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

[BurbankKarl]

someone shot at BellSouth Chalmette HQ.....50 people requesting evacuations

[cgk]

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is OKBy Meghan Gordon
St. Tammany bureau

Despite reports by local radio and the national press, the Lake
Pontchartrain Causeway sustained no major damage from Katrina’s storm
surge, the bridge’s general manager said in the first official report of its
condition.

An extensive inspection of the 24-mile bridge between Metairie and
Mandeville found two areas of erosion that are expected to be refurbished
within days, General Manager Robert Lambert said.

With the Interstate 10 twin spans in shambles, the news of
the Causeway’s integrity provides a bright spot to the north shore, where
much of the population depends on the sole remaining link to Jefferson and
Orleans parishes.

The bridge’s northbound lanes have been used since Tuesday for
emergency vehicles shuttling rescuers and critical supplies to the south shore.
The southbound lanes remained closed while Boh Bros. contractors repair two
small segments of limestone and concrete that connect the ends of the bridge to the shoreline.

Lambert said the contractors had the materials
available immediately after inspections, and that work should be
completed at least by Tuesday.

Lambert said multiple teams of engineers, including federal and state
officials inspected the bridge from boats and from the roadway. They
found
that several of the massive concrete slabs had shifted up to an inch on
the crossbeams that connect to underwater pilings. Lambert said the spans’
slight movement pose no threat to the bridge’s structural integrity.

“They stopped and checked every inch of this bridge,” he said. “There’s
no
questions about the safety, the integrity of the Causeway.”

Divers also began inspecting the hundreds of underwater pilings
Thursday to
confirm engineers’ conclusion that no large objects slammed into them
during
the storm.

Lambert said that even though both directions of the bridge would be
passable in days, he will not open them to the public until officials
in St.
Tammany and Jefferson parishes allow evacuees back in.

“For people to come here right now just would be insane,” he said.

Lambert’s announcement will likely buoy out-of-state evacuees from the
north shore, who have been starved for information since most telephone
communication came to a halt Monday. It also contradicts
loosely-attributed
statements on local radio and national newspapers, such as The New York
Times that reported that parts of the 24-mile bridge were missing.

“Supposedly this one was the big one,” Lambert said. “This bridge took
it.”

[Jrabbit]

Motivate them how?? There are no TV's, no phones, no nothing!

[oceanview]

that are the firefighters, see upthread a little.

[Jrabbit]

Trying to confirm....is this the Gonzales incident?

[don-o]

Thanks, Fires have become yet another layer of the touble, I can see off a quick scan of the threads.

Another question, please. Any estimate on how many survivors still awaiting transport?

[two23]

Some kind of evil has poured into this city with the filthy flood water.

[Johnny Crab]

At least 150 busloads....NOW.

[Dolphy]

The mayor and governor could have come up with a plan to evacuate their citizens

Not could have, should have. I have authored many disaster plans and September 11 reignited the discipline (look who Rudy went to work with). It is, without question, a serious breach of public trust in Louisiana. They weren't hit by the unexpected, they were hit in the face by their failure and incompetence. I wouldn't have criticized them had they lost control at the edges or couldn't sustain their plan after a number of days without assistance but that is not the case.

[tomkat]

~ 3hrs of daylight left in NO

[Ohioan from Florida]

I think the number I heard was 90,000 square miles...but don't quote me on it.

[max_rpf]

Some kind of evil has poured into this city with the filthy flood water.

The evil was always there, nurtured in the warm arms of the nanny-state, and the indifference of a corrupt democratic machine.

[tomkat]

1 confirmed dead in bus flip

[RDTF]

Breaking news MSNBC evacuee bus overturned in LA - one dead

[Arizona Carolyn]

72,000 sq miles... think Idaho. larger than that.

[don-o]

FEMA was not designed to to come into an anarchist situation

Very astute comment. We cannot afford to make THAT mistake again!

[tomkat]

... no report of other injuries.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Fox just reported that they have confirmed reports of one dead in the bus accident.

[cgk]

LOL! That's a lot closer to making sense than the something million I thought I heard!

[BurbankKarl]

D. J. Kelly waves the U.S. flag as members of the National Guard arrive near the convention center in New Orleans, where residents have been waiting for days to be evacuated.