Katrina

[SDAnderson]

I live in Chicago, more than 800 miles from New Orleans and, I thought, from the nightmare that is Katrina. It turns out that I live closer to the front lines of the clean-up than I would have expected: over the past three days I've been working with a local Red Cross disaster team, struggling to help them keep up with the needs of the thousands of Katrina victims that have been evacuated this far north. Literally thousands more are expected in the next few days and I don't know how we're going to handle the load.

Now is simply not the time for bickering about who dropped the ball and who was responsible for what. Now is the time to get busy making sure that people have a place to sleep, food to eat, clothing to wear and their medical issues dealt with. I'd hope that everyone - especially those who care enough to participate in this thread - is doing something constructive. The aid organizations across the country are, to borrow a phrase, swamped right now and need your help.

Yes, money, certainly, but right now volunteers are just as critical and not just in the Gulf States. Do SOMETHING. There are lots of aid organizations that are helping, though the heavy lifting is being done by the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Southern Baptists. Make the call. Today. Then put on some comfortable clothes and come pitch in.

Please.

American Red Cross
Salvation Army
Southern Baptists

 

[Bill51]

The LA governor at least sent the president an official plea for aid last Sunday. In the letter she said the State and local governments were not equiped to handle this emergency and that federal aid would be necessary. Too bad it took almost a week to get there.

Here's a link to the pdf if you want to check it: http://gov.louisiana.gov/Disaster Relief Request.pdf

Not to be picky and pointing fingers at a time like this, but did you actually read that document? It is a request for $130 million in federal funding under the Stafford Act, but it does not include either a request or authorization for federal manpower assistance – either civilian or military. It specifically requests funding for the state police and the DOT for their evacuation efforts and claims that the evacuation orders were given, but the local and state agencies tasked with the evacuation were never given full authorization or authority as required under the state’s published emergency plan.

It requests the President to declare an expedited major disaster for the area, but he had accomplished that almost 48 hours before she requested it and filed this document. In fact, 36 hours before this document was filed and signed, the President had his staff prepare a draft document for the governor that would legally request and authorize full federal manpower assistance as well as the funding, but the governor refused to sign it and claimed she needed at least 24 hours to review it. According to multiple news sources and leaks from within the governor’s office, she refused to sign the correct and comprehensive version drafted for her by the federal departments because she claimed she would not let the federal government come in and take command and control of the situation and make her government look incompetent.

Governors of the surrounding states were contacting Blanco over that weekend requesting she sign the Multi State Mutual Aid documents needed for them to send their Guard troops into her state in support of the emergency and she refused to sign them until Wednesday after the storm which is why no out of state Guard troops could enter Louisiana until they received that paperwork. Many Guard units activated over the weekend and had to sit in frustration at their bases waiting for authorization to roll into the area – which is also why Mississippi and Alabama had Guard units working in their state 3 days before Louisiana.

Under the circumstances I’m very proud of the job done by the National Guard and all the military units that had to burn valuable time and energy waiting to help out the people of NO in their time of need and distress. In many cases they had boots on the ground assisting within 12 hours of getting state authorization and that is pretty amazing given that it took 7 days to get fully operational after hurricane Andrew and many other major disasters.

 

[Wildcard]

From every board Im on including many that are Paramedic/FF/LE related or have many menbers of each, the same results are coming in. We were there, standing by and never sent in. Why? We shall see but Im sure the way things are run in the future will change. Now is not the time to point fingers. Now is the time to send cash to help out. The finger pointing can wait untill ALL the facts are in. Im guessing changes are in store from FEMA all the way down to the Mayor of N.O.

 

[divergalinla]

I

Now is simply not the time for bickering about who dropped the ball and who was responsible for what. Now is the time to get busy making sure that people have a place to sleep, food to eat, clothing to wear and their medical issues dealt with. I'd hope that everyone - especially those who care enough to participate in this thread - is doing something constructive. The aid organizations across the country are, to borrow a phrase, swamped right now and need your help.

Yes, money, certainly, but right now volunteers are just as critical and not just in the Gulf States. Do SOMETHING. There are lots of aid organizations that are helping, though the heavy lifting is being done by the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Southern Baptists. Make the call. Today. Then put on some comfortable clothes and come pitch in.

Please.

American Red Cross
Salvation Army
Southern Baptists

Your words are so true. I live in La..central La thank goodness. I have one cousin, who, with her mother and her 2 little boys came to my house .. normally a 4 1/2 hour drive took 13 hours. Brooke and her family lost everything except what she was able to bring - 2 or 3 days worth of clothes, and some pictures. They lived 1/2 mile away from the beach in Bay St. Louis. Her mother lives in Diamondhead, between Gulfport and Biloxi,and she has not been able to find out what kind of shape her home is in yet. I get so sick of the news people stirring up all these arguments over blame..as you say, now is not the time. Politicians on both sides jump on the bandwagon blaming each other's party. Our small church (about 90 members, 30 active members!) has 75-80 evacuees right now. While we have received more than enough clothes, and send the excess to other shelters, and other organizations and churches provide meals each day, what we need is PEOPLE to help...our older retired members are bearing the burden because the younger ones work. It is exhausting for them..If you live near a shelter, or can afford to take a few days off, go there and help serve,talk to the evacuees, give them a chance to vent their sadness and confusion..they need someone to be there for them..not just to feed them. God Bless the people who go to help..not for sound bites and ratings!

 

[Wildcard]

Your not talking about Sean Penn who showed up with so many cameras in his "rescue" boat that there were no room for survivors are you? Or any of the others for that matter. Celebs jumping on the media band wagon, again.
The outpouring from this and many other very suprising nations has been overwhelming. Thanks one and all.

 

[DandyDon]

The outpouring from this and many other very suprising nations has been overwhelming. Thanks one and all.

Saw where Mexico sent a convoy of Army trucks in with supplies, doctors, water purification machines, etc. First time Mexican Army has been on US soil since 1846, I think. Glad to have them onboard. :medal:

 

[Wildcard]

I heard they were just hear staging to invade canada!LOL...I work with some canucks, that was the joke of the day....
Im so glad to say that when the "meat eating" disaster we have never had finaly hit, people we have been pouring cash out to for so long are stepping up. Thak you one and all.

 

[chip104]

I heard they were just hear staging to invade canada!

OH NO! Already??? Better get out the snowballs...

seriously though, the Canadian Forces are on their way as well. It's good to hear that both neighbours are playing an active role. I wonder when it was the Canadian Forces' last time on US soil (excluding training sessions).

 

[MoonWrasse]

Finally, Michael Brown has been removed from directing the recovery.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/09/09/national/w101446D73.DTL

 

[*Floater*]

Not to be picky and pointing fingers at a time like this, but did you actually read that document? It is a request for $130 million in federal funding under the Stafford Act, but it does not include either a request or authorization for federal manpower assistance – either civilian or military.

Yes, I read it, and I quote: "I [Gov. Blanco] request direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property." It goes on to ask for more than just money.

It requests the President to declare an expedited major disaster for the area, but he had accomplished that almost 48 hours before she requested it and filed this document.

...

Not true. The letter was actually sent to the President on Saturday 27th even though it's dated the 28th, plus the President left out certain parishes from his state of emergency declaration issued later that day including New Orleans.

Take a look at the timeline posted on wikipedia. It makes all this clear and includes credible sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Hurricane_Katrina

About the legal technicalities and aid having to be turned down because certain obscure bureaucratic paperwork was supposedly not filed, well, I just don't buy that. It smells like bs.