T&P&C to all the TE'rs in the Katrina area

[bouncybouncy]

I can garantee if i did not have a car...i would have been hoofin' it!!!! or pedaling!!!! especially in new orleans...i would hope that people would open there hearts and car doors...but look at what is going on now with the looting & chaos

unbelievable and disgusting!!!!

Anyway...for those who are truely in need and deserve it...trek: have you looked into your local hospital? you sometimes do not need to wait for a blood drive...call them and see if they have a blood donation center (most do)

[KSH]

I truly hope everyone is safe and sound.

[Trekhawk]

[QUOTE=Trek420]We probably have some TE'rs in the area hit by Katrina. Just sending out thoughts, prayers, chants whatever we all do. With the power and phone lines down we might not hear from you for a while but you're in our thoughts.

I only heard about the disaster when my mum called from Aust and told me. We dont have TV and I normally read the news online but had been busy lately and hadnt gotten the chance. I went and got the paper and looked at those pictures and its hard to take in the magnitude of this disaster. My heart and prayers go out to the people in these areas.
I know one thing though you are a strong people who pull together when things get tough and I know that no matter how dark things seem these places and people will know better times because of your ability to overcome great hardship.

[pkq]

A friend from OH called yesterday to rail and pontificate on the stupidity of building in New Orleans or anywhere nearby, especially the last 40 years, just because something like this could happen. He knows Louisiana will always be home to me, since I was born, raised, and lived there 38 years.

He railed about this for a long time and the lesser damage suffered by Florida....blah blah blah. Katrina was a Cat. 1 storm, when she hit Florida and a Cat. 4, downgraded from a 5, when she hit Louisiana. There was a significant increase in energy once Katrina hit the shallow, warm gulf waters.

He sure sounded like there are no smart people in NO, which I know to be untrue. No empathy for what they endure now. After I called him Bubba enough, he backed down on his position.

The same can be true of any coastal region of the Gulf or Atlantic; however, he refused to admit they need to stop building along other coastal regions, just NO.

I think his real issue is the disruption to his travel plans due to the cost and shortage of gas.

On a happier note, a friend of mine from Lake Charles is offering his boat and assistance this weekend. Louisiana has some great people and they won't be down long, they always find a way to enjoy life!

Katrina Facts

[Trek420]

uh, excuse me but don't they have tornadoes in OH? the nerve of him.

Trek-livin' on the faultline-420

[bouncybouncy]

i just thought i would pass it on...

http://www.usgs.gov/

[Irulan]

I've donated to the Red Cross. Prayers and wishes are great, but something more tangible will really help people out.
http://www.redcross.org/ You can designate your donation for hurricane relief. United way and salvation army are also good organizations. Money is more easily used for direct results than "stuff".

NO has been at risk for one reason or another, but there are not many areas in the world that are completely immune to natural disasters, be it earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding,tornadoes, volcanoes, ice storms, fires, etc.

For those of you interested in reading about such things, NO has been at risk for year, not only from ocean based storms, but from the Mississippi River. If you know anything about river deltas, rivers naturally migrate across the deltas, changing thier flow pattern, leaving and pirating channels and so on. For years, the Army Corps of Engineers has been trying to prevent Old Man River from doing what it wants to do naturally, that is, shorted it's course to the sea by pirating the Atchaflalaya River, which would shorten it's route by about 50 miles. They've actually built reverse dams on the Atchafalaya to keep this from happening. Which hasnt' yet, but they always figured it was a matter of time. Anyway,..... no point really, but an interesting book about this kind of thing is In Control Of Nature by John MacPhee.


irulan

[DeniseGoldberg]

I've donated to the Red Cross. Prayers and wishes are great, but something more tangible will really help people out.
http://www.redcross.org/ You can designate your donation for hurricane relief.
irulan

Me too. The first time I tried to access the site it didn't respond - but I kept trying and was able to make my donation. So if you're having problems accessing http://www.redcross.org, wait a bit and try again. (The web site seems to be much more responsive today than it was earlier in the week.)

--- Denise

[jeannierides]

My computer has been down for almost 3 weeks, so I haven't been able to get on as much as I would like. I am babysitting for my little grands today, so have a few minutes to get on my daughter's computer. I was really glad to see this thread, and want to add my t's and p's as well...and will be sending my donation to the RC today...

[pkq]

Irulan, the Corps of Engineers has done a marvelous job keeping the course of the Mississippi from going down the Atchafalaya River Basin. Twenty years ago they presented a show at E-Week on their efforts. It was impressive and fascinating. I've had friends here, PA, probe about all that stuff and basically to allow the combination of the Mississippi with the Atchafalaya would leave Baton Rouge and New Orleans, two major ports, high and dry. It also allows tankers to dock at the refineries along the Mississippi from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. To move the infrastructure for industry, commerce, and residential would be a whoppin' lot of dough. This is making financial analysts look again at the feasibility of doing such a move so the outcome will be interesting.

[Irulan]

Irulan, the Corps of Engineers has done a marvelous job keeping the course of the Mississippi from going down the Atchafalaya River Basin. Twenty years ago they presented a show at E-Week on their efforts. It was impressive and fascinating. I've had friends here, PA, probe about all that stuff and basically to allow the combination of the Mississippi with the Atchafalaya would leave Baton Rouge and New Orleans, two major ports, high and dry. It also allows tankers to dock at the refineries along the Mississippi from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. To move the infrastructure for industry, commerce, and residential would be a whoppin' lot of dough. This is making financial analysts look again at the feasibility of doing such a move so the outcome will be interesting.

That all might be a moot point now.

[Trek420]

but ya know I'm concerned that so far we have not had 1 TE'er chime in with "hey, we're ok, thanks for thinking of us".

Does anyone know if we have any board members in the area?

[LBTC]

but ya know I'm concerned that so far we have not had 1 TE'er chime in with "hey, we're ok, thanks for thinking of us".

Does anyone know if we have any board members in the area?

That's what I've been hoping to hear! Can our administrators check the stats and see if anyone is from that area??

~T~

[Aint Doody]

I think the reason nobody has responded is because there is no power, no telephone service. Think, y'all!!! I have family in Hattiesburg, MS, (60 mi from Gulfport) and in their neighborhood only 1 cell phone is able to be used--no land lines. I'm happy that my family there is okay--all considered. Downed trees and debris all over. Not too bad compared to Gulfport, Biloxi, and New Orleans. But they won't have any power for about 3 more weeks I'm told.

Do consider the Red Cross donation. I cried and cried watching the television and seeing places I knew that were devastated. They need our help and thoughts and prayers. You do have to be a bit patient waiting for the web site. My hope is that is because so many are donating and that slows things down.

[bouncybouncy]

as i sit here listening to a telethon on a local radio station...and see the array of critical headlines my heart cries!!! am i angry? am i disgusted? am i sad? or am i relieved?

my first reactions to the cat 5 rolling towards the gulf was relief...that could have been my city! that could have been my struggle! but now that relief is guilt for feeling that way in the first place!

then i saw the damage and thought of the asian countries hit with the tsunami and was sure we could bounce back faster and easier (heck we are a civilized country, right?)

now look at us?!? i do not know what to think...i heard this morning of a crew of new orleans police officers trying to stop a group of looters only to be shot at, one officer was shot point blank in the forhead!!! a national guard troop was beaten back at the entry to the covention center by angry citizens!!! a relief helicopter was shot at trying to deliver water!!! boats are lined up waiting to enter the flooded areas only to be told to enter at your own risk or not to enter at all because of the danger (not the environmental danger, but the mobs and thugs) women are being raped as they try to walk through the street for refuge...no wonder relief is slow!!!

FEMA said that their normal method of operations is ill equipped to deal with this magnitude (they usually begin registering victims AFTER red cross has comforted them...supply the victims with long-term help by direct depositing money into bank accounts - which there are none) ....red cross' supply of relief was dissipated with overwelming amount of people seeking relief immediately!!!

i am now struggling with the anger and/or pity...these people were told to evacuate...in fact they were urged to leave (in fact some were required to sign waivers in order to inentify the remains or missing) so why didn't they leave? poverty, no transportation, too immobile with sickness...who knows?

i guess my real question is why is this disaster's aftermath so violent and out of control...and others like the twin towers, the tsunami, california earthquakes, etc seem to be a true sign of humanity??? what has our country come to???

can we stop looking for someone to blame and just get together to help each other in a huge cotastrophe???

my rant is over for now...thank you for listening (reading)...my heart continues to struggle but i do find peace in the group of women here and the amazing amount of good people out there donating, volunteering, and helping!