Katrina Live Thread, Part XIII

Various ^ | 1 September 2005 | Various

[NautiNurse]

28,000 National Guard troops are deployed to the disaster areas in Mississippi, Alabama, and to Louisiana, where SWAT teams are working to combat the looters and shooters in New Orleans. Additional 1400 National Guard troops are being deployed daily.

Shootings reported at a New Orleans hospital, rescue boats, and a military helicopter, while conditions continue to deteriorate at the SuperDome amid refugee deaths and chaos. Evacuation of New Orleans continues.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert has voiced serious doubts about rebuilding New Orleans with federal funds, while assuring the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida that the United States Congress stands ready to help them in their time of need. New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin issued a "desperate SOS."

Doctors at two desperately crippled hospitals in New Orleans called The Associated Press Thursday morning pleading for rescue, "We have been trying to call the mayor's office, we have been trying to call the governor's office ... we have tried to use any inside pressure we can. We are turning to you. Please help us," said Dr. Norman McSwain, chief of trauma surgery at Charity Hospital, the largest of two public hospitals.

The Port of New Orleans is now open to shallow draft vessels. Congress is reconvening in an emergency session. International offers to assist the U.S. have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States.

Jesse Jackson has arrived in Louisiana...

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

Streaming Video:

WWL-TV (via CBS): WWLTV via CBS
WWL-TV Now via WFAA Dallas **NEW LINK**: http://www.wwltv.com/cgi-bin/bi/video/makeadplaylist.pl?title=beloint_wfaa&live=yes
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 Temporarily Not Live Streaming (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
Louisiana Statewide Katrina Network (WJBO-AM Baton Rouge): http://ccri.eonstreams.com/ccri_la_batonrouge_wjbo_am.asf
Gulf Coast Storm Network (radio): http://www.stormalert.net/main.html#
Louisiana Scanner

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
Looting Begins In New Orleans
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/

Previous Threads:
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

[Krodg]

I doubt that my SIL would have known, if he hadn't requested extra runs for a holiday weekend. I don't think anyone wants to tell the truth.

[kenth]

I agree with you. The President did all he could do way ahead of time, including the (AFAIK) unprecedented action of declaring a disaster area before it actually happened. Even then, the mayor and governor didn't take that slap in the face hint. He had to actually talk to them.

Did you hear the Louisiana Sec. of Homeland Security on FNC earlier? I don't remember the show, maybe O'Reilly's. Anyway, the question was posed if he thought they were behind the curve in being prepared for this disaster. With a nonchalant attitude, to paraphrase he answered, "Yes I guess we were. But we're catching up."

I still cannot fathom the actions, or rather, inactions on the part of LA government. It boggles the mind.

[TChad]

Someone posted a poster from the San Francisco Earthquake with a proclamation by the mayor: LOOTERS WILL BE KILLED.

I saw that. Since the looters (when do we start calling them insurgents?) are now shooting at the rescuers, such a policy would be appropriate for New Orleans.

[BurbankKarl]

I used to deal with a guy in Japan....he said there was no FEMA type response to Kobe....he kept saying how generous America was....comparing it to the Northridge quake one year earlier.

[Deo volente]

Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.

[AggieMom x 3]

"Does anybody besides me want to smack the ever living CRAP out of Joe Scarborough?"

LOL! You crack me up!! I mean, it's hard sometimes to catch your subtle humor and nuance, but maybe someday you'll be brave enough to really speak your mind. :-)

[Howlin]

Who is that guy?

[MarMema]

I think those cops were probably fed up with the total lack of
management and direction.

[lawdog]

BINGO it is lack of LEADERSHIP from the State House to the mayor to the Chief of Police etc.... You plan , practice and drill before the disaster... This whole thing is a failure of State and Local government... The governor was overwhelmed and is apparently adrift.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Hope it works for you!

[Arizona Carolyn]

I hope they didn't have to leave *their* dog behind.

[Ramius]

I am personally embarrassed by all of this.

This crap we tell about how "great" the American people are has totally been shown to be a lie. True, it's not a lie everywhere, but it is certainly a lie in Louisiana.

In Mississippi there was a story about a man, standing in front of his totally wiped out house. He'd come there from Vietnam. He said "I came here thirty years ago with nothing, and now I have nothing again. But I will rebuild it."

But in New Orleans, we see masses of able-bodied people sitting around waiting to be spoon-fed.

A whole city full of able-bodied people, and yet precious little activity with participation in their own survival.

A city full of people that might have helped to pass supplies to those that need them. A whole city full of people that might have worked together to fill sandbags, or help the infirm, or get the children out.

But no... what we have is a city full of people that are fully unable to think, or act. What we have is a place where medical units cannot go in without military escort.

We should'nt HAVE TO "secure" the ground in order to provide help. But we do. In New Orleans.

Maybe we should just back off from support. Drop leaflets with a phone number on them, saying... "Look... call us when you want some help. But until then... have a nice day."

[kenth]

turned on the TV to CNN, and the first thing I heard was, Quote, "The Bush Administration cut funding...." Unquote.


I wonder if you switched during the Olbermann show. Isn't he the DU sweetheart? It got really good when he had Sharpton on, fresh from his holding hands with Sheehan. By "good" I mean bilious.

[Howlin]

I'm working on it. :-)

[BurbankKarl]

San Francisco was also a double disaster...Earthquake, followed by fire. Lots of victims died trapped under buildings.

[lawdog]

Spot on!

[Howlin]

Reports I heard said that the police had virtually no orders from headquarters and that the things they did, they banded together and did on their own.

[MarMema]

You plan , practice, and drill before the disaster... This whole thing is a failure of State and Local government...

That's been my almost endless refrain. A lot of horrible suffering did not have to happen. Disaster training is so common that I thought all cities did it.

Establishing ommunication and triage are essential, yet I have seen none in New Orleans.

My husband said tonight it's like they are hoping to kill as many more as they can before it is over.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I just fired off a note to Paula Zahn to ask her if she is implying it is now the responsibility of FEMA to drive all people out of town when an evacuation is called.