The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

[Liz]

Identifying the deceased is going to be a monumental task. I fear some may never know the outcome of what happened to their loved ones. Such a sad thing to ponder.

 

[txsvicki]

Txsvicki, I think we live in the same town- We had 412 at an old air force base 6 miles from the city limits, over a hundred have reunited with their family members and moved on. There was a chuch in the small town where I work that tried to help but put 14 people into a small 2 bedroom house with no a/c. The evacuees called 911 and were taked to the AFB. They do have police checking ID's etc. to get onto the AFB property but from my understanding it is for the safety and comfort of the people-they don't want them to feel like a side show for the circus. Citibus has moved routes out to the base and has been transporting them free of charge and took them on a 3 hour tour of town, the kids are all enrolled in school with buses picking them up. They city set up a job fair today at the base just for the evacuees and have held special concerts just for them. They also moved our 9/11 tribute out to the base to also honor the evacuees that we have here. I'm sure it isn't anything like having your own house to go home to but from what I've seen I'm proud of the way that our town handled it.

Yes, we must live in the same town. Thanks for telling me. I didn't know about the 911 tribute and concerts. I did see the newpaper today and how evacuees from the base are really pleased. Most will move on to other places to join family, one couple who plan to stay has already been given an apartment, the tour helped bolster one man who can't locate his wife yet, and how many citizens here are donating airline tickets so that people can get to their families in other places. I'm glad those people got out of the unairconditioned place. It's way too hot here to have no a/c. Do you know where they are staying on the base, I didn't get that info from our friend who works for the city?

 

[mysteriew]

Subdivision rules are keeping some Ocala residents from temporarily housing Hurricane Katrina evacuees, and angry homeowners said it might make them move.

The board of Majestic Oaks Homeowners Association told homeowners their deed restrictions prohibit housing people who fled the Gulf Coast. According to the Ocala Star-Banner, a flier, distributed by the Majestic Oaks homeowners association Saturday, said that rather than allowing "additional families" in the community, residents were encouraged to contribute to hurricane relief funds.

The board sent the notice after learning that a minister in the 500-home subdivision had traveled to New Orleans and planned to take in three families of evacuees.
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/4951969/detail.html

 

[SieSie]

Just saw on Fox News an interview with Frank McKenna, the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.. I took notes as furiously as my little fingers could write....

Canada has sent 4 military ships, a 45 member Search and Rescue team, Divers, 20 thousand hospital beds and blankets, Canadian Red Cross personnel, plus monetary donations.

Ambassador McKenna spoke beautifully when asked by the interviewer (I don't know the guy, it wasn't O'Reilly) if the generous donations had anything to do with trying to make President Bush look foolish, I hope to find his answer transcribed word for word somewhere, but here's one portion I caught exactly, "We have been neighbors and friends for hundreds of years..." and then he later said, "it transcends everything..." :clap:

Thank you, to all of our Canadian friends. And to all of the other countries who have come to our aid, as well!

:blowkiss:

 

[mysteriew]

A woman who wants to let hurricane survivors stay in her house has run into some red tape from the Red Cross, News 5's Juliette Vara reported.

Roseanna Foster has a bedroom she said is open to the evacuees who need it.

"It's not the Hilton, but they're welcome to it," Foster said.

Foster saw Vara's report about Edward Baines, his pregnant wife and their one-year-old son who had to celebrate his birthday at a Mount Lookout shelter.

She said she wanted to take in the family, so she called the Cincinnati Red Cross. http://www.channelcincinnati.com/news/4955604/detail.html

 

[SieSie]

From that same link:

The Red Cross is working on a way for families to legitimately adopt evacuees, but the process could take weeks, officials said.

"We've never evacuated a city in the United States in history -- we've never done this before," Dinkel said. "Are mistakes being made? They sure are."

I hope they work quickly to provide a legitimate "adopt-a-family" program.

 

[joanofarc]

Your welcome

Did they say if they sent the D.A.R.T.?

It went all the way to Indonesia and I don't think it was even used there...maybe it is the 45 member search & rescue team mentioned...

 

[SewingDeb]

Is this because the 13 year old girl was raped by an evacuee who was staying with her family?

 

[Nova]

Your welcome

Did they say if they sent the D.A.R.T.?

It went all the way to Indonesia and I don't think it was even used there...maybe it is the 45 member search & rescue team mentioned...

Canada is "family" - the one thing GW Bush has ever said that I can applaud.

 

[Shadow205]

Registered sex offenders among evacuees

See Expanded CoverageMore Stories, Multimedia

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Although nearly 4,500 registered sex offenders lived in the 14 parishes hit by Hurricane Katrina, the Department of Corrections is most worried about fewer than 300 - those who ordinarily check in at parole offices closed by the storm.

Department spokeswoman Pam Laborde said that includes 110 in Jefferson Parish, 136 in the two New Orleans offices, and 23 in St. Bernard Parish.

Convicted sex offenders, including prostitutes and video voyeurs, must keep their current addresses on file with state police even if they are not on active probation or parole. more at the link http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5268515,00.html

 

[MrsMush99]

I watched that interview. I think he also said that they are sending oil. Thank You Canada!

 

[TexMex]

Awesome slideshow, thanks for sharing the link - I'm going to add it to the LINKS thread at the top so we never lose it.

Thanks Sie Sie, I like the links thread...

 

[Casshew]

Very cool

 

[SieSie]

Your welcome

Did they say if they sent the D.A.R.T.?

It went all the way to Indonesia and I don't think it was even used there...maybe it is the 45 member search & rescue team mentioned...

Unfortunately, I didn't catch everything that they said, so maybe they did send D.A.R.T. also. And oil and a convoy of something that I didn't catch either. Anyway, Canadians are opening their hearts, and wallets and I just wanted to thank our neighbors for that. I live about 20 minutes from the BlueWater Bridge to Canada (London, Ontario area) - I'd say you guys are DEFINITELY my neighbors and I appreciate you all!! :blowkiss:

 

[kgeaux]

Many, many thanks to Canada! Merci Beaucoup!

:dance: :woohoo: :blowkiss: :clap:

 

[SieSie]

Is this because the 13 year old girl was raped by an evacuee who was staying with her family?

I hadn't heard this. Do you have a link? That's awful, if true.

 

[izzyB]

I hadn't heard this. Do you have a link? That's awful, if true.

this happened in my area, in plano, it is indeed true and if i knew how to link to the dallas morning news i would do so. the man's name has been published in the paper, and he was a distant relative of the family. this has been in all the media in dallas.

 

[mysteriew]

I guess I just object to the tone of the whole thing. I considered offering to take a family in, but rejected it for personal reasons. But who is Red Cross to tell someone that they can't? That is Red Cross making the person's choice of who to associate with. That is what I find objectionable. Just because the person happens to be in a Red Cross shelter, doesn't mean the Red Cross has the right to make the decision for the evacuee and the person offering her home.
I can understand them making a flyer outlining the reasons why it is not a good idea. I can understand Red Cross taking the position of- good luck in finding someone, but we can't be a party to it. But the tone I am getting is that Red Cross is not going to allow it. That is what I object to.

 

[MrsMush99]

Here's a link to the story about the 13 year old girl.

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/new...sault_07met.ART0.North.Edition2.13994b60.html

[size=+2] Evacuee charged in sexual assault [/size] [size=+1] Plano: Man staying with relatives accused of attacking girl, 13
[/size]

[size=-1] 08:05 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 7, 2005 [/size]

[size=-1] By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News [/size]

A Hurricane Katrina evacuee staying with a Plano family was arrested Tuesday and accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl, police said.

Freddie Murray, 48, of New Orleans was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. Mr. Murray is a distant relative of the girl, police said. Police didn't know the exact relationship.

"The guy is an evacuee staying with distant relatives, and he allegedly assaulted a 13-year-old staying at that residence," Plano police spokesman Officer Carl Duke said. "He's been taken out of the residence and is in jail."


More at link.

 

[Ntegrity]

Thank you, Canadian friends!!