Rude and inconsiderate?! I think the words you're looking for are immoral and criminal.

Food that's going to spoil, medicines, etc are one thing. But anything past that is just plain immoral.

Really, really sorry to hear that, OleMissGlitter!! I'm glad everyone is safe (your'e right -- that really is what matters), and hope the pieces can get put back together soon.

Thanks everyone. Hugs to all of you all! You are wonderful! It is so surreal though.

My dad just got word he is going to Houston to run his bank (well he's in HR) where they have an office there. His bank is Whitney National Bank out of New Orleans.

I just ate lunch with my parents and sister and they are already looking for an apartment for now in Hattiesburg, MS. From there they will figure out if they want to rebuild in Pass Christian (highly doubtful since my parents had a summer home when they were children there their families lost to Camille in 1969). Anyway, they might go to Hattiesburg.

Ole Miss has started to collect cash to be given to students who lost everything in the Hurricane. There are so MANY students from the coast and New Orleans up here and the AL Coast.

Thank you all once again.

God Bless you all.

For the person who wondered about volunteer opportunities, our local news web site has this article posted:

Local Volunteers Wanted For Hurricane Relief
Red Cross Prepares To Send More Staff, Volunteers

POSTED: 8:47 am EDT August 31, 2005

The Washtenaw County chapter of the American Red Cross is recruiting volunteers to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

American Red Cross officials said they are preparing to send an additional 1,900 trained staff and volunteers into the states devastated by the hurricane. They are recruiting local residents who are interested in participating in the emergency response operation.

To qualify for deployment volunteers must:
Be 18 years old.
Have a valid drivers license.
Be in excellent health.
Be willing and able to accept a hardship assignment.
Be ready and available to receive training and to be deployed for a two- to three-week assignment.

The American Red Cross has launched the largest mobilization of resources for a single natural domestic disaster in the 125-year history of the organization, according to Red Cross officials. Volunteers are already on the ground staffing hundreds of shelters for tens of thousands of people from the panhandle of Florida, across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia and Texas.

For more information on how you can be a member of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort call the Washtenaw County Chapter at (734) 971-5300

From the Yahoo News article posted above...

...and the governor said Wednesday the situation was growing more desperate and there was no choice but to abandon the flooded city.

Wow. Just to hear the words. Amazing.

Something just occurred to me - my apologies if this has already been mentioned.

Some companies will match their employees' charitable donations to certain non-profits. For those of us out in corporate America, check with your HR or payroll department to find out if your company has a matching program and which charities they'll match donations to.

Interested question. Can we compare the Tsunami to this hurricane?? In terms of number of people affected and the financial resources of the countries?

Great idea aephi alum. :)

Right now, my company is still trying to locate our unaccounted for employees in New Orleans when it just occurred to me. I'm am blessed to work for a national company that is actually doing something for those employees affected by this Hurricane. For example, they will still get a paycheck every pay period - regardless where they are or how long it takes them to get back to the area. In fact, New Orleans employees are in the process of being relocated to other places (including their shelter, food, etc.).

But what about the large percentage of people who aren't blessed like that? Who's job (the company, the building) is gone right along with their home and belongings...how do they make it? You can only live off savings and credit cards for so long - and hotels are expensive. How will they survive?

I hope something positive will occur out from all of this devastation...

My soror, AKA2D91' lives in New Orleans was able to evacuate to her folks house in Baton Rouge...

She remains positive...

But, I still hear utter loss for words for someone who is actually down there dealing with this "insanity"...

I hope folks who remained in NO and MS will have some potable water to function.

Last night I commented that looters should be shot on first sight. I know it is WAY overboard, but to see how "proud" some of those looters were and how vicious they were...it made sense to me. Was I hearing things when I heard that a police officer was seriously wounded by a looter who he was trying to get to stop?


That has crossed my mind also. All the money that was raised for the tsunami, it makes you wonder if people are going to donate here in the US or across the oceans.

/begin sarcasm
I doubt it though...we are the country everyone depends on for relief. Why help us? :rolleyes:
/sarcasm

I don't know the policy down there... but I do know with aid to civil authority the Canadian and UK militaries follow a policy of 3 verbal requests for the looters to stop and drop what they have taken... the next step is what we call the "warning shot" ie. the first warning shot the looters hear is the shot that killed the guy nexy to them. While I can understand people needing food and water - it's the other looters that should be shot.

When people only care about themselves in a disaster such as this - they weaken and damage the community further. The first step in any recovery is law and order - if someone is concerned about their personal safety or their possessions it'll hinder any rebuilding or recovery.

Completely different scale of disaster - but nonetheless aid is being prepared... I know all the churches, temples, and mosques around here have been holding collections in preparation for relief - now that the scope of the disaster is becoming known I'm sure they'll step it up an notch.

As for the government - Canadian disaster response teams are prepped and waiting (ie. SAR Teams, the military team sent to for the Tsunami) but are awaiting an official request from the US government (is needed for "foreign troops" to deploy). The Canadian Red Cross will be flying down by the end of the week with 100s of volunteers to help with logistics, support, and aid.

As long as they pay themselves to rebuild and don't rely on insurance then why not rebuild. BUT, if they are expecting insurance companies to keep footing the bill and then everyone elses premiums go up (those of us that would never live on a flood plain) then no I don't think they should. Or another solution may be to have outrageous premiums so it discourages people from building on a flood plain (they do this in Texas I believe). This will happen again-it is just a matter of time-why keep putting you and your family through that? Maybe it will be another 500 years maybe it won't?

It reminds me of the Californians that kept building their houses on the sides of hills that were basically dirt and mudslides continued to destroy them-if they want to continue to live there and take the risk then they need to pay for damage themselves. I would love to live on the coast, but knowing the risks and seeing it year after year on the news-it is just not a smart thing to do. Especially living BELOW sea level:confused: .

My employer just sent out an email stating that all employee donations made to our TCUF (Texas Credit Union Foundation which aids in disasters such as this) will be matched!