Hurricane Katrina

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Originally posted by Peaches-n-Cream
My sister's best friend's cousin is a Tulane student. Her family hasn't heard from her since before the hurricane. Does anyone have any suggestions regarding how to locate her? I really am afraid for her. We all are. Please keep Amanda in your prayers as well as all the people still suffering. Thank you.

She is alive and well.

[mu_agd]

Originally posted by Peaches-n-Cream
She is alive and well.

That's good to hear!

[Lindz928]

That's wonderful news peaches! I am glad to hear it.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

Thanks Lindz and mu_agd! We're so relieved. She's going to school in Tennessee now. Southern hospitality at its finest! She is pretty sure that she will be there for the entire school year. Right now it doesn't look like New Orleans will be ready for students in the Spring semester.

In other news, the company where my fiancé works is matching dollar for dollar every contribution the employees make. Some of the employees are donating their entire weekly paychecks. They are good people.

[RACooper]

Canadians beat U.S. Army to New Orleans suburb
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050908/...neworelans_col

Thu Sep 8, 1:36 AM ET

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (Reuters) - A Canadian search-and-rescue team reached a flooded New Orleans suburb to help save trapped residents five days before the U.S. military, a Louisiana state senator said on Wednesday.

The Canadians beat both the Army and the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. disaster response department, to St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans, where flood waters are still 8 feet deep in places, Sen. Walter Boasso said.

"Fabulous, fabulous guys," Boasso said. "They started rolling with us and got in boats to save people."

"We've got Canadian flags flying everywhere."

The stricken parish of 68,000 people was largely ignored by U.S. authorities who scrambled to get aid to New Orleans, a few miles (km) away. Boasso said residents of the outlying parishes had to mount their own rescue and relief efforts when Hurricane Katrina roared ashore on August 29.

The U.S. government response to the disaster has been widely criticized. Politicians and editorial writers have called for the resignation of top Bush administration officials.

Boasso said U.S. authorities began airdropping relief supplies to St. Bernard last Wednesday, the same day the Canadian rescue team of about 50 members arrived from Vancouver, nearly 2,200 miles away.

"They chartered a plane and flew down," he said.

Two FEMA officials reached the parish on Sunday and the U.S. Army arrived on Monday, he said.

"Why does it take them seven days to get the Army in?" Boasso asked.

He speculated that the smaller parishes suffered because the focus was on New Orleans, the famous home of jazz and Mardi Gras.

As for the Canadians, Boasso gave thanks for their quick work.

"They were so glad to be here," he said. "They're still here. They are actually going door-to-door looking in the attics" for people to rescue, he said.

Hmmmm....everytime I read a story like this I keep pictureing some FEMA/White House guy as Chip Diller from Animal House screaming "All is Well!!!, All is Well!!!".

[Honeykiss1974]

I don't understand this at all. Why stay and risk your life for material possesions? And don't for a second think I'm talking from a silver spoon upbringing but these things can be replaced. Even if you're elderly or have physical limitations, rescuers are there to help move them.

A house can be replace - but people can't.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by DeltAlum
"Efficient government" is certainly a contradiction -- no question. Putting a political cronie like this Brown guy in an important position doesn't help, though.

I would probably agree with you. But, I'm not sure if that post is largely ceremonial like becoming an ambassador to many countries.

-Rudey

[Rudey]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
I don't understand this at all. Why stay and risk your life for material possesions? And don't for a second think I'm talking from a silver spoon upbringing but these things can be replaced. Even if you're elderly or have physical limitations, rescuers are there to help move them.

A house can be replace - but people can't.

It's simple really - they are not seeing themselves dying if they stay.

-Rudey

[Honeykiss1974]

Astrodome may close next week

Posted on Thu, Sep. 08, 2005

Officials in Texas are planning to clear out and close the Astrodome and other temporary shelters, as soon as next week.

"We want to help them get their lives back to normal," Houston Mayor Bill White said this morning on CNN. The target date for emptying the Astrodome is Sept. 19.

Plans for the Federal Emergency Management Association to out $2,000 debit cards to evacuees beginning at the Astrodome and eventually at other areas have not materialized as of this morning. FEMA told CNN the debit cards will not be distributed today. In Biloxi, some people were told to expect them in 14 days.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/12590373.htm

[Lindz928]

Originally posted by Rudey
It's simple really - they are not seeing themselves dying if they stay.

-Rudey

Absolutely! They only see the small area around their home, and can't see just how serious it is. We can see on the news all of the reports of contaminated water and the danger of disease outbreak. We can see pictures from all over the city. They very possibly just don't understand the scope of it, even though they are right there. They only have to go on someone's word.

[Lindz928]

Originally posted by Honeykiss1974
[B]Astrodome may close next week

Posted on Thu, Sep. 08, 2005

Officials in Texas are planning to clear out and close the Astrodome and other temporary shelters, as soon as next week.

"We want to help them get their lives back to normal," Houston Mayor Bill White said this morning on CNN. The target date for emptying the Astrodome is Sept. 19.

I'm sorry, but I think people are going to need more than a week's notice for this. That is just not enough time for thousands of people to find homes and jobs and places to go to. I don't see it being feasible. If the mayor of Houston really wants this to happen that quickly, then he and his whole city are going to have to work their asses off for the next week helping these people. *personal opinion*

[Honeykiss1974]

I think the initial expectation was that these evacuees would get sent off to other shelters and then later into housing.

I say this because here in Wichita, we have a major shelter/processing center set-up but once they are "processed" they will move into housing. People have donated rental properties (houses, apartment complexes, etc.) so that they can basically start over. Those people on public assistance/section 8 will just have their benefits transfered here. Companies are holding jobs for those displaced, so that they can work. I know my company is holding spots/jobs for employees that lost everything at the Miss/LA locations.

But so far, no one has showed up and people are not wanting to leave far from NOLA for whatever reason (still looking for family, wanting to go back home, etc.).

[Lindz928]

My mom works for a company that handles foreclosures on (I think) HUD homes here in Texas. They take care of the foreclosures, fix them, and sell them I think. Anyway, she told me that all of the houses they have listed have been taken down and given to FEMA to house evacuees. Not sure of any details, except that they have some concerns for their jobs because the company has basically taken away their work.

*I do not know all of the exact details of the situation and I could be wrong on some parts, but I just thought I would mention that some government housing has been given to house people who have lost everything.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by Rudey
I would probably agree with you. But, I'm not sure if that post is largely ceremonial like becoming an ambassador to many countries.

It's a decent question, but it appears to me that it's a real management position. He was allegedly the guy charged with communicating with the President and others in the government as the situation progressed.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by RACooper
Canadians beat U.S. Army to New Orleans suburb
Hmmmm....everytime I read a story like this I keep pictureing some FEMA/White House guy as Chip Diller from Animal House screaming "All is Well!!!, All is Well!!!".

You know, Rob, sometimes your nationalism and little digs even get to me.

From a logistical standpoint, it's a hell of a lot easier for a group of 50 people to get to one particular area than it is for a huge rescue effort to get everywhere in an area the size of the United Kingdom.

Which isn't to excuse an overall dismal response from the US government.

That being said, I'm thankful for any help that our Canadian neighbors can offer.