Guess we need to reactivate some of these old Vietnam Vets, they could fly into anything anywhere.
03:09 PM CDT on Thursday, September 1, 2005
3:09 P.M. - (AP): The Bush administration intends to seek more than $10 billion to cover immediate relief needs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, congressional officials said Thursday, and lawmakers made plans to approve the request by the weekend.
Several officials said $10 billion would cover immediate costs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the government's front-line responder in cases of natural disasters. Several hundred million dollars would also be provided to fund the Pentagon's disaster relief efforts, congressional aides said.
3:06 P.M. - (AP): Fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as flooded-out New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. "This is a desperate SOS," the mayor said.
Anger mounted across the ruined city, with thousands of storm victims increasingly hungry, desperate and tired of waiting for buses to take them out.
"We are out here like pure animals. We don't have help," the Rev. Issac Clark, 68, said outside the New Orleans Convention Center, where corpses lay in the open and the and other evacuees complained that they were dropped off and given nothing -- no food, no water, no medicine.
2:48 P.M. - Gov. Blanco: "Thousands" are believed to be dead. And between 200 and 300,000 people still need to be evacuated from the city. 2,400 people are still waiting to be evacuated from the Superdome.
One official said the Army Corps of Engineers are currently driving pilings, dumping sand, into the breaches in the levee. Concrete barriers will go up after the sand is laid down. They will assess the pumps, and it could take as long as one month before the water is completely drained from the city. The Army Corps is being escorted to the levees by State Police.
Blanco said 12,000 National Guard troops from various regions in the nation are being deployed to the area, bringing the total number of troops to 40,000. The Governor added that looters will be dealt with. Blanco said Baton Rouge has its own concerns with refugees, who have reportedly been causing similar trouble in the state capital.
Hospital evacuations are going well. Chalmette and Tulane Hospitals are emptied.
No casualty list reported yet.
2:40 P.M. - AP Analysis: When is looting okay?
2:37 P.M. - CNN Reports that snipers have fired shots on Charity Hospital in New Orleans.
2:31 P.M. - WASHINGTON (AP) -- With images of looting and reports of gunfire frightening evacuees and rescuers alike in New Orleans, the government says it is sending enough National Guardsmen to keep the peace.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says there have been only "isolated incidents of criminality" in New Orleans.
2:25 P.M. - Email to WWL producer today from a friend: Talked to Donny (news photographer Donny Pearce of WVUE) today for a while, he's in Shreveport with his folks, sounds very shaken up, had a horrifying escape from the city apparently, people hanging on his truck begging for help/food/money....saw all the looting,, taped the storm shredding JP Sheriffs headquarters.
2:20 P.M. - Airport spokeswoman Michelle Duffourc: There have been hundreds of helicopter operations over the past 3 days as the helicopter are bringing in people that are being rescued from throughout the region to transfer to civilian and military aircraft to take them to points of safety.
2:14 P.M. - Airport spokeswoman Michelle Duffourc: Armstrong International Airport did become operational on Tuesday, August 30 for humanitarian relief flights and civilian and military rescue efforts. Since opening the airfield, several of our commercial air carriers, including American, Southwest, Northwest, Continental, United, and Delta have all sent in aircraft with relief supplies and have taken out the stranded travelers as well as all others who wanted to depart the Airport. In total over 100 employees, 200 stranded passengers and 400 others were flown out of Armstrong International.
2:13 P.M. - Duffourc: The Airport has been on generator power since Monday, August 29 with the bare power necessities. CA One Services, our Food & Beverage Concessionaire has been providing meals to those stranded in the terminal.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set up a triage center in the Airport's West Terminal near the Delta and Continental Ticket Counters and has been treating people that have been evacuated from the Superdome in Downtown New Orleans and other locations.
2:11 P.M. - Blanco: Please stop broadcasting that there is "shooting in the Superdome." She said everyone brought inside was checked for weapons before entering. "There is no shooting inside the Superdome." She says the incorrect reports are upsetting the people inside of the dome who have been very calm.
2:06 P.M. - Corps of Engineers: Lake water continues to go down. Dropped two to two and a half feet in the past two days. Work progressing on plugging break in levee. Sandbags dropped and pilings being driven. Engineer says progress is "looking good."
2:04 P.M. - (AP) Fights and trash fires broke out, rescue helicopters were shot at and anger mounted across New Orleans on Thursday, as National Guardsmen poured in to help restore order across this increasingly desperate and lawless city.
"We are out here like pure animals. We don't have help," the Rev. Issac Clark, 68, said outside the New Orleans Convention Center, where corpses lay in the open and he and other evacuees complained that they were dropped off and given nothing -- no food, no water, no medicine.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the government is sending in 1,400 National Guardsmen to help stop looting and other lawlessnes in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
1:54 P.M. - Emergency Operations spokesman: Hospitals overwhelmed.
1:53 P.M. - Emergency Operations spokeswoman: 49,800 people in shelters in this state right now. Room for 70,000 more.
1:48 P.M. - Blanco: troopers from Arkansas, Texas and Kentucky coming in to help restore order. Sheriff's deputies from as far away as Michigan.
1:47 P.M. - Blanco: I've requested 40,000 troops.
1:47 P.M. - Governor Blanco: Superdome now under control, evacuations resume.