Katrina Live Thread, Part XIII

Various ^ | 1 September 2005 | Various

[NautiNurse]

28,000 National Guard troops are deployed to the disaster areas in Mississippi, Alabama, and to Louisiana, where SWAT teams are working to combat the looters and shooters in New Orleans. Additional 1400 National Guard troops are being deployed daily.

Shootings reported at a New Orleans hospital, rescue boats, and a military helicopter, while conditions continue to deteriorate at the SuperDome amid refugee deaths and chaos. Evacuation of New Orleans continues.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert has voiced serious doubts about rebuilding New Orleans with federal funds, while assuring the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida that the United States Congress stands ready to help them in their time of need. New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin issued a "desperate SOS."

Doctors at two desperately crippled hospitals in New Orleans called The Associated Press Thursday morning pleading for rescue, "We have been trying to call the mayor's office, we have been trying to call the governor's office ... we have tried to use any inside pressure we can. We are turning to you. Please help us," said Dr. Norman McSwain, chief of trauma surgery at Charity Hospital, the largest of two public hospitals.

The Port of New Orleans is now open to shallow draft vessels. Congress is reconvening in an emergency session. International offers to assist the U.S. have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States.

Jesse Jackson has arrived in Louisiana...

Links to various news, local and state government websites:

WLOX TV Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagula has link to locate family and friends
2theAdvocate - Baton Rouge Includes Slidell, St. John Parish, St. Bernard Parish updates, and other locations.
NOLA.com
Inside Houma Today includes shelter and volunteer updates
WLBT.com Jackson MS
WALA Channel 4 Mobile, AL Includes links to distribution centers, Emergency Ops, etc.
Sun-Herald Gulfport MS Includes link to town by town reports
Gulfport News via Topix.net
WAFB Baton Rouge
Mobile Register via al.com
Mississippi updates via Jackson Ledger
Lafayette LA Daily Advertiser
Pensacola News Journal
St Bernard Local Government
Alabama Homeland Security Volunteers can sign up online
Alabama DOT
Alabama.gov
Louisiana Homeland Security
Louisiana State Police road closure info
State of Mississippi Website has traffic alerts, emergency contact numbers

Streaming Video:

WWL-TV (via CBS): WWLTV via CBS
WWL-TV Now via WFAA Dallas **NEW LINK**: http://www.wwltv.com/cgi-bin/bi/video/makeadplaylist.pl?title=beloint_wfaa&live=yes
WDSU-TV: http://mfile.akamai.com/12912/live/reflector:38843.asx
WPMI-TV: http://www.wpmi.com/mediacenter/default.aspx?videoId=113739
WKRG-TV: mms://wmbcast.mgeneral.speedera.net/wmbcast.mgeneral/wmbcast_mgeneral_aug262005_1435_95518
WTOK-TV Temporarily Not Live Streaming (follow the link on the home page): http://www.wtok.com/
WJTV-TV: mms://wmbcast.mgeneral.speedera.net/wmbcast.mgeneral/wmbcast_mgeneral_aug262005_1435_95563
Louisiana Statewide Katrina Network (WJBO-AM Baton Rouge): http://ccri.eonstreams.com/ccri_la_batonrouge_wjbo_am.asf
Gulf Coast Storm Network (radio): http://www.stormalert.net/main.html#
Louisiana Scanner

Related FR Threads:

FYI: Hurricane Katrina Freeper SIGN IN Thread FReeper Check In thread
Discussion Thread - Hurricane Katrina - What Went Wrong?!?
Post Hurricane Katrina IMAGES Here
Looting Begins In New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina HOUSING Thread
Martial Law Declared in New Orleans

Due to the number of requests to assist, the following list of some charities is provided.
This is not intended as an endorsement for any of the charities.

www.redcross.org or 1-800 HELP NOW - note: website is slow, and lines are busy
Salvation Army - 1-800-SAL-ARMY or Salvation Army currently looking for in-state volunteers - (888)363-2769
Operation Blessing: (800) 436-6348.
America's Second Harvest: (800) 344-8070.
Catholic Charities USA: (800) 919-9338, or www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: (800) 848-5818.
Church World Service: (800) 297-1516 or online at www.churchworldservice. org.
Lutheran Disaster Response: (800) 638-3522.
Nazarene Disaster Response: (888) 256-5886.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: (800) 872-3283.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is accepting donations at its 3,800 stores and Web site, www.walmart.com.
National Black Home Educators Resource Association http://www.nbhera.org/

Previous Threads:
Katrina Live Thread, Party XII
Katrina Live Thread, Part XI
Katrina Live Thread, Part X
Katrina Live Thread, Part IX
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VIII
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VII
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VI
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part V
Hurricane Katrina, Live Thread, Part IV
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part III
Katrina Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm 12

[DouglasKC]

Is this the woman who said an MRE was uneatable?

No idea. But this is really opening my eyes to how soft we are as a people. Cut off the electricity and water for three days in one area of the country and we descend into chaos.

[MEG33]

The police could not communicate with the firefighters on 911 IIRC..I believe one problem is not having compatible equipment..

[RummyChick]

Sheesh, why couldn't buses have gotten in there from whereever to get all of those people out. I can just picture the thugs thinking of all of NO as their Kingdom and they rule the roost.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

Heck, we will do 'em like cattle. Run 'em in the chute, innoculate 'em, worm 'em, ear tag 'em. Cannot neuter 'em. Yet.

[livius]

No brains in the governor's mansion.

That's pretty clear. She's an embarrassment to those of us of the female persuasion.

[MarMema]

Fema was ready and waiting but had to wait til the storm passed and the State got it's act together. If the State is not with it then the process is slow.

We lost our well during the 7 quake here a few years back. With an entire goatherd, huge chicken flock, and 4 kids, it was a small disaster for us to not have water.

Fema was at our front door 4 or 5 days later with an offer of a check and wonderfully knowledgeable advice, a free home damage inspection included.

[steveegg]

That's true. A huge amount of supplies were needed, and it seems that the city itself (despite supposedly having done a "disaster management plan" not long before) underestimated the needs and really had no plan in the first place.

Sounds like the Chicago blizzard of 1977, only there aren't any Xerox machines working in NO to gin up an insta-plan.

[not-an-ostrich]

That's cute. She finally holds a news conference but slams Hastart before/instead of addressing immediate needs?

[mjwise]

Hey, I love MREs myself! I have friends in the Army NG and the USAF and occasionally I get to try some of the MRE food. I think it's excellent (better than a lot of institutional food I've had) -- I wish I could find saltines in stores like they are in the MREs.

I would be beyond thrilled to get an MRE in this sort of situation they're in.

[XEHRpa]

> In the case of NO, a city below sea level, there's no margin of error. But the city and state government just sort of shrugged and carried on as if it were all just a bad dream, probably provoked by GWB.

To willingly choose to live below sea level, surrounded by water IS to be living in an alternate mental reality. So their state of denial leading up to Katrina is not surprising.

[RGVTx]

I don't know if this link has been posted. I was searching for news on the Mandeville area and found this page with links to news for individual counties and cities affected by Katrina.

http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0901-hurricane.html

[samantha]

I give it about three days before things start to turn around. I believe that the Feds are mostly handling this from now on and there will be no excuses given for savage behavior. I think that the Mayor and Gov have finally been hoisted on their own petard and are spinning like heck,but basically are letting Homeland Security handle this now. It takes a while for the "Govmint" to get going but then it will be much better run. These are the professionals,not the friends and cronies of the Elected officials.

[Frank_2001]

I think you're right about that!

[PhiKapMom]

Do you drink a gallon of water a day?

[CindyDawg]

When my parents divorced we moved to a large city. My Mom dumped my dog. A few months ago she remarked, " It's been 35 years now. How much longer are you going to hold this against me?. Have you thought about letting this go?" She told me if of all the things she could change, that this was #1. Good:')

[advance_copy]

Bump for the streaming feeds.

[MarMema]

Noah's wish. Easily googled.

[sarasmom]

There was a report of that, earlier on this thread by a FReeper in good standing who was housing a NOPD member.
I would not doubt it out of hand.
For this kind of utter devastation, and under these circumstances, I doubt any civilian LEOs have had even cursory training to fall back upon to guide them.
There are a multitude of valid reasons that "Posse Comitas" separates the DOD forces from our own civilian population.
God help us all if the Louisianian National Guard fails to restore order.
It is completely out of the hands of civilian LEOs now. Best to give it a few days before the regular DOD is called upon, because to do that, means Martial Law would have to be declared nationwide first.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Still talking about MREs? They are a heck of a lot better than three days worth of hunger...They are great to put up on a shelf with other emergency supplies.

But don't forget to keep a stockpile of heaters, too...they taste a little bit better warm. Doesn't take much water to get the heater to work, either...

[oceanview]

I don't see what leverage they have regarding Roberts and New Orleans. we don't need Schumer's vote on Roberts, we know how he is going to vote anyway, his vote is meaningless.