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

[dawn53]

Well, your plan wouldn't always work because of the unpredictability of storms.

I believe in trying to escape from a storm, but as in Charley last year, people that fled inland from the Tampa Bay area, say to Polk County, ended up right in the path of the storm because it turn in at Charlotte County and tore a path of destruction up the middle of the state.

My MIL's waterfront retirement community was evacuated from the Tampa Bay area within hours of the evac order. The traveled inland and stayed in a sister facility, sleeping on the floor. And what happened, the place they had relocated to got batter, and there wasn't even an inch of water or rain the parking lot of their waterfront residence.

All you can do is follow evac orders, but that doesn't mean you'll miss the fury of the storm.

[Types_with_Fist]

In case you don't know, I believe WWL has always been and still is a CBS affiliate.

[Spktyr]

We're closer, we're ready, and we have the facilities to do it.

We've been planning for this for 104 years, remember?

That said, I believe that the other states are spooling up to try to deal with this. I suspect that a large number of people will be settled in other states as soon as they're ready. This is something that will take *months* if not years, and other states were not ready to deal with this on a moment's notice.

Then again, they didn't have one of their cities destroyed in 1900, either.

[Txsleuth]

I just got to the thread...so don't know if it has been mentioned..

but, earlier this morning, I unfortunately turned on MSNBC, and they were talking to someone in London and asked him how the people their and other Europe cities are reacting..

First, he said that is all that is being talked about..but then said that Europe, from the leaders to the media, to the citizens ALL are saying what a lousy job Bush has done...

AND, how can the richest, most powerful nation in the world, let this happen, and most of all treat their black people like the do???

grrrrrrrrrrrr---Like President Bush can STOP a hurricane---and if he can't stop it...he "guided" it so it would hit only black people...give me a break!

[ican'tbelieveit]

Survey on www.thedenverchannel.com:

Do you think the federal government was slow to respond to the hurricane disaster in the Gulf Coast?
Choice	Votes	Percentage of 337 Votes
Yes. I can't believe this is happening in our own country.	136	40%
No. I think they are working as fast as they can but they are being shot at and it is such a huge undertaking.	201	60%
Thanks for taking part in our survey.

[Ellesu]

Date: 9/3/2005

Contact: Denise Bottcher or Roderick Hawkins at 225-342-9037


MEDIA ADVISORY: Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to Hold a Press Briefing

BATON ROUGE, LA - Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco will conduct a 12:00 PM press briefing Saturday, September 3rd, 2005 at the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP).

WHERE: OEP Media Room
7667 Independence Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

WHEN: 12:00 p.m., CST

[Spktyr]

WWL and the rest of the media down there are also part of the widespread corruption.

[samantha]

I think he may have sold the Franchise, but is still doing entrepreneurial things and is a great and rich Pubbie.

[JerseyHighlander]

Do you have any idea how polluted the waters of the Mississippi is? The water pollution question is a non starter.

[samantha]

I think he may have sold the Franchise, but is still doing entrepreneurial things and is a great and rich Pubbie.

[Howlin]

onyx now has her power back and she'll be back on as soon as she can get her modem working!

[ican'tbelieveit]

Checking news here, there was an initial suggestion to house evacuees at Buckley AFB, but there has been not official request for that.

[samantha]

I think he may have sold the Franchise, but is still doing entrepreneurial things and is a great and rich Pubbie.

[Spktyr]

"What if you gave a press conference and nobody came?"

[MamaB]

This area is in a tornado alley. All of the TV stations here have their own radar systems and generators to keep them on the air. People complain about missing soap operas or other shows and do not seem to get the point that these people are trying to save lives. We have seen tornadoes being formed. If they say to go to a safe place, that is what we do. We have seen the complete devastation that one of these storms can cause.

[jslade]

UGH! Richard Simmons.

One thing you will NEVER NEVER see......Richard Simmons, Jr.

[hoosiermama]

Thanks Howlin.....Welcome back to FReal life Onyx. Glad you're OK!

[Spktyr]

Agreed. I lived in Memphis for a time. Nobody goes swimming in that thing if they can avoid it....

[NautiNurse]

you can HEAR people pounding on the roofs of their attics and screaming for help. Good God.

They are having to break into each home either through the roof, or through windows - and the windows have bars on them.

[Types_with_Fist]

WWL and the rest of the media down there are also part of the widespread corruption.

Speaking of corruption... I was hearing Cavuto and Wayne Rogers and a couple of others talking about the funds for "rebuilding." I pray -- I pray -- that the elected officials in Louisiana do not get their fingers on any of that money. This huge economic catastrophe could only be compounded and I doubt that the city would be any safer.

Personally, I don't think it's wise to look at "rebuilding" the city, which would still be below sea level. They could look at some sort of redesign and save the Quarter and some of the port and downtown area. But, the days of a million people living there are over... and should be.