How about some real heat! Frosty is nowhere to be seen!

[bmccasland]

I understand the totally helpless feeling. Completely. New Orleans is still rebuilding after the 2005 hurricanes and levee failures/overtoppings.

I feel for all y'll in Oz with the bad bushfires. All I can say for the arsonists is they need to round up all his stuff, every single iota of things he hold dear, and burn it, and make him watch. Of course I'm assuming he as a thread of empathy. Which obvisouly he doesn't. May he rot in a dark hole some where.

[crazycanuck]

Beth, I can assure you the $*$*$8 arsonist now in police custody will not make any friends in jail. I'm sure the Coffin Cheaters & other gangs will make his life miserable.

[sundial]

What about the homeless families....where are they staying? Is the government providing them with temporary shelter?

[crazycanuck]

Sundial, there are people offering the bushfire displaced space at their homes. Also, there is a tent like city set up in one of the towns which was set up (i think) by reservists & now being helped out by the military.

The Red Cross is doing a great job!!! http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/servi...ppeal-2009.htm

The total $$ raised keeps growing..

[sundial]

Ok, I hope the government works more efficiently than ours when Hurricane Katrina hit.

[bmccasland]

Ok, I hope the government works more efficiently than ours when Hurricane Katrina hit.

That wouldn't be very difficult to do. For emergency response - the National Guard and Regular Army did a bang up job and deserve lots of praise. National Guard Police are still here.

One of the big problems down here was the high poverty rate, and the social ills that goes along with that. People lived in marginal housing before the storm, and now that's gone. Various charities are still here helping rebuild homes or whole neighborhoods.

It will take a lot personal drive to rebuild an entire community, and the stories that come out of that will be amazing.

[sundial]

Harry Connick Jr is helping to rebuild parts of NOLA.

[Trekhawk]

What about the homeless families....where are they staying? Is the government providing them with temporary shelter?

Families are also being offered accommodation at Puckapunyal Army Base in Victoria.