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Hurricane Katrina Relief
and Donation Blog
June 21, 2005
DAY 297
The
National Guard is back
in New Orleans to
back a slumping police
force and new wave of
violence in the Crescent
City. More Katrina
News. posted
1:25am by jholmes
May 6, 2005
DAY 251
New
book calls
New Orleans' mayor Ray
Nagin a 'coward'.
posted 1:18am by jholmes
April 24, 2005
DAY 239
The
mayor race for New
Orleans will be a
run-off between
controversial current
mayor Ray Nagin and
challenger Mitch
Landrieu. posted
1:05am by jholmes
March 3, 2005
DAY 187
A
newly revealed video
shows
Louisiana governor
Kathleen Blanco saying
the New Orleans levees
were intact.
"We keep getting reports in some places
that maybe water is coming over the levees," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said
shortly after noon on Aug. 29 — the day the storm hit the Gulf coast.
"We heard a report unconfirmed, I think,
we have not breached the levee," she said on a video of the day's
disaster briefing that was obtained Thursday night by The Associated
Press. "I think we have not breached the levee at this time."
posted 1:00am by jholmes
February 3, 2005
DAY 159
The New Orleans
mayoral election race is
starting to heat up
as several citizens
throw their hat in the
ring. posted
1:01am by jholmes
January
2, 2005
DAY 127
Governor Kathleen
'Blank-O' Blanco of Louisiana has ordered extensive remodeling of
the state capital in Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina. Was this
necessary with all the pressing needs facing the state?
Shortly after the two hurricanes, Gov. Kathleen
Blanco decided to renovate some of her staff's offices. At the time of
her decision, Blanco also was hinting at deep budget cuts to state
programs and the possibility of laying off 20 percent of the state
workforce. posted 1:10am by jholmes
December
31, 2005
DAY 125
Three
Katrina evacuees found
dead in apparent
murder-suicide in Texas
apartment. posted
8:51am by jholmes
December
30, 2005
DAY 124
The
New Orleans Saints have
a deal in place to
return to Louisiana
next year and play in
the Superdome and Tiger
Stadium in Baton Rouge.
posted 9:08am by jholmes
November
26, 2005
DAY 90
A
hero from Hurricane
Katrina has been
arrested on drug
charges. posted
12:27am by jholmes
November
26, 2005
DAY 90
Jay
Leno is
donating cars and
telling jokes to help
raise money for
those in New Orleans
that were devastated by
Hurricane Katrina.
posted 12:49am by
jholmes
November
14, 2005
DAY 78
Mold: It is the
biggest battle facing
the decimated city of
New Orleans now.
posted 12:10am by
jholmes
November
12, 2005
DAY 76
Kevin Garnett of the
NBA's Minnesota
Timberwolves is donating
$1.2 million dollars to
help build houses in the
areas hit hardest by
Hurricane Katrina.
posted 1:18am by jholmes
November
3, 2005
DAY 67
Businesses in New
Orleans are desperate
for employees.
Openings for jobs have
more than tripled since
Katrina hit.
posted 12:09am by
jholmes
October 29, 2005
DAY 62
The city of New Orleans
has
fired 51 police officers
for deserting the force
during Hurricane
Katrina. posted
1:47am by jholmes
October 15, 2005
DAY 48
After
the longest break in its
rich 153 year history,
New Orleans' landmark
Cafe Du Monde is set to
reopen to the cheers
of locals and relief
workers.
Cafe Du Monde normally stays open 24
hours a day, 364 days a year, closing only on Christmas. But it sold its
last order of hot beignets at midnight on Aug. 27, a day and a half
before the storm roared in and devastated New Orleans.
We've found about 50 of our 150
employees, and the cleanup will be finished by Tuesday," general manager
Scott Escara said. "We'll turn the fryers on about 5 Wednesday morning
and we should have hot beignets pretty quick after that."
posted 1:33am by jholmes
October 14, 2005
DAY 47
Eight
dolphins have been
spotted in Lake
Pontchartrain that
surrounds parts New
Orleans.
"If the big critters are back, the lake
is definitely coming back," Carlton Dufrechou, executive director of the
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, said Thursday. posted
12:47am by jholmes
October 9, 2005
DAY 42
Amtrack has
resumed train services
to New Orleans.
posted 2:42am by jholmes
October 5, 2005
DAY 38
Mayor
Ray Nagin of New Orleans
has
announced the layoff of
over 3,000 city
employees.
Nagin described
the layoffs as "pretty permanent" and said that the city will work with
the Federal Emergency Management Agency to notify municipal employees
who fled the city in the aftermath of Katrina, which struck about a
month ago.
The mayor said
the move will save about $5 million to $8 million of the city's monthly
payroll of $20 million. The layoffs will take place over the next two
weeks.
Meanwhile, former
President Clinton met with dozens of New Orleans-area evacuees staying
at a shelter in Baton Rouge's convention center. And officials ended
their door-to-door sweep for corpses in Louisiana with the death toll
Tuesday at 972 - far fewer than the 10,000 the mayor had feared at one
point. Mississippi's Katrina death toll was 221. posted
12:10am by jholmes
October 4, 2005
DAY 37
Experts are saying it
safe to once again eat
New Orleans seafood
from Lake Pontchartrain
where most of it comes
from. posted
12:15am by jholmes
October 3, 2005
DAY 36
St. Louis Cathedral in
the French Quarter
held mass today.
Today's mass is the
first since Hurricane
Katrina hit New Orleans
over a month ago.
posted 12:31am by
jholmes
October 2, 2005
DAY 35
The
pumping of the water out
of New Orleans is
almost done and could be
completed this week.
In another sign that life was returning
to the city, the historic St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter
planned to celebrate Sunday Mass -- its first since Hurricane Katrina
pounded New Orleans more than a month ago. Louisiana Archbishop Alfred
C. Hughes planned to preside. posted 12:11am by jholmes
October 1, 2005
DAY 34
Millions and millions of
mole spores are
being found in almost
all of the buildings in
New Orleans.
posted 10:21pm by
jholmes
September 30, 2005
DAY 33
New
Orleans cops are
facing more suspensions
regarding looting
they did of jewelry
stores and car lots in
the wake of Hurricane
Katrina. posted
11:24am by jholmes
New
Orleans has
reopened to 170,000
residents.
posted 11:14am by
jholmes
September 29, 2005
DAY 32
Residents and merchants
are
moving back into New
Orleans once again.
posted 9:31am by jholmes
September 28, 2005
DAY 31
Killer
mold is creating
killer problems in the
deep South due to
the Hurricane damage.
Mold now forms an interior version of
kudzu in the soggy South, posing health dangers that will make many
homes tear-downs and will force schools and hospitals to do expensive
repairs. posted 1:04am by jholmes
The
New Orleans
police superintendent
has resigned.
Some would have thought
New Orleans was without
a police chief during
the whole Katrina
affair.
Police
Superintendent Eddie Compass resigned Tuesday after four turbulent weeks
in which the police force was wracked by desertions and disorganization
in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.
As the city
slipped into anarchy during the first few days after Katrina, the
1,700-member police department itself suffered a crisis. Many officers
deserted their posts, and some were accused of joining in the looting
that broke out. Two officers Compass described as friends committed
suicide. posted 12:03am by jholmes
September 27, 2005
DAY 30
Former
FEMA chief Ron Brown is
blaming dysfunctional
Louisiana leadership
for the response to
Hurricane Katrina.
"My biggest mistake was not recognizing
by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional," Brown told a special
congressional panel set up by House Republican leaders to investigate
the catastrophe.
As to the other, he said: "I very
strongly personally regret that I was unable to persuade Gov. Blanco and
Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences, and work together.
I just couldn't pull that off."
Brown said: "Those are not FEMA roles.
FEMA doesn't evacuate communities. FEMA does not do law enforcement.
FEMA does not do communications." posted 8:38am by jholmes
New
Bankruptcy
laws could send a blow
to Hurricane victims
trying to get started
again. posted
12:31am by jholmes
Nearly
6,000 doctors have been
displaced by Hurricane
Katrina.
posted 12:07am by
jholmes
September 26, 2005
DAY 29
It is
being found out that the
rumors of death in New
Orleans were highly
exaggerated.
posted 8:55am by jholmes
The
mayor of New Orleans is
attempting to re-open
parts of the city
once again. posted
12:52am by jholmes
Hurricane Rita
exposed some more
evacuation problems.
The 14-hour lines
of traffic fleeing Houston - complete with cars that ran out of gas -
show that four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, it is difficult to
evacuate a major metropolitan area. posted 12:49am by
jholmes
September 25, 2005
DAY 28
Authorities are
urging evacuees to stay
put for the time
being. posted
12:10am by jholmes
Hurricane Rita has
put a major hamper
on New Orleans' drying
out.
Hurricane Rita left floodwaters lapping
at the high-water marks set by Katrina just three weeks ago, raising
questions about how swiftly New Orleans can recover from its epic
flooding and providing a grim reminder that the city remains in peril
even as it seeks to rebuild. posted 12:09am by jholmes
September 24, 2005
DAY 27
A
look at Hurricane Rita's
damage and impact
city-by-city.
posted 12:42pm by
jholmes
The
oil refineries have
seemed to escape Rita
with little to no
damage. posted
12:38pm by jholmes
Hurricane Rita is
pounding the Gulf Coast
hard. Texas
and Louisiana again are
getting the dangerous
winds, rains and
destruction from the
massive storm.
posted 12:31pm by
jholmes
Hundreds of people
have been miraculously
saved from fresh
flooding in New
Orleans. posted
12:29pm by jholmes
Fresh flooding has hit
New Orleans due to
Hurricane Rita.
An initial surge of water Friday spilled
over a patched levee protecting the impoverished Ninth Ward, flooding
the neighborhood with at least 6 feet of water. Leaks beneath another
levee flooded homes with at least a half-foot of water. Meanwhile,
wind-whipped waves pushed water from Lake Pontchartrain over a seawall.
posted 1:28am by jholmes
Three
buildings in Galveston,
Texas have
caught fire and burned
due to Hurricane
Katrina. posted
1:14am by jholmes
September 23, 2005
DAY 26
President Bush is flying
to Texas today ahead of
Hurricane Rita.
Love him or hate him,
the guy sure is trying
to make up for mistakes
on every level from the
mayors office, to
governor, on up to the
federal branch.
posted 11:03am by
jholmes
Constantly Updating
Satellite of Hurricane
Rita. posted
10:47am by jholmes
A
bus carrying nursing
home patients that
were evacuating from
Hurricane Rita caught
fire yesterday and
killed 24 onboard.
Early indications were that the bus
caught fire because of mechanical problems, then passengers' oxygen
tanks started exploding, Peritz said. He said the brakes may have been
on fire. The bus was engulfed with flames, causing a lengthy backup on
Interstate 45 already congested with evacuees from the Gulf Coast.
posted 10:41am by jholmes
Hurricane Rita is
causing more flooding
in New Orleans.
Hurricane Rita's steady rains sent water
pouring through breaches in a patched levee Friday, cascading into one
of the city's lowest-lying neighborhoods in a devastating repeat of New
Orleans' flooding nightmare.
"We have three significant breaches in
the levee and the water is rising rapidly," he said. "At daybreak I
found substantial breaks and they've grown larger."
A spokeswoman for Mayor Ray Nagin said
officials believed the neighborhood had been cleared of residents. But
throughout Friday, water began rising again onto what remained — buckled
homes, piles of rubble and mud-caked cars that Katrina had covered with
up to 20 feet of water. posted 10:33am by jholmes
The
LSU-Tennessee football
game that was scheduled
for Saturday night in
Baton Rouge has been
moved to Monday night
and will be aired on
ESPN2. posted
2:21am by jholmes
Hurricane Rita is set to
test Galveston's
seawall.
posted 2:11am by jholmes
Rita's
long term
impact on oil prices
won't be known for some
time. posted
2:05am by jholmes
Hurricane Rita's
rains have started to
fall on New Orleans.
posted 1:57am by jholmes
September 22, 2005
DAY 25
Satellite photo of
Hurricane Rita.
posted 9:10am by jholmes
Interstates in Houston
are at a
standstill for over
100 miles as
residents try to flee
the city before
Hurricane Rita hits.
posted 8:58am by jholmes
1.3
million people have
been ordered to evacuate
Texas and parts of
Louisiana as
Hurricane Rita takes aim
at the Texas coast.
The Hurricane has been
upgraded to a category
5. posted 1:02am
by jholmes
Hurricane Katrina's
death toll climbed over
1,000 yesterday.
799 of those are from
Louisiana. posted
12:45am by jholmes
September 21, 2005
DAY 24
The
New Orleans Hornets will
play their home games in
Oklahoma City and Baton
Rouge this year.
Although just six games
will be played in Baton
Rouge. I would be
surprised if NBA
basketball ever returns
to New Orleans.
posted 11:10am by
jholmes
New
Orleans is
preparing for more
flooding due to
Hurricane Rita which
is making aim to bear
down on the Texas coast.
posted 10:14am by
jholmes
New
Orleans mayor Ray Nagin
is
garnering criticism from
across the
world for his
shoot-from-the-hip
approach to the disaster
relief.
"He hasn't demonstrated a clear vision
for what should be happening next in New Orleans," said Melissa Harris
Lacewell, a political science professor with the University of Chicago's
Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture. She described him as
a "kind of a passionate character in this whole story," but added, "He
appears to have been pretty unprepared."
He was accused of inadequately protecting
his city's poor and making sure they got out safely. Evacuees at the
Superdome and the convention center furiously denounced Nagin, holding
him responsible for the miserable conditions there.
Nagin, who is up for re-election early
next year, has periodically been absent from the city over the past few
weeks, flying back and forth to Dallas, where he has rented a house for
his family and enrolled his daughter in school. posted
12:49am by jholmes
A
strip club on Bourbon
Street in New Orleans
has re-opened
offering stress relief
to workers that are in
the city to clean up and
repair. posted
12:33am by jholmes
The
Sugar Bowl, which
usually takes place in
New Orleans at the
Superdome,
will take place either
in Baton Rouge or
Atlanta this year.
posted 12:10am by
jholmes
September 20, 2005
DAY 23
The
New Orleans Saints are
upset with the NFL
for the fake home game
they played their last
night against the
Giants.
"They could have done that anywhere,"
Haslett said. "They could have played that game in Baton Rouge. They
could have played it in San Antonio and could have done the same thing.
"To play it in Giants Stadium, to give
them another home game and to put us in a situation where we couldn't
hear ... It wasn't why we lost that game, but ..."
"It wasn't a home game," he said. "I look
up at the scoreboard and there are signs, 'Let's Go Giants'. The
referees, when they flipped the coin, they asked us if we wanted heads
or tails. They had no idea who the home team was and who was away. The
crowd noise we had to deal with, we never had to do a silent count at
home."
"They made this seem like the Super
Bowl," Brooks said after the loss. "We played a team that outplayed us
today, but it was way overdone. Setting up a stage, traveling out here,
was uncalled for.
"Try not to patronize us next time,
traveling us to New York, saying we're playing a home game."
posted 6:50pm by jholmes
Displaced by the
hurricane? I just
got this in my email for
business owners who are
wanting to relocate:
I am looking for three successful small
business people who would like a new start in Louisburg NC. A
restaurant, gift shop and hair salon. I have three commercial buildings.
I can offer free rent and housing. The community will help with food
clothing...we all want these people to succeed. Louisburg is a small
college town just outside of Wake forest. Transportation can also
be arranged. Call Susan Lewis at 772-713-5922 or email
sjhurst51@yahoo.com.
posted 11:28am by jholmes
The
NFL commissioner is
deciding on the
possibility of the New
Orleans Saints playing
all of their games next
year in Baton Rouge
at LSU's Tiger Stadium.
posted 10:20am by
jholmes
Hurricane Rita is
causing
oil prices to spike
again. posted
1:03am by jholmes
Federal charges have
been made concerning
several Katrina related
scams. posted
12:59am by jholmes
Beware
Gulf Coast:
Hurricane Rita's
predicted path.
posted 12:58am by
jholmes
The
New Orleans Saints were
beat by the New York
Giants last night in
New Jersey by a score of
27-10. The game
was originally to be
played in the Superdome
in New Orleans but was
moved to the Giants home
field after the damage
done to the dome by
Katrina. posted
12:51am by jholmes
September 19, 2005
DAY 22
New
Orleans mayor Ray Nagin
has
changed his mind and has
now urged an immediate
evacuation of New
Orleans. Hurricane
Rita is now headed for
the Gulf Coast.
President Bush disagreed
with Nagin opening
the city to citizens so
soon and Bush urged him
to evacuate the city
again. posted
5:27pm by jholmes
New
Hurricane
warnings have been
issued for the
Florida keys.
posted 9:15am by jholmes
President Bush
questions the immediate
reopening of New
Orleans. posted
8:54am by jholmes
Katrina
death toll much lower
than expected. 579
so far which is much
less than the thousands
that mayor Ray Nagin was
predicting. posted
8:53am by jholmes
Hurricane Katrina and
its damage is starting
to be
compared to the
earthquake that hit
Mexico City in 1985.
The skyline is soaring as the capital
marks the 20th anniversary Monday of the earthquake that killed at least
9,500 people and leveled whole sections of the city. But some scars are
still visible and scientists say the city may be unprepared for the next
quake.
"That the poor were the ones that
couldn't evacuate (from New Orleans) is something that caught our
attention," said Luis Wintergerst, the city's director of civil
protection. The 1985 quake also hit the poor hardest, he said.
Lying in a flood- and earthquake-prone
valley, Mexico City has rebuilt itself more than once since the Spanish
arrived in the 16th century. Flooded in 1629, it remained under water
for nearly three years. While the Spanish fled their homes, more than
30,000 Indians died. posted 12:16am by jholmes
Rebuilding post-Katrina
could
put the U.S. Treasury in
a tight-rope limbo.
posted 12:08am by
jholmes
September 18, 2005
DAY 21
New
Orleans
health system is facing
a crisis as citizens
start to move back.
posted 2:35pm by jholmes
Doctor
chasing down myths
concerning Katrina
trying to get to what
did or didn't happen.
posted 1:15am by jholmes
New
Orleans mayor Ray Nagin
is
defending his plan to
bring close to 200,000
citizens back to the
city so soon.
posted 12:46am by
jholmes
September 17, 2005
DAY 20
New
Orleans businesses
begin the clean up
process hoping to
re-open soon.
posted 10:17am by
jholmes
Thousands of residents
could return to New
Orleans next week, but
they should expect to
be in their houses by
the dusk-dawn curfew.
posted 12:07am by
jholmes
September 16, 2005
DAY 19
Fewer than half of
the Katrina evacuees
staying in Houston want
to return home to New
Orleans. posted
6:31pm by jholmes
President Bush has
ruled out a tax hike
to fund the Katrina
recovery. posted
12:47pm by jholmes
Text
of President Bush's
speech from Jackson
Square in New Orleans.

Many
evacuee's found
comfort in President
Bush's speech last
night. posted
1:15am by jholmes
Democrats are
proposing a 'Marshall
Plan' approach for
the damaged Gulf Coast
region. posted
1:04am by jholmes
Timeline of President
Bush's response to
Hurricane Katrina.
posted 1:02am by jholmes
September 15, 2005
DAY 18
President Bush gave a
very uplifting and
inspiring speech
tonight in New Orleans.
Full Text of the Speech
Some Highlights:
Across the Gulf Coast, among people who have lost much … and
suffered much … and given to the limit of their power, we are seeing
that same spirit: a core of strength that survives all hurt … a faith in
God no storm can take away … and a powerful American determination to
clear the ruins and build better than before.
And tonight I also offer this pledge of
the American people: Throughout the area hit by the hurricane, we will
do what it takes … we will stay as long as it takes … to help citizens
rebuild their communities and their lives. And all who question the
future of the Crescent City need to know: There is no way to imagine
America without New Orleans, and this great city will rise again.
Tonight I propose the creation of a Gulf
Opportunity Zone, encompassing the region of the disaster in Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Alabama. Within this zone, we should provide immediate
incentives for job-creating investment … tax relief for small businesses
… incentives to companies that create jobs ... and loans and loan
guarantees for small businesses, including minority-owned enterprises,
to get them up and running again. It is entrepreneurship that creates
jobs and opportunity … it is entrepreneurship that helps break the cycle
of poverty … and we will take the side of entrepreneurs as they lead the
economic revival of the Gulf region.
I propose the creation of Worker Recovery
Accounts to help those evacuees who need extra help finding work. Under
this plan, the federal government would provide accounts of up to five
thousand dollars, which these evacuees could draw upon for job training
and education to help them get a good job … and for child care expenses
during their job search.
To help lower-income citizens in the
hurricane region build new and better lives, I also propose that
Congress pass an Urban Homesteading Act. Under this approach, we will
identify property in the region owned by the federal government, and
provide building sites to low-income citizens free of charge, through a
lottery. In return, they would pledge to build on the lot, with either a
mortgage or help from a charitable organization like Habitat for
Humanity. Home ownership is one of the great strengths of any community,
and it must be a central part of our vision for the revival of this
region.
These trials have also reminded us that
we are often stronger than we know – with the help of grace and one
another. They remind us of a hope beyond all pain and death – a God who
welcomes the lost to a house not made with hands. And they remind us
that we are tied together in this life, in this nation – and that the
despair of any touches us all.
In this place, there is a custom for the
funerals of jazz musicians. The funeral procession parades slowly
through the streets, followed by a band playing a mournful dirge as it
moves to the cemetery. Once the casket has been laid in place, the band
breaks into a joyful “second line” – symbolizing the triumph of the
spirit over death. Tonight the Gulf Coast is still coming through the
dirge – yet we will live to see the second line.
posted 7:10pm by jholmes
Mayor
Nagin says
180,000 could move back
to New Orleans within
weeks. posted
1:49pm by jholmes
The
Dish Network has
added the Hurricane
channel.
posted 1:45pm by jholmes
Speculators are
rushing into New Orleans
to scoop up all the
houses they can buy.
posted 1:36pm by jholmes
President Bush is set to
outline a
new Hurricane aid
package.
posted 9:23am by jholmes
Parts
of New Orleans
should re-open next
week. posted
9:21am by jholmes
Hurricane Ophelia
continues to dump rain
and wind on North
Carolina. posted
1:23am by jholmes
September 14, 2005
DAY 17
Why is
the chief of Louisiana's
Homeland Security and
Emergency
in New York giving a
speech instead of in
Louisiana doing his job?
posted 5:10pm by jholmes
A very
in detail look at the
true story behind the
hundreds of buses that
were not used in New
Orleans to evacuate
the poor. posted
2:25am by jholmes
Visionaries are battling
on
designs for a new New
Orleans.
posted 1:28am by jholmes
New
movie
Venom might come
too close to reminding
many of the
Hurricane Katrina
madness.
"Venom," about a
voodoo-crazed serial killer, depicts murder and mayhem in the Louisiana
swamps a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina brought real death and
destruction to the region.
While no
hurricane or flood is depicted, the young people who populate the movie
are dragged across overgrown brush and chased through knee-deep bayou
water. One character is trapped inside a car that plummets from a
rickety bridge and becomes submerged. The killer (Rick Cramer) piles his
corpses in a cemetery crypt alongside a river, while the few survivors
hide in a house that's been blessed by a protective spell.
posted 1:14am by jholmes
President Bush
took responsibility
yesterday for the slow
response to
Hurricane Katrina.
"Katrina exposed
serious problems in our response capability at all levels of
government," Bush said at a joint White House news conference with Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani.
"And to the
extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take
responsibility. I want to know what went right and what went wrong,"
said Bush. posted 1:00am by jholmes
September 13, 2005
DAY 16
The
Louisiana
Superdome will be
cleaned and
decontaminated
before state officials
decide the future of the
sports Mecca.
posted 6:19pm by jholmes
Owners
of a New Orleans nursing
home have been
charged with 34 counts
of homicide for not
evacuating patients who
eventually died due to
the Hurricane.
posted 5:30pm by jholmes
Louisiana Health
Department ups death
toll to 423.
posted 1:35pm by jholmes
The
New Orleans airport and
waterfront is reopening
today. posted
9:47am by jholmes
Greyhound Bus Company is
complaining about the
name of a New Orleans
jail bearing the
name Camp Greyhound.
The prison building use
to be an old Greyhound
bus station.
posted 12:18am by
jholmes
New
Orleans
exiles unsure if they
will return to the
flood ravaged city once
it is finally drained
and habitable.
posted 12:02am by
jholmes
Pump
workers are
tired and drained (no
pun) as they
continue to slowly drain
New Orleans.
posted 12:00am by
jholmes
September 12, 2005
DAY 15
Saints
will
play 4 home games in
Baton Rouge and 3 in San
Antonio. Their
first home game will be
played in New York.
posted 3:31pm by jholmes
David
Paulison has been
named to replace former
FEMA chief Mike
Brown. posted
2:26pm by jholmes
45 bodies of patients
were found in a
hospital in New Orleans
today. The death
total rose to 297.
posted 2:24pm by jholmes
10,000?
Louisiana's official
body count from Katrina
is just at 197.
Far fewer than expected
to date. The count
will obviously climb a
bit more as the searches
are completed, but it
looks as if the total
will fall far short of
the estimated 10,000
deaths. posted
8:36am by jholmes
Private donations for
Katrina relief are at
$700 million, a pace
that is far ahead of the
outpour of donations
after 9/11. posted
12:15am by jholmes
The
New Orleans Saints won a
heart-stopping last
second victory over
the Carolina Panthers
23-20 as the clock ran
out, giving a lift to
all in the Bayou state.
posted 12:12am by
jholmes
NBA
all-stars put on an
exhibition game to raise
money for Katrina
victims on Saturday
night. posted
12:07am by jholmes
President Bush was
back in New Orleans
today.
Bush was greeted at the airport by Mayor
Ray Nagin as he began his third visit to the disaster region. They took
a helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima, a U.S. Marine helicopter ship docked
near downtown New Orleans on the Mississippi River, where Bush planned
to spend the night. posted 12:04am by jholmes
September 11, 2005
DAY 14
The
New Orleans Hornets are
unsure as to where
they will play this year
once the NBA season
starts in late October.
posted 1:54am by jholmes
The
LSU Tigers football team
gave Louisiana a boost
with an impressive 4th
quarter come-from-behind
victory.
The Tigers beat Arizona
State 35-31 in Tempe,
Arizona. The
game was originally
scheduled to be played
in Baton Rouge but was
moved due to the relief
efforts in the area and
on the LSU campus.
posted 1:47am by jholmes
Wall Street Journal
article on how Mayor
Nagin and Governor
Blanco failed their
constituents.
The
primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies does not belong to
the federal government. It belongs to local and state officials who are
charged by law with the management of the crucial first response to
disasters. First response should be carried out by local and state
emergency personnel under the supervision of the state governor and his
emergency operations center.
The
actions and inactions of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin are a national
disgrace due to their failure to implement the previously established
evacuation plans of the state and city. Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin
cannot claim that they were surprised by the extent of the damage and
the need to evacuate so many people. Detailed written plans were already
in place to evacuate more than a million people. The plans projected
that 300,000 people would need transportation in the event of a
hurricane like Katrina. If the plans had been implemented, thousands of
lives would likely have been saved.
A
year ago, as Hurricane Ivan approached, New Orleans ordered an
evacuation but did not use city or school buses to help people evacuate.
As a result many of the poorest citizens were unable to evacuate.
Fortunately, the hurricane changed course and did not hit New Orleans,
but both Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin acknowledged the need for a better
evacuation plan. Again, they did not take corrective actions. In 1998,
during a threat by Hurricane George, 14,000 people were sent to the
Superdome and theft and vandalism were rampant due to inadequate
security. Again, these problems were not corrected.
The
federal government does not have the authority to intervene in a state
emergency without the request of a governor. President Bush declared an
emergency prior to Katrina hitting New Orleans, so the only action
needed for federal assistance was for Gov. Blanco to request the
specific type of assistance she needed. She failed to send a timely
request for specific aid. posted 1:35am by jholmes
Why were the states of
Mississippi and especially Louisiana
not as prepared for such a disaster or have a plan as the state of
Florida has for years? posted 1:24am by jholmes
A
timeline of the response
to Hurricane Katrina.
posted 12:56am by
jholmes
Katrina could
end up costing more than
the Iraq and Afghanistan
wars combined.
The government never has dealt with a
disaster of this scale: 90,000 square miles of the Gulf Coast affected,
with hundreds of thousands of people displaced and an entire
metropolitan area under water.
In 1992, the devastation of Hurricane
Andrew in Florida and Louisiana cost $35 billion. The price for the
6.7-magnitude temblor in the Northridge area of Los Angeles in 1994 was
$15 billion to $20 billion.
Members of the Louisiana congressional
delegation say it could cost $100 billion just in New Orleans.
posted 12:53am by jholmes
September 10, 2005
DAY 13
New
York Times columnist
Bruce Babbitt suggests
making New Orleans an
island. posted
7:29pm by jholmes
Shaquille O'Neal is
working overtime and
donating his time and
money to charter and
send 18-wheelers to
Baton Rouge.
Shaquille lived in Baton
Rouge while in college
and LSU. posted
3:36pm by jholmes
New
Orleans executives are
planning to open the
French Quarter within 90
days and have a
scaled down Mardi Gras
celebration.
posted 3:31pm by jholmes
It
appears Louisiana might
keep its booming movie
business, but it looks
like
Hollywood is going to be
moving to Shreveport
in northern Louisiana
where there is available
real estate still left.
This is typical
Hollywood forgetting the
needs of those who need
the income the most from
the industry and moving
away, but not too far
away, so they can still
get the huge tax breaks
from the state of
Louisiana. I
personally believe they
should have found a way
to make it happen in or
around Baton Rouge and
then back in New Orleans
in a few months when
NOLA is cleaned up and
needing a boost.
Since Louisiana's tax credit program
began in 2002, movie companies have spent $900 million, producing at
least 31 major movie and television projects in the state.
Movies that were in production and kept
in the state include: "Roadhouse 2," "Scarlet," "The Last Time,"
"Vampire Bats," "White Lies," "Premonition Factory Girl," "Shame on
You," and "The Hill."
They also considered Baton Rouge. "But
it's so crowded now there's nowhere to stay," he said. "You can't house
an additional 50 to 75 people." posted 12:16am by jholmes
Excerpts from New
York Times columnist
John Tierney's op-ed
piece, 'The Case for a
Cover-Up', from this
morning's paper:
Suppose, for instance, investigators try
to find out who had the brilliant idea of putting the Federal Emergency
Management Agency inside a new department with an organizational chart
modeled on the Soviet Ministry of Agriculture and Food Economy. One
Democrat, Hillary Clinton, did question whether FEMA would suffer, but
the idea was originally championed by her colleagues, particularly Joe
Lieberman.
Mr. Lieberman joined Mrs. Clinton this
week in calling for a "re-examination" of FEMA's status, but he was
against independence before he was for it. After the Sept. 11 attacks,
he helped lead the charge to create the Department of Homeland Security.
Republicans first resisted, as the
Democratic National Committee pointed out during the presidential
campaign last year. Its radio advertisement declared: "John Kerry fought
to establish the Department of Homeland Security. George Bush opposed it
for almost a year after 9/11."
Or suppose the investigators try to find
out why the Army Corps of Engineers didn't protect New Orleans from the
flood. Democrats have blamed the Iraq war for diverting money and
attention from domestic needs. But that hasn't meant less money for the
Corps during the past five years. Overall spending hasn't declined since
the Clinton years, and there has been a fairly sharp increase in money
for flood-control construction projects in New Orleans.
This week Mary Landrieu, the Louisiana
Democrat, lambasted Mr. Bush on the Senate floor. "Everybody anticipated
the breach of the levees, Mr. President," she said. But she and others
from the Louisiana delegation have been shortchanging the levees
themselves. As Michael Grunwald reported in The Washington Post, they've
diverted large sums to dubious Corps projects aimed at increasing barge
traffic, not preventing floods. Ms. Landrieu forced the Corps to redo
its calculations when a project to deepen a port flunked its
cost-benefit analysis. posted 11:58am by jholmes
R&B
star
Usher has urged
America's youth to come
together and ignore
racist comments by
rapper Kanye West,
who fired off again last
night during a telethon
at President Bush and
'white leaders.'
posted 10:43am by
jholmes
U.S.
authorities
turned back a German
plane carrying aid
over a mad cow scare.
posted 10:36am by
jholmes
New Orleans police
continue to regain
control of the city
from looters and thugs.
posted 10:34am by
jholmes
Michael Jackson is
courting R&B star Usher
to sing along with him
on his Katrina disaster
relief song he wrote.
posted 2:20am by jholmes
Joe Paterno's letter
to New Orleans.
More letters to the 'Big
Easy' from sports
celebrities.
posted 2:16am by jholmes
Hurricane Katrina has
turned Baton Rouge into
a boomtown as the
population there has
grown more than 50%.
posted 2:07am by jholmes
FEMA
is to halt the debit
card idea and
instead issue direct
deposits to banking
accounts. I hope
everyone has a bank
account. posted
2:02am by jholmes
Fewer
than 10,000:
Estimates are being
rethought since police
are finding
far fewer corpses in
their sweeps of the city
than projected.
posted 1:56am by jholmes
September 9, 2005
DAY 12
Lebron
James
spent $120,000 dollars
and helped load four
trucks today that
are headed to
Mississippi and
Louisiana full of
supplies for victims of
Katrina.
posted 2:50pm by jholmes
Coast
Guard chief
takes over the Katrina
relief effort.
posted 2:44pm by jholmes
I
found this interesting
on the chain of
responsibility for the
citizens of New Orleans,
and I thought I would
share it.
In case you aren't familiar with how our
government is SUPPOSED to work. The chain of responsibility for the
protection of the citizens in New Orleans is:
-
The Mayor
-
The New Orleans director of Homeland
Security (a political appointee of the Governor who reports to
the Governor)
-
The Governor
-
The Head of Homeland Security
-
The President
What did each do?
1. The mayor, with 5 days
advance, waited until 2 days before he announced a mandatory evacuation
(at the behest of the President). The he failed to provide
transportation for those without transport even though he had hundreds
of buses at his disposal.
2. The New Orleans
director of Homeland Security failed to have any plan for a contingency
that has been talked about for 50 years. Then he blames the Feds for not
doing what he should have done. (So much for political appointees)
3. The Governor, despite
a declaration of disaster by the President 2 DAYS BEFORE the storm hit,
failed to take advantage of the offer of Federal troops and aid. Until 2
DAYS AFTER the storm hit.
4. The Director of
Homeland Security positioned assets in the area to be ready when the
Governor called for them
5. The President urged a
mandatory evacuation, and even declared a disaster State of Emergency,
freeing up millions of dollars of federal assistance, should the
Governor decide to use it.
Oh and by the way, the
levees that broke were the responsibility of the local landowners and
the local levee board to maintain, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
The disaster in New Orleans is what you get
after decades of corrupt (democrat) government going all the way back to
Huey Long. Funds for disaster
protection and relief have been flowing into this city for decades, and
where has it gone, but into the pockets of the politicos and their
friends. Decades of socialist
government in New Orleans has sapped all self reliance from the
community, and made them dependent upon government for every little
thing. Political correctness and a
lack of will to fight crime have created the single most corrupt police
force in the country, and has permitted gang violence to flourish.
The sad thing is that there are many poor
folks who have suffered and died needlessly because those that they
voted into office failed them. For
those who missed item 5 (where the President's level of accountability
is discussed), it is made more clear in a New Orleans Times-Picayune
article dated August 28:
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - In the face of a
catastrophic Hurricane Katrina, a mandatory evacuation was ordered
Sunday for New Orleans by Mayor Ray Nagin.
Acknowledging that
large numbers of people, many of them stranded tourists, would be unable
to leave, the city set up 10 places of last resort for people to go,
including the Superdome.
The mayor called the
order unprecedented and said anyone who could leave the city should. He
exempted hotels from the evacuation order because airlines had already
cancelled all flights.
Gov. Kathleen Blanco,
standing beside the mayor at a news conference, said President Bush
called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the
low-lying city, which is prone to flooding. (emphasis mine).
posted 2:25pm by jholmes
689,000
continue to be without
power in Mississippi
and Louisiana.
posted 12:14pm by
jholmes
FEMA
chief
Michael Brown has been
relieved of his
duties. The
Department of Homeland
Security will name his
replacement.
posted 10:55am by
jholmes
A
computer simulation of a
Hurricane on the level
of Katrina shows over
63,000 dead and 384,000
sick or injured.
So the rescue and relief
was better than some are
giving credit for.
posted 10:12am by
jholmes
Fewer
bodies than expected are
being found in the
sweeps of Louisiana
homes. posted
10:10am by jholmes
New
Orleans cops are
set to start forcibly
removing citizens
from their homes.
posted 1:18am by jholmes
Beware
of
Hurricane Katrina scams
on the web.
posted 12:56am by
jholmes
There
is a lot of talk about
the Saints leaving, but
are the New Orleans
Hornets gone for sure?
posted 12:14am by
jholmes
A
German politician is
being quoted as saying
that
President Bush should be
shot down for his
handling of the Katrina
disaster relief.
posted 12:10am by
jholmes
Louisiana National
Guardsmen have
left Iraq to assist
their families and
communities back home
in the Bayou State.
posted 12:01am by
jholmes
September 8, 2005
Hurricane Katrina has
made not just many
people useful, but some
buildings as well,
like the Astrodome in
Houston, which many
people thought had
outlived its usefulness.
posted 6:13pm by jholmes
President Bush has
designated Friday
September 16th as a
national day of prayer
and remembrance for
the victims of Hurricane
Katrina. posted
3:34pm by jholmes
The
United States House has
approved
$51.8 billion dollars in
relief money.
posted 3:31pm by jholmes
Almost
all of the
New Orleans aquarium's
fish were lost and
killed off after
Hurricane Katrina
knocked out the
facilities power.
posted 2:25pm by jholmes
Dick
Chaney is
touring devastated
Mississippi and
Louisiana today.
posted 1:41pm by jholmes
Middle-class
exiles are struggling to
find a foothold
since Katrina.
posted 12:23pm by
jholmes
Donte'
Stallworth of the New
Orleans Saints is
making a big difference
with Katrina victims.
posted 9:51am by jholmes
NASA is accessing
Katrina damage at
two of its stations.
posted 9:36am by jholmes
U.S.
anger over Katrina is
being stirred up by
Hollywood stars.
You know those people
with doctorates,
masters, and degrees in
political science and
worldly events.
posted 9:33am by jholmes
Concerns are
continuing to grow over
the highly toxic waters
in New Orleans.
posted 9:28am by jholmes
Mexico
is
happily lending a hand
with Hurricane Katrina
relief.
A Mexican army convoy is heading for
Houston, Texas, carrying water treatment plants, mobile kitchens and
supplies to feed victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The trucks, carrying 195 unarmed soldiers
and specialists, will apparently be used to provide water and hot meals
for people evacuated from the New Orleans area. posted
12:58am by jholmes
Thirty
people have
been found dead in a
nursing home in New
Orleans that flooded.
St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stevens
said said "30-plus" bodies were found in St. Rita's Nursing Home in
lower St. Bernard Parish -- one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane
Katrina and its aftermath.
Between 40 and 50 other people were
rescued from the facility, Stevens said. posted
12:55am by jholmes
New
Orleans police chief
Eddie Compass says he is
not sure what has
happened to the 500
police officers that are
missing. He says that a
number can not be put on
the officers that have
walked off the job.
Compass said that some
could still be trapped
in their homes.
posted 12:52am by
jholmes
A
Katrina
evacuee tried to commit
suicide aboard a plane
on its way to Washington
D.C. The plan had
to make an unexpected
landing in Nashville,
Tennessee where the
passenger was removed
and taken to a local
hospital. posted
12:50am by jholmes
A
reporter for a Florida
newspaper covering the
Hurricane relief in
Baton Rouge
was shot in his car
while waiting at a
stop sign. The
reporters survived and
has since flown back to
St. Petersburg, Florida.
posted 12:46am by
jholmes
Tropical storm
Ophelia is nearing
Florida.
The tropical depression off the coast
strengthened into a tropical storm early Wednesday and could bring high
winds and heavy rain to central and northern Florida over the next few
days. posted 12:41am by jholmes
No
Surprise: Howard
Dean is saying that
race played a role
in the Katrina deaths.
posted 12:34am by
jholmes
September 7, 2005
Silent
Buses
Oil prices fell today
and so is the price of
gasoline. posted
4:41pm by jholmes
Mayor
Ray Nagin of New Orleans
has ordered mandatory
evacuations of his city,
but governor Kathleen
Blanco says she will not
sign off on the order
yet. These people
have to get on the same
page. Does Blanco
not see where E. Coli
has been found in the
water and how NOLA is
turning into a toxic
city? At least 5
people have died so far
due to infections from
the water. posted
1:04pm by jholmes
The
Congressional Budget
Office is saying that
Katrina could
cost as many 400,000
jobs. posted
12:14pm by jholmes
Film
director Tony Kaye is
moving filming of his
new movie from
Brazil to New Orleans to
help boost the
devastated region.
Filming is set to begin
in early 2006.
posted 12:08pm by
jholmes
The
federal government plans
to
start handing out $2,000
debit cards to the
victims of Hurricane
Katrina. posted
11:43am by jholmes
Shady
Iran: Another
reason to be aware of
Iran. Iran offered
to donate 20 million
barrels of oil,
but only if the U.S.
waives trade sanctions
against Iran.
The sanctions are in
place over Iran's
hijacking, terrorism and
building of a nuclear
bomb. posted
8:58am by jholmes
A
CNN/USA Today/Gallup
poll show that only 13%
blame President Bush for
the slow Hurricane
Katrina aid.
posted 8:56am by jholmes
U.S.
Navy's Katrina Rescue
Photo Album.
posted 1:46am by jholmes
CNN is reporting
that state officials are
saying that the
Superdome will be torn
down. The
manager of the Superdome
denies the report
which came from Governor
Blanco's office.
posted 1:14am by jholmes
Liberal radio host Randi
Rhodes has
repeatedly urged poor
listeners in the
devastated Gulf Coast to
go out and loot.
posted 12:45am by
jholmes
The
Washington Times says
New Orleans mayor
Ray Nagin is no Rudy
Giuliani.
Today, he is trying to shepherd the only
large city in America that has experienced such shocking destruction and
death -- save New York City on September 11. Some commentators are
panning Mr. Nagin's performance compared with that of Rudolph W.
Giuliani, who was universally praised for his disaster response in New
York.
"On television this week, the mayor has
shown no clear inclination to take charge and direct post-Katrina rescue
and recovery efforts for his population, as Mayor Giuliani did in New
York after 9/11," wrote Nicole Gelina, a columnist for New York's City
Journal. posted 12:41am by jholmes
World
Series hero Curt
Schilling, who plays for
the Boston Red Sox has
taken nine people
dislocated by Hurricane
Katrina into his home
in Boston. posted
12:35am by jholmes
Mississippi could get
the
first part of the
federal aid money
over Louisiana.
posted 12:23am by
jholmes
A
warehouse has been
set up in New Orleans
to process bodies.
posted 12:10am by
jholmes
A New
Orleans bus station has
become
a temporary jail.
posted 12:06am by
jholmes
New
Orleans mayor Ray Nagin
has
ordered the force
evacuation of his
city.
Nagin's emergency declaration released
late Tuesday targets those still in the city unless they have been
designated by government officials as helping with the relief effort.
The move comes after some citizens
bluntly told authorities who had come to deliver them from the flooded
metropolis that they would not leave their homes and property. An
estimated 10,000 residents are believed to still be in New Orleans, and
some have been holed up in their homes for more than a week.
posted 12:04am by jholmes
September 6, 2005
Hurricane Katrina will
end up costing the
Federal government at
least
5x the amount of 9-11.
posted 9:07pm by jholmes
List of world
contributions and
amounts donated.
India can give $5
million dollars and
France gives what? In
comparison to Kuwait.
France: Tents, tarps, Meals Ready
to Eat (MREs), water treatment supplies.
Kuwait: $400 million in oil, $100
million cash. posted 5:10pm by jholmes
More on the
aid U.S. is accepting.
More
info on the
pending water
contamination that
is likely already
occurring in New
Orleans. posted
5:02pm by jholmes
The
King of Pop Michael
Jackson has wrote a song
he plans to record to
help raise funds for
victims of Katrina.
He plans to record the
song in the next couple
of weeks and has asked
other musicians to join
him in singing it.
posted 4:48pm by jholmes
More
than
182,000 people have been
rescued during
evacuations.
posted 4:45pm by jholmes
MissingKids.com
shows photos of kids
orphaned by the
Hurricane. posted
1:10pm by jholmes
President Bush is set to
ask Congress for
$40 billion dollars more
of Hurricane relief aid.
"Bureaucracy is not going to stand in the
way of getting the job done for the people," the president told
reporters earlier in the day after meeting with his Cabinet to review
storm recovery efforts. posted 12:51pm by jholmes
E.
Coli bacteria has
been found in the New
Orleans flood water.
posted 12:00pm by
jholmes
Acts of kindness after
the storm are
helping everyone to heal
faster than expected.
posted 10:02am by
jholmes
Harry
Connick, Jr. returned to
New Orleans to
find that his fathers
home had made it through
the storm pretty good.
It is easy to see
Connick's love for his
home city when he talks
about it and growing up
there. posted
9:50am by jholmes
New
Orleans is
very wary of what might
be found under the
receding water as it
starts to flow out of
the city. posted
9:44am by jholmes
President Bush has
promised a probe into
the response of aid
for Hurricane victims.
posted 9:39am by jholmes
New
Orleans City
Council President Oliver
Thomas and The
American Spectator:
"Maybe God's going to cleanse us." Oliver
Thomas
However, beyond these speculations is a
more general acknowledgement that New Orleans, the epicentre of the
disaster, was a "sin city" which harboured few rivals. The New Orleans
"southern decadence" festival which was to take place Labour Day
weekend, is described by a French Quarter tourism site as "sort of like
a gayer version of Mardi Gras" which is "most famous (or infamous) for
the displays of naked flesh which characterize the event," with "public
displays of sexuality . . . pretty much everywhere you look."
The city is also renowned for occult
practices, particularly voodoo. Voodoo is also common in violence and
crime saturated Haiti.
The American Spectator reports that "New
Orleans has one of the highest murder rates in the country. By
mid-August of this year, 192 murders had been committed in New Orleans,
'nearly 10 times the national average,' ...New Orleans was ripe for
collapse. Its dangerous geography, combined with a dangerous culture,
made it susceptible to an unfolding catastrophe. Currents of chaos and
lawlessness were running through the city long before this week, and
they were bound to come to the surface under the pressure of natural
disaster and explode in a scene of looting and mayhem".
posted 9:23am by jholmes
A
story of survival that
was posted on the
Bumpshack Message Board:
Cammie Williams says, "The
storm was the easy part. I sleep through that part. I fell asleep during
it. But when I woke up." That's when Cammie noticed water was rising
inside his uptown New Orleans apartment. "It snuck up on us, if we would
of stayed asleep we probably would have been victims," explains Cammie.
Instead, Cammie along with his mother and uncle camped out in a vacant
apartment. He says, "At four in the morning when I kicked the door in --
the water was to my knees, but the next day it was too my waste." After
spending two days with no food or water he swam to the nearest grocery
store to get food. "I said it's about survival now. You got to be strong
for your mom now," says Cammie.
Now five days later, with his mother still in the house, he once again
went looking for a way out. Cammie says, "I was determined to get some
help and get to dry land." Cammie dove out of the second floor, this
time he found a float he thought he could use to move his mother. "When
I grabbed it and looked to the side I saw a floating body. He was just
floating in the water," says Cammie.
A grim sight, but he kept swimming until he ran into a boat with guys
who came to help from Lake Charles. "One of the younger guys pulled
alongside the side of the apartment and climbed up the wall and got my
mom," recalls Cammie. "We went to picking up people. Old woman children,
we began to take a trip to safety."
Cammie and his family were led to an overpass on the highway where more
than 10,000 gathered. "They had a lot of old people out there. There
were crying babies. There was an unbelievable stench out there."
Cammie realized he and his family were among the lucky ones, and he
wanted to help with the effort to save others. "They needed me, because
they weren't from here and didn't know anything about New Orleans. So I
jumped back in the boat endangering my life again. I said lets go get
some more."
When they got back to the highway, part two of an already tiresome
journey had begun. "They said there was going to be busses there to pick
everybody up they didn't have that," says Barbara Williams, Cammie's
mother.
"We couldn't sleep out there. She just couldn't do it," says Cammie. "So
I said I know something 's got to happen now." Out of nowhere another
miracle occurred. "I saw my brother Raymond and I said, 'Raymond,' he
said, 'Come-on I came to get you all," recalls Cammie.
Barbara says, "I thought I was seeing a ghost and I said thank you
Jesus." posted 9:19am by jholmes
The
LSU Tigers football team
will play its first game
in Arizona against
Arizona State. The game
was to take place at
Tiger Stadium in Baton
Rouge, but school
officials do not want to
interrupt the relief
efforts in the city and
on campus. The
game will have big
implications in the
college football world.
LSU is ranked #5 and ASU
is #20. I saw both
teams play last year and
it should be a good one.
posted 12:45am by
jholmes
Facts
about the
Red Cross and what
they have done for
Hurricane victims:
The American Red Cross said Monday it had 487 shelters and evacuation
centers open and was caring for at least 142,121 hurricane victims in 16
states. These figures do not include refugees still in New Orleans, or
at hotels, motels or church or state shelters across the South.
Here is a breakdown of Red Cross shelters in eight states:
--Texas: 74 shelters, including the Astrodome; 56,000 people
--Louisiana: 175 shelters; 55,000 people
--Mississippi: 113 shelters; 17,000 people
--Alabama: 48 shelters; 5,200 people
--Florida: 41 shelters; 3,600 people
--Arkansas: 7 shelters; 3,000 people
--Georgia: 17 shelters; 1,100 people
--Tennessee: 3 shelters; 1,000 people
Donate to the Red Cross
The
Jerry Lewis Labor Day
Telethon yesterday
raised $54.9 million for
muscular dystrophy
and $1 million for
Katrina aid.
posted 12:30am by
jholmes
President Bush and
Louisiana governor
Blanco have
revealed a strained
relationship.
posted 12:22am by
jholmes
Eleven
different sites to
help locate missing
people. posted
12:20am by jholmes
The
work is expected to take
months, but the
pumps have started to
drain the city of New
Orleans.
posted 12:13am by
jholmes
New
Orleans newspaper gave
warning to poor citizens
seven weeks before
Katrina hit that
they would be on their
own should a major
hurricane hit New
Orleans:
But the TIMES-PICAYUNE published a
story on July 24, 2005 stating: City, state and federal emergency
officials are preparing to give a historically blunt message: "In the
event of a major hurricane, you're on your own."
Staff writer Bruce Nolan reported
some 7 weeks before Katrina: "In scripted appearances being recorded
now, officials such as Mayor Ray Nagin, local Red Cross Executive
Director Kay Wilkins and City Council President Oliver Thomas drive home
the word that the city does not have the resources to move out of harm's
way an estimated 134,000 people without transportation."
posted 12:10am by jholmes
September 5, 2005
George
and Barbara Bush
visited refugees in
Houston today.
"Almost everyone I’ve talked to
says we're going to move to Houston," Barbara Bush told NPR.
"What I’m hearing is they all want
to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality."
posted 9:42pm by jholmes
The
hole in the levee has
finally been plugged
by engineers.
posted 8:47pm by jholmes
Half
of the
damaged oil refineries
are close to restarting.
posted 8:45pm by jholmes
Some
Hurricane evacuees are
being allowed to visit
their homes.
posted 3:13pm by jholmes
Premature Baby:
Miracle baby doing fine
after emergency
helicopter rescue and
superb medical care.
posted 9:15am by jholmes
A
six-year-old Louisiana
boy, who some how was
left in charge of six
babies, helped lead
them to safety in the
chaos and aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina.
In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard,
this group of refugees stood out: a 6-year-old boy walking down the
road, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed
him around as if he were their leader.
They were holding hands. Three of the
children were about 2 years old, and one was wearing only diapers. A
3-year-old girl, who wore colorful barrettes on the ends of her braids,
had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of
them, and he told rescuers his name was Deamonte Love.
posted 1:44am by jholmes
Rescue
workers in Louisiana are
going door to door to
aid and find survivors,
and sometimes there is
no response, and other
times they are met by
stubbornness.
"People don't want to come out," said
Capt. Tim Bayard, commander of the narcotics division of the New Orleans
Police Department, who is supervising the water rescue effort. "They say
they have enough water and food to sustain themselves. They don't
understand. It's going to take six to eight weeks before the electricity
comes on."
The water has receded only about a foot
in many places, he said, adding that it was still 20 feet deep in spots.
"They need to come out," Captain Bayard said. But some residents fear
that if they leave, their houses will be ransacked by looters, he said.
"They've already lost their cars," he
said. "All they have left is their house. They don't want those animals
stealing from them. Write that, animals. Anybody that would take
advantage of this is hardly better than animals. Not the people who are
taking food and water and clothing. Those stealing TV's and shooting at
police. What can you do with a TV? There's no electricity."
posted 1:21am by jholmes
Many
are shocked but almost
all of the
animals from the New
Orleans Zoo (except a
couple of otters)
escaped Hurricane
Katrina without
being harmed.
posted 1:13am by jholmes
Louisiana native
Britney Spears says she
is praying for all of
the Hurricane victims
and their families on
her website.
posted 12:48am by
jholmes
Hurricane Katrina in
Pictures, Day by
Day. posted
12:40am by jholmes
Kuwait
to give
$500 million in aid.
posted 12:38am by
jholmes
High
tech firms are
offering their
technology to help
in the relief effort.
posted 12:25am by
jholmes
Singer
Macy Gray has been
volunteering at the
Astrodome to aid and
assist those placed in
the dome due to the
Hurricane. posted
12:20am by jholmes
Hurricane
aid offers continue to
come in from around
the world. posted
12:08am by jholmes
September 4, 2005
The New Orleans Saints are
looking at
three options as to where to play their home games this year:
-
Baton Rouge
-
San Antonio, Texas
-
On the Road in every
opponents stadium.
posted 5:29pm by jholmes
The
intense damage in
Mississippi is being
over shadowed by the
thugs and over-the-top
news coverage given to
New Orleans.
posted 5:01pm by jholmes
Kanye
West: You really wonder
why 'your people' are
getting shot as you so
ignorantly declared on
the NBC Fundraiser?
Police shot and killed at least five people Sunday after gunmen
opened fire on a group of contractors traveling across a bridge on their
way to make repairs, authorities said. Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley
said police shot at eight people carrying guns, killing five or six.
Fourteen contractors were traveling across the Danziger Bridge under
police escort when they came under fire, said John Hall, a spokesman for
the Army Corps of Engineers. They were on their way to launch barges
into Lake Pontchartrain to help plug the breech in the 17th Street
Canal, Hall said.
Here is what West said: "We already realize a lot of people that
could help are at war right now, fighting another way -- and they've
given them permission to go down and shoot us!"
posted 4:51pm by jholmes
Here
is my answer as to
who to
blame for not using the
nearly 800 buses in New
Orleans to evacuate
before they became
flooded:
Also you can just look at the Mayors name
to figure out who is to blame
Ray Nagin
which is like
Reneging
re·nege ( P ) Pronunciation Key (r-ng, -ng, -ng)
v. re·neged, re·neg·ing, re·neges
v. intr.
To fail to carry out a promise or commitment: reneged on the contract at
the last minute.
For more
on this story check out
DeadlyKatrina.com. posted 4:45pm by jholmes
Johnny
White's Sports Bar on
Bourbon Street in New
Orleans has
remained opened through
the Hurricane and
flooding.
The warm beer did not bother the regulars
who have stayed faithful since Hurricane Katrina hit the city on Monday
which was followed by flooding, looting and widespread pillaging.
posted 1:08pm by jholmes
Lance
Armstrong has
donated $500,000 to help
cancer patients
displaced by Hurricane
Katrina. posted
12:44am by jholmes
Again,
why did New Orleans
mayor Ray Nagin not put
the cities 500 buses to
use before or right
after the Hurricane
landed? The
buses were less than a
mile from the Superdome.
You can see below what
the buses are doing now.
More on the
Ray Nagin Memorial Bus
Pool including high
resolution satellite
photos of the buses.

Page 13, Paragraph 5 of
Louisiana's disaster plan:
'The primary means of hurricane
evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses,
government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies
may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack
transportation and require assistance in evacuating'...
posted 12:31am by jholmes
A look
at
New Orleans before
Hurricane Katrina hit.
"In terms of the big cities of this
country, New Orleans is clearly one of the cities with the most unique
character," said Paul Farmer, executive of the American Planning
Association. "What's happened goes well beyond the devastation of one
city — it's a national tragedy."
The city was born in 1718, a swampy
French-Canadian outpost next to the mouth of the Mississippi River. In
the ensuing years it would be held by both France and Spain before
becoming the largest and richest city in the Confederacy, thanks in
large part to its bustling international port.
posted 12:22am by jholmes
Over
200 New Orleans
police officers have
left their jobs and
two have committed
suicide since the
Hurricane hit.
posted 12:15am by
jholmes
Some
say
New Orleans will have to
be abandoned for 9
months and that many
of its people will
remain homeless for up
to two years.
Officials said that the job of
recovering, let alone counting, the dead may not start for weeks. The
death toll is likely to far exceed the numbers killed in the 11
September attacks almost exactly four years ago. Sergeant Nicholas Stahl
of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
said that rescuers are focusing on finding an estimated 50,000 people
still stranded by the flood waters and admitted "there is no system to
collect and store bodies". posted 12:11am by
jholmes
Vampire writer Anne
Rice's article:
Do You Know What it
Means to Lose New
Orleans?
posted 12:10am by
jholmes
September 3, 2005
The
Army Corps of Engineers
has
changed the amount of
time they think it will
take to flood the water
out New Orleans from 36
to 80 days. posted
10:52am by jholmes
President Bush:
"Where our
response is not working, we will make it right. Where it is not working,
we will duplicate it. We will not rest until we get this right. We've
all been humbled by the power of Mother Nature."
Three
Carnival Cruise ships
have been leased by the
federal government for
six months to house
evacuees. posted
10:46am by jholmes
Author
John Grisham and his
wife have donated $5
million dollars and have
set up a relief fund for
Hurricane victims.
Grisham grew up and
lives in Mississippi.
posted 10:43am by
jholmes
LSU
quarterback JeMarcus
Russell has
opened up his home and
been hosting R&B legend
Fats Domino along
with 20 other refugees
in his two bedroom
apartment.
Domino apparently
was rescued by boat on Monday. After that, Bonnette said, he was brought
to the Superdome, where he eventually was put on a bus to an evacuee
triage center in LSU's basketball arena.
Domino, who had
checked in under his given name of Antoine Domino, was reunited there
with his family. Then he, his family and a dozen other people from New
Orleans went to Russell's apartment just off the LSU campus.
The quarterback
told Bonnette that, all told, about 20 people had been staying in the
two-bedroom apartment. Russell said he had spent most of the two days
helping them with errands that included grocery trips and a 2 a.m.
pharmacy run to get medicine for Domino. posted 1:25am
by jholmes
The
city of Houston, Texas
is
opening up two more
refugee centers.
Mayor Bill White
declared that the city's convention center and an exhibition hall would
accept more hurricane survivors, and conventions for the coming weeks
would be canceled.
"We see the
tragedy which is ongoing in New Orleans, and we are doing the best we
can to make sure when people get to Houston they have a decent place to
stay," White said. posted 1:21am by jholmes
Different versions of
the devastation from
the mayor of New
Orleans, to CNN chief,
to the FEMA chief.
posted 1:15am by jholmes
Kanye
West
showed how ignorant he
is during the Hurricane
telethon fundraiser
last night. As
aforementioned West is
extremely overrated as a
rapper. posted
1:10am by jholmes
Bus
carrying Hurricane
refugees
flipped on the highway
and killed one.
posted 12:55am by
jholmes
September 2, 2005
As I
speculated a few days
ago, the
New Orleans Saints could
be moving to Los Angeles
and the move might not
be temporary.
Owner Tom Benson prefers San Antonio,
where he keeps a home. But, according to sources, the league is
rethinking this option because this could be the perfect time to
literally place a franchise in Los Angeles.
posted 8:38pm by jholmes
Tulane
University has cancelled
its fall semester and is
urging students to
enroll elsewhere.
However, the Tulane
football team will
compete this season.
posted 7:17pm by jholmes
President Bush toured
the destruction caused
by the Hurricane today
and said that
New Orleans will 'rise
again.' posted
4:05pm by jholmes
The
White House is set to
release 30 million
barrels of oil to
help reduce the stress
on the oil supply and
help keep prices
moderate. posted
3:26pm by jholmes
Why
did the mayor of New
Orleans
not deploy all the
school buses on
Monday that are now in a
lot flooded by water?
posted 3:22pm by jholmes
U.S.
Senator David Vitter
from Louisiana says the
death toll might top
10,000 in Louisiana
alone. posted
3:19pm by jholmes
It
could
take over a month to
drain the city of New
Orleans according to
the Army Corps of
Engineering.
posted 9:55am by jholmes
From
the
Bumpshack Message Board.
Share your story on the
Bumpshack Message Board:
Good morning all, thought
I would come in and open my office up for a short time and check in
here, while I am in. My wife and I spent last evening in the Red Cross
Shelter at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center. Our experience was nothing like
that of LATinkerbell's, thank God. For the most part, very uplifting.
Most people there, although they had lost everything, were quite
thankful and hopeful. Most scared, and while they needed a roof over
their head and food to eat, the most important thing you could give them
was a few moments of your time, they just needed someone to tell their
story too. I met so many people, and made so many new friends. One of
the many I met was a grandmother (the first person in there I spoke
with) who was coloring (not a lot to do in a shelter such as that) and
coloring the name of a girl so I of course asked whose name that was,
she told me it was her grand-daughter's, so (foot in mouth here) asked
where she was, and tearfully she admitted she didn't know. They had been
seperated, they were preparing for a party for great-grandmother when
the storm forced them all apart. We of course spent time talking about
what would be involved in reuniting them and that it would happen, and
of course we prayed. Mathilda (the grandmother) made me promise I would
come back this evening and I did (I will).
In the few hours I was there, I heard many stories such as this, I
cried, I laughed, I colored, and I am so much more thankful today than
yesterday.
Well, enough for now, I am off to see what I can help with in
establishing some sort of "job board" for shelter inhabitants looking
for work and talking with local manufacturers, but will check in here
off and on throughout the day.
Shannon
A look
inside the Louisiana
Superdome
during the hellacious
days evacuees were
being placed there.
posted 9:13am by jholmes
Instapundit.com has
a list of recommended
charities posted today
during his Carnival of
Hurricane Relief.
I urge everyone to give
to
Healing Place Church in
Baton Rouge. I
attended HPC when I
lived in the area during
school and they do
amazing things for all
of the people in
Louisiana.
President Bush mentioned
this church by name in
his State of the Union
address either this year
or last year.
posted 1:04am by jholmes
Hurricane Katrina's
impact on gasoline and
other essential items
could
pump up inflation for
months economists
are saying.
"In the
immediate future, this will show up as a big blip in CPI (the consumer
price index). But that is not relevant for long-term price stability in
this county," said Robert Rasche, director of research at the St. Louis
Federal Reserve. posted 12:56am by jholmes
Katrina has
curbed Hollywood's
enthusiasm for filming
movies in New
Orleans and Louisiana.
The state had become a
haven in the last couple
of years for its tax
breaks that lured
Hollywood in.
Walt Disney
Studios is still hopeful that the Jerry Bruckheimer film "Deja Vu," and
"The Guardian," starring Kevin Costner, can shoot in the city. "Deja Vu"
was scheduled to start filming in November. "The Guardian," scheduled to
start production next month, has been delayed.
posted 12:53am by jholmes
Doctors in Louisiana are
pleading for help as the
hospitals are running
out of food and power.
posted 12:47am by
jholmes
R&B
legend
Fats Domino has been
found in New
Orleans.
His daughter, Karen Domino White, who
lives in New Jersey, identified her father in a picture taken Monday
night by a New Orleans Times-Picayune photographer. The singer is
seen being helped from a boat by an emergency crew.
posted 12:40am by jholmes
September 1, 2005
Louisiana governor
Blanco declares war on
looters, as she should:
Louisiana Gov.
Kathleen Blanco declared war on looters as 300 National Guard troops
landed in New Orleans fresh from duty in Iraq. "These troops know how to
shoot and kill, and they are more than willing to do so, and I expect
they will," she said. posted 9:12pm by jholmes
Photos from The Advocate
in Baton Rouge.
posted 9:03am by jholmes
The
U.S. Senate approved
$10.5 billion in relief
aid money for the
Gulf Coast Hurricane
area. posted
8:04pm by jholmes
NFL
commissioner Paul
Tagliabue says
not to expect Saints to
host any games in
New Orleans this year.
posted 5:24pm by jholmes
Baton
Rouge has become
Louisiana's
largest city over night.
In a day, this city has become the
largest in Louisiana, and grim local officials here predicted it would
double in size, to about 800,000, permanently. "The Baton Rouge we live
in and grew up in is no longer," said city councilman Mike Walker.
"These people are here to stay, perhaps forever."
About 3,000 refugees suddenly appeared
about midnight on the campus of Louisiana State University, where a
shelter already was at capacity. They were turned away. Most of those
3,000 eventually made their way to the emergency rooms of the area's
three biggest hospitals, where "they created extreme chaos and
disturbance" throughout the night, said Dr. Louis Minsky, medical
director for East Baton Rouge parish.
There were reports of attempted
carjackings at 24-hour gas stations. Authorities decided to impose a 10
p.m. cutoff for gas sales. posted 4:51pm by
jholmes
Katrina damage could hit
$50 billion.
posted 3:10pm by jholmes
House
Speaker Dennis Hastert
has asked the question
if New Orleans should
even be rebuilt?
posted 3:07pm by jholmes
Police
are saying that storm
victims and refugees are
being raped and beaten
inside the convention
center:
Police Chief
Eddie Compass says he sent in 88 officers to quell the situation at the
building, but they were quickly beaten back by an angry mob.
Compass says,
"We have individuals who are getting raped, we have individuals who are
getting beaten." posted 3:02pm by jholmes
President Bush says
not to buy gas if
you don't really need
it:
"Don't buy gas if you
don't need it," he said in Oval Office remarks with his father and
Clinton at his side.
"I think there ought
to be zero tolerance of people breaking the law during an emergency such
as this, whether it be looting, or price-gouging at the gasoline pump or
taking advantage of charitable giving, or insurance fraud," Bush said.
posted 2:56pm by jholmes
Hurricane Katrina Safe
List. Thanks
to a
Bumpshack Message Board
poster for the link.
posted 1:32pm by jholmes
More
links to
places to donate for
the Hurricane Katrina
relief effort.
posted 1:02pm by jholmes
Superdome evacuation has
been slowed again as
violence has intensified
in the city.
posted 12:59pm by
jholmes
77-year-old R&B legend
Fats Domino is missing
in New Orleans.
Other
musicians missing as
well. posted
10:56am by jholmes
Superdome evacuation
disrupted
due to arson fires and
shots at rescue
helicopters.
posted 10:48am by
jholmes
Another firsthand view
from a volunteer that
was posted on the
Bumpshack Message Board
regarding the
destruction from
Hurricane Katrina:
Little did I know what I
would be doing following Hurricane Katrina's aftermath but as I type
right now, there won't be a more gratifying or more surreal experience I
went through tonight. We went up to the office today and held a press
conference regarding the postponement of the game and it was the right
decision. As the PMAC and Field House are being used as shelters we
decided as an office to do everything we could to help the situation.
At first, we were just supposed to make copies of this disaster relief
form for all of the people. The copiers will never print a document more
important than that. It's weird. Nearly 12 hours ago we were running off
copies of game notes for a football game that is now meaningless. We
printed the copies and carried them over to the Field House at 6:30 p.m.
I wouldn't leave the area for another 8 hours.
On the way back to the PMAC in a cart, it looked like the scene in the
movie Outbreak. FEMA officials, U.S. Marshals, National Guard, and of
course the survivors. Black Hawks were carrying in victims who were
stranded on roofs. Buses rolled in from N.O. with other survivors. As
Michael and I rode back to the PMAC, a lady fell out of her wheelchair
and we scrambled to help her up.
We met Coach Miles and Coach Moffiit in the PMAC to see all the
survivors and it was the view of a hospital. Stretchers rolled in
constantly and for the first time in my life I saw someone die right in
front of me. A man rolled in from New Orleans and was badly injured on
his head. 5 minutes later he was dead. And that was the scene all night.
What did we do, we started hauling in supplies. And thousands of boxes
of supplies. The CDC from Atlanta arrived directing us what to do.
One of the U.S. Marshalls was on hand so the supplies could not become
loot. I asked him what his primary job was. He serves on the committee
of counter terrorism, but once he saw of the disaster, he donated his
forces to come help. He said the death toll could be nearing 10,000. It
was sickening to hear that.
After unloading supplies, I started putting together baby cribs and then
IV poles. Several of our football players and Big Baby and Tasmin
Mitchell helped us. At the same time, families and people strolled in.
Mothers were giving berth in the locker rooms. The auxiliary gym
"Dungeon" was being used as a morgue. I couldn't take myself down there
to see it.
I worked from 8 pm until 2:45 am. Before I left three more buses rolled
in and they were almost out of room. People were standing outside, the
lowest of the low from NO. The smells, the sights were hard to take.
A man lying down on a cot asked me to come see him. He said, "I just
need someone to talk to, to tell my story because I have nobody and
nothing left. He turned out to be a retired military veteran. His story
was what everybody was saying. He thought he survived the worst, woke up
this morning and the levees broke. Within minutes water rushed into his
house. He climbed to the attic, smashed his way through the roof and sat
there for hours. He was completely sunburned and exhausted. Nearly 12
hours later a chopper rescued him and here he was.
We finished the night hauling boxes of body bags and more were on the
way. As we left, a man was strolled in on a stretcher and scarily enough
he suffered gunshots. The paramedic said he was shot several times
because a looter or a convict needed his boat and he wouldn't give it to
him. Another man with him said it was "an uncivilized society no better
than Iraq down there right now." A few minutes later he was unconscious
and later pronounced dead. I then left as they were strolling a 3 year
old kid in on a stretcher. I couldn't take it anymore.
That was the scene at the PMAC and it gives me a new perspective on
things. For those of you who I haven't been able to get in touch with
because of phone service, I pray you are safe. Send me an email to let
me know.
God bless.
Bill Martin
LSU Sports Information
Post
from the
Bumpshack Message Board
from one of the
Hurricane Survivors and
volunteers:
It should be pointed out,
that as bad as looks right now, I am confident that we have not yet
looked this beast in the eyes and do not realize exactly what all we are
up against. While things like this bring out the best in most people, it
brings out the worst in many.
The path of Katrina was never closer than 60 to 70 miles from my home,
yet still, schools are closed until, who know, at least next week
sometimes. Most still have no power or phones and we have discovered
that the water supplies have been compromised and are currently under a
boil order. Gasoline prices rose over 40 cents per gallon yesterday
alone. And to enter a grocery store or discount store, is utterly
dangerous.
I have reopened my office, but will be closing early today to volunteer
with various efforts as well. Today thru Monday. Not much, but it is
what I can do. I have sent my children to the northern part of the state
to get them away from all of this (with grandparents), slowly the stench
is making its way even here. I cannot begin to imagine what it is like
further south.
My wife is typically very emotional and usually it is sort of cute, now
it is incredibly taxing on her as she works for a dialysis access center
in Baton Rouge. Here is an excerpt from an email she sent to some people
yesterday:
"..........come to you today with a very saddened heart and want to not
only
share my thoughts with you, but ask for help for those in desperate need
of help.
I'm sure most of you have seen the footage and at least heard of the
massive devastation throughout the south from hurricane Katrina. I just
finally heard from a good friend of mine today who "lived" in Gulfport.
Both her and her husband worked at a large Baptist Church there that was
completely destroyed beyond recognition, as was their home. They did,
however get themselves and their new born baby out in time and made it
to a relatives house in Ruston. They lost everything, as I'm sure many
people did. It is a very sad situation, but they are thankful that they
have their lives.
I finally got to come to work today, only to be in tears the entire
time. I work for a surgery center who takes care of people when they
have problems with their kidney dialysis access. You can not begin to
imagine the number of people who have been displaced by this tragedy,
only to get here and not be able to get dialysis. When they can't get
their treatment, they die. At the moment, I have a sixteen year old
dialysis patient here in my office. He came
in with his mother and older teenaged sister. They didn't know where
they would go after this, came in hungry and tired because they've been
sent from one place to another trying desperately to get dialysis for
this child. We give them what we have here available to eat and drink
and have collected money to feed them lunch and pay for a cab to take
them back to the shelter. Our
Doctors are just wonderful, and we've all pitched in to get them fed for
lunch, but they don't know what tomorrow will bring. It just absolutely
breaks my heart.
I am asking of you, please, please, if you have things in your house
that your kids have out grown, or you have outgrown, collect them and
take them to one of the many shelters. They need bottled water,
blankets, personal items such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.
Just do what you can..........."
I closed early yesterday to be with my kids and to get them packed for
the trip to the grandparents house last evening so I got home before my
wife. I met her at the door, she was crying and was bare footed. For
some reason I could not help but ask why she was not wearing shoes, and
between sobs she told me that the teenage girl in the above email
excerpt, didn't have any.
Sorry for the long post.
Shannon
Pre
and post
satellite photos of
New Orleans from space.
President tabs
Papa Bush and Bill
Clinton for relief help.
The two were
instrumental in
strumming up aid for the
tsunami torn areas
earlier in the year.
posted 9:25am by jholmes
Email
me
Bumpshack@gmail.com
your survival or
experience from
Hurricane Katrina to
share with the readers
of Bumpshack.com
A log
of what
corporations are
donating and how
much to the relief
effort. posted
2:58am by jholmes
Here
is a list from
Instapundit.com of
places to donate money
or services to the
victims of Hurricane
Katrina.
The
U.S. Coast Guard says
that
20 oil rigs are missing
in the Gulf of Mexico.
posted 2:47am by jholmes
August 31,
2005
I got
this from a reader of
Bumpshack today. It
shows how bad it is
along the coast:
Do not forget to remind
the readers of Bumpshack.com that the coast of Mississippi suffered
greater damage than New Orleans, because Mississippi did not prepare
like New Orleans did.
There was at least 30
people to die in a single apartment complex on the coast. Not to
mention the loss of the casinos and the jobs of thousands of people who
worked at them. I have two friend who work for the casinos.
They have lost their homes and vehicles along with their jobs.
We haven't heard from my
family members living in Picayune, MS. My mom tried to call them
before the hurricane to tell them to come stay with us, but they didn't
think it would be that bad. They thought New Orleans would get the brunt
of the storm.
On the coast, the smell of
gas is everywhere. There is no power and probably won't be for
months because the tower was destroyed. Basically, they will have
to rebuild everything from scratch. That in itself is devastating.
We don't have power here in Jackson, Mississippi, but we hope to in the
next week. People are going crazy here for ice and gas.
Tell your readers that a
lot of people from New Orleans and the coast drove here to Jackson and
there is no power or major services here now as well.
Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana and the South in general needs everyone's prayers, support,
and donations.
Thanks,
Danielle
Jackson, Mississippi
Water
continues to rise in
New Orleans. The
hole in the levee
continues to grow and
Army engineers have been
unsuccessful in trying
to plug it.
Officials said they were
also looking at a more audacious plan: finding a barge to plug the
500-foot hole. posted 9:51am by jholmes
No one
will be allowed back in
New Orleans for weeks:
"We are looking at 12
to 16 weeks before people can come in," Mayor Ray Nagin said on ABC's
"Good Morning America, "and the other issue that's concerning me is we
have dead bodies in the water. At some point in time the dead bodies are
going to start to create a serious disease issue."
posted 9:47am by jholmes
The
25,000 Superdome
evacuees in Louisiana
are set to
be moved to the
Astrodome in
Houston, Texas.
posted 9:43am by jholmes
Facts about Hurricane
Katrina and the
damage caused by it.
posted 12:40am by
jholmes
August 30, 2005
More
than
95% of Gulf of Mexico
oil production has
been lost due to the
hurricane. posted
3:38pm by jholmes
Louisiana Superdome
being torn apart inside
as well. Over
10,000 people are
staying inside the dome
due to the hurricane.
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.
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. posted 3:26pm by jholmes
At
least
68 dead from
Katrina. Nearly
80 dead in one
Mississippi county
according to a report.
Hole in canal levee in
New Orleans is now
200 feet wide and
flooding the city.
posted 10:18am by
jholmes
Experts are saying that
New Orleans could turn
into one big cesspool
full of chemicals and
even coffins due to the
flooding from Hurricane
Katrina. President
Bush has
promised post-storm help
for the areas impacted
by the hurricane.
posted 1:03am by jholmes
August 29, 2005
A look
at the history of the
deadliest hurricanes.
posted 6:47pm by jholmes
Oil
prices have reached
$70 a barrel over
Hurricane Katrina fears.
Prices leapt as Hurricane Katrina, the
11th named storm of what is expected to be an unusually severe season,
threatened to do lasting damage to vital U.S. oil and refining assets in
the Gulf of Mexico, further straining an industry that has struggled to
keep up with two years of strongly rising oil demand.
More than 40 percent of all U.S. crude
oil production in the Gulf of Mexico was reported closed down due to the
hurricane, with the total expected to rise significantly as more
operators report affected production to the U.S. government on Monday.
posted 12:10am by jholmes
The
French Quarter in New
Orleans is empty as
Hurricane Katrina bears
down on the sub-sea
level city. posted
12:02am by jholmes