Hurricane Katrina Disaster Updates

[Dark Knight]

I was reading some of the first posts on the old threads and on this one, and WS has a pretty good moment to moment accounting of Hurricane Katrina from it's start as a tropical depression through the disaster and the aftermath. I think it should all be kept, in some way, for historical purposes or at least posterity. It's quite amazing when u go back and look through it all. A virtual moment by moment update of a storm that turned into one of the country's worst natural disasters ever.

 

[Lakergirl123]

I was laying in bed this morning and I yawned at looked over at DH and said, "I don't want to get out of bed this morning, I'm so tired."

He responded, "Laker - be thankful that you have a bed to get out of this morning. Think of all those people who don't."

I feel like crap about being a little tired and not wanting to get out of bed!

We should all be thankful!

 

[kgeaux]

I was laying in bed this morning and I yawned at looked over at DH and said, "I don't want to get out of bed this morning, I'm so tired."

He responded, "Laker - be thankful that you have a bed to get out of this morning. Think of all those people who don't."

I feel like crap about being a little tired and not wanting to get out of bed!

We should all be thankful!

I know what you mean. I was washing my fifth load of clothes yesterday and feeling a little bit**y about it, when it suddenly hit me. My family still owns enough clothing and bedding to make up five loads! We have a washer and a dryer to keep them clean. Beds to put the sheets on, a roof over the beds. Bit**y mood over, gratefulness takes over.

 

[kato]

They had to delay the buses moving from the Superdome to here because shots were being fired at helicopters trying to move people from the Superdome to the buses. They will be resuming around sunrise which is right about now. That's a damn shame!!!

Also, buses are being comandeered by hoodlums who are driving them here. The Astrodome does not like this but they are going ahead and letting them in.

 

[kato]

Can we start another thread? This one is getting quite long. TIA

 

[amandab]

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1647609

According to this thread on fark.com, there was/is a fire in the Superdome. The posters there were posting updates that they got from a police scanner, so take this with a grain of salt if you wish.

God help these people.

 

[T'sNana]

Why are they not dropping FOOD and WATER to those left in NO?!! That might calm them down and keep them healthy! I'm so aggravated about that. Also, why were they being picky about WHO they were going to load on the buses?!! It's an evacuation for crying out loud! ALL of them need to go! I am frustrated and I cannot even imagine how these people feel. They are afraid, hungry, hot, ill, etc., etc. It's only going to get worse if these people don't get some water and nutrition and some HOPE!! I'm so fearful for them!

 

[less0305]

Why are they not dropping FOOD and WATER to those left in NO?!! That might calm them down and keep them healthy! I'm so aggravated about that. Also, why were they being picky about WHO they were going to load on the buses?!! It's an evacuation for crying out loud! ALL of them need to go! I am frustrated and I cannot even imagine how these people feel. They are afraid, hungry, hot, ill, etc., etc. It's only going to get worse if these people don't get some water and nutrition and some HOPE!! I'm so fearful for them!

Well, I would hope they would load the critically injured or ill, the elderly, the sick, the babies, the children before they load the looters, the jail and prison inmates, and the ones carrying AK47s around.

 

[kato]

On GMA this morning they were talking to one of the Coast Guards and he said there was a 14 yr. old boy yesterday who was bringing people to them to be airlifted up before he would go himself.

 

[T'sNana]

On GMA this morning they were talking to one of the Coast Guards and he said there was a 14 yr. old boy yesterday who was bringing people to them to be airlifted up before he would go himself.

That is so heartwarming. What a GREAT kid. I hope they don't forget what he is doing/did when this is over.

A BIG P.S. GOD BLESS TEXAS!!! It shows everything IS bigger in Texas...their hearts!!

 

[mysteriew]

Mysteriew, thank-you for this post although it has me worried for someone I know. A father of a little girl who goes to pre-school with my daughter is a firefighter who just left today to help out with Katrina. They have no idea when he'll be back, or where exactly he'll even be staying. I hope he returns safely soon. He's a really nice guy. He came and showed all the children his firefighting gear and let them try it on...

During my time volunteering I was amazed at the heroism. And those stories will never be told- because the people involved just consider it doing their job. I heard some of the funniest stories, the saddest, and the most horrible stories imaginable.
A natural disaster does truly bring out the best and worst in people.

I remember opening a shelter- within a short time, a grocery store owner walked in and said don't worry about meals- we will take care of them. Mealtimes came and food showed up. Church members offered their homes for people who needed showers (something that is often not available in shelters). Offered to do laundry. Brought games/balls for the kids. Clothing donations came in from all over the country. Eventually they had to halt the clothing donations, because they ran out of room to store them. Food just kept showing up at a pantry. People were volunteering to help. Soda manufactorers filled their containers with water and hauled them in. One of the biggest problems I remember was transportation/hauling supplies. People in the refugee areas who own trucks- offer to transport supplies, people. Take games to the shelters for the kids (think of your own kids and how lost they would be without tvs, video games, etc.) Offer any old tvs, radios you may have to the shelters.

 

[mysteriew]

Why are they not dropping FOOD and WATER to those left in NO?!! That might calm them down and keep them healthy! I'm so aggravated about that. Also, why were they being picky about WHO they were going to load on the buses?!! It's an evacuation for crying out loud! ALL of them need to go! I am frustrated and I cannot even imagine how these people feel. They are afraid, hungry, hot, ill, etc., etc. It's only going to get worse if these people don't get some water and nutrition and some HOPE!! I'm so fearful for them!

I am sure some limited supplies are getting in. And people are scared and want out of there, now! But the frailest will have to come out first. The healhiest can make it a little longer.

 

[mysteriew]

My local news was talking about a group of firefighters who were at a conference in NO when Katrina hit. They volunteered at the superdome while they were there. While at the shelter, one of the firefighters delivered a baby.

 

[lorann]

Well, I would hope they would load the critically injured or ill, the elderly, the sick, the babies, the children before they load the looters, the jail and prison inmates, and the ones carrying AK47s around.

I agree! What they have to do is get control of those with guns. How? Air Guard with permission to shoot those who do not surrender their guns. It is a shame with what else is going on in our world that our armed forces have to battle our own and put their lives in peril to do it.

We air our dirty laundry in front of the world, and if we have to air our getting control of this situation, that should be a good thing.

 

[T'sNana]

I agree! What they have to do is get control of those with guns. How? Air Guard with permission to shoot those who do not surrender their guns. It is a shame with what else is going on in our world that our armed forces have to battle our own and put their lives in peril to do it.

We air our dirty laundry in front of the world, and if we have to air our getting control of this situation, that should be a good thing.

That's so true!! I was thinking, as well, that if these empty buses that are going to NO should be carrying some water and supplies for the ones that remain...that might calm them some.

 

[SieSie]

Can we start another thread? This one is getting quite long. TIA

I second that request - can we please start a new thread to continue this discussion?

 

[less0305]

That's so true!! I was thinking, as well, that if these empty buses that are going to NO should be carrying some water and supplies for the ones that remain...that might calm them some.

I had that same thought....and then in the next breath I wondered if that would start a riot. It's terrible to think that way, isn't it? I also wondered by those media helicopters who can't rescue people couldn't get close enough to people waving to them to drop down some water on a basket or something - or get close enough to drop it to their roof.

 

[mysteriew]

Most of the refugees are given two nine-ounce bottles of water a day and two boxed meals: spaghetti, Thai chicken or jambalaya.

The Superdome is patrolled by more than 500 Louisiana National Guard, many of whom carry machine guns as sweaty, smelly people press against metal barricades that keep them from leaving, shouting as the soldiers pass by: "Hey! We need more water! We need help!"

The soldiers — most are sleeping only two or three hours a night, and many have lost houses themselves — say they are doing the best they can with limited resources and no infrastructure. But they have become the target of many refugees' anger.

"They've got the impression that we have everything and they have nothing," 1st Sgt. John Jewell said. "I tell them: We're all in the same boat. We're living like you're living. Some of them understand. Some of them have lost their senses."

Thousands of people still are wading to high ground out of the flooding, and most head for the Superdome. Officials have turned hundreds away.

"The conditions are steadily declining," Maj. Ed Bush said. "The systems have done all they can do. We don't know how much longer we can hold on. The game now is to squeeze everything we can out of the Superdome and then get out."

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said yesterday that more than 100 buses are staged outside the city for today's evacuation. He had asked officials in Baton Rouge and Lafayette to send all their school buses — about 500 — to New Orleans. If all of the buses make it into the city, Nagin said, the Superdome could be cleared out by nightfall tonight.

Most of the people will go to Houston, where they will stay in the Astrodome. Others will be taken to Louisiana cities that escaped the hurricane.

From 400 to 500 people, many with critical medical conditions, were airlifted or bused yesterday from the sports complex; some were taken to Houston.

"They need to see psychologically that this is real," Nagin said. "They need to see that they are really moving. They need to see people getting on the bus. I want to start to create a sense of hope."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ht...ication=rss&source=seattletimes.xml&items=162

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

TX Department of Public Safety is coordinating the donations of school buses and any TX school bus drivers that want to help with evacuations....of which our office was receiving many calls yesterday. That's a good sign....

 

[Marthatex]

The Blackhawks are landing now! It is the most incredible sight; I can't believe this is happening; those poor people, it looks like a junk yard out there, the picture on the TV is blurry. I guess they are slowly getting people out of the dome, or are they taking the injured? I don't know.

This tragedy and all that is unfolding is mindboggling. Did they put out the warehouse fire?