Katrina (Page 6)

Here's a link to hi-res NOAA aerial photos of the affected areas:

http://alt.ngs.noaa.gov/katrina/

I was thinking about this yesterday, all I have left is my humor and my health. Gotta make the best of both       Trying to laugh and just keep on running.

I think that all the NOLA area people that I know are safe, Ken, Rob, Joann, Lane, Matt (in br but still ok), and don't think bear was affected.

Thank you for sharing that. When many people think of New Orleans, or anywhere else on the Gulf, they think of fun time, Bourbon Street, casinoes, vacation. I have always thought of all the poor people, having been one of them for the first 6-7 years of my life. Oh, we weren't "9th-Ward-type" poor, but near-enough that we shopped with people who were at the local Kmart.

I can't help but think of all the bare-ly working poor who would be hard-pressed to spend a weekend in a hotel out of town (most of my immediate and extended family would find that a hardship that would wreck their finances for the rest of the year).

Although the photos are of familiar spots where I have visited, I am still having a very hard time wrapping my mind around it all.

Wow. I just got off of the phone with my brother. His ship just docked at Mayport and he was able to (and I don't know how, but he did) get in touch with his neighbor. He said his house is fine. Both of the streets on either side of him flooded, and his street flooded about half way up from the Pascagoula River that is a mile from his house. But I guess his house was just high enough to stay dry. And they have a roof.

Miracles happen.

The situation in New Orleans is turning dire. 

I can hardly put myself in the situation but this is close:

• The temperature is in the 90's with HIGH humidity.
• You have NO place to crap or urinate.
• You have been treading through waist deep water or higher.
• You can not shower.
• You have NO water
• You have NO food.
• You see babies and elderly DIEING around you in the street.
• No one is talking to you or providing assitance
• There is rampant fighting in the street at nights. 
• There is no lighting, no electricity.
• There are gangs walking in the streets with stolen guns.
• There are police speeding by you but won't stop to help you out.
• You have been in this situation for the 5th day.

If the only way you can get attention is to shoot at police to get attention, then you just might have to do that.

Just something to think about while we are sitting in our nice air conditoned homes with phones, tv, and internet.

This isn't Iraq this is America.

This just arrived in my email inbox:

This is my home.

Talked to all my friends today. Not one of them plan to move back to new orleans. Most of them have jobs lined up in other cities already. My sister is going to Phoenix. I still haven't talked to my boss, when I find out if I still have a job that will determine my future. If I do not, I will be on the hunt for a job, a new city, and a new school to call my home.

Today is day 5 in a small hotel room with 2 other stressed out people where you can't take a shower without someone else having to pee or come in for some reason. This is getting harder. Harder b/c you feel bad for complaining, b/c everyone you talk to has a their own problems right now, no one to really listen, makes you feel lost and alone. And even typing this makes me feel like I'm asking for sympathy, when I'm not, only needing to vent a little. sorry....

Vent on!  Venting will help keep you sane.  Venting will help keep you from strangling one of your friends in their sleep. Vent vent vent!

I am still collecting names and info about people who have places to offer, and things to send you and others in your situation, when the time comes. 

Exactly! Vent away...that's what we're here for...

So so glad to hear your parents are okay.

Well this is a massive, massive catastrophe and the emergency infrastructure that's normally in place to deal with much smaller catastrophe's has been mostly wiped out. They are struggling to get the infrastructure back in place while at the same time make things happen.

Not only is the emergency infrastructure a mess, our highways and means of transport are a mess. I think it's a case of everything that could go wrong, went wrong.

One nursing home director said that they were well prepared for everything; they had 10 days worth of food. Except they never anticipated looters/marauders coming in with guns and forcing them out. They weren't prepared for that scenario. Who would ever think they would have to prepare for THAT?

When Florida was hit by 4 hurricanes last week, the Governor was safely ensconced in the capitol where emergency services were managed and coordinated. They were able to quickly act once the storm passed. That's not the case in New Orleans.

Alot of people will not return to New Orleans.  If you have to rebuild your home it will take over two years to rebuild it.  So most people are faced with just starting over now, or waiting months or years to start over.  If we didn't have a jobs to come back to, I think we would just stay in DFW as well.

Again, I want to say that if anybody needs anything, I'm happy to help, as are most of the other BTers who've posted here.  If you need money for your hotel room, food, phone cards, gas, just let me know.  When the time comes, if you need any household items, clothing, a place to stay, etc., we'll get that handled too.

I know pride, and I don't want to suggest than anyone on this board can't take care of themselves, but I also know how expensive it is to live as a refugee.  Send me a PM or email me (krprice at rocketmail.com) and I'll gladly help or get help.

I just got off the phone with my dad, and my cousin.  Seems Baton Rouge is taking in a very large number of displaced persons, and they're desperate for teachers, nurses, and other public service personel to help them deal with a sudden 50+% increase of people in the city.  At my cousin's nursing home, she said they're so desperate for nurses, they're only giving them the most cursory employment reviews before hiring.  My mother, who hasn't taught in LA for over 25 years, is considering going to be a teacher again.

There are several organizations (listed in another thread) that are matching people who have room to people who need a place to live, all around the country.  My sister said that even in Kansas City, they're taking in whole families that have been displaced.