Hurricane Katrina Disaster Updates

[concernedperson]

I think it's optimistic to think this will only last for DAYS. I suspect it will be WEEKS.

Here is the denial. My step son and my daughter think that in a few weeks they will be able to go in and retrieve his belongings.It is unconceivable to me that people aren't getting the picture.

 

[Miss Daisey]

A morbid thought occurred to me just now....and while I apologize for bring gross, I have to ask.....

In a few days, they will need dental records to identify some of the victims who get pulled from the water.

What do they do if the dentist's office was obliterated, too?

I'm not trying to be sarcastic or tactless, I really wondered this.....

Interesting that you mention that. I have a friend in Dallas who is a forsenic volunteer with FEMA. She left Sunday for New Orleans. So, they know the magnitude of what they're dealing with.

 

[concernedperson]

Most of the bodies that will be recovered will be beyond recognization.They are not worried about that right now.Too much for any city.This is just horrible.

 

[Shadow205]

They just issued an emergency evacuation order that said that the efforts to stop the water from the levy has ended and the pumps are failing. It said to expect and additional 9ft of water in the next 12-15 hours.

 

[jubie]

You know, it's ironic that the very same people looting arm-fulls of stolen things will most likely have to leave those things behind as they are emergency evacuated in the coming hours and days! Sad. They don't see how very dire the situation is. :twocents:


It's just a bunch of stuff, really. Their lives are about to change for the worse by far, again very sad. :hand:

 

[Ntegrity]

Here is the denial. My step son and my daughter think that in a few weeks they will be able to go in and retrieve his belongings.It is unconceivable to me that people aren't getting the picture.

I know. It's so sad. Maybe it's a self-preservation thing. It may be too much to take in this quickly.

 

[concernedperson]

They just issued an emergency evacuation order that said that the efforts to stop the water from the levy has ended and the pumps are failing. It said to expect and additional 9ft of water in the next 12-15 hours.

I have already sent a post to CNN to get Jeanne Meserve and others out of there. This is just the worst.

 

[heavenlydaze]

They've been in denial forever, and like you said, even this morning it was all about drinking and partying. I think God gave them a warning last year when they were almost hit by one of the big hurricanes (Ivan, I think), but were spared. They could have been preparing for the past year for this, but it doesn't sound like they did. Just went back to partying, rather than learning from that near miss.

Dearest DK,
"de-nile" is a river somewhere in Egypt. Considering the scope of this disaster, I think everyone's doing the best they possibly can do under the existing circumstances, but (and this REALLY hurts me to say this)...I agree with you.
Here in Yuba City, Ca we have one of the most fragile levy systems in the country. Google '"Yuba City" +flood...people here are still recovering from the last one, and the EPA comes in and tells us we can't re-build certain levies because it will destroy the habitat of an endangered beatle. Now...when the next flood happens (and it will), do we blame ourselves for not challenging the enviornmentalists? Do we all sell our homes and move to...uh...Yellowstone, Montana? (oops, can't do that...they're sitting on the next volcanic eruption and God only knows what plans THEY'VE made!). Gee, maybe when the next storm comes, we'll just all go get a six-pack or two and watch while nature takes it's course against whatever we're ALLOWED to put in it's path.
Done venting. Deep breath, but not TOO deep as air quality isn't good today
(too many cow farts polluting the ozone).

 

[Nore]

Casshew, I was gone for a day and came back to watch the news and I had no idea! I knew it was bad, but not this devastating. What are those poor people going to do, the ones who lost their homes, have no insurance, have no money, nowhere to go?

I thought maybe one or 2 neighborhoods were flooded. It's mind boggling - because the levees couldn't hold. They knew this could happen, but I guess didn't have the money or resources to barricade New Orleans. It's a shame.

As for President Bush, he's cutting his vacation short to go back and supervise relief efforts. However, I don't think we needed another war speech today.

This is a natural disaster, of 9-11 proportions; hopefully without as much loss of life. Financially though it's a greater disaster, and emotionally directly affecting a wider number and range of people. the health problems will come next.

Which brings me to another question: Do the countries we donated to for the Tsunami give back to us? Or any countries at all - Europe, Austrialia, etc? Canada? Or is that just a United States thing? Just curious.

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Marthatex,I am wondering the same about aid from other Countries..It is time we put our priorities in their proper place! After 9~11 I believe the only Country offering aid was Canada.I will not forget that. I am so sick of this. Mr. Bush dont speak to me about war! Right now my Country needs aid.We could use some of the Guardsmen and soldiers right here.How about sending a few hundred? .....I feel sooooo bad. I could easily take in 10 people to stay here for shelter til this is cleaned up but I am all the way up in Ohio.A college student from Parma came home I think on Monday.He brought the tennis team from the college,except two~just not enough room in the car.They are at the SuperDome.They were told to go home.Some of them are from Indonesia (sp),Austria,England,Canada.How were they to travel all those miles.Marthtex thank you for letting me "spiel off" on your post.I have webtv.and often cannot get through on my own.I have had it with "foriegn aid"..Take care.

 

[mysteriew]

I went through a couple of floods as a volunteer. Survivors reactions will vary from depression, to quiet contemplation, to wanting to start recovery efforts immediately, to feeling of invincability (they have already lived through the worst, have nothing to fear now) to an almost eerie desire to restore normalcy- ie inappropriate humor, dark humor (If I don't laugh I will cry).
I feel for the survivors, I really do. The have suffered and lost, and many now have no homes, no jobs, and no idea what will be in their future. They don't even know what all they have lost yet. And it is too overwhelming to consider.
But the ones I really sympathize with right now are the police officers, firefighters, emergency personnel, and others who are active in the survival efforts.
They have now been something like 36 hrs with no rest (maybe more- there would have been a lot of preparation work to be done before the storm) little food eaten on the run, they may not know the status of their own homes, they may not even know the status of their own families. They have gone through the efficient phase, the exhaustion phase, the second wind phase, and are now probably in the dogged phase- and there is no relief in sight. And even when relief gets there- they won't want to stop, because it will feel like giving up. They also need your thoughts and prayers.

 

[concernedperson]

This is so interesting. At a time of extreme crisis who is coming to our aid? Maybe it should tell us that we are an island? I don't know but it is pretty interesting and still people are dying.

 

[mysteriew]

Incidently- some of the estimates I have seen are that it may be months before some areas get power back. Which means "normal" is a long time away.

 

[Details]

After 9/11 everyone was offering us aid - we turned some of it down, used a fair amount of it. This is a horrible disaster, but it isn't of the same magnitude as the tsunami, not by a long shot. The tsunami killed tens of thousands.

 

[Nore]

Interesting that you mention that. I have a friend in Dallas who is a forsenic volunteer with FEMA. She left Sunday for New Orleans. So, they know the magnitude of what they're dealing with.

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You are not being morbid at all.This is a fact.I am hopng they will somehow be able to ship bodies to surrounding areas for either temporary burial or to be placed on ice.This is a sad situation to say the least.They have no sewage systems at all. Just dawned on me I am responding to the wrong post! Senior moment which right now is so upset..I wish I could take some of the children til this is over.i have a crib,beds,etc..I would also take animals except cats as I am very allergic to them.I pray.

 

[Nore]

I went through a couple of floods as a volunteer. Survivors reactions will vary from depression, to quiet contemplation, to wanting to start recovery efforts immediately, to feeling of invincability (they have already lived through the worst, have nothing to fear now) to an almost eerie desire to restore normalcy- ie inappropriate humor, dark humor (If I don't laugh I will cry).
I feel for the survivors, I really do. The have suffered and lost, and many now have no homes, no jobs, and no idea what will be in their future. They don't even know what all they have lost yet. And it is too overwhelming to consider.
But the ones I really sympathize with right now are the police officers, firefighters, emergency personnel, and others who are active in the survival efforts.
They have now been something like 36 hrs with no rest (maybe more- there would have been a lot of preparation work to be done before the storm) little food eaten on the run, they may not know the status of their own homes, they may not even know the status of their own families. They have gone through the efficient phase, the exhaustion phase, the second wind phase, and are now probably in the dogged phase- and there is no relief in sight. And even when relief gets there- they won't want to stop, because it will feel like giving up. They also need your thoughts and prayers.

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They have my prayers. Theirs is also so often a thankless job! I saw a dog on a roof,wish I could get it.The little boy crying so hard while being rescued broke my heart...

 

[Details]

On a quick search, Venezuela is offering us aid with fuel and food (and we're not exactly friendly to them either). I'm not seeing much more, but the scope of the disaster is just beginning to be known, and it's very early yet. As I recall, when the tsunami hit, we took quite awhile to get around to promising any aid.I mean, it hasn't even been a full day since the levee broke.

The Louisiana governor is saying that she believes there have been offers of support from other countries - but it seems she's too occupied with the immediate crisis to be spending much time on that.


An update: The Saudi's are also offering help, saying they will increase their oil production so oil prices don't rise so much from this.

 

[Shadow205]

A man was just interviwed who left NO before Katrinia hit. He said he has a 12 day old baby and 2 other small children/ He said that he knows his home is gone but that a house is not a lot to loose when you see others who have lost their families. He had such a positive attitude, it is people like him that you have to admire.

 

[Cypros]

On a quick search, Venezuela is offering us aid with fuel and food (and we're not exactly friendly to them either).

Anybody have Pat Robertson's email? I'd like to forward him this information.

 

[upallnite]

Looting beginning in New Orleans. A WinnDixie near the French Quarter had its shelves literally emptied. Cameras were rolling, thiefs are on tape. If they should live to be prosecuted, that is. Because water continues to rise. No power in the entire city. Mayor wants all flat boats brought to a certain area for use in rescue attempts.

And, finally, the Red Cross has opened the CajunDome in Lafayette as an emergency shelter. A couple of days late.

We have many evacuees in our area who cannot return home, indeed probably don't have anything to return to, and they can't afford to pay for hotel rooms forever.

The mood amongst the evacuees across the street from me is getting more somber by the moment.

shadow, I wouldn't be surprised if cameras were prohibited from filming the extent of the damage, I wonder if the same rules apply in MS and AL?

cypros, This is not to say everything possible was done, because obviously everything was not done: but busses were sent into lower income areas to pick up those who would leave. Some chose to stay, some probably could not get to the "designated pickup" areas. I would imagine some people do not even have access to tv/media reports and perhaps did not know where to go to be given a ride out.

I got on here just to see if you had posted!!!!

 

[concernedperson]

Kgeaux has been OK through this but she may not be OK throughout the rest of it.Much help is needed and it will filter wherever it is needed. So, send up your prayers to her because she has a giant heart and will more than likely take on a lot and a lot that will cause inconvenience. So, Karen, you are in my thoughts and prayers. I will find a way to help.