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Posted on 08/31/2005 4:00:15 PM PDT by NautiNurse
President Bush: "We are dealing with one of the worst national disasters in our nation's history." Push has appropriated vast federal resources to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
78,000 people are currently in shelters. New Orleans evacuation continues. 10,000 additional National Guard troops have been called to service.
Hospitals are running low on supplies, and public health concerns include water borne disease, poor sanitation, food and drinking water contamination and shortages, mosquitoes, carbon monixide poisoning from electricity generators, lack of childcare, and the special needs of the elderly.
Links to various news, local and state government websites:
WLOX TV Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagula has link to locate family and friends (very slow load)
2theAdvocate - Baton Rouge Includes Slidell, St. John Parish, St. Bernard Parish updates, and other locations.
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
Mississippi updates via Jackson Ledger
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
Streaming Video:
WWL-TV: http://www.khou.com/perl/common/video/wmPlayer.pl?title=beloint_khou&props=livenoad
WDSU-TV: http://mfile.akamai.com/12912/live/reflector:38843.asx"
WPMI-TV: http://www.wpmi.com/mediacenter/default.aspx?videoId=113739
WKRG-TV: mms://wmbcast.mgeneral.speedera.net/wmbcast.mgeneral/wmbcast_mgeneral_aug262005_1435_95518
WTOK-TV (follow the link on the home page): http://www.wtok.com/
WJTV-TV: mms://wmbcast.mgeneral.speedera.net/wmbcast.mgeneral/wmbcast_mgeneral_aug262005_1435_95563
Gulf Coast Storm Network (radio): http://www.stormalert.net/main.html#
Related FR Threads:
FYI: Hurricane Katrina Freeper SIGN IN Thread
Discussion Thread - Hurricane Katrina - What Went Wrong?!?
Post Hurricane Katrina IMAGES Here
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
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.
Previous Threads:
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
More of what the Air Force as part of the Federal Government is doing to help despite what the media and the New Orleans numbskull politicians like the Governor and Mayor want us to believe:
August 31, 2005
AIR FORCE SPECIAL OPERATIONS OPENS NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT RUNWAY
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. - Air Force Special Operations Command will fly an MC-130 aircraft into New Orleans International Airport tonight with a small team of special operations forces to work to reopen the runway.
A team of combat controllers and a small medical team will work to establish operations at the airport, which has no electricity or air traffic control. Combat controllers are certified air traffic controllers and special operators who can open airfields deep behind enemy lines or in other hazardous areas.
The combat controllers will set self-powered lights and other navigational aids, then function as air traffic controllers with portable radios so that other military aircraft can land and help evacuate around 2,500 ill, or injured persons from the New Orleans area.
AFSOC has also flown more than 34 aircraft to Jackson, Miss., to support Hurricane Katrina relief.
The deployed aircraft include 19 HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters specifically designed to find and recover individuals in hazardous areas. AFSOC has also deployed 11 C-130 aircraft with various special mission capabilities, including helicopter refueling and the ability to operate from dirt or unimproved airfields.
AFSOC has sent pararescuemen and combat controllers to Jackson to work in conjunction with the aircraft. Pararescuemen are highly trained emergency medical technician special operators. Combat controllers and pararescuemen are accustomed to operating in the most difficult and hostile conditions and are trained in numerous special operations skills such as SCUBA and parachute operations.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1474387/posts?page=106#106
I want to second that and reiterate that now is not the time for recrimination and finger pointing. It's the mayor, governor, fed's fault etc. The simple fact of the matter Mother Nature can dispatch of the best laid plans of mice and men in a flash.
The question is what we're ALL going to do now.
WWL- There is a HUGE Air Ambulance operation moving Patients by helicopters.
I fear when we finally start to get Death numbers from this, it's going to be truly unimaginable..
What really is hard to grasp is that the evacuation and takiing people to shelters is overwhelming but only the beginning. These people have lost lives, jobs, homes, etc. They have to build new ones in new places. And many seem barely able to make it as it is.
Who is going to absorb this population? And am I crazy to think that rebuilding that city is hopeless and not feasible. Why not try to save the Quarter and the Garden district, and let the rest go. Fixing the levee is not fixing the problem. This will happen again.
This "can do" attitude ought to be directed at how do you help people build new lives in new places and what to do with those who for a myriad of reasons cannot do so.
I know those who are engineers and architects and land use people, etc, will be dying to rebuild. But is it worth it?
Sounds like more rather than less. CNN reported part of the problem inside the SD was that rival gangs were squaring off. Not good and I doubt gang activity is limited to inside.
You want to drop a bomb into an area with gasoline, oil and other chemical floating in there? Am I missing something here?
Wow! Your name should be Jeremiah.
It looks like it is below sea level to me but what do I know? :)
That's not how politics works. Maybe it should be, but it isn't. Especially on election day. Had Blanco done her job effectively, she could probably get away with tears on camera. But she hasn't, won't, and IMO future female gubneratorial candidates across the country will share the price she's going to pay. I predict right now that she won't get the Democratic nomination for governor next time (assuming that Louisiana law allows incumbent governors to win a second term - some states don't).
70 Blackhawks and Dauphins
It is my unsubstantianted opinion that this is a far worse situation for N.O. than a nuke would be.
How did your day go?
Massive thanks to all of the helicopter pilots and their crews.
...and they just sent those gangs to Houston on buses.
Yeah, I caught that. His snide remarks don't go un-noticed. Funny thing, if President Bush hadn't told them to call a manditory evacuation then it would be ten times worse right now.
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050831/NEWS05/50831012
If you would like to donate public school uniforms for refugee children, here are two places that are gathering them:
J. B. Nachman Elementary School
4102 Wakefield Boulevard
Alexandria, Louisiana 71303
(318) 445-7725
Rosenthal Montessori Elementary School
1951 Monroe Street
Alexandria, Louisiana 71301
(318) 442-5791
(In case you're wondering, yes, this is a public school. Believe it or not, you can actually get a tuition-free Montessori education in Alexandria with transportation provided at no charge from anywhere in the parish -- who knew?!)
White polo shirts are acceptable at all Rapides Parish public schools, but there are individual regulations about what the second color may be for each school. For example, kids at Rosenthal are allowed to wear burgundy polo shirts but no other colors than white or burgundy are permissible. Other schools allow red, light blue, orange, navy blue, and green polo shirts, but again, on an individual basis.
Navy and khaki are the only acceptable colors for uniform-tailored trousers, knee-length shorts, skorts, jumpers and long skirts. Trousers must have belt loops and a dark colored belt must be worn with polo shirts tucked in, and can be worn by both male and female students. Rubber soled shoes are required for gym classes, so dress shoes would not be a helpful donation for these kids.
See the Rosenthal web site for pictures of what the polo shirts should look like:
http://www.rapides.k12.la.us/ros.htm
If you would prefer to donate classroom supplies for refugee students, here is a list of what incoming students are expected to bring with them to Rapides Parish schools at their own expense:
http://www.rapides.k12.la.us/05-06/supply/05-06.pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat to read)
Nachman would prefer that the supplies be preassembled in kits and labeled for the appropriate grade.
On a personal note, I'll tell you what I did today to help. I filled a large plastic bag with my daughter's outgrown uniform shirts and trousers, planning to deliver them to the Salvation Army. However, while waiting in line at the bank, I noticed several distraught-looking families waiting to speak to the bank managers. I saw a girl about my daughter's age who had a bandage completely covering one eye, and noticed she was not dressed in school clothes. I waited until the family finished their banking business and asked the mother if they were refugees. When she said yes, I invited her to come to the parking lot with me, and I gave her the bag out of my trunk. She was very grateful, because she said they had nowhere to go and didn't know who to ask for help. I answered a few questions and went on my way, glad I could be of assistance.
This is just me, but I personally get a lot more satisfaction out of knowing exactly how my donation is being used. In this case, I feel good knowing my daughter's clothes have gone directly to a homeless child. It's a lot more rewarding than dropping a check in the mail. I hope you'll consider making direct contact with people in this area, because thousands of refugees will still be marooned in Alexandria long after the headlines have shifted to something else.
Also see this link:
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050831/NEWS01/508310316/1002
KALB-TV is reporting that neighboring Grant Parish will be opening their doors to refugee children as well, but I didn't get full details on this.
Thanks again for your continuing interest!
I saw that. It reminded me of a bunch of folks standing next to the entrance of Disneyland demanding that somebody tell them where the entrance to Disneyland was. You can watch video from his show on the Foxnews website. I don't know why the officer he talked to wouldn't talk to him. The guy ought to be fired for being an idiot. But again, all Shep had to do was lift his eyes from his microphone to figure out where people needed to go. I'll assume he's not really an idiot. How could he have missed the fact that his fellow Foxnews reporters were describing exactly where people were receiving help. He was less than a mile from the Superdome, and standing on the Interstate that leads right to its front door. Do you suppose he was really clueless about where to direct people, or just interested in creating a Geraldo like moment.
Git 'er done!
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