Katrina Live Threads, Part XV

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.

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

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.

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/

It looks higher than that...I read the Wal Mart page...take a look!

Included below are some of the announcements Wal-Mart has made or has been a part of today:

Cash Donations

For the Katrina Fund established by former Presidents Bush and Clinton, Wal-Mart committed $15 million in cash assistance.

Thus far, Wal-Mart has contributed $17 million in cash donations to relief efforts.

Separately, the Walton Family Foundation is providing $8 million to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. The Walton Family Foundation has provided an additional $7 million to help organizations such as The Salvation Army, America's Second Harvest, and Foundation for the Mid-South.

Facilities
As of 11:30 a.m. today, 20 facilities remained closed, and 8 facilities are still operating on generator power. This is a tremendous improvement from the 126 facilities that were closed on Monday when Hurricane Katrina struck.

A total of 89 facilities have reported damage. Nine have major damage, 41 moderate and 39 minor damage or loss of merchandise loss.

Wal-Mart Associates
An estimated 15,000 Wal-Mart associates are still displaced from their workplaces due to Hurricane Katrina (more than 34,000 impacted in some way). The company has made contact with more than 65% of its associates affected by the storm, including some who have been found in the various evacuee shelters. Wal-Mart is committed to providing work for displaced associates who want to work in open stores.

The toll-free Wal-Mart Associate Emergency Information Line was established to answer associate questions and concerns. It has already fielded more 10,800 calls to provide information and relief assistance.

In addition, the on-line message board is helping associates locate and communicate with their friends and family members. To date the message board has received more than 8,100 posts (4,800 by associates) and more than 800,000 hits.

Merchandise Donations

Wal-mart has provided $3 million (estimated) in product and merchandise donations. More than 100 trailer loads of water and merchandise have been donated to emergency services, shelters, and emergency relief organizations.

As part of this commitment, Wal-Mart established donation centers in areas impacted by the hurricane. Items such as clothing, diapers, baby wipes, food, formula, toothbrushes, bedding and water were given to those affected by the storm.

150 Internet-ready computers delivered or on the way to shelters to help evacuess and families find each other via the Wal-Mart and Red Cross web sites.

Shipments of beds were delivered to the Houston Astrodome.

Wal-Mart donated two trailers full of water and basic necessities to the New Orleans police force.
Emergency Prescriptions Filled Free for Evacuees With No Money: Evacuees with emergency medicine needs and no money may go to any Wal-Mart pharmacy to have their prescriptions filled free of charge, even if they do not have a copy of their prescription. People who have been displaced and are temporarily residing in other areas may receive a seven-day supply of free medication. Nurses and doctors who have authority to write prescriptions and are treating patients in special needs shelters as part of the recovery effort can send their patients' prescriptions to Wal-Mart stores to be filled. Pharmacists are also prepared to handle situations where people do not have their prescriptions with them. Anyone with questions may contact the Mississippi Department of Health at 1-800-458-4948 or the Louisiana Pharmacy Board at 1-225-925-6496.
On the international front, Wal-Mart has launched a nationwide fundraising drive in Canada.

All Wal-Mart and SAM'S locations across the country are accepting donations at checkouts. All money raised will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross to support the US Katrina relief effort. In Germany, associates are hosting internal fundraisers, with proceeds going to the Katrina Associate Relief Fund.
Wal-Mart also will offer free check cashing in about 126 stores in the hurricane disaster area for an initial two-week period. This includes government, payroll and insurance checks and computer-generated checks. Proper identification will be required.
Wal-Mart continues to send trailers of needed product to the area.

The Emergency Contact Service has been created in our stores and on the internet to allow Wal-Mart associates and customers to post messages regarding their well-being on our websites.
Stores in affected areas are accepting vouchers from the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, and FEMA.
We have management on the ground, working with moving supplies, helping stores to re-open, and helping displaced Wal-Mart associates. We are taking calls from associates needing emergency assistance and sending cash through our Associate Disaster Relief Fund.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.