Katrina Live Thread, Part XIV

Various ^ | 2 September 2005 | Various

[NautiNurse]

President Bush continues to assess the catastrophic damage by air and on the ground in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Bush spent the day meeting with search and rescue personnel, relief commanders, and displaced residents in Mobile, Biloxi, and the New Orleans area. U.S. Congress passed a $10.5 billion relief package for the hurricane ravaged areas. First Lady Laura Bush issued a press statement from an evacuation shelter in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Patient and staff evacuations continue from numerous New Orleans Hospitals. Thousands of patients are being airlifted to a field hospital at Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport for triage, staging, and transport to hospitals throughout the United States.

The U.S. Coast Guard and civilian volunteers continue to evacuate thousands of survivors from their flooded homes in New Orleans. The Army Corps of Engineers continues work to repair the damaged levees.

The nation's airlines today began an operation intended to fly up to 25,000 refugees out of New Orleans. The airlines are volunteering their aircraft and crews for the program. Long convoys loaded with relief supplies arrived throughout the day into New Orleans, while convoys of buses are moving survivors out of the city.

Several large fires are burning in the city and greater New Orleans area. Reports indicate snipers are holding down firefighters. Reports of shots fired with LEO down in the St. Bernard Parish area. Rescue operations are underway. A bus carrying NOLA evauees rolled over in Opelousa, LA.

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:

New Orleans Emergency Operations Center - is now open:
504-463-1000
504-463-1001
504-463-1002

WWL-TV New Orleans (via WFAA Dallas) - WWL-TV is operating from studios at Louisiana Public Broadcasting. CBS has a relay during the morning and afternoon. When available, use the CBS relay first as they have greater streaming capacity. Yahoo has also provided a relay.

WDSU-TV New Orleans - The news staff has started to return to temporary news studios near New Orleans. However, expect evening coverage from Hearst-Argyle sister stations WAPT Jackson and WESH Orlando when the New Orleans staff needs to take a break.

WGNO-TV New Orleans - New Orleans' ABC affiliate has returned to the air with WBRZ-TV and launched video streaming with continuous Katrina coverage.

WPMI-TV Mobile, AL - WPMI is webcasting from 5:30am - 10:30pm CDT. When off air, you can view pre-recorded reports on demand. This feed is often unreliable.

WKRG-TV Mobile, AL - This station is providing good coverage of the situation to the east in Mississippi and Alabama. However, the station is now signing off at around 10:30pm CDT like WWL and WPMI.

WJTV-TV Jackson, MS - The CBS affiliate in Jackson is providing live coverage for both the Jackson area and south Mississippi (knowing a lot of media in that area is off the air).

United Radio From New Orleans: WWL-AM, WNOE-FM, "KISS-FM," WRNO-FM, WYLD-FM, and WJBO-AM who have joined forces as United Radio From New Orleans, and they are streaming.

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/ Southern Baptist: NAMB - http://www.namb.net/
Samaritan's Purse - http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

Previous Threads:
Katrina Live Thread, Part XIII
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

[Palladin]

I am very happy for you and your brother and his family! Thank God they are safe.

[Gimme]

Michigan is taking 10,000 evacuees.


GOOD!!!!

[bwteim]

"NO was a cess pool."

No need to reply -
You do the citizens of New Orleans and state of Louisiana a great disservice.

PS - Don't give yourself any medals in your chastising me for Shep's "no water" remarks on Hannity.
--- From Alabama

[mabelkitty]

I agree with you 100%

[sfimom]

You mean you are human too? shame on you! (sarc off)

I'm not saying that they shouldn't be pulled out of the area if they really are losing it I just can't see criticizing them for losing it in a situation where a lot of us would have too especially if we were in a position where we could SEE everything but couldn't HELP.
I myself cry every time I think about those kids down there that need food, water, a warm bed, clean clothes ect. All things that I have in abundance I just can't get it to them....

[chuknospam]

President Bush may have singlehandedly saved many thousands of lives in New Orleans. If you recall he made an appeal on TV for residents to evacuate because Nagan couldn't get the job done himself. Never has a President appealed to a populace in such a manner in a pending disaster.

---

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/011549.php

Why Was New Orleans Evacuated?

A number of our readers have been highly critical of state and local authorities in Louisiana. However, it must be acknowledged that they did one important thing that saved countless lives: they ordered the mandatory evacuation on Sunday that caused most people to leave the city. This mandatory evacuation order was a departure from past practice, when evacuations in the face of approaching hurricanes have always been voluntary.

So what prompted the order that prevented Hurricane Katrina from being a natural disaster of unprecedented magnitude?

The mayor called the order unprecedented and said anyone who could leave the city should.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco, standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city, which is prone to flooding.


The City of New Orleans and its residents owe the President a profound debt of gratitude.

Thanks to reader Debbie Eberts.

[July 4th]

In a good news story, Greta has a guy on who commandeered a bus so that he could get people out of New Orleans. He had never driven a bus before.

Of all of the thousands of people in New Orleans, this Jabbar guy is the only one who so clearly decided that he needed to help himself and others. This is the real failure. You have thousands of people in the city who just sat and waited for the government. Moral: in crisis, you gotta depend on yourself. Good job, Jabbar. You saved your ass along with 70 others. If only the rest of the city was so resourceful.

[JerseyHighlander]

LA. Governor LIVE on WDSU.

She is fumbling, lost in minutae, not giving any useful info. Scary to see anyone have so little to say hold a presser at a time like this.

[Ellesu]

Blanco press conference just now:

going on and on about a "foundation she has set up for people to send money. Says today was a good day for us, we are all feeling a lot better"....Says "she thought certain people were picked up already and doesn't know why they are still there"..."has no idea of death toll", "I'll have an answer tomorrow"...I'm assuming there have been arrests of shooters"..."making transition from search and rescue to recovery", then said "will do it simultaneously"..."dome almost empty"...media is so soft with their questions, local media. She choked back tears and went on about "how many we saved". She said "people have lost faith in the system and that's why they didn't evacuate." Said "Bush told her he would give her everything she needed, she just had to ask." "The national guard will continue to answer to me". "There is a better attitude of peacefulness there". "We still have grave concerns." "um, um, um". "We will need more money than the 10 billion because that's for a lot of states."

[Soul Seeker]

Did you watch H&C? Yes or No.

If you DID and you know the segment I am refering to, you have NO justification to be defending Shep as anything but hysterical. If you did not, watch it.

I am not going to accept apolgetics for Shep. Take that to someone more sympathetic to emotional instability from supposed professionals.

[DrewsMum]

I am not a hugh Greta fan...but she is the best advertisement for Texas I have ever seen...

She can't seem to say enough good things about it.


I know, I know, it makes me proud

[mabelkitty]

Didn't the Governor say she didn't want to sound "an alarmist tone" regarding the hurricane?

[MOgirl]

Hello,

Already had a few drinks, thanks for the invite. I can't recall being this angry, it is bubbling up from my soul. This disaster is being spun for political gain as the bodies of it victims float, or worse.

I have officially given up on dealing with the Left. I hate what they stand for. I hate the levels that they will sink to to keep their power and the money that comes with power.

I have now gotten another beer, and put on one of my favorite CDs, Playmates, by Small Faces (obscure, I know, but good.) Later, I will break out my Frank S. CD's. Perhaps they will help calm my nerves.
I mean it, I am mad, and I will bet that I am not the only one, I am talking millions who are watching and get it.
Even mad, I am still glad to be here, MOgirl

[Palladin]

If we had Smell-a-vision, maybe people would understand what Geraldo was talking about.

[Blogger]

I stand by my comment. It was full of wickedness. Doesn't mean there weren't good people there. But there was a LOT of evil there as well.

[GOPrincess]

"people have lost faith in the system and that's why they didn't evacuate."

What system, weather forecasting? That's a pretty weird statement, but then her behavior has been pretty disappointing throughout.

[LA Woman3]

You are absolutely right, but even the 48 hours was suggestions and recommendations. I'm not the one entering the politics into it....just being defensive, I suppose.

[RushCrush]

I gotta give Greta props. I usually don't like her at all.

But she is presenting both the bad and the good from her situation in a rational manner.

[lmavk]

"Anyone see the woman who was just on Fox, given airtime to rag on Bush "i'm not giving him my vote" and "look at me good Mr Bush..." etc etc"

I don't think she was exactly from his voting base in the first place.

[little jeremiah]

This cannot be stated enough times.