Hurricane Katrina

[docetboy]

I'm a Red Cross Disaster Volunteer and have helped after disasters before, though admittedly, on a much smaller scale (this is the largest disaster the American Red Cross has ever responded to - bigger than Huricanne Andrews, bigger than 9/11).

Truthfully, the best thing you can do is to donate money. The Red Cross has trained volunteers they are sending from all over the country to help out, whether it be to serve food, work in a shelter, or the thousands of other jobs and the countless logistics of it. You can also donate blood...thousands of units are needed that the Red Cross doesn't have, and you can save up to three lives with every donation.

Call your local Red Cross chapter and ask how you can help. The Red Cross has regional callcenters throughout the nation, one might be in your town, and you might be able to help by answering the phone when people call 866-GET-INFO. There are countless of other jobs you can do in your community that while not being directly in support of the disaster relief operations, frees someone else up that can.

[PsychTau]

From: www.wwltv.com

6:41 P.M. - Efforts to stop the levee break at the 17th Street Canal have ended unsuccessfully and the water is expected to soon overwhelm the pumps in that area, allowing water to pour into the east bank of Metairie and Orleans to an expected height of 12-15 feet.

7:59 P.M. - Mayor Nagin: Pumps at 17th street canal has failed and water will continue pouring into the city. Nine feet of water is expected on St. Charles Avenue that will be nine feet high. Water is expected to spread throughout the east bank of Orleans and possibly Jefferson Parish.

Good god....I feel SOOOO helpless and small reading this, and I don't live in NO, and I don't think I really know anyone in/from NO. Last time I was there was in 1998 or 99 I think.

I just keep thinking..."The city is filling up with water...there's nothing we can do...get out." I can fathom someone saying "Hey, the basement is flooding...we can't stop it...better run now..." but an entire city???


PsychTau

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

My aunt lives in Metairie

[ADqtPiMel]

I got so angry at people in my classes today who were bitching about the rain we've gotten in Ohio from the hurricane. I mean seriously, think of everyone who has died or lost family members and property.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by ADqtPiMel
I got so angry at people in my classes today who were bitching about the rain we've gotten in Ohio from the hurricane. I mean seriously, think of everyone who has died or lost family members and property.

I'm in OH too and I honestly didn't think the rain would reach as far north as it did. I'm in Porrtage county. They say the rain won't stop until around 5pm tomorrow. But it's better than having my entire city submerged and nowhere to go .

[Sister Havana]

I have a friend who is from Gulfport. Although he and his family are safe (they packed themselves, the cat and the dog and got the heck outta Dodge), whatever they packed into their car may well be all they have left.

[mmcat]

it's just gotten sadder and sadder as the day progressed. and it wasn't even a direct hit, so they say.
i was so hoping by afternoon one of the bar owners would be on camera saying -- OK time to get back to business. not happening right now.
sigh!

[lifesaver]

Now that the levee has broken and everything in the city will be flooded. They are saying they will have to evacuate everyone left there for the month it takes for them to get basic services restored. Who would have thought we'd be in a situation where one of Americas larger cities (1 million in the area or so) would have to be completely evacuated and not because of a terrorist attack.

I hope we learn from this because it will happen again because of a hurricane or somehwere on the west coast in an earthquake. Hopefully we'll learn how to evacuate a large city and keep everyone safe and comfortable.

It's tragic tho. Much like 9/11, I cant watch the news anymore.

I remember the devastation Iniki caused on Kauai in 1992 and how difficult it was to see pictures of the island, knowing that my uncle's house was no more.

This is nothing like it.

Watching CNN and seeing pictures of New Orleans, reminiscing about how I walked down those streets -- even seeing the Olive Garden Kalin and I ate at the day I flew in, torn to pieces.

I helped out on the res floor today, speaking with a woman trying to fly out of Seattle. When I asked where she was flying to, she said "HOME, but I don't know where. I have nothing left in New Orleans."

BROKE MY HEART.

[UKDaisy]

Originally posted by ADqtPiMel
I got so angry at people in my classes today who were bitching about the rain we've gotten in Ohio from the hurricane. I mean seriously, think of everyone who has died or lost family members and property.

Same here. I was bitching for a while, until I stopped and had a wakeup call to myself.

[RACooper]

I think the one thing from the news that disgusts me is watching the disaster and seeing the human filth exploiting the disaster - ie. looters.

You'd think or hope that a disaster of this magnitude would bring people together, a community pulling together to help each other out in order to get through the disaster. But no, on the news I have seen numerous instances of looters brazenly taking from others, stealing what little some people have left.

I'm hoping that the National Guard and military get in there to not only rescue people, but to restore order...

>>> Anyone know what the US military's policy regarding looting in an Aid to Civil Authority deployment is? For example would the looters be given a warning shot after a verbal warning? Or do they have a no warning shot policy (well other than the shot that kills the first looter) when it comes to looting or mobs like the Canadian or the UK military?

[KSigkid]

Originally posted by Sister Havana
I have a friend who is from Gulfport. Although he and his family are safe (they packed themselves, the cat and the dog and got the heck outta Dodge), whatever they packed into their car may well be all they have left.

I'm still waiting to hear word on family in Gulfport; I'm figuring (and hoping) they got out of town well ahead of things.

Originally posted by RACooper
I think the one thing from the news that disgusts me is watching the disaster and seeing the human filth exploiting the disaster - ie. looters.

You'd think or hope that a disaster of this magnitude would bring people together, a community pulling together to help each other out in order to get through the disaster. But no, on the news I have seen numerous instances of looters brazenly taking from others, stealing what little some people have left.

While I don't condone looting at all, there's a huge difference with ransacking the local Winn-Dixie versus the NikeTown down the street.

[KSUViolet06]

The Lousiana governor did say that while she doesn't condone people looting for shits and giggles, she does understand that MOST people in the area have been without food/water/supplies for at least 24 hours and they're honestly getting desperate.

[PhoenixAzul]

You know...if I was caught in a situation like what is going on in NO and mississippi...I can't say that I wouldn't think about looting for food. Most of the people who are looting had very little to nothing to begin with, now theyre saying it will be a month to repair everything, there's no water, no power, and the police are busy doing other things... I saw on CNN last night that the police held off some looters at a Walgreens so that they could take stuff out of the store to a shelter...and then they let the looters have at it. If I was a mother, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Take what the kids and I need, and go.

let the flaming commence.