Katrina Live Thread, Part XIV

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.

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.

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/

AMTRAK trains to aid in New Orleans evacuation
03 Sep 2005 02:54:55 GMT

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - An Amtrak passenger train supplied with food and water will begin evacuating on Friday night residents stranded in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"We have clear tracks and an empty train ready to help get residents safely out of the city," said Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta.

It is the first of several trains expected to be used over the next few days to ferry stranded refugees out of the flooded city.

The special twelve-car Amtrak passenger train was heading to New Orleans from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and will begin loading passengers later on Friday evening.

The department said the train will be loaded with water and food rations. More food and water will be distributed to passengers in Lafayette, Louisiana, where the train will stop.

In Lafayette, passengers will transfer to motor coaches to complete the journey to Dallas and other nearby destinations.

The department said it is working with Amtrak to operate two more train runs out of New Orleans' Avondale Rail Yard on Saturday. By Monday, Amtrak will have two trains in place, allowing for a total of four runs that day.

"The trains will continue operating beyond that time for as long as needed," Mineta added.

"Carnival Cruise out of Galveston for September has just been cancelled. Ship will be used for "other" purposes."

More on the cruise ships:

12:27 P.M. - GALVESTON, TX (AP): Federal officials are chartering three Carnival Cruise Lines ships for six months to provide shelter for Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

The "Ecstasy," "Sensation" and "Holiday" are being pulled from regular use.

Ecstasy and Sensation will both be pulled Monday. They're scheduled to dock and house Katrina refugees in Galveston, Texas. The Holiday likely will be pulled Thursday and docked in Mobile, Alabama.

The Ecstasy and Sensation can each take about 2,600 passengers. The Holiday has capacity for about 1,800 people. Guests with canceled bookings will get refunds and the opportunity to re-book on any Carnival ship -- with a $100-per-person shipboard credit.

The "Elation," which operates from Galveston, will take over some of Ecstasy's schedule.

I'm about to puke listening to morons compare the response to this disaster to 9/11. Would someone give these people a clue? They have no idea of the magnitude of the destruction here. I've heard that the area of destruction can be compared to the size of Great Britain. The destruction in 9/11 was only a section of the city in proximity to the Twin Towers.

The devastation in New York is said to be about 22-square-acres (I've read 16 square acres in other places -- I guess surrounding buildings are included in the larger number).

This is 92,000 SQUARE MILES of absolute destruction, which comes to nearly 59 million square acres,or a magnitude of more than two and a half million times the size of the destruction on September 11 in Manhattan, if my math is correct, or if we're talking about the Twin Towers area only, 3.6 million times as large an area that needs to be evacuated/cleared/gone-over-with-a-fine-tooth-comb. Not to mention that New Orleans is under 4-8-12 feet of water, and emergency personnel, firefighters, police and medical professionals are being shot at by thugs, so they're having an enormously difficult time getting to the people who need their help.

To compare the two disasters as "equal situations, different results" is ludicrous, and for talking heads and political jackasses to spin it in this fashion is an abomination.

This has a new update from the MS coast. I posted this info on a thread I started, but thought it might be helpful for others here too:

General News Update

By Perry Hicks- Filed 9/1/05
Updated 9/3/05 Keith Burton

Keith Burton reports from Biloxi that a massive relief effort is underway to arrive in Coast are by this weekend.

Highway 49- open

Pass Road- Open

Highway 90- impassible at any point in Harrison and Hancock Counties. Open in Jackson County.

Interstate 110 bridge- open

Travel Note: Due to the high number of debris along the Coast's roads, tire failures are very possible. All travel to the beach and areas south of the railroad tracks is restricted or prohibited. I-10 is open east to Mobile. Highway 49 is open to areas north.

Utilities - Power is out coastwide and telephones service is intermittent or non-existent to many homes due to trees on lines. Phone service is improving daily but calling into the Coast area is expected to be difficult, calling out sometimes works. Service for cell phones is also improving since the storm but calls within the area and long distance are inconsistent. Water service is at a bare minimum and the is not drinkable anywhere on the Coast. The pressure is very low due to the open pipes from destroyed homes and businesses. Sewage facilities non-functioning due to low water pressure, no power and proximity to the heavily damaged shoreline. Raw sewage is entering the surrounding Coast waters. Lift stations to pump sewage is offline due to flooding damages and lack of electrical power.

Local area gasoline currently not available.

Biloxi/Gulfport - Catastrophic damages to entire beachfront. Entire Point Cadet area from around Lee Street east leveled. Back Bay shoreline homes and businesses destroyed or severely damaged on both the Biloxi peninsula and along Back Bay. Numerous buildings well inland destroyed or severely damaged. Gulfport port leveled. All casinos severely damaged. Numerous apartments damaged from wind. Neighborhoods throughout the Coast that didn't suffer from the storm surge experienced very heavy damages from wind and falling trees. Beachfront hotels, restaurants, shops, homes...gone. Highway 90, the beachfront highway. Severely washed out and unpassable. Popps Ferry Bridge in Biloxi unusable. Highway 90 Bridge from Biloxi to Ocean Springs destroyed. I-110 bridge ok.

D'Iberville - Homes and businesses immediately along the Back Bay destroyed by storm surge. The destruction follows a line east and west from the I-110 exit to D'Iberville.

Long Beach- Beachfront and business district through Jefferson Davis Avenue largely destroyed. K-Mart destroyed.

Bay Saint Louis- Old town and beach front homes heavily damaged or destroyed from storm surge and high winds. Interior neighborhoods severely damaged from high winds and fallen tree. Highway 90 Bay St. Louis Bridge from Pass Christian destroyed.

Picayune- Heavy wind and tree damage

Popularville- Heavy wind and tree damage

Pascagoula- Interior in pretty good shape and city trying to restore services. Coastal areas heavily damaged by storm surge. Downtown was flooded, but waters have receded.

Gautier - Destruction of homes and businesses south of Highway 90 near a large section of low-lying land along the shore. Heavy wind and tree damage.

Ocean Springs - Destruction of beachfront and bayou area homes and apartments, heavy wind damages,

Pass Christian - Severe damages from storm surge and winds. Beachfront homes destroyed or severely damaged. Downtown area in ruins. Homes along bayous floods and severely damaged or destroyed.

Wiggins - Heavy wind and tree damages. Power failure from winds and fallen trees.

Hattiesburg - Heavy wind and tree damages.

GCN will update as information is available.

About the Author.....

Perry Hicks is a former Mississippi Coast resident and was a correspondent for the old Gulfport Star Journal. He has appeared on Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor.” Perry has also hosted his own radio talk show on the auto industry with a mix of politics. Perry is a former college professor and a frequent contributor to GCN writing on stories of national importance with local interests. His articles can be found in the GCN Archive.

Contact the Author: arielsquarefour@hotmail.com

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