Katrina Live Threads, Part XV

Various ^ | 4 September 2005 | Various

[NautiNurse]

U.S. commercial air carriers continue transporting tens of thousands of evacuees from the New Orleans airport to destinations throughout the nation.

Rooftop air rescue efforts continue. One rescue chopper crashed late today. Crew members are reported safe. Gunmen who fired upon bridge repair contractors were killed by law enforcement.

To date, an estimated 70 countries and U.S. businesses have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars, supplies, food and equipment to assist the United States' efforts in Katrina's aftermath. Lt. General Honore described the damage to Mississippi today, "all infrastructure south of Jackson, MS is either damaged or destroyed." Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice visited the devastated areas, and attended Sunday church services in Mobile, Alabama.

Elsewhere, Sean Penn's rescue boat, sans plug and full of his personal entourage,reportedly sank during launch in New Orleans. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) threatened to punch President Bush, and Jefferson Parish President Broussard decried that the bureaucracy of FEMA has committed murder.

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

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

Streaming Video:

All information is subject to change. Many stations are relying on their corporate parents to configure and maintain Internet streaming. Because of the intense interest in the feeds, they may be unavailable at times because of network congestion or a problem feeding the video to the streaming servers.

WWL-TV New Orleans - 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. They have a secondary stream from Yahoo. WWL-TV is also offering a special low-bandwidth audio-only stream for dial-up users.

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).

WFAA-TV Dallas, TX - WFAA-TV is here because Dallas is one of the evacuation cities.

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

Gulf Coast Storm Network (Clear Channel Radio) - Clear Channel offers radio listeners across the gulf coast access to a simulcast emergency radio service. This service seems primarily focused on Alabama and Mississippi, but does cover Louisiana to some degree.

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
Katrina Link Archives Nice work by backhoe
Mary Landrieu-"I'll Punch Bush"
Sean Penn's Rescue Bid Sinks
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 XIV
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

[easonc52]

I will call her back later to let her know that over 40 countries have sent pumps to help deflood NO.

Thank you for the update, and just curious if they have regular power there in BRLA.

[not_apathetic_anymore]

Somewhere on one of these threads last night there was a comment that Molly Henenberg<?sp> was inteviewing Nagin and said something about I hear there is an important visitor coming tomorrow...He said, John Travolta? She said, no more important than that. He said, Opera? She said - The PResident. He mumbled, Oh yeah....

[Patriot from Philly]

I feel kinda bad for the FEMA guy. I was home sick last weekend so I followed the hurricane story very closely before it materialized into a major catastrophe. (didn't feel like watching a DVD)

The weather guy (older gentleman) and Brown looked like nervous wrecks.

The locals looked indecisive and unsure. Afraid they'd get in trouble if they ordered an evacuation and he storm missed.

Bush had to plead for an evacuation. I think the problem is that the President is used to working with more competent local officials and they should have taken over more quickly.

Just saw CNN and the lady anchor was begging the reporter if anyone challenged the President.
They are really trying to stir things up and deflect things away from the locals.
Their attempts to make the mayor and NOPD into heroes is not working, I've noticed.

[LA Woman3]

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2004-09-21/commentary.html

The Storm Next Time
The mass evacuation proved largely successful -- but it took place under ideal weather conditions.

[easonc52]

President Bush looks sooooo tired and drawn, like he hasn't eaten for a week. He looked like he was drawing strength from Rev Jakes when he was standing next to him.

Certainly doesn't look like he's been on a relaxing vacation...

[oceanview]

yes, the mayor of baton rouge isn't too far from Nagin or Blanco. the entire political apparatus in that state stinks - and it's not just the Dems, so far I have not been impressed by Vitters or Jindal either.

[DollyCali]

Outstanding work brother. Thanks for sharing your research.

[plushaye]

"had to keep our boys from giving away all their toys, but they did give a lot, and were very happy to do it, I am proud of them."

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Sounds like you have generous children and you are a wonderful family. God Bless all of you FReepers spending time at shelters, donating to shelters, and taking in families. There are several people giving similiar accounts on this thread and it's been very inspiring to read them.

[McGavin999]

I heard one of the soldiers say this morning that the hardest people to get to leave were the ones who refused to leave the bodies of their loved ones. Some were too sick to leave. They evacuated several old age homes. I've been watching them lift people and many times they are very frail old folks who never listen to radio or TV and thought the flood was just temporary.

[BurbankKarl]

the streetsweeper?

I have mossberg 590 and a side saddle....i think it carries 15 fully loaded

[A Citizen Reporter]

From this thread: Tensions color Bush, Blanco meeting - from NOLA

"Gov. Kathleen Blanco canceled a scheduled trip Monday to visit Louisiana evacuees in Houston shelters to stay in Baton Rouge to meet with President Bush. Blanco Communications Director Bob Mann said the governor did not learn about the Bush visit until early Monday morning. “We had no idea the president was coming,” Mann said."

Everyone on that thread is commenting about how stupid Blanco is for not knowing that the President was coming, which I agree is stupid. However, to me the real imcompentance is shown in the fact that SHE WAS PLANNING ON LEAVING HER STATE AND GOING TO HOUSTON. The one place were her citizens are safe and being taken care of.

[Cboldt]

9/11 was a multi-state "act of war" or similar - we had armed military aircraft patrolling the skies, and grounded 100% of commerical and GA air traffic in the US.

That sort of attack merits a response that is different from a predicted natural disaster. It's a canard to equate responses.

[maryz]

The vast majority of the folks who stayed were able bodies and they would have walked a mile or two from where they resides to the SuperDome.

Not sure how you know this -- and some I saw on TV wouldn't desert un-able-bodied relatives. Or "able-bodied" pets.

Those who were not able to walk should have called the police and they would have moved them.

Yes, the NO police have been an example to us all. And how much help would they have been to those determined to protect their property or not abandon their pets?

Metropolitan New Orleans have 1.5 millions people, around 1.3 to 1.4 million evacuated before the Hurricane because they were smart enough to do so.

You're assuming everyone wanted to evacuate and were too "stupid" to figure out how. (And I'm still watching for my mother's Irish backhander from beyond for even using that word about people!) Apparently, rescuers are still having a time convincing everyone who stayed to agree to be evacuated. There were some people who did not want to go, for their own reasons. Not everyone's primary motivation is simple physical survival.

[Txsleuth]

I just heard on O'REilly's radio show....that he doesn't blame the MAYOR OF N.O. for anything!!! He acutally said he doesn't blame him "for anything, nothing at all!!!"

He said that Fema director is "incompetent", Chertoff is "in over his head", Rumsfeld, "in over his head"....and that all three need to be replaced NOW!!!!

[easonc52]

i thought the same thing...she does look fit.

Certainly does. I'm glad we made the decision to join the city fitness center, and hope we take advantage of the year membership (as in remember).

[NautiNurse]

That's a keeper.

[BlackRain]

I get upset when I hear the race baiters talk about the poor response to the victims of Katrina.

If you happen to notice the face of the relief workers, helo pilots, NG members are overwhelmingly white saving black victims.

This race crap needs to be stopped and the facts pointed out.

What should have been the story -- "American's helping Americans" has morphed into into "Whitey purposely opened the levees to kill poor blacks" by the press.

[Rokke]

"Could the President or someone else have had the authority to override the Gov in this preparation if it was deemed inadequate?"

The division between the Federal Government and the States is very clear. The only control the Fed has to ensure States met a specific standard is funding. In other words, if you don't meet a Federal Standard, you don't get Federal money. But the Feds cannot just declare a state incompetent and assume control over a state's responsibility. Otherwise, New Orleans would have been under Federal control about 30 years ago. In this case, you will notice that the Feds did not sit back and say "everyone is gonna die". The feds did everything within their authority to get things moving in New Orleans. The simple fact is, everyone didn't die. Americans have this weird idea that after a major American city gets devastated by two natural disasters in a 48 hour period that when the sun comes out, everything will be fine. It won't. People will suffer. People will be hungry. People will be thirsty. People will die. That is why the President was adamant that the city order mandatory evacuations. But the reality of the matter is, the Federal response to this disaster has actually been very good. We are just one week past the disaster and New Orleans is essentially evacuated. Dikes are repaired. Water is being pumped out. And the recovery is moving on.

Americans are ignorant. They don't understand the roles and responsibilities of their own government, and they believe the Hollywood fiction that big things happen quickly and easily. The reality is much different. And we are viewing the reality of the limits of the Federal Government in New Orleans.

[Cboldt]

Oh - I urge you to read this thread from about 650 to wehnever it peters out for you. There are lots of links, discussion, and presentation of both sides of the contention that the President has the power to wrest control from the governor.

In other words, the answer to the question you ask was probably presented just a few pages back. RTFM. YMMV. ;-)

[CajunConservative]

OOOOHHHHH, I think I am going to get me some popcorn cause it's going to be interesting watching the corrupt democrats be exposed.