gypsywitch
sappy n' sassy
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Well thanks Linuxgeek. 
2005 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season
- Thread starter linuxgeek
- Start date
linuxgeek
Rogue Scholar
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http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/interactive/weather/0508/gallery.katrina.0830/images/01.jpg
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http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/interactive/weather/0508/gallery.katrina.0830/images/06.ap.jpg
linuxgeek
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Bush to return to Washington early
President cuts vacation short to monitor hurricane relief efforts
"We have got a lot of work to do," Bush said, referring to the damage wrought by the hurricane along Gulf Coast areas.
The president had been scheduled to return to the nation's capital on Friday, after spending more than four weeks operating from his ranch in Central Texas. But after receiving a briefing early Tuesday on the devastation Katrina unleashed, the president decided that he needed to be in Washington to personally oversee the federal effort, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
Bush had traveled here to deliver a speech commemorating the Allies' World War II victory over Japan and promoting his war-on-terror agenda. Later Tuesday, he was flying back to Texas, but spending only one night at his ranch. Bush was expected to visit the region affected by Katrina, but details on that trip were in flux as the White House worked to make sure the president would not disrupt response efforts.
The president said that the urgent need for search-and-rescue operations put the priority on saving lives -- and made it necessary for people who evacuated the region to stay out for now.
"This morning, our hearts and prayers are with our fellow citizens along the Gulf Coast," Bush told Navy sailors and World War II veterans, the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier at his back. "We know that many are anxious to return to their homes. It's not possible at this moment."
Instead, he asked all in the affected areas to do as state and local authorities say.
"The federal, state and local governments are working together side-by-side to help people get back on their feet," he said.
The president asked individual Americans to get involved with the relief effort, suggesting anyone who wishes to help could call 1-800-HELPNOW, log on to the Red Cross Web site or get in touch with the Salvation Army.
"The good folks in Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama and other affected areas are going to need the help and compassion and prayers of our fellow citizens," Bush said.
Upon Bush's return Wednesday, he planned to chair a meet of a White House task force set up to coordinate the federal response and relief effort, McClellan said.
"This is one of the most devastating storms in our nation's history. I think that's becoming clear to everyone," McClellan said. "The destruction and loss of life is sobering."
Bush to return to Washington early
President cuts vacation short to monitor hurricane relief efforts
"We have got a lot of work to do," Bush said, referring to the damage wrought by the hurricane along Gulf Coast areas.
The president had been scheduled to return to the nation's capital on Friday, after spending more than four weeks operating from his ranch in Central Texas. But after receiving a briefing early Tuesday on the devastation Katrina unleashed, the president decided that he needed to be in Washington to personally oversee the federal effort, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
Bush had traveled here to deliver a speech commemorating the Allies' World War II victory over Japan and promoting his war-on-terror agenda. Later Tuesday, he was flying back to Texas, but spending only one night at his ranch. Bush was expected to visit the region affected by Katrina, but details on that trip were in flux as the White House worked to make sure the president would not disrupt response efforts.
The president said that the urgent need for search-and-rescue operations put the priority on saving lives -- and made it necessary for people who evacuated the region to stay out for now.
"This morning, our hearts and prayers are with our fellow citizens along the Gulf Coast," Bush told Navy sailors and World War II veterans, the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier at his back. "We know that many are anxious to return to their homes. It's not possible at this moment."
Instead, he asked all in the affected areas to do as state and local authorities say.
"The federal, state and local governments are working together side-by-side to help people get back on their feet," he said.
The president asked individual Americans to get involved with the relief effort, suggesting anyone who wishes to help could call 1-800-HELPNOW, log on to the Red Cross Web site or get in touch with the Salvation Army.
"The good folks in Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama and other affected areas are going to need the help and compassion and prayers of our fellow citizens," Bush said.
Upon Bush's return Wednesday, he planned to chair a meet of a White House task force set up to coordinate the federal response and relief effort, McClellan said.
"This is one of the most devastating storms in our nation's history. I think that's becoming clear to everyone," McClellan said. "The destruction and loss of life is sobering."
linuxgeek
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Hundreds of deaths feared from Katrina
Biloxi, Miss., expects high toll from surge; water still rising in New Orleans
BILOXI, Miss. - As authorities assessed the death and destruction from Hurricane Katrina Tuesday, officials in this Gulf Coast city said they feared that hundreds of residents perished after being trapped in their homes when a 30-foot storm surge came ashore.
“It’s going to be in the hundreds,” Biloxi city spokesman Vincent Creel said of the expected death toll.
“Camille was 200, and we’re looking at a lot more than that,” he said, referring to Hurricane Camille, which hit the area in 1969 and destroyed swaths of Mississippi and Louisiana.
In getting their first good look at the wide swath of the Gulf Coast slammed by Katrina, authorities on Tuesday found tens of thousands of homes flooded or wiped out, hundreds of victims still awaiting rescue.
Aerial footage showed most of New Orleans under water and mile after mile of coastline in Mississippi and Alabama wiped out. Debris from flattened buildings littered streets, and the smell of natural gas from broken lines wafted through the air. In Gulfport, Miss., a casino was lifted out of the water and onto a hotel.
“At first light, the devastation is greater than our worst fears. It’s just totally overwhelming,” Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said the morning after Katrina howled ashore in one of the most punishing storms on record in the United States.
The biggest known cluster of deaths was at a beachfront apartment of about 100 units in Biloxi. Harrison County emergency operations center spokesman Jim Pollard said about 30 people died there.
Joy Schovest, 55, was in the complex with her boyfriend, Joe Calvin, when the water began rising. They stayed despite a mandatory evacuation order.
Swimming with the cars
“The water got higher and higher,” she said, breaking into tears. “It pushed all the doors open and we swam out. We grabbed a lady and pulled her out the window and then we swam with the current. It was terrifying. You should have seen the cars floating around us. We had to push them away when we were trying to swim.”
Earlier, Mississippi’s governor cited unconfirmed reports of up to 80 fatalities in Harrison County, adding that the number was likely to rise.
“The devastation down there is just enormous,” Gov. Haley Barbour told NBC’s “Today” show.
“We know that there is a lot of the coast that we have not been able to get to,” Barbour said. “I hate to say it, but it looks like it is a very bad disaster in terms of human life.”
Some 2 million people along the Gulf Coast spent the night without power and powerless to deal with the aftermath of what could be the most expensive storm ever to hit the United States. Many evacuees were not being allowed back to their homes for many days as thousands of utility crews worked to restore power.
“I don’t want anyone not in the city to come back. What we’re doing is trying to make the best of a bad situation and we need people to cooperate,” New Orleans Police Chief Eddie Compass said.
New Orleans ‘a giant lake’
In the city, which was spared a direct hit when Katrina veered east as it made landfall Monday, more residents were evacuated overnight when levee breaches sent a churning sea of water coursing through city streets.
Officials planned to use helicopters to drop 3,000-pound sandbags into the most serious breach.
“It’s a very slow rise, and it will remain so until we plug that breach. I think we can get it stabilized in a few hours,” said Terry Ebbert, New Orleans’ homeland security chief.
Some hospital patients were airlifted to the Superdome as a precaution, and NBC's Brian Williams reported from the edge of the French Quarter that what had been dry land “was filling with water” by 5 a.m. ET. “We have a new problem in this city,” he said. By 8 a.m., some French Quarter streets were under several inches of water.
Other downtown streets that were relatively clear in the hours after the storm were filled with 1 to 1½ feet of water Tuesday morning. Water was knee-deep around the Superdome. Canal Street was literally a canal.
NBC's Kerry Sanders, reporting from a helicopter above the city, said “it's basically one giant lake here in New Orleans.”
Little islands of red ants floated in the gasoline-fouled waters through downtown. The Hyatt Hotel and other high-rise around the Superdome had rows and rows of shattered windows.
National Guardsmen brought in people from outlying areas to the Superdome in the backs of big 2½-ton Army trucks on Tuesday. Louisiana’s wildlife enforcement department also brought people in on the backs of their pickups. Some were wet, some were in wheelchairs, some were holding babies and nothing else.
Bodies reported in New Orleans
No deaths have been officially confirmed in Louisiana, but New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said “many, many reports” were coming from rescuers about bodies floating in high waters that covered most of the city.
“My heart is heavy tonight. I don’t have any good news to really share,” he told television station WWL Monday night.
“The city of New Orleans is in a state of devastation. We probably have 80 percent of our city under water, with some sections of our city the water is as deep as 20 feet. We still have many of our residents on roofs,” he said. “Both airports are under water.”
“We have to start the process of rebuilding the city,” he added, noting that most of the city's drinking water was contaminated, power could be out for up to six weeks and that a major bridge was wiped out.
Suburbs were also hit hard, with one reportedly seeing 40,000 homes under water.
“This is a horror story. I’d rather be reading it somewhere else than living it,” said Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, which includes parts of New Orleans and goes south to Grand Isle on the coast.
He said that because of the devastation there, residents would not be allowed back to their homes until Monday, and then only long enough to pick up essential items.
After striking the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane, Katrina was later downgraded to a tropical depression as it moved over Tennessee.
Winds Tuesday morning had dropped to 35 mph, but forecasters said the storm could spawn tornadoes over Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, and swamp Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio with 8 inches or more of rain.
On Monday, Katrina’s remnants spun off tornadoes and other storms in Georgia that smashed dozens of buildings and were blamed for at least one death.
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Hundreds of deaths feared from Katrina
Biloxi, Miss., expects high toll from surge; water still rising in New Orleans
BILOXI, Miss. - As authorities assessed the death and destruction from Hurricane Katrina Tuesday, officials in this Gulf Coast city said they feared that hundreds of residents perished after being trapped in their homes when a 30-foot storm surge came ashore.
“It’s going to be in the hundreds,” Biloxi city spokesman Vincent Creel said of the expected death toll.
“Camille was 200, and we’re looking at a lot more than that,” he said, referring to Hurricane Camille, which hit the area in 1969 and destroyed swaths of Mississippi and Louisiana.
In getting their first good look at the wide swath of the Gulf Coast slammed by Katrina, authorities on Tuesday found tens of thousands of homes flooded or wiped out, hundreds of victims still awaiting rescue.
Aerial footage showed most of New Orleans under water and mile after mile of coastline in Mississippi and Alabama wiped out. Debris from flattened buildings littered streets, and the smell of natural gas from broken lines wafted through the air. In Gulfport, Miss., a casino was lifted out of the water and onto a hotel.
“At first light, the devastation is greater than our worst fears. It’s just totally overwhelming,” Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said the morning after Katrina howled ashore in one of the most punishing storms on record in the United States.
The biggest known cluster of deaths was at a beachfront apartment of about 100 units in Biloxi. Harrison County emergency operations center spokesman Jim Pollard said about 30 people died there.
Joy Schovest, 55, was in the complex with her boyfriend, Joe Calvin, when the water began rising. They stayed despite a mandatory evacuation order.
Swimming with the cars
“The water got higher and higher,” she said, breaking into tears. “It pushed all the doors open and we swam out. We grabbed a lady and pulled her out the window and then we swam with the current. It was terrifying. You should have seen the cars floating around us. We had to push them away when we were trying to swim.”
Earlier, Mississippi’s governor cited unconfirmed reports of up to 80 fatalities in Harrison County, adding that the number was likely to rise.
“The devastation down there is just enormous,” Gov. Haley Barbour told NBC’s “Today” show.
“We know that there is a lot of the coast that we have not been able to get to,” Barbour said. “I hate to say it, but it looks like it is a very bad disaster in terms of human life.”
Some 2 million people along the Gulf Coast spent the night without power and powerless to deal with the aftermath of what could be the most expensive storm ever to hit the United States. Many evacuees were not being allowed back to their homes for many days as thousands of utility crews worked to restore power.
“I don’t want anyone not in the city to come back. What we’re doing is trying to make the best of a bad situation and we need people to cooperate,” New Orleans Police Chief Eddie Compass said.
New Orleans ‘a giant lake’
In the city, which was spared a direct hit when Katrina veered east as it made landfall Monday, more residents were evacuated overnight when levee breaches sent a churning sea of water coursing through city streets.
Officials planned to use helicopters to drop 3,000-pound sandbags into the most serious breach.
“It’s a very slow rise, and it will remain so until we plug that breach. I think we can get it stabilized in a few hours,” said Terry Ebbert, New Orleans’ homeland security chief.
Some hospital patients were airlifted to the Superdome as a precaution, and NBC's Brian Williams reported from the edge of the French Quarter that what had been dry land “was filling with water” by 5 a.m. ET. “We have a new problem in this city,” he said. By 8 a.m., some French Quarter streets were under several inches of water.
Other downtown streets that were relatively clear in the hours after the storm were filled with 1 to 1½ feet of water Tuesday morning. Water was knee-deep around the Superdome. Canal Street was literally a canal.
NBC's Kerry Sanders, reporting from a helicopter above the city, said “it's basically one giant lake here in New Orleans.”
Little islands of red ants floated in the gasoline-fouled waters through downtown. The Hyatt Hotel and other high-rise around the Superdome had rows and rows of shattered windows.
National Guardsmen brought in people from outlying areas to the Superdome in the backs of big 2½-ton Army trucks on Tuesday. Louisiana’s wildlife enforcement department also brought people in on the backs of their pickups. Some were wet, some were in wheelchairs, some were holding babies and nothing else.
Bodies reported in New Orleans
No deaths have been officially confirmed in Louisiana, but New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said “many, many reports” were coming from rescuers about bodies floating in high waters that covered most of the city.
“My heart is heavy tonight. I don’t have any good news to really share,” he told television station WWL Monday night.
“The city of New Orleans is in a state of devastation. We probably have 80 percent of our city under water, with some sections of our city the water is as deep as 20 feet. We still have many of our residents on roofs,” he said. “Both airports are under water.”
“We have to start the process of rebuilding the city,” he added, noting that most of the city's drinking water was contaminated, power could be out for up to six weeks and that a major bridge was wiped out.
Suburbs were also hit hard, with one reportedly seeing 40,000 homes under water.
“This is a horror story. I’d rather be reading it somewhere else than living it,” said Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, which includes parts of New Orleans and goes south to Grand Isle on the coast.
He said that because of the devastation there, residents would not be allowed back to their homes until Monday, and then only long enough to pick up essential items.
After striking the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane, Katrina was later downgraded to a tropical depression as it moved over Tennessee.
Winds Tuesday morning had dropped to 35 mph, but forecasters said the storm could spawn tornadoes over Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, and swamp Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio with 8 inches or more of rain.
On Monday, Katrina’s remnants spun off tornadoes and other storms in Georgia that smashed dozens of buildings and were blamed for at least one death.
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linuxgeek
Rogue Scholar
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- Feb 1, 2004
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Aid groups sending rescuers, supplies
Residents warned recovery could takes weeks
(CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of people in Gulf Coast states are without homes or power in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and aid agencies are warning the situation might not improve for weeks, maybe months.
Veteran staff members from the Federal Emergency Management Agency who have surveyed the destruction said the flood damage is the worst they have ever seen, the head of the agency said.
"This is truly a catastrophic event," Michael Brown told CNN.
FEMA is preparing to house "at least tens of thousands of victims ... for literally months on end," he said.
Officials in hurricane-affected areas are urging evacuees and others to stay put. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco ordered re-entry routes to be guarded by state police, saying it was too dangerous for many people to return home.
Officials in other states were still trying to assess the damage.
On Monday, President Bush declared Louisiana and Mississippi disaster areas, making federal funds available to affected residents.
Katrina crashed ashore about 5 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) Monday near Buras, Louisiana, with 140 mph winds. It was the most powerful hurricane to strike the area since the legendary Hurricane Camille in 1969, which killed 256 people.
The American Red Cross has launched the largest natural disaster mobilization in its history, larger than services for last year's four Florida hurricanes combined, the organization's president, Marty Evans, told CNN.
"We had staged extensive supplies, meals, cleanup kits, hygiene kits -- all staged to come into the area as soon as the roads are passable," she said. "They will be coming in, augmenting what we already had on the scene."
More than 75,000 people were being housed in nearly 240 shelters, and Evans said she expects the numbers to grow.
"It's going to be a long-term operation," Evans said. "We're talking many, many weeks, months."
Many people are trapped by rising floodwaters and need to be rescued.
In east New Orleans, rescuers pulled out as many as 500 people, in some cases using axes to break through roofs and reach people in attic areas. Not everyone made it out, apparently -- witnesses reported seeing bodies floating near Interstate 10, the north border of the district.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard Web site, at least 40 aircraft and 30 ships were put into position ahead of time to help in post-storm searches and rescues. Seven helicopters were aiding in efforts in New Orleans, the Web site said.
U.S. Coast Guard rescuer Mark Vislay told CNN his helicopter "took on 15" people.
"As soon as you came down in their area, people were coming out of everywhere," he said. "There were small fires all over the place. A little bit of, you know, gasoline and oil coming out from gas stations, etc. Power lines down, trees split in half, fallen down. So it was definitely something that was pretty shocking to you."
Some air operations continued during the night, he said, but potential dangers such as live, underwater power lines made boat operations too dangerous. After sunrise Tuesday, rescuers set out again to reach the dozens, perhaps hundreds, who are still in their homes.
In Mississippi, U.S. Highway 90 was underwater, initially preventing officials from assessing the damage. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley said he will send 800 National Guard troops to Mississippi to help with debris removal and traffic control.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Tuesday he will take a helicopter tour of the areas that were most affected, especially the coastal region that took the brunt of the battering when Katrina came ashore.
Power companies in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi estimated Tuesday that nearly 2,000,000 customers were without power.
Curt Hebert Jr., executive vice president of Entergy Corp., which has power customers in Louisiana, including New Orleans and Mississippi, said it would take "several days" just to get a basic assessment of the damage.
"Many of our facilities are still flooded," he said. "When it's safe to get out there, we will get out there."
Herbert cautioned patience for those looking for progress on the recovery front.
"It's going to take more time than they're comfortable with," he told CNN. "And there's just no way to put this into a time frame. You can't get crews in there to work until the water's down."
Aid groups sending rescuers, supplies
Residents warned recovery could takes weeks
(CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of people in Gulf Coast states are without homes or power in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and aid agencies are warning the situation might not improve for weeks, maybe months.
Veteran staff members from the Federal Emergency Management Agency who have surveyed the destruction said the flood damage is the worst they have ever seen, the head of the agency said.
"This is truly a catastrophic event," Michael Brown told CNN.
FEMA is preparing to house "at least tens of thousands of victims ... for literally months on end," he said.
Officials in hurricane-affected areas are urging evacuees and others to stay put. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco ordered re-entry routes to be guarded by state police, saying it was too dangerous for many people to return home.
Officials in other states were still trying to assess the damage.
On Monday, President Bush declared Louisiana and Mississippi disaster areas, making federal funds available to affected residents.
Katrina crashed ashore about 5 a.m. (6 a.m. ET) Monday near Buras, Louisiana, with 140 mph winds. It was the most powerful hurricane to strike the area since the legendary Hurricane Camille in 1969, which killed 256 people.
The American Red Cross has launched the largest natural disaster mobilization in its history, larger than services for last year's four Florida hurricanes combined, the organization's president, Marty Evans, told CNN.
"We had staged extensive supplies, meals, cleanup kits, hygiene kits -- all staged to come into the area as soon as the roads are passable," she said. "They will be coming in, augmenting what we already had on the scene."
More than 75,000 people were being housed in nearly 240 shelters, and Evans said she expects the numbers to grow.
"It's going to be a long-term operation," Evans said. "We're talking many, many weeks, months."
Many people are trapped by rising floodwaters and need to be rescued.
In east New Orleans, rescuers pulled out as many as 500 people, in some cases using axes to break through roofs and reach people in attic areas. Not everyone made it out, apparently -- witnesses reported seeing bodies floating near Interstate 10, the north border of the district.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard Web site, at least 40 aircraft and 30 ships were put into position ahead of time to help in post-storm searches and rescues. Seven helicopters were aiding in efforts in New Orleans, the Web site said.
U.S. Coast Guard rescuer Mark Vislay told CNN his helicopter "took on 15" people.
"As soon as you came down in their area, people were coming out of everywhere," he said. "There were small fires all over the place. A little bit of, you know, gasoline and oil coming out from gas stations, etc. Power lines down, trees split in half, fallen down. So it was definitely something that was pretty shocking to you."
Some air operations continued during the night, he said, but potential dangers such as live, underwater power lines made boat operations too dangerous. After sunrise Tuesday, rescuers set out again to reach the dozens, perhaps hundreds, who are still in their homes.
In Mississippi, U.S. Highway 90 was underwater, initially preventing officials from assessing the damage. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley said he will send 800 National Guard troops to Mississippi to help with debris removal and traffic control.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Tuesday he will take a helicopter tour of the areas that were most affected, especially the coastal region that took the brunt of the battering when Katrina came ashore.
Power companies in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi estimated Tuesday that nearly 2,000,000 customers were without power.
Curt Hebert Jr., executive vice president of Entergy Corp., which has power customers in Louisiana, including New Orleans and Mississippi, said it would take "several days" just to get a basic assessment of the damage.
"Many of our facilities are still flooded," he said. "When it's safe to get out there, we will get out there."
Herbert cautioned patience for those looking for progress on the recovery front.
"It's going to take more time than they're comfortable with," he told CNN. "And there's just no way to put this into a time frame. You can't get crews in there to work until the water's down."
linuxgeek
Rogue Scholar
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Amateur Radio Volunteers Involved in Katrina Recovery
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 30, 2005--Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Louisiana are engaged in the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort, and more are waiting in the wings to help as soon as they can enter storm-ravaged zones. Winds and flooding from the huge storm wreaked havoc in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama after Katrina came ashore early Monday, August 29. Louisiana ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Gary Stratton, K5GLS, told ARRL that some 250 ARES members have been working with the Red Cross and the state's Office of Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness. Much of the affected areas remain flooded and dangerous, however. As a result, state officials have not allowed emergency or other units to enter the flooded zones, and there is still no communication with many coastal areas.
The West Gulf ARES Emergency Net remains active (7.285 MHz days/3.873 MHz nights), and radio amateurs not involved in emergency communication have been asked to keep these frequencies clear when the net is in session.
A high volume of health-and-welfare requests reportedly is slowing the passage of critical tactical and emergency traffic. The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) on 14.265 MHz has been accepting and handling health-and-welfare inquiries on the air and via its Web site.
Hurricane Katrina's fierce winds and heavy rains are being blamed for upward of 70 deaths as well as the destruction of homes and businesses. Many trees uprooted, taking down power lines and blocking highways, hampering emergency and repair crews. Rescue personnel worked through the night to save stranded residents, some floating on rooftops or simply swimming for their lives. An estimated two million people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are without power.
ARES volunteers from outside the directly affected areas have been mustering to assist, but, Stratton says, until units can enter the flooded disaster areas "there's no place they can go yet." Cox told ARRL that at least some Louisiana ARES teams also are in a holding pattern, awaiting word from relief agencies as to what they need in terms of communication support and where, before they can officially activate.
Louisiana Section Manager Mickey Cox, K5MC, reports Richard Webb, NF5B, from New Orleans was on the air from the Louisiana State University Hospital as of Monday afternoon during the storm. Sections of New Orleans now are under water. Louisiana Assistant SM Mike King, W5MP, of Slidell, also was on the air Monday helping provide communication from a hospital on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
Long-Distance Ham Radio Rescue
A call for help that involved a combination of cell telephone calls and Amateur Radio was instrumental in saving 15 people stranded by floodwaters on the roof of a house in New Orleans. Unable to get through an overloaded 911 system, one of those stranded called a relative in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That individual, in turn, called another relative, Sybil Hayes in Broken Arrow , Oklahoma, whose 81-year-old aunt Helen Lelzx was among those clinging to the roof along with other family members.
Hayes called the American Red Cross chapter, which contacted the Tulsa Repeater Organization. Using the Red Cross chapter's well-equipped amateur station, TRO member Ben Joplin, WB5VST, was able to relay a request for help on the 20-meter SATERN net via stations in Oregon and Idaho to Louisiana, where the ARES net contacted emergency personnel who rescued the 15 people.
"When all else fails, Amateur Radio works is more than a catchy tag line," says TRO's Mark Conklin, N7XYO. "It's a lifeline." He said as of late Monday evening, Lelxz and the others on the roof were safe at a Red Cross shelter.
Alabama
Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, reports sporadic power outages in the northern part of the state where he lives. Katrina moved through the region Monday evening, bringing flooding rains and high winds. Amateur Radio SKYWARN nets were active Monday, reporting the severe weather conditions to the National Weather Service. Sarratt himself handled a volunteer shift at the Huntsville NWS office Monday evening. He told ARRL Headquarters that ARES groups throughout the state--and especially in central and southern Alabama--have been supporting communication for local emergency management agencies and the Red Cross.
Mississippi
Because telephone circuits are out or overloaded, ARRL has received little firsthand information so far from Mississippi on Amateur Radio emergency response activities there. Mississippi Section Manager Malcolm Keown, W5XX, in Vicksburg, was reported on the air using generator power. His area has no electrical power or telephone service.
Mutual Aid
Sarratt will be among about a half dozen radio amateurs from Alabama preparing to head to Jackson, Mississippi, to provide communication and other assistance for the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team. Another group from Alabama will be heading on to southern Mississippi or Louisiana once they get their assignments confirmed, Sarratt said.
ARRL Northern Florida SM Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP, reports his section is putting together a team of Amateur Radio operators to assist in neighboring Mississippi, once they get clearance to go there. The Florida mutual assistance team will be coordinated through the Florida State Emergency Operations Center.
Hurricane Watch Net, WX4NHC Stand Down
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) secured operation on 14.325 MHz for Hurricane Katrina at 0115 UTC today. "Thanks to all for your support for what has been a very exhaustive 48 hours of extensive effort as Hurricane Katrina caused extreme damage along the Louisiana and Mississippi shores and surrounding area," said HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP. The net works in cooperation with WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to gather real-time, ground-level weather data during storms. NHC forecasters use the reports to help fine-tune their predictions of a storm's behavior.
Amateur Radio Volunteers Involved in Katrina Recovery
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 30, 2005--Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) volunteers in Louisiana are engaged in the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort, and more are waiting in the wings to help as soon as they can enter storm-ravaged zones. Winds and flooding from the huge storm wreaked havoc in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama after Katrina came ashore early Monday, August 29. Louisiana ARES Section Emergency Coordinator Gary Stratton, K5GLS, told ARRL that some 250 ARES members have been working with the Red Cross and the state's Office of Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness. Much of the affected areas remain flooded and dangerous, however. As a result, state officials have not allowed emergency or other units to enter the flooded zones, and there is still no communication with many coastal areas.
The West Gulf ARES Emergency Net remains active (7.285 MHz days/3.873 MHz nights), and radio amateurs not involved in emergency communication have been asked to keep these frequencies clear when the net is in session.
A high volume of health-and-welfare requests reportedly is slowing the passage of critical tactical and emergency traffic. The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) on 14.265 MHz has been accepting and handling health-and-welfare inquiries on the air and via its Web site.
Hurricane Katrina's fierce winds and heavy rains are being blamed for upward of 70 deaths as well as the destruction of homes and businesses. Many trees uprooted, taking down power lines and blocking highways, hampering emergency and repair crews. Rescue personnel worked through the night to save stranded residents, some floating on rooftops or simply swimming for their lives. An estimated two million people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are without power.
ARES volunteers from outside the directly affected areas have been mustering to assist, but, Stratton says, until units can enter the flooded disaster areas "there's no place they can go yet." Cox told ARRL that at least some Louisiana ARES teams also are in a holding pattern, awaiting word from relief agencies as to what they need in terms of communication support and where, before they can officially activate.
Louisiana Section Manager Mickey Cox, K5MC, reports Richard Webb, NF5B, from New Orleans was on the air from the Louisiana State University Hospital as of Monday afternoon during the storm. Sections of New Orleans now are under water. Louisiana Assistant SM Mike King, W5MP, of Slidell, also was on the air Monday helping provide communication from a hospital on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
Long-Distance Ham Radio Rescue
A call for help that involved a combination of cell telephone calls and Amateur Radio was instrumental in saving 15 people stranded by floodwaters on the roof of a house in New Orleans. Unable to get through an overloaded 911 system, one of those stranded called a relative in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That individual, in turn, called another relative, Sybil Hayes in Broken Arrow , Oklahoma, whose 81-year-old aunt Helen Lelzx was among those clinging to the roof along with other family members.
Hayes called the American Red Cross chapter, which contacted the Tulsa Repeater Organization. Using the Red Cross chapter's well-equipped amateur station, TRO member Ben Joplin, WB5VST, was able to relay a request for help on the 20-meter SATERN net via stations in Oregon and Idaho to Louisiana, where the ARES net contacted emergency personnel who rescued the 15 people.
"When all else fails, Amateur Radio works is more than a catchy tag line," says TRO's Mark Conklin, N7XYO. "It's a lifeline." He said as of late Monday evening, Lelxz and the others on the roof were safe at a Red Cross shelter.
Alabama
Alabama SM Greg Sarratt, W4OZK, reports sporadic power outages in the northern part of the state where he lives. Katrina moved through the region Monday evening, bringing flooding rains and high winds. Amateur Radio SKYWARN nets were active Monday, reporting the severe weather conditions to the National Weather Service. Sarratt himself handled a volunteer shift at the Huntsville NWS office Monday evening. He told ARRL Headquarters that ARES groups throughout the state--and especially in central and southern Alabama--have been supporting communication for local emergency management agencies and the Red Cross.
Mississippi
Because telephone circuits are out or overloaded, ARRL has received little firsthand information so far from Mississippi on Amateur Radio emergency response activities there. Mississippi Section Manager Malcolm Keown, W5XX, in Vicksburg, was reported on the air using generator power. His area has no electrical power or telephone service.
Mutual Aid
Sarratt will be among about a half dozen radio amateurs from Alabama preparing to head to Jackson, Mississippi, to provide communication and other assistance for the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team. Another group from Alabama will be heading on to southern Mississippi or Louisiana once they get their assignments confirmed, Sarratt said.
ARRL Northern Florida SM Rudy Hubbard, WA4PUP, reports his section is putting together a team of Amateur Radio operators to assist in neighboring Mississippi, once they get clearance to go there. The Florida mutual assistance team will be coordinated through the Florida State Emergency Operations Center.
Hurricane Watch Net, WX4NHC Stand Down
The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) secured operation on 14.325 MHz for Hurricane Katrina at 0115 UTC today. "Thanks to all for your support for what has been a very exhaustive 48 hours of extensive effort as Hurricane Katrina caused extreme damage along the Louisiana and Mississippi shores and surrounding area," said HWN Manager Mike Pilgrim, K5MP. The net works in cooperation with WX4NHC at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to gather real-time, ground-level weather data during storms. NHC forecasters use the reports to help fine-tune their predictions of a storm's behavior.
linuxgeek
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Governor: Rest Of New Orleans Needs To Be Evacuated
Water Still Rising, Situation Deteriorating
NEW ORLEANS -- With water rising in the streets of New Orleans and conditions rapidly deteriorating, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco says the tens of thousands of people now huddled in the Superdome and other rescue centers will have to be evacuated.
"The situation is untenable," Blanco said at a news conference. "It's just heartbreaking."
Because of two levees that broke Tuesday, the city was rapidly filling with water, the governor said. She also said the power could be out for a long time, and the storm broke a major water main, leaving the city without drinkable water.
Police in New Orleans say there are hundreds of people still on rooftops in the city, waiting for rescue.
Governor: Rest Of New Orleans Needs To Be Evacuated
Water Still Rising, Situation Deteriorating
NEW ORLEANS -- With water rising in the streets of New Orleans and conditions rapidly deteriorating, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco says the tens of thousands of people now huddled in the Superdome and other rescue centers will have to be evacuated.
"The situation is untenable," Blanco said at a news conference. "It's just heartbreaking."
Because of two levees that broke Tuesday, the city was rapidly filling with water, the governor said. She also said the power could be out for a long time, and the storm broke a major water main, leaving the city without drinkable water.
Police in New Orleans say there are hundreds of people still on rooftops in the city, waiting for rescue.
linuxgeek
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Where to turn for information
(CNN) -- Disaster response officials are urging evacuated residents not to return for at least a week to areas of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.
"When folks who are desperate are trying to get home, it just makes it more difficult for us to get to folks whose lives are in danger," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Tuesday.
"The roads are blocked with water in many cases," she explained. "Even if you drive up to a certain area, you're going to have to get into a boat, and we don't have boats to take citizens back to their property. All our boats are engaged in search and rescue."
Officials are asking people not to contact local fire and police agencies, which are busy responding to emergencies. Instead, disaster officials recommend the following Web sites and phone numbers:
General information
Alabama
Alabama Emergency Management Agency http://ema.alabama.gov (205-280-2200)
Alabama Homeland Security http://www.homelandsecurity.alabama.gov/
Louisiana
Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness ( 225-925-7400)
Louisiana Homeland Securityhttp:/www.ohsep.louisiana.gov
Mississippi
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency http://www.mema.state.ms.us (601-352-9100); 24-hour emergency line, 1-800-222-MEMA (6362)
Mississippi Homeland Security http://www.homelandsecurity.ms.gov
Next of kin
American Red Cross
1-800-229-8191,or 1-866-GET-INFO (438-4636)
National Next of Kin Registry
Louisiana http://www.louisiana.gov/wps/portal/.cmd/cs/.ce/155/.s/1091/_me/1089
Mississippi http://www.mississippi.gov/ms_sub_template.jsp?Category_ID=5
Disaster Help https://disasterhelp.gov
Property damage and temporary housing
Claims can be filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.fema.gov (1-800-621-FEMA)
Because phone lines remain down in some areas and disaster response officials are overwhelmed, officials are asking that callers be patient.
Where to turn for information
(CNN) -- Disaster response officials are urging evacuated residents not to return for at least a week to areas of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.
"When folks who are desperate are trying to get home, it just makes it more difficult for us to get to folks whose lives are in danger," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Tuesday.
"The roads are blocked with water in many cases," she explained. "Even if you drive up to a certain area, you're going to have to get into a boat, and we don't have boats to take citizens back to their property. All our boats are engaged in search and rescue."
Officials are asking people not to contact local fire and police agencies, which are busy responding to emergencies. Instead, disaster officials recommend the following Web sites and phone numbers:
General information
Alabama
Alabama Emergency Management Agency http://ema.alabama.gov (205-280-2200)
Alabama Homeland Security http://www.homelandsecurity.alabama.gov/
Louisiana
Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness ( 225-925-7400)
Louisiana Homeland Securityhttp:/www.ohsep.louisiana.gov
Mississippi
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency http://www.mema.state.ms.us (601-352-9100); 24-hour emergency line, 1-800-222-MEMA (6362)
Mississippi Homeland Security http://www.homelandsecurity.ms.gov
Next of kin
American Red Cross
1-800-229-8191,or 1-866-GET-INFO (438-4636)
National Next of Kin Registry
Louisiana http://www.louisiana.gov/wps/portal/.cmd/cs/.ce/155/.s/1091/_me/1089
Mississippi http://www.mississippi.gov/ms_sub_template.jsp?Category_ID=5
Disaster Help https://disasterhelp.gov
Property damage and temporary housing
Claims can be filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.fema.gov (1-800-621-FEMA)
Because phone lines remain down in some areas and disaster response officials are overwhelmed, officials are asking that callers be patient.
linuxgeek
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Katrina health risks rise with flooding
Residents should be wary of contaminated water and food
Katrina pounded Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, causing extensive flooding, widespread devastation and leaving millions without electricity.
The federal government began rushing meals, medical teams, baby formula, communications equipment, generators, water and ice into hard-hit areas, along with doctors, nurses and first-aid supplies.
Some areas could be without power for weeks, local energy officials say. Ten major hospitals in New Orleans were running on emergency backup power.
Michael Brown, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday that additional medical personnel were being moved in to treat evacuated hospital patients.
With at least one New Orleans hospital threatened by Katrina’s floodwaters, patients were being transferred to the Superdome, he said.
Not safe for residents to return home
Government officials were urging the public not to return to their homes yet, but to hold off until first responders and emergency workers could clear the hardest hit areas and city streets.
In some of the low-lying areas most heavily hit by flooding, it could be weeks before residents can return to their neighborhoods, Brown told NBC's "Today" show Tuesday.
The Department of Health and Human Services sent 38 doctors and nurses to Jackson, Miss., to be used where needed, and 30 pallets of medical supplies to the region, including first aid materials, sterile gloves and oxygen tanks.
In the coming days, Gulf Coast residents will be confronting significant health risks from contaminated water and food supplies. When people finally get back home, they will be dealing with a lack of clean drinking water and spoiled food from the loss of electricity.
"The needs don’t end when the storm recedes," says Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, director of the Duval County Health Department in Florida.
For example, a 50-foot water main broke in New Orleans, making it unsafe to drink the city’s water without first boiling it.
"There are concerns about the well supply, sanitation, safety of the drinking water and food supply and waste disposal," says Patrick Libbey, executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials in Washington.
Infections and heat-related illnesses
People are also vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and dehydration, conditions which can be compounded by the lack of clean drinking water.
Immediate infections that could result from exposure to filthy floodwaters include gastrointestinal illnesses, diarrhea, salmonella, hepatitis viruses and skin infections from infected wounds.
"It's the perfect setup for skin infections," says Dr. Jeff Stark, head of infectious diseases control at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
There could also be some unexpected encounters with poisonous or dangerous wild animals disoriented by the hurricane and flooding. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin told MSNBC TV Monday that he had "serious concerns" about poisonous snakes or alligators wandering into the city.
"People need to stay conscious that they can run into a snake or alligators that usually live in the swamps," he said.
Mosquitoes are another danger in flooded areas, so during clean-up it's recommended to use insect repellents that contain DEET or Picaridin and to wear long-sleeved clothing especially during early morning and evening hours. Mosquito bites can cause infectious illnesses such as West Nile.
Contaminated water and food
Although simply coming in contact with floodwaters doesn't pose a serious health problem, health officials recommend that people sterilize anything that comes in contact with floodwater. Children should not be allowed to play in floodwaters.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers some safety rules for drinking water, cooking and personal cleanliness:
*Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush teeth, wash and prepare food, wash hands, make ice, or make baby formula. If possible, use baby formula that does not need to have water added.
*If clean water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to wash hands.
*Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water. Boiling water for one minute will kill most organisms. If using bottled water, make sure it is uncontaminated. Water should be treated or boiled before use.
*If boiling is not possible, water can be treated with chlorine or iodine tablets or unscented household bleach. If using household chlorine bleach, add 1/8 teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water if the water is clear. For cloudy water, add 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per gallon. Mix the solution thoroughly and let it stand for about 30 minutes before using it. However, treating water with chlorine or iodine tablets or bleach will not kill parasitic organisms and should only be used to clean items.
*Pregnant women and infants younger than six months should not drink boiled water. Boiling may concentrate potentially harmful nitrates in the water.
Katrina health risks rise with flooding
Residents should be wary of contaminated water and food
Katrina pounded Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, causing extensive flooding, widespread devastation and leaving millions without electricity.
The federal government began rushing meals, medical teams, baby formula, communications equipment, generators, water and ice into hard-hit areas, along with doctors, nurses and first-aid supplies.
Some areas could be without power for weeks, local energy officials say. Ten major hospitals in New Orleans were running on emergency backup power.
Michael Brown, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday that additional medical personnel were being moved in to treat evacuated hospital patients.
With at least one New Orleans hospital threatened by Katrina’s floodwaters, patients were being transferred to the Superdome, he said.
Not safe for residents to return home
Government officials were urging the public not to return to their homes yet, but to hold off until first responders and emergency workers could clear the hardest hit areas and city streets.
In some of the low-lying areas most heavily hit by flooding, it could be weeks before residents can return to their neighborhoods, Brown told NBC's "Today" show Tuesday.
The Department of Health and Human Services sent 38 doctors and nurses to Jackson, Miss., to be used where needed, and 30 pallets of medical supplies to the region, including first aid materials, sterile gloves and oxygen tanks.
In the coming days, Gulf Coast residents will be confronting significant health risks from contaminated water and food supplies. When people finally get back home, they will be dealing with a lack of clean drinking water and spoiled food from the loss of electricity.
"The needs don’t end when the storm recedes," says Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, director of the Duval County Health Department in Florida.
For example, a 50-foot water main broke in New Orleans, making it unsafe to drink the city’s water without first boiling it.
"There are concerns about the well supply, sanitation, safety of the drinking water and food supply and waste disposal," says Patrick Libbey, executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials in Washington.
Infections and heat-related illnesses
People are also vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and dehydration, conditions which can be compounded by the lack of clean drinking water.
Immediate infections that could result from exposure to filthy floodwaters include gastrointestinal illnesses, diarrhea, salmonella, hepatitis viruses and skin infections from infected wounds.
"It's the perfect setup for skin infections," says Dr. Jeff Stark, head of infectious diseases control at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
There could also be some unexpected encounters with poisonous or dangerous wild animals disoriented by the hurricane and flooding. New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin told MSNBC TV Monday that he had "serious concerns" about poisonous snakes or alligators wandering into the city.
"People need to stay conscious that they can run into a snake or alligators that usually live in the swamps," he said.
Mosquitoes are another danger in flooded areas, so during clean-up it's recommended to use insect repellents that contain DEET or Picaridin and to wear long-sleeved clothing especially during early morning and evening hours. Mosquito bites can cause infectious illnesses such as West Nile.
Contaminated water and food
Although simply coming in contact with floodwaters doesn't pose a serious health problem, health officials recommend that people sterilize anything that comes in contact with floodwater. Children should not be allowed to play in floodwaters.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers some safety rules for drinking water, cooking and personal cleanliness:
*Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush teeth, wash and prepare food, wash hands, make ice, or make baby formula. If possible, use baby formula that does not need to have water added.
*If clean water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to wash hands.
*Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water. Boiling water for one minute will kill most organisms. If using bottled water, make sure it is uncontaminated. Water should be treated or boiled before use.
*If boiling is not possible, water can be treated with chlorine or iodine tablets or unscented household bleach. If using household chlorine bleach, add 1/8 teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water if the water is clear. For cloudy water, add 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per gallon. Mix the solution thoroughly and let it stand for about 30 minutes before using it. However, treating water with chlorine or iodine tablets or bleach will not kill parasitic organisms and should only be used to clean items.
*Pregnant women and infants younger than six months should not drink boiled water. Boiling may concentrate potentially harmful nitrates in the water.
linuxgeek
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Cash Sought To Help Hurricane Victims, Volunteers Should Not Self-Dispatch
Release Date: August 29, 2005
Release Number: HQ-05-177
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Voluntary organizations are seeking cash donations to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina in Gulf Coast states, according to Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. But, volunteers should not report directly to the affected areas unless directed by a voluntary agency.
“Cash donations are especially helpful to victims,” Brown said. “They allow volunteer agencies to issue cash vouchers to victims so they can meet their needs. Cash donations also allow agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to store, sort, pack and distribute donated goods. Donated money prevents, too, the prohibitive cost of air or sea transportation that donated goods require.”
Volunteer agencies provide a wide variety of services after disasters, such as clean up, childcare, housing repair, crisis counseling, sheltering and food.
“We’re grateful for the outpouring of support already,” Brown said. “But it’s important that volunteer response is coordinated by the professionals who can direct volunteers with the appropriate skills to the hardest-hit areas where they are needed most. Self-dispatched volunteers and especially sightseers can put themselves and others in harm’s way and hamper rescue efforts.”
For further information: visit the website for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) at: http://www.nvoad.org/.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Cash Sought To Help Hurricane Victims, Volunteers Should Not Self-Dispatch
Release Date: August 29, 2005
Release Number: HQ-05-177
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Voluntary organizations are seeking cash donations to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina in Gulf Coast states, according to Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response. But, volunteers should not report directly to the affected areas unless directed by a voluntary agency.
“Cash donations are especially helpful to victims,” Brown said. “They allow volunteer agencies to issue cash vouchers to victims so they can meet their needs. Cash donations also allow agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to store, sort, pack and distribute donated goods. Donated money prevents, too, the prohibitive cost of air or sea transportation that donated goods require.”
Volunteer agencies provide a wide variety of services after disasters, such as clean up, childcare, housing repair, crisis counseling, sheltering and food.
“We’re grateful for the outpouring of support already,” Brown said. “But it’s important that volunteer response is coordinated by the professionals who can direct volunteers with the appropriate skills to the hardest-hit areas where they are needed most. Self-dispatched volunteers and especially sightseers can put themselves and others in harm’s way and hamper rescue efforts.”
For further information: visit the website for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) at: http://www.nvoad.org/.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
spacekowboy
Edgar Allan Bro
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stonedfox said:
That sucks sweetheart
spacekowboy
Edgar Allan Bro
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stonedfox said:
you be better suited kicking the ass of the guys who designed the levees
linuxgeek
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Another Person Dies At Superdome, Possibly From Suicide
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Conditions are far from ideal at the Louisiana Superdome, but for the new arrivals, it's better than what they left behind.
Rescuers are continuing to bring survivors from Hurricane Katrina to the huge sports arena, where the air conditioning is out and the bathrooms are filthy. And there are two holes in the roof, caused by the storm.
There are more than 10,000 people in the arena.
Officials had earlier reported two deaths at the Superdome, and now, they report that someone died Tuesday after plunging from an upper level of the stadium. They say the person probably jumped.
Another Person Dies At Superdome, Possibly From Suicide
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Conditions are far from ideal at the Louisiana Superdome, but for the new arrivals, it's better than what they left behind.
Rescuers are continuing to bring survivors from Hurricane Katrina to the huge sports arena, where the air conditioning is out and the bathrooms are filthy. And there are two holes in the roof, caused by the storm.
There are more than 10,000 people in the arena.
Officials had earlier reported two deaths at the Superdome, and now, they report that someone died Tuesday after plunging from an upper level of the stadium. They say the person probably jumped.
someplace
Literotica Guru
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My cousin lives in Covington very near the Lake. I called my aunt today (she lives in another southern state unaffected by the hurricane) to make sure cousin was high and dry. She said she spoke with him just before the storm hit and he was okay. No one has heard from him or been able to reach him since. His mom is worried.
I'm hoping it's just the combination of power being out and/or phone lines down that's the culprit.
I'm hoping it's just the combination of power being out and/or phone lines down that's the culprit.
someplace
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I'm really proud of the things my city has been doing to help out. There are 50,000 hotel rooms filled up. There are 3 or 4 shelters operating, several are filled to capacity. Needless to say, we've got a lot of people from the affected areas staying here at the moment.
Sure, the big stuff was a given: airplanes parked here, the cargo and cruise ships redirected here, a zillion trucks of supplies and workers from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and utility companies that left before the storm to preposition and be ready to get help in as soon as possible. About 400 Houston Home Depot employees shipped out to relieve their hurricane hit colleagues who need to take care of families first -- and help their neighbors get the rebuilding supplies out quickly.
The animals from the New Orleans SPCA were transported to Houston's SPCA where they are now hoping to become adopted Texans. Their former home is now totally flooded out.
From the day of the storm, anyone with car license plates from LA, MS or AL could park free. Their driver's licenses from those states will get them and all their guests into the Museums totally free, the Comets and Aeros games, and other attractions and amusements are all opening their doors at no cost to hurricane refugees. It may seem a small thing, but if you were trapped in a strange place, particularly with bored children, perhaps on limited funds, having something to do during the day might help keep your mind off some of the bad stuff and keep the kids occupied too. And of course, any place that's air conditioned is a god send too.
They were calling for towels and toiletries at one of the shelters today, for the people to use when bused over to a college showering facility. I'm sure the people of Houston responded quickly and generously.
We remember a few years ago when torrential rains caused 30,000 homes to flood and how horrible that was. It took nearly 2 years or more to get back to "normal." I'm afraid this Katrina thing is going to make that exercise look like a church outting.
Sure, the big stuff was a given: airplanes parked here, the cargo and cruise ships redirected here, a zillion trucks of supplies and workers from the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and utility companies that left before the storm to preposition and be ready to get help in as soon as possible. About 400 Houston Home Depot employees shipped out to relieve their hurricane hit colleagues who need to take care of families first -- and help their neighbors get the rebuilding supplies out quickly.
The animals from the New Orleans SPCA were transported to Houston's SPCA where they are now hoping to become adopted Texans. Their former home is now totally flooded out.
From the day of the storm, anyone with car license plates from LA, MS or AL could park free. Their driver's licenses from those states will get them and all their guests into the Museums totally free, the Comets and Aeros games, and other attractions and amusements are all opening their doors at no cost to hurricane refugees. It may seem a small thing, but if you were trapped in a strange place, particularly with bored children, perhaps on limited funds, having something to do during the day might help keep your mind off some of the bad stuff and keep the kids occupied too. And of course, any place that's air conditioned is a god send too.
They were calling for towels and toiletries at one of the shelters today, for the people to use when bused over to a college showering facility. I'm sure the people of Houston responded quickly and generously.
We remember a few years ago when torrential rains caused 30,000 homes to flood and how horrible that was. It took nearly 2 years or more to get back to "normal." I'm afraid this Katrina thing is going to make that exercise look like a church outting.
linuxgeek
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ABNT20 KNHC 310930
TWOAT
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
530 AM EDT WED AUG 31 2005
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ABOUT 1400 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER
ANTILLES CONTINUES TO SHOW SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION. THIS SYSTEM HAS
THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS AS UPPER-LEVEL WINDS BECOME MORE CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION THIRTEEN ARE LOCATED ABOUT 825
MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. THIS SYSTEM COULD BECOME A TROPICAL
CYCLONE AGAIN DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO AS IT MOVES NORTHWARD.
ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL STORM FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH
THURSDAY.
FORECASTER FRANKLIN/COBB
$$
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/htdocs_dyn_data/sat_pages/thumbs/atlantic/stitched/ir/THUMB.jpg
TWOAT
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
530 AM EDT WED AUG 31 2005
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ABOUT 1400 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER
ANTILLES CONTINUES TO SHOW SIGNS OF ORGANIZATION. THIS SYSTEM HAS
THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS AS UPPER-LEVEL WINDS BECOME MORE CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION THIRTEEN ARE LOCATED ABOUT 825
MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA. THIS SYSTEM COULD BECOME A TROPICAL
CYCLONE AGAIN DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO AS IT MOVES NORTHWARD.
ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL STORM FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH
THURSDAY.
FORECASTER FRANKLIN/COBB
$$
http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/htdocs_dyn_data/sat_pages/thumbs/atlantic/stitched/ir/THUMB.jpg
twistedwhizkers
Spread the EWWWWWWW!!!
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linuxgeek, do you realize that I come to this thread BEFORE I go to a weather site? I know you will post the pertinent info. Thanks for keeping this going.
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