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

[FreedomCalls]

Unless I miss my guess, the prefabricated home industry is also about to get off the ground in a *huge* way.

Have you seen the price of Caterpillar stock over the last week?

[BurbankKarl]

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey (R) views the flood-ravaged Ninth Ward in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana September 4, 2005.

[FreedomCalls]

I just read through that document. I couldn't find anywhere were it said the DHS had the authority to roll FEMA in without a request from the State. Quite the opposite actually. Could you give me a reference to what you are talking about.

I asked that back at number 457. I haven't gotten a response yet either.

[gpapa]

Very good post. As they say, I read the whole thing. Keep up the good work. Your article is worthy of editorial display on a National outlet.

[geopyg]

I thought Oprah didn't like guns?

[backhoe]

There is a thread running right now that states that most of the federal moneys allocated for levee security were redirected by the corrupt mayor and city council and used to build CASINOS!

Neighbor, I'd be obliged if you could direct me to that, either with a link, addy, or even a few search words I could use to find it.

Before being elevated to CEO, Blanco was head of some agency responsible for "tourism," which I told the wife-unit last night meant "gambling." State sponsored vices, in other words. No surprise, but I want to document this.

[janetjanet998]

CAT makes the bulldozers to clear ruble
CAT makes heavy contruction for road and bridge repair
CAT makes pipelayers to rebuild sewer system
CAT makes generators for power
CAT makes mobile small power plants
CAT makes equipment for the oil and gas intrastrucure
CAT does logistics for the US navy
CAT makes the engines they use for those big pumps

[BurbankKarl]

Rowing Miss Daisy

[JohnBovenmyer]

3. Why were there no porta-johns taken to the Superdome?

Oddly enough this is one place where they followed the LA Emergency Operations Plan. They repeatedly called the Superdome a place of "Last Resort," not a shelter. Some pre-storm statements referred to it as such and to other places as "shelters." The difference was predefined and important, but little understood by the media or most of those who were fleeing to the Superdome.

PART VI: STAGING AREAS / LAST RESORT REFUGE

A. Staging Areas

The definition of a staging area is a central location, easily accessible to those ambulatory people who are in need of transportation to a shelter.

1. Residents who have no means of transportation will be directed to the staging areas.

2. Transportation vehicles will be pre-positioned to transport residents to shelters.

3. Once the evacuation routes are closed, the staging areas will become Last Resort Refuges.

4. After the storm has passed and the evacuation order is rescinded, transportation will be provided to return people dropped off at shelters to the staging area.

B. Last Resort Refuge

The definition of Last Resort Refuge is a place for persons to be protected from the high winds and heavy rains from the storm. Unlike a shelter, there may be little or no water or food and possibly no utilities. A Last Resort Refuge is intended to provide best available survival protection for the duration of the hurricane only.

1. Once evacuation routes are closed, people who were unable to evacuate the risk area will be directed to last resort refuge and /or staging areas.

2. When it is determined that weather conditions permit, rescue teams will be sent into areas designated for Last Resort Refuge to transport evacuees to designated shelters.

They only intended people to be in the Dome while Katrina was overhead. Once it blew past they'd clear any dangerous wind damage then let everyone out. They didn't anticipate a flood trapping people there for so long. IIRC one post said the guard delivered enough food and water to the Dome before the storm for 15,000 people for one day.

[burzum]

I have seen some people argue that the National Response Plan (large PDF) gives the authority in the Proactive Federal Response to Catastrophic Events section (page 43 and 44). Part of that section states:

Notification and full coordination with States will occur, but the coordination process must not delay or impede the rapid deployment and use of critical resources. States are urged to notify and coordinate with local governments regarding a proactive Federal response.

I do not agree with this argument completely. I think this plan was implemented as far as rescue operations were concerned. In other cases it might not have been implemented due to the fact that the governor of Louisiana was still in control. Things like moving trucks in to get food to people and chartering buses may have been delayed because the government deferred power to the state of Louisiana (these items were not as time sensitive as picking people off of roofs). Unfortunately, all operations were delayed to a certain extent due to the anarchy on the streets. The Posse Comitatus Act, which would override a DHS directive, would prevent the President from moving in armed forces to police the city. Since the governor was extraordinarily slow to request troops and give them the ability to be armed while on the streets, all other activities were impacted.

[burzum]

Whoops. Bad link for the Posse Comitatus Act (brings up a page error). Here is the correct link:
http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=91588125643+0+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

[Uncle Ike]

Thank goodness --

I've been monitoring this silent thread for the past couple of hours, wondering if the thread had died out.

Probably not a healthy thing, but I've relied on this thread and its ancestors for my sanity for the past 3 or 4 days, and the thought of it dying is strangely unsettling.

[dixiechick2]

Here is the article:

"http://mensnewsdaily.com/blog/malven/2005/09/hurricane-katrina-dont-blame-bush-for.html"

[dixiechick2]

Sorry, I'm half asleep and didn't get the link in "clickable" form, but you can cut and paste the link to 'Hurricane Katrina: Don’t Blame Bush for Local Corruption and Democrat Incompetence' by Will Malven.. It is on the mensnewsdaily website dated September 3...

[beyond the sea]

Mayor Nagin is a lying chicken piece of crap!!!

He was asked on Nightline what he would change...did he say using the buses to evacuate people?

NO>>>> he said he would have started CUSSING sooner to get the attention of the White House!!!!

He is blaming everyone in the world but himself...

re: race...he said it for sure is a "class" issue..

He said this wouldn't have happened in Orange County, Ca., or Manhattan, New York...because they are upper class...

I KNEW I shouldn't watch this...I am gonna need my anxiety medicine tonight!!! -----

***

Had to be said again. I have been nearly popping a blood vessl watching the crap coming out of nearly everyone's mouth.

[Miss Marple]

Yaml you for your answers to my questions. However, I would like to see them asked by the media, and answered by officials.

As a side issue (and I just woke so this may be answered down-thread} are you telling me that the argument between Blanco and the feds over ceding control did not happen? I am assuing that the argument took place this past Friday. If it has been settled, or the argument did not take place, I will quit being curious about it.

Thanks for the documentation about the loans to the Casino. I really appreciate that!

[Miss Marple]

Sorry for the typo. (Never type in the dark while on one's first cup of coffee.} That should read Thank you for your answers...

[easonc52]

Sorry, I'm half asleep and didn't get the link in "clickable" form

I can understand the half-asleep thing. Here's the clickable:

Hurricane Katrina: Don’t Blame Bush for Local Corruption and Democrat Incompetence

[easonc52]

Great article by the way, and thank you for posting.

[Peach]

FNC just shows very long lines of cars returning to NO. People are being allowed back into NO to pick up a few things and then leave again.

People with cars, that is. So once again, there is no plan for those without resources and who now live in another state to be given the same opportunity.

And I'm not sure this plan letting people go back is a good idea. Wasn't a fortune just spent getting people OUT? Some of these people are going to be tempted to stay, especially in the sections that have electricity.