Article Links on Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath

American Anglican Council ^ | 8/31/2005 | unknown

[sionnsar]

[All: there seems to be very little news out there other than Katrina and New Orleans. Here is some material from the Anglican blogs. --sionnsar]

New Orleans the lost city
-Teary gov orders full-scale evacuation
-No drinking water as main is severed
-Looting chaos spurs martial law
New York Daily News

August 31, 2005
Link

New Orleans under water
Associated Press
August 31, 2005
Link

Bishop Jenkins: Aftermath is a Nightmare, and Worsening
The Living Church

August 30, 2005
Link

Mississippi Struggles to Assess Devastation
The Living Church
August 30, 2005
Link

Central Gulf Coast Diocese Spared the Worst
The Living Church

August 30, 2005
Link

[sionnsar]

The Dawn Patrol: "New Orleans Is Lost"

From reader James T. Freeman III:

From an emergency notice put on WWL-TV's Web site, which mirrors a bulletin they just had on TV (I'm watching online):

****ALL RESIDENTS ON THE EAST BANK OF ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON REMAINING IN THE METRO AREA ARE BEING TOLD TO EVACUATE AS EFFORTS TO SANDBAG THE LEVEE BREAK HAVE ENDED. THE PUMPS IN THAT AREA ARE EXPECTED TO FAIL SOON AND 9 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED IN THE ENTIRE EAST BANK. WITHIN THE NEXT 12-15 HOURS****

As all of us native Louisianians know, the "entire East bank" constitutes all of New Orleans, Metairie, etc.

The question of New Orleans' survival as a city was in some question an hour ago. Now, I think the question may have been answered. New Orleans will not be habitable for a very long time, and then only after the expenditure of unfathomable treasure.

May God have mercy. Lord have mercy. I am out of words for prayer other than that. Lord have mercy.

I think I am going to go cry now.

Please pray for the victims and their families, and donate to relief organizations such as the Salvation Army.

[sionnsar]

Bishop Jenkins: Aftermath is a Nightmare, and Worsening

Floodwaters continue to rise in New Orleans, inundating over 75 percent of the city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as levee sections along a canal leading to Lake Pontchartrain gave way on Aug 30.

“Louisiana south of Interstate-10 is a wasteland”, the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Jenkins, III, told The Living Church. “We cannot reach some of our clergy, we cannot reach our families.” He characterized the situation as a “nightmare” that is “worsening as we speak.”

The Diocese of Louisiana evacuated its offices to St. James' Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, 80 miles northwest of New Orleans, according to the Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. E. Mark Stevenson.

“We have no hard facts” on damage or losses, Canon Stevenson said. “Most everybody left the city [New Orleans], clergy and lay people, but unfortunately some people have stayed. It is a disaster. We just have to pray,” he said.

Bishop Jenkins said that of the 18 parishes in the city of New Orleans, all but “Christ Church Cathedral and perhaps those on the St. Charles Ridge” he expected would be under water. “Cholera, Yellow Fever, West Nile virus” and other water-borne diseases pose a threat now, Bishop Jenkins said.

Christ Church, Slidell, and St. Michael’s, Mandeville, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, and St. Mary’s, Chalmette, east of the city in St. Bernard Parish, are in areas also reported hard hit by the flooding. Power and telephone service across Southern Louisiana is out and the situation in rural parishes outside the city is unclear. But “now is not the time to worry about property,” Bishop Jenkins said, “but to pray to God and to pray for those in need.”

Bishop Jenkins and his wife, Louise, were visiting their son in Hawaii when the storm began its northward path across the Gulf of Mexico. Bishop Jenkins was able to fly in to Shreveport on Aug. 29 and make his way east towards Baton Rouge.

Stopping for the night in “the little town of Mansfield, 40 miles south of Shreveport,” Bishop Jenkins said he was heartened to see the people of Louisiana reach out to those in need as all but one of the community’s churches had opened their doors to refugees from the south.

The diocese’s Executive Committee will meet Aug. 31 at St. James', Baton Rouge, as “we try to assess our needs,” Bishop Jenkins said.

Asked what the wider Church could do, Bishop Jenkins said, “pray”, noting the diocese will hold a special Eucharist at noon on Sept. 1 at St. James' to give thanksgiving to God and to pray for relief.

Bishop Jenkins said he had been in contact with Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold, who had offered his prayers and support. He also commended the work of Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), encouraging Episcopalians to support its relief efforts.

To make an ERD contribution to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina, please donate to the U.S. Hurricane Fund by credit card here or by calling 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can also be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development, c/o U.S. Hurricane Fund, PO Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101.

[sionnsar]

A positive way to think about the future of New Orleans

This comment by Charlie E., a commenter at Kendall Harmon's "Titusonenine", gives a hopeful way to think about the future of New Orleans: emulate the Dutch in their reclamation of the Zuider Zee. Charlie E writes:

I pray for all caught up in this. It is a sad and hard thing to lose your house and possibly your job. But the people caught up in this should not despair too much. The rest of the country is there and they appear to be more than willing to help.

It must be overwhelming at this point but this is a bit more gloom than necessary unless the people of Louisiana don’t have the fortitude of the Dutch. I remember watching a documentary a couple of years ago about the devastating North Sea storm of 1953. Thousands killed, well over 1/4 million acres of land inundated and fouled when the polders/dikes were breached in 67 places. There is only about 8 million acres in the whole country so this was a very substantial part of it and a number of important cities were involved. So, the Dutch did not abandon all of this. No, they looked things over and acted on a long-term project. The Zuider Zee was turned into the Isjelmeer. The took back what was lost and added to it.

The lowest point in Holland is over 20 feet below sea level, the lowest spot around New Orleans is only about 8 feet below sea level. And the North Sea is no pussy cat when it comes to bad storms.

Maybe it is just that I am a Texan but it doesn’t seem like all that big of a project to me. If the powers that be in Lousiana can’t figure this out maybe they should phone the Dutch. They keep the North Sea out of their country.
There is too much shipping and refining infrastructure to abandon it just because of a bit of water.

I know there are undoubtedly obstacles to face that I cannot even comprehend--but I think this could well be a model for us to follow, and give long-term hope to New Orleans, although it will take years to do so.

[sionnsar]

An excellent topographical map of New Orleans

From the LSU Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes , this is a topographical map that shows the elevations of different areas of New Orleans. Note the large areas that are either below or near sea level; this shows the challenges Louisiana will face in engineering the rebuilding of the city so that it is more hurricane-proof.

[sionnsar]

Updated Town by Town Reports — Mississippi

Filed under: General, Hurricane Katrina — Karen B. @ 9:17 am

Newly updated reports from the Mississippi Gulf Coast – but the information is still sketchy.

Comments (0)

Day of Prayer declared in Louisiana

Filed under: General, Hurricane Katrina — Karen B. @ 9:10 am

I found this article in this morning’s Google News search of the latest stories about Hurricane Katrina.

NEW ORLEANS, LA, United States (UPI) — Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared Wednesday a day of prayer as uncounted bodies floated in and around hurricane-battered New Orleans.

Two days after Hurricane Katrina came ashore with winds of 140 mph, city and state officials were still unable to estimate how many died from the winds and flooding from heavy rain and two broken levees that swamped New Orleans.

In declaring Wednesday a day of prayer, Blanco suggested residents ask “that God give us all the physical and spiritual strength to work through this crisis and rebuild.”

Amen. Note in Bishop Jenkins’ update (see below) he mentions a specific prayer service to be held in Baton Rouge. Let’s stand with Louisiana in prayer today.

Comments (1)

Another source of information on areas hit by Katrina

Filed under: General, Hurricane Katrina — Karen B. @ 8:23 am

I found this discussion forum this morning on the WWL TV website. It has discussion forums for various Louisiana parishes AND Mississippi Counties (Hancock & Harrison).

So for those of you seeking news on loved ones who did not evacuate, or wanting updates on damage, you may find helpful information on these discussion threads. As you read these pleas for information about missing loved ones, or news of damage, please keep praying for all who have been affected.

[sionnsar]

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Humor: The Anglican Blue (by Huber)

Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[Salvation]

"Please pray with me for United States of America-hurricane"

New Orleans Prayer Thread

Prayers for Romulus, Askel 5, and others from New Orleans and Louisiana

Prayers for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina

Catholic Caucus: Virgin of Prompt Succor - Hurricanes and Dangers

Hurricane Prayer Thread

How about a Prayer for the Kat Hurricane folks Drstevej former freeper

[sionnsar]

Thank you. Maybe we can collect more such here.

[Salvation]

Links for Catholic Charities and Salvation Army for helping out the people in the affected area:

AS HURRICANE KATRINA ROCKS GULF, CATHOLIC CHARITIES PREPARES FOR MASSIVE RELIEF EFFORT

[Salvation]

Astonishing Exclusive From Mississippi BREAKING NEWS

[sionnsar]

O GOD, Almighty and merciful, who healest those that are broken in heart, and turnest the sadness of the sorrowful to joy; Let thy fatherly goodness be upon all that thou hast made. Remember in pity such as are this day destitute, homeless, or forgotten of their fellow-men. Bless the congregation of thy poor. Uplift those who are cast down. Mightily befriend innocent sufferers, and sanctify to them the endurance of their wrongs. Cheer with hope all discouraged and unhappy people, and by thy heavenly grace preserve from falling those whose penury tempteth them to sin; though they be troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they be perplexed, save them from despair. Grant this, O Lord, for the love of him, who for our sakes became poor, thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this thread. Until I know for sure that our donations to any Diocese in the Hurricane area will not be given to the Red Cross or God knows what, we will donate to the Salvation Army.

We just donated $100 to the Salvation Army.

The link to donate with a credit card is below. Even with a DSL link, it takes a lot of time to get to the site:

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Salvation Army Serving Storm Refugees
Feeding First Responders

The Salvation Army is currently providing services to storm victims and first responders in the Gulf Coast states.

A $100 donation to The Salvation Army will feed a family of four for two days, provide two cases of drinking water and one household clean-up kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets, and cleaning supplies.


Victims Needing Assistance:

> Please call 1-888-363-2769.

Connect with Loved Ones:


How You Can Help:

1. Financial Donations:

Financial contributions are greatly needed, and provide The Salvation Army with the funds to purchase what storm victims need. They also allow The Salvation Army to assess the unique needs of individuals and families, as well as put money back into the economy of those communities affected by the disaster.

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

[Huber]

We are in the same place re: the Red Cross. We have, so far, given to The Salvation Army and to Franklin Graham's organization. We are waiting for feedback on whether AMiA has thought about a relief strategy. We would like to work through AMiA is possible. If you have any info on this, please advise. (Our rector is in Africa this week!)