MERGED ==> Ugh! Hurricanes! + A True Hero

[kellyahern]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9156612/

At New Orleans' airport, hundreds waited their turn for medical attention. NBC's Kerry Sanders spent the night there, waking up to find two others next to him had passed away.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

that's so horrible kelly

 

[u2granny]

The Fire Marshall has declared that the Astrodome is full and they aren't accepting more people.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

What is really scary is that they are predicting even more tropical storms before the end of the year.

from Inter Press Service

Up to 12 more tropical storms are expected to follow Hurricane Katrina, the most destructive storm to ever strike the United States, and four may be major hurricanes, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

....

Shockingly, there may be more storms to come. "This may well be one of the most active Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, and will be the ninth above-normal Atlantic hurricane season in the last 11 years," Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, director of the NOAA National Weather Service, said in a statement.

NOAA forecasts a whopping 21 tropical storms -- double the norm -- before the end of hurricane season on Nov. 30. That means the U.S., Mexico and Caribbean region could still be pounded by another 10 to 12 storms, including a major hurricane on the scale of Katrina. Fortunately, not all of these will make landfall.

Warm water in the Atlantic Ocean is being blamed for what NOAA calls a "very active" hurricane season. Sea water at 27 degrees C. or higher puts enough moisture in the air to prime hurricane or cyclone formation. Once started, a hurricane needs only warm water and the right wind conditions to build and maintain its strength and intensity.

....

"There's no question that the warm waters of the Gulf provided the heat that turned Katrina into a major storm," said Ross Gelbspan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author of two books on global warming.

The ultimate cause, however, is global warming, Gelbspan told IPS.

That's a controversial view in a country with many officials who vigorously deny the existence of global warming or climate change. But slowly, the scientific evidence -- and the numerous record-breaking storms, droughts, floods and forest fires -- reveal that the climate is indeed changing.
....

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I'd heard that there were buses offering to take poorer people out of the areas before the storm hit...but considering how many people that would've been, they probably would've run out of room or something, too...

that's so horrible kelly

Yeah, that is . As are the other stories you've shared which have mentioned the dead, MrsSpringsteen. A dead man laying on the ground with hungry, crying babies around him? Eeergh...that's creepy.

I can't believe I'm hearing about rapes now. What the hell? I heard an 8 year old boy and a 7 year old girl were a couple of those raped. I...what...I just can't understand this.

What is really scary is that they are predicting even more tropical storms before the end of the year.

Oh, good .

Angela

 

[verte76]

The horror stories just multiply. I'm not getting much info because I'm not online at home and without power the heat is infernal, but I feel like I'm a character in a play, albeit sort of off to the side because Birmingham wasn't affected nearly as much as other places. I turn on the Internet at work and come to Interference and they are asking U2 fans to donate to relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina. Death, destruction, the mayor of New Orleans sends out an SOS, I see pictures in the newspapers of people who've lost everything, it's shocking.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

What is really scary is that they are predicting even more tropical storms before the end of the year.

According to the article the bottom line is that global warming is responsible for these environmental disasters. If this doesn`t get Bush to sign the Kyoto accord, I`m not sure what will

 

[lmjhitman]

I can't believe I'm hearing about rapes now. What the hell? I heard an 8 year old boy and a 7 year old girl were a couple of those raped. I...what...I just can't understand this.

oh god. please tell me this isn't true.

just when i thought my heart couldn't break into any more pieces.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

oh god. please tell me this isn't true.

I wish I could . But I sadly read something like that in some article a person shared at another board I visit.

Originally posted by Imjhitman
just when i thought my heart couldn't break into any more pieces.

.

You know, I think that's the part that's bothering me the most about all this news. Flood waters will recede. Buildings can be repaired. Some people might be able to salvage a possession or two. It'll take some time, but these towns and cities can get back to some sembelance of normalcy if people work hard enough at repairing the places (if they can, that is).

But to see humans treating each other the way they have been this past week...that really scares me to no end. These people's minds are now altered by all the chaos around them, it's gonna be a long time before they're ever okay again in the mental sense, if they ever will be okay again at all. And I just find that the most heartbreaking and disturbing thing about all this.

Angela

 

[Pearl]

World stunned as US struggles with Katrina
Sep 02 10:08 AM US/Eastern


By Andrew Gray

LONDON (Reuters) - The world has watched amazed as the planet's only superpower struggles with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with some saying the chaos has exposed flaws and deep divisions in American society.

World leaders and ordinary citizens have expressed sympathy with the people of the southern United States whose lives were devastated by the hurricane and the flooding that followed.

But many have also been shocked by the images of disorder beamed around the world -- looters roaming the debris-strewn streets and thousands of people gathered in New Orleans waiting for the authorities to provide food, water and other aid.

"Anarchy in the USA" declared Britain's best-selling newspaper The Sun.

"Apocalypse Now" headlined Germany's Handelsblatt daily.

The pictures of the catastrophe -- which has killed hundreds and possibly thousands -- have evoked memories of crises in the world's poorest nations such as last year's tsunami in Asia, which left more than 230,000 people dead or missing.

But some view the response to those disasters more favorably than the lawless aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

"I am absolutely disgusted. After the tsunami our people, even the ones who lost everything, wanted to help the others who were suffering," said Sajeewa Chinthaka, 36, as he watched a cricket match in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

"Not a single tourist caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in the U.S. we can easily see where the civilized part of the world's population is."

SINKING INTO ANARCHY

Many newspapers highlighted criticism of local and state authorities and of President Bush. Some compared the sputtering relief effort with the massive amounts of money and resources poured into the war in Iraq.

"A modern metropolis sinking in water and into anarchy -- it is a really cruel spectacle for a champion of security like Bush," France's left-leaning Liberation newspaper said.

"(Al Qaeda leader Osama) bin Laden, nice and dry in his hideaway, must be killing himself laughing."

A female employee at a multinational firm in South Korea said it may have been no accident the U.S. was hit.

"Maybe it was punishment for what it did to Iraq, which has a man-made disaster, not a natural disaster," said the woman, who did not want to be named as she has an American manager.

"A lot of the people I work with think this way. We spoke about it just the other day," she said.

Commentators noted the victims of the hurricane were overwhelmingly African Americans, too poor to flee the region as the hurricane loomed unlike some of their white neighbors.

New Orleans ranks fifth in the United States in terms of African American population and 67 percent of the city's residents are black.

"In one of the poorest states in the country, where black people earn half as much as white people, this has taken on a racial dimension," said a report in Britain's Guardian daily.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, in a veiled criticism of U.S. political thought, said the disaster showed the need for a strong state that could help poor people.

"You see in this example that even in the 21st century you need the state, a good functioning state, and I hope that for all these people, these poor people, that the Americans will do their best," he told reporters at a European Union meeting in Newport, Wales.

David Fordham, 33, a hospital anesthetist speaking at a London underground rail station, said he had spent time in America and was not surprised the country had struggled to cope.

"Maybe they just thought they could sit it out and everything would be okay," he said.

"It's unbelievable though -- the TV images -- and your heart goes out to them."

(With reporting by Reuters bureaux around the world)

 

[tkramer]

[/i]September 1st, 2005



Dear National Mail-It Corporate Partner,

I’m contacting you on behalf of the state of Louisiana. I’ve never made a plea for money before, however the magnitude of this catastrophic event staggers the imagination. Our churches along with LSU’s gymnasium and our Hirsch Coliseum is filled to capacity, and our hotels as well. There are so many desperate people, we are asking for your help in ministering to their needs.

NMI is giving substantial donations to feed and shelter these refugees, as well as giving paid leave time for our employees who wish to become volunteers. Hundreds of people need to be fed in our area. We are asking our corporate partners to join us in this endeavor.

We are taking donations for Abundant Life church to help feed and care for these evacuees. Any and all gifts will be tax deductible and every penny will be spent at food banks, which will increase the buying power ten times. No administrative fees will be taken out. If you wish to send a check send it to NMI, made out to Abundant Life Church. If you want to give by credit card, you can do it through NMI, and you will receive a non-profit receipt sent by Abundant Life.

This tragic event is of biblical proportions. We have gotten word that the death toll is over 4,000 in St. Bernard Parrish, which is where the hurricane first touched down in Grand Isle. That’s not even New Orleans. We should all give as if it were our own families who were in need.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. If you have any questions, please call me on my cell phone, 318-470-1403.

Sincerely,



Mike Riordan
President/CEO
National Mail-It, Inc.
6003 Financial Plaza
Shreveport, LA 71129

This letter is from one of our vendors we work with in LA, he says 4,000 are est. to be dead in Bernard Parrish alone...how awful.

 

[echo0001]

Through this all, I keep remembering 9/11. The convoys of volunteers are relief supplies started rolling toward NYC within twelve hours from all over the U.S.

Where are the civilian volunteers? Where are the trucks full of water and food supplied by regular citizens determined to help? Why are we waiting for the National Guard, A.C.E., President, etc., to do all the work?

Where is America?

What is it that's holding people back? The President saying that this is the time to donate money? Since when do we listen to the President (especially this President?)

Where is America?

 

[Pearl]

4,000 people...
That's unreal. I can't believe this is really happening

 

[DaveC]

I just heard a 12-minute interview that the mayor of NOLA just did on radio...he tears into the feds for their lack of support, he's enraged, cursing and swearing (not something expected of a politician), and then relating with such passion some of the horrible scenes going on in the city. At the end there's a long, 30-second total silence, and you wonder what the hell is going on...until you realize that both the mayor and the interviewer are in tears. It's heartbreaking.

I was speechless, stunned for a good 5 minutes after hearing it.

Transcript is here: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/nagin.transcript/index.html

And the sound clip itself is in the link at the start of the transcript.

It's hard to listen to.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

for mayor and interviewer.

I've not listened to that clip yet, but maybe later tonight I will. But just from the description alone...

I feel horrible for the mayor of New Orleans. Absolutely horrible. That poor man.

Also, is it just me, or does the constant news about this seem to be making this week feel a lot slower than it really is? It doesn't seem like this hurricane hit just a few days ago, it seems like it was much longer than that.

Angela

 

[tkramer]

Wow, he is enraged!

 

[sharky]

Through this all, I keep remembering 9/11. The convoys of volunteers are relief supplies started rolling toward NYC within twelve hours from all over the U.S.

Where are the civilian volunteers? Where are the trucks full of water and food supplied by regular citizens determined to help? Why are we waiting for the National Guard, A.C.E., President, etc., to do all the work?

I think the big problem here is where do you start. First, there are so many places that need help -- it's not a centrally located disaster like WTC. And second, you can't really get to where you need to go. Too much debris in the roads. Besides, with gas prices the way they are, it's hard to pay to drive down there.

 

[tkramer]

I hate to say it, but this looks to be 3 or 4 times worse than 9/11 from a human loss/economic impact POV. Several news outlets are now stating (BBC, etc.) lives lost WILL top 10,000...

I remember being angered when the local governments were calling it "their tsumani" because that tragedy was just so huge, but maybe they are right on some level.

 

[trevster2k]

Oh this is definitely worse than 9/11. 9/11 was a different kind of tragedy. I agree with the mayor and he is justified to be enraged. He along with the other mayors of the Gulf Coast feel helpless because there is a lot of talk and excuses but less action. They are doing a fair bit but still way less than needed.

They should have sent everything ever possibly needed for such a situation. A piecemeal solution whereby they assess the needs, request resources, and then wait for the resources to arrive is the dumbest solution ever for this catastrophe. They should throw everything possible, almost every possible National Guardsman or military person available should be sent to the region. Every available helicopter, bus, boat, doctor, rescue team should be sent to the region. If they are not being utilized, fine, they can turn around and go home. Would that be expensive? Sure, but who gives a F**k? Responding to "requests" is the lamest reasoning ever in why it takes time to get help there. Send in the works. Cost should not be an issue. I'm angry about this and it's not even my country or my fellow citizens but they are my fellow human beings.

 

[kellyahern]

Some quotes by Ted Koppel last night, interviewing the head of FEMA:

RE: the discrepancy between FEMA's estimate of the number of people at the Superdome and Convention center (lower) and the Mayor's (higher). "One of you is wrong. It's either 5 thousand or 15 thousand do you know?"


"You keep saying you just heard about it today. Don't you guys watch television? Don't you guys listen to the radio? Our reporters have been reporting about it for more than just today."

"I would seem to me that the first thing you need to do is get some good solid combat troops like the 82nd airbone in ...instead you're sending the National Guardsmen in there and it's taking time. You don't have time."

"Here we are, essentially five days after the storm hit and you're talking about what's going to happen in the next couple of days. You guys do war games. You guys have gamed out what was going to happen in recent months after a force 3 or force 4 or force 5 hurricane... Of course you couldn't have known the levies would break. But you could have assumed it."

"Mr. Brown, some of these people are dead. They're beyond your help."

 

[trevster2k]

I have never seen the US media so confrontational with the bullshit coming out of the politicians mouths until now. Good for them, people are sick and tired of politicians and bureaucrats dodging questions and spinning their answers. Anderson Cooper was just confronting Trent Lott on CNN. Most of these politicians have no idea as to the horrors being experienced by the victims. Trent Lott was talking about how uncomfortable it is losing electricity to run a fan when it is so hot outside. Run a fan? Who gives a shit about running a fan? How about something to eat or drink? How about a place to sleep safely? How about being safe?

This is a sad event for America beyond the epic catastrophe itself.

 

[kellyahern]

I have never seen the US media so confrontational with the bullshit coming out of the politicians mouths until now. Good for them, people are sick and tired of politicians and bureaucrats dodging questions and spinning their answers. Anderson Cooper was just confronting Trent Lott on CNN. Most of these politicians have no idea as to the horrors being experienced by the victims. Trent Lott was talking about how uncomfortable it is losing electricity to run a fan when it is so hot outside. Run a fan? Who gives a shit about running a fan? How about something to eat or drink? How about a place to sleep safely? How about being safe?

This is a sad event for America beyond the epic catastrophe itself.

I saw that too. Anderson Cooper asked Lott if the lack of national guard was due to the Iraq war. Lott said basically, "Oh, it's just the media asking that question." Cooper said, "With all due respect sir, I was talking to a man today (he says the man's name, which I forgot ) and he asked the same question and wanted answers from you and other politicians."

What was great, is that later, Anderson is doing a story about people who lost their homes in Mississippi, and one of them is the guy he was talking about - and they show the guy on camera asking about national guard troop numbers and Iraq.

I think the reason is that the media is there, seeing people begging for help, seeing people die. The reporters at the scene are angry. NBC had a report from the airport in New Orleans. One of the reporters was helping feed and give water to a 93 year old man on a stretcher, basically acting as a nurse. He also said how he went to sleep and when he woke up, there were three bodies wrapped in sheets next to him - people who had died during the night.

 

[VertigoGal]

While I realize it's a large-scale problem, the incompetence and lack of leadership from the government is astounding and ridiculous. It's not so hard to figure out you need to get some cargo helicopters to bring WATER to people, come on now. It's Friday, that was Monday. And then they send in troops to keep the peace because people are shooting. Why are people shooting? Is it because they're uncivilized poor blacks from the projects? Yeah, that's it! Why don't you send in some fucking water, I'd like to see what the President would be doing with a gun after going 3 days without a drink (and I'm not talking about alcohol, Mr Prez).

No one could stop the hurricane, but I'm disgusted with the response. (If there's some reason I shouldn't be, please let me know, perhaps my perception of the situation is incorrect.)

 

[Teta040]

One thing that I wish would be getting more attention ON TV (not just the print media) is Condi Rice going to a Broadway play (
"Spamalot") and shopping for shoes in Manhattan on Wed. The Broadway audience booed her and one woman yelled at her in the store,
How can you be shopping when so many are stranded and dying" etc.

I always call George Bush "Your Highness" or "George the Third" but now he really IS living it with his "let them eat cake" attitude.

Of course he went through today but it is too damned little, too damned late. He can't say he couldn't have seen it coming, Sunday night everybody was expecting a Category 5 to score a direct hit and they were talking about NO turning into a moonscape. There's no reason why he couldn't have flown back to DC on Monday. We know Bush was being kepy updated by the hour Sun night becuase he made a statement "Let's pray for the people of NO" etc.

IMO, there are three shameful things that have embarrassed this country before the world this week:

1) The levee situation, when the Army Corps of Engineers requested more funding to complete the leee "updating" they were doing last year and were denided (that money is going to iraq of course--AND our men: one-third of the Lousiana Nat'l Guard is stationed over there; can that be why there were so little troops when we needed them??, Heck, they had to pull 300 troops BACK FROM IRAQ to handle this!)

2) The APPALLING COMMUNICATIONS SITUATION--and I just don't mean how nobody from Teus-Fri was coordinated in the rescue efforts ( do we rescue, stop looters, or both? Hell, if this is the way we are running the Iraqi war, NO WONDER the insurgents are having a field day). I mean THE TECHNOLOGY SUCKS. I mean cellphones not working etc, so that the media themselves had shoddy cell connections etc until Thurs. With 9/11 it was the same thing. I used to think that there was no way the phones could have been gotten back on, but I mean, people were calling each other on the London subway right after the bombings...And so many people in the convention center cut off from the outside world, etc. The Chinese must be shaking their heads right now. THERE IS NO EXCUSE why cellphone reception could have been repaired by Teus night. I know Aisian tech on this is better b/c I've talked to people who have been there.

3) and this is the REAL scandal--that there was NO WAY they were able to get those poor ppl out. Today, in most of the US cities, if you don't own a car, you're screwed. There are no trains, or public transportation system in most major cities. I can't beleive that the media are openly wondering why these people did not leave..most of these poor people (I mean in both economic and now tragic terms) COULD NOT get out. They took public trasnport, buses, etc to get around every day. It isn't like Boston, where there is a bit of local raliway system that you could hop on to get you 10 miles outside the downtown into the immediate suburbs, etc. There's NOTHING. This is more than a scandal, it's a DISGRACE. If we do not start to invest in a public transport system NOW (esp "bullet trains") etc, our country is going to have to pay a fearful reckoning. It's a shame that a place like Japan has beat us on this.

 

[echo0001]

Oh this is definitely worse than 9/11. 9/11 was a different kind of tragedy. I agree with the mayor and he is justified to be enraged. He along with the other mayors of the Gulf Coast feel helpless because there is a lot of talk and excuses but less action. They are doing a fair bit but still way less than needed.

They should have sent everything ever possibly needed for such a situation. A piecemeal solution whereby they assess the needs, request resources, and then wait for the resources to arrive is the dumbest solution ever for this catastrophe. They should throw everything possible, almost every possible National Guardsman or military person available should be sent to the region. Every available helicopter, bus, boat, doctor, rescue team should be sent to the region. If they are not being utilized, fine, they can turn around and go home. Would that be expensive? Sure, but who gives a F**k? Responding to "requests" is the lamest reasoning ever in why it takes time to get help there. Send in the works. Cost should not be an issue. I'm angry about this and it's not even my country or my fellow citizens but they are my fellow human beings.

I'm with you. We should be throwing everything we've got at this disaster. Cost should NOT be an issue.

I mean, consider how much it's going to cost in the long run; what's a few more bucks now?

"Responding to "requests" is the lamest reasoning ever in why it takes time to get help there. " totally

Why are we waiting to save lives? Is it only because the Federal government can't seem to get it's thumb out of it's ass and we have to wait for them before we do anything?

Donate. Yes, donate. But remember that right now water and food are the first needs and they are mighty slow in getting there.

 

[Teta040]

The only bit of reason Bush has uttered in this is his telling people yesterday to drive as little as possible. (You can imagine who threatened him with a dog collar and a cellcamera to get him to say THAT....). Today I heard people ahead of me in the post office chatting merrily asobut plans to go on a cruise next week. IMO< unless you have to, you shouldn't travel at all, unless it's for work or necessities or visitng family. No "frivolous" traveling, not even on a holiday weekned. Everyobdy knows the oil situation. I think right now, avoiding uncessesary driving is not only a patriotic duty but amoral thing to do. Again, it's that little thing called SHARED SACRIFICE,..which both the US govt and people don't seem to understand these days. I'm not talking about rescuers, etc, heroes of the disaster, or donors. But you know what I mean. We are so willing to throw out money and hope problems will go away. We don't realize how we can unwittingly add to a problem. Or think that someone else's problem isn't potentially our own. This should be like a WWII bond drive. People went without milk, butter, nylons, etc. to add to the war effort. Sure, it was not voluntary rationing, but nobody grumbled either. It was their duty. We should really stop and think that if there was ever a callto wake up and think about the way we live, it is now.

YOu can say that our leaders have a responsibilty to lead, but if we take the stop of REALLY CUTTING ODWN ON WAASTEFUL DRIVING, using less oil, etc, we'll send a powerful message that we ARE innterested in alternatives. On ABC they are saying that the Labor day weekend will go on as usual, and people aren't changing their travel plans.

 

[jay canseco]

I only saw the end of the report, so I'm really asking if I am mistaken somehow........that those in the Ritz-Carlton in NewOrleans have been evacuated and many have flown home from where they came????

I'm happy for those people, but what did I miss the last several days that would allow Ritz-Carlton guests to be singled out and prioritised...............or were they just incredibly lucky? There were over 300 of them.

 

[Teta040]

Maybe these were the 300 Vietnamese that were stranded that someone from the TImes-Picayune website sent an SOS about. They were stranded on a rooftop. Maybe they were boated to the hotel by a private rescue boat in convoys. I don't know..maybe they were foreign tourists; in that case it's the whole Phi Phi Island/whites getting top priority thing all over again. A lot of Vietnamese boat people apparently came and settled here in the late 70's early 80's b/c it was a fisherman's town and the climate was similar to Vietnam (hot humind, etc.)

 

[jay canseco]

Again, sketchy details are what I got, but one of the survivors at least was from the northeast U.S. and was calling from her home up there.

 

[Teta040]

PS. Verte, God bless...((HUGS)) And Dread and all others down there, still praying for you.

Just read all this thread so far...the storm surge in MI,about 30 ft?!?!? Whole towns wiped out...one town of 7000 wiped off the map....who knows if they evacuated??/They haven't even BEGUN to count a death toll.

Is it any good thing to say that it could have been worse? With a mile inland storm surge, what if this HAD been NO? The place would have been a moonscape in minutes. ALL the levees would have broken (there's now no doubt of that), and the hospitals, the convention center, possibly the Superdome itself, would have been mostly gone. In which case you would have been looking at an INITIAL death toll of at least 40,000 in NO alone (in those 2 buildings). The human cost is going to be high, but it still could have been so much worse. And with all the gov't bungling, you can't guarantee that you still wouldn't have had a collapse of society with so little left.

I try to thank God for every little blessing. But this is a warning to WAKE UP.