prepared to get stuff in quickly.

It appears to be getting worse by the hour. I heard those reports of shootings etc and wonder how representative they are. I sincerely hope they're not.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Sister Golden Hair

Well, I would say in a disaster like this that aid is always needed and welcome nomatter what country it is. Even if it were not needed, it is nice to have it offered.

Oh, I agree. But I recall it was at first said that the USA would handle it on their own and only afterwards did I hear they were accepting foreign aid. But in any case I see it's being offered, needed or not. According to the news at least a handful of countries have offered already aid.

There was warning that the storm was coming, but the evacuation was tough. So many people that were to sick, poor, or without the means to evacuate are the ones that have suffered the most. Even though there was warning, the levies breaking in New Orleans was not forseeable. The devistation would have been much less but for that. New Orleans is in a bowl below sea level and surrounded by water on three sides.

I can quite understand the situation of New Orleans, they don't call Belgium and the Netherlands 'the low lands' for nothing. I was also under the impression it was known the levies in New Orleans lacked some maintenance so that it was not impossible for them to break under the strain. Could have heard wrong though.

I can also see why the evacuation was tough. (So many people!) But when I mentioned preparations I was kind of thinking about filling sandbags, preparing rations for affected areas, assembling emergency shelters, putting police, fire-brigade and the army on stand-by. That sort of thing,... it's basically what happens when we're hit by a flood so that is what I tend to think of as preparations.