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

[Brad’s Gramma]

Thank you. I'm sitting here with a big ole grin on my face.

A sense of normalacy for that little one...WHAT a relief.

I wish I could grab a couple of kids and take them in till their parents were on their feet.

[SunnySide]

"Yeah, that big clump of 'hair' over his forehead is his trademark look! "

LOL! "big clump of hair" Is that style called the "ramped Up' look?

[Peach]

What strikes me is that on Saturday or Sunday (I think it was Sunday but someone will correct me if I'm wrong), the mayor and the Governor called for a mandatory evacuation. Less than 24 hours before the storm struck.

And they only did that because, as they admitted in their 10:30 press conference, the president called and pressed them to order a mandatory evac.

[conservativebabe]

I can't look at his show anymore.

I love when people use "look" when referring to "watching" T.V. It sounds kind of funny. I mean, we do look at it, and watch it. Silly, I know, but it's late, I'm tired.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I do remember hearing on one of the programs this week that most of these looters stayed in NO specifically because they planned to take advantage of the hurricane and many started looting at the height of the storm on Monday. Sorry, I can't remember which program that was now, been so many I fell like in overload.

[Ovation_girl]

"This is a really dumb question.
Why are we not setting up semi-perm tent type barracks for these people at a underutilized location somewhere?
Provide medical, schooling for kids, community college classes for adults, movies at night. All in a semi military style environment?

Why take them to trash a sports arena?

The tent thing could be set up just as quickly.

This is long term, we are probably supporting them anyway, lets do it right and have a controlled situation,"

Not a dumb question but one I have asked here already and nobody knows. And one that hasn't been mentioned by any reporters, even as they compare it to Andrew..In Andrew the tent city was the saving grace for many survivors, but was not done immediately. The scope if this disaster has only been known for 2 days now, but I think officials would be better off to say we are temporarily moving you to point A or B while we set up a tent city that can be a little more long term. Of course once winter sets in, this will not be a good option, and FEMA trailers will need to be set up...

[Brad’s Gramma]

1 gallon, per person, per day, is what you're supposed to have on hand for these emergencies.

Tomorrow morning, from the moment you get up, think of ALL of your water intake.

From brushing your teeth in the morning till night.

[oceanview]

its just too much to write off to plain incompetence, it went on far too long. other posters on previous threads mentioned that the Democratic machine in LA does not like Mayor Nagin because he supported Bush for president, this may well explain why his calls to ask the governor to ramp up security using state resources and the guards, just fell on deaf ears.

[shield]

LOL....after watching all this coverage of N.O. I keep thinking N.O. actually looks like it should have been named "The New Orleans Plantation of the Gulf Coast"...

[Smogger]

I have very mixed feelings on what is going on there-(probably because I just don't know what IS going on down there.

The Superdome operation has been for all intents and purposes well run considering that they have no running water or sanitation. It's the Convention Center, where people gathered believing it was an evacuation point, and the I-10 Causeway, where people wandering out of the city first meet dry land, that have been miserable for evacuee's.

The National Guard is in charge of the Superdome operation btw.

[Cedar]

Last I heard they are now using the Millington base for the Army (or some Branch)......for operations for Katrina.

[Jrabbit]

That's why the Astrodome has filled up so quickly. There were also church busses full of people that showed up before any of the Superdome busses even arrived. Judge Ekles said today that this is temporary. They will work to find temporary housing as soon as possible.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

We are not taking these fine Americans to trash a sports arena. Think of it as triage. It takes a little time to determine all of the needs. High priority is getting people back to a routine. School, medical care, and such. Not to worry, we will not send our fellow southern "dregs" to invade pristine Iowa. Would not want the Hawkeyes to have to deal with Americans that have a different skin color, and speak with a drawl. Let us all just cram them into tents in 105 degree heat. Read your quote. Dispicable.
"This is long term, we are probably supporting them anyway, lets do it right and have a controlled situation"

[doug from upland]

What the kids did with the bus was great.

[conservativebabe]

If you've ever been under a boil order, which I have, it gives you a whole new appreciation for running water. I never take it for granted now.

[Peach]

Now that you mention it, I heard that the looters stayed behind and started looting before the storm even ended too.

I don't think we heard too much about it Monday; it didn't register with me if we did.

So the storm ended Monday; the levee broke that night; the looting was horrific by Tuesday morning when I woke up.

By Tuesday and Wednesday, the president had ordered the full force of the federal government to the relief effort. Hampering those efforts were gunshots and water and inaccessible roads.

[Smogger]

Yeah. He was one of the first to get to the Superdome. They (apparently the NG or police) told him to just take a bus and go. They stopped along the way to pick up stragglers. They didn't have any government resources at all from what I understand, just the clothes on their backs.

There is a photo of him and the bus somewhere around here.

[Rokke]

"Why is it so logistically hard to load up some C-130's with water and food, and parachute it in by the Super Dome?"

Air dropping supplies is actually one of the least efficienct means of distributing them. Once they leave the aircraft, you have no idea where they are going to land. In an area like NO, it is likely most would land in flood waters and become contaminated or lost.

[TNdandelion]

I've not been on base since pre-9/11. It used to be open to the public but that all changed.

I know that at one point (a few years ago), they were tearing down some of those empty barracks because of age, etc. I'm not sure what all is left here. (I'm 5 miles from the base, btw.) ;)

[Howlin]

I keep all kinds of hours; don't sleep much.