[BurbankKarl]

Colorado National Guard members rolls tires to the shop for rims as they prepare for deployment to the New Orleans' area at the units headquarters in Denver on Friday, Sept. 2, 2005.

[BurbankKarl]

Evacuees from Hurricane Katrina form a line for a hot meal, Friday, Sept. 2, 2005, while staying at Red Cross shelter set up at Abita Springs Middle School in Abita Springs, La.

[AmericanInTokyo]

friend of a friend of a friend sent this (describing yesterday), from somebody--nameless here, in the National Guard, flying over the region... (trying to) help out. Note the reference later to shooting from the round at rescue craft, and subsequent damage to helicopter:

"Many shots fired at helos, media silence/downplay notwithstanding. CG & NG fly in pairs, one rescues/fights fires, other provides cover. Helo parts shot off. Stopped evac at superdome as gangbangas firing at helos. Pilots operate 120 sec max in LZ: less time in sights, lower shootdown risk. Miraculous if flying only one week, as predicted. More like month++. Airlines aside, mil av fuel scarce. 90's chickens home to roost compounding leadership failures in LA & elsewhere. MS recovery sooner than LA, despite total destruction of 50 miles of coast to 5+ blocks inland. "