KATRINA UPDATE- WED. MORN

IT'S WED MORNING AND HERE ARE THE UPDATES FROM TUES. NITE FROM KATRINA.
LINKS WILL BE ADDED AT THE END WITH RELATIVE ARTICALES.
BASIC SUPPORT INFO::::::
IMPORTANT NUMBERS: DONATE -BE GENEROUS, THESE ARE OUR FLESH AND BLOOD
SALVATION ARMY: 1-800- SAL-ARMY
RED CROSS:1-800- HELP-NOW
( ALSO PLEASE NOTE THAT WALMART AND SAMS CLUB ARE COLLECTING FOR SALVATION ARMY. PLEASE NOTE SALVATION ARMY IS ALSO TRYING TO SET UP AN ORGANIZED RADIO SYSTEM"SATERN", TO HELP LOCATE PEOPLE AND CONNECT RELATIVES, RED CROSS ALSO IS AND WILL BE MAKING A SIMILIAR EFFORT THE SAME SERVICE- AND IF YOU ARE MISSING RELATIVES PLEASE CALL THE RED CROSS AND GIVE INFO AS WELL. AS OF TONIGHT THEY HAVE 185 TRUCKS ON THE WAY.)
COAST GUARD IF YOU SEE FLOATING CONTAMINATION AND WISH TO REPORT,( PEOPLE HAVE ALSO BEEN CALLING THIS NUMBER ABOUT STRANDED RELATIVES): 1-800-424-8802
AND FOR MISSING PERSONS PLEASE CHECK :::http://www.nowpublic.com/mode/17228, Katrina's Missing Person Board
AND TO OFFER SERVICES OR GOODS, OR EVEN A PLACE TO STAY: CRAIGSLIST.COM
***** Please call MEDIA AND ENCOURAGE THAT THEY START MISSING PERSONS BOARDS MUCH LIKE THEY DID AFTER 911- THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE SO PEOPLE CAN START ATTEMPTING TO FIND EACH OTHER. This alleviates much panic and actually helps creates some order, esp. when people have evacuated to other states.

(1)NEW ORLEANS HAD LOOTINGS DURING THE EVE AND NIGHT, MOST PEOPLE WERE STEALING ESSENTIALS, LIKE FOOD AND WATER AND YES SOME WERE STEALING GOODS TO BARTER FOR FOOD OR TO TAKE CLOTHES BACK TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS. AND YES THERE WERE SOME THAT WERE STEALING RANDOM MEANINGLESS GOODS, BUT THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED WITH TWO DAYS OF NO POWER AND NO REAL COMMUNICATION FROM AUTHORITIES, AND NO REAL VISIBLE PRESENCE SEEN IN THE CITY , AS NOT ENOUGH GUARD HAD BEEN MOBLIZED TO BE IN THE CITY.AS OF THIS POST 7,500 MORE GUARD ARE DUE TO ARRIVE IN THE GULF AREA- HOW THEY ARE TO BE DISPERSED HAS NOT BEEN FULLY ANNOUNCED. THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED ATLEAST 25,000 PEOPLE IN THE BATTERED,PEELED SUPERDOME THAT STILL HAS NO POWER, RUNNING WATER, AND OR WORKING TOILETS. AS OF 10PM TUESDAY EVE WATER SURROUNDING STRUCURE WAIST HIGH. IT ALSO HAS ATLEAST 7,000 ILL AND INFIRMED AND ELDERLY- AND IS BEING MANAGED BY THE GUARD-BUT DETERIORATING CONDITIONS ARE DEPLORABLE AND THE GOVERNOR'S GOALS ACCORDING TO NEWS TUES. NITE ARE TO EVAC THE STRUCTURE WITHIN 48 HOURS. HOSPITALS - CHARITY AND TULANE ARE BOTH SHUT AND EVACUATING AS WELL DUE TO RISING WATERS IN THE CITY. CITY-80% OF CITY IS UNDER WATER, AND THAT WAS BEFORE THE TWO MAIN LEVEES BROKE. THE ARMY CORP WOULD LIKE TO START AUDACIOUS PLAN TO SANDBAG THSES WOUNDED STRETCHES OF DIKE, BUT LOGISTICALLY ALL AVAILABLE HELICOPTERS ARE BEING USED TO RESCUE PEOPLE STILL TRAPPED IN ROOFS OF CITY- MAYOR ESTIMATED THERE MIGHT BE AS MANY AS 5-7000 PEOPLE STILL TRAPPED. COAST GUARD DID AN AMAZING JOB ALL DAY RESCUING MANY- AN ESTIMATE OF 1500-2000 PEOPLE THAT WERE TAKEN TO THE DOME, AND ALSO AERIAL FOOTAGE WAS AND RESCUE FOOTAGE THAT WAS SHOT WAS MOSTLY BY THE COAST GUARD. AS OF THIS WRITING THE WATERS WERE STILL RISING IN THE CITY UP TO 20 FEET IN PLACES. 5,000 INMATES WERE ALSO BEING EVACUATED FROM TWO LOCAL PENS THAT WERE FILLING WITH WATER AS WELL. IT WAS UNCLEAR AS OF 8PM WHERE THESE INAMTES WERE TO BE TAKEN. POLICE ARE ALSO RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND ALSO NEED BOATS, FISH AND WILDLIFE HAS ALSO BEEN SUPPLYING BOATS AND ASSISTING WITH RESCUES AND NEEDED SERVICES.
THE LOCAL POLICE DO NOT HAVE THE FACILITIES TO TAKE PEOPLE OR HOLD THEM, AND THEY REALLY NEED MORE BODIES AND GUARD TO COME IN AT THIS POINT.HEALTH WISE THE TULANE HOSPITAL IS BEING EVACUATED AS IS THE CHARITY HOSPITAL, THESE ARE THE TWO MAIN MEDICAL FACLITIES AND ALSO ALWAYS ALSO OFFER REFUGE FOR THEIR STAFF AND STAFF PETS, SO THIS IS GOING TO ADD IMMENSELY TO THE SHELTER AND HEALTH CRISIS IN NEW ORLEANS. IT IS ALSO CRITICAL TO REMEMBER THAT THROUGHOUT THE GULF THAT COMMUNICATION IS SEVERELY LIMITED AND HAMPERED DUE TO LACK OF POWER. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT MILLIONS ARE WITHOUT POWER IN THE THREE STATES UP TO 4 MILLION IN ONE ARTICALE- 2.5 AT LOWEST ESTIMATE. IT IS ALSO CRITICAL TO REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE THAT DID NOT EVACUATE DID SO BECAUSE THEY HAD NO MONEY, NOWHERE TO GO , OR WERE WITH PETS, WHICH SHELTERS DO NOT ALLOW, AND ALSO MANY WERE ELDERLY OR FRAIL OR ILL. THERE WERE REASONS THAT PEOPLE DID NOT EVACUATE, SOME IN MEDIA AND GOVT' MADE IT SOUND EVACUATION ORDERS WERE IGNORED- AFTER READING MANY OF THE STORIES ONLINE - THERE WERE VALID REASONS THAT PEOPLE ENDED UP STRANDED ON ROOFTOPS.

(2) ALOT OF THE ORIGINAL WARNINGS WERE ABOUT NEW ORLEANS, BUT MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA ARE IN NOT MUCH BETTER SHAPE, ESP THE COASTLINES, BUT ALSO UP TO FOUR MILES INLAND. BILOXI MAYOR SAID"THIS IS OUR TSUNAMI".THE FOOTAGE THAT HAS BEEN COMING OUT IS HORRIFYING, ESP. AERIALS. THERE ARE SEVEN DRILLING RIGS ARE ADRIFT- DEPT OF ENERGY HAS BEEN ALREADY HAVING MEETINGS, AND JOINT TASK FORCE IS PLANNED IN DC FOR WED TO REVIEW ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS. EPA IS SENDING CONTAMINATION TEAMS. CHERTOFF HAS APPROVED ALL ESSENTIAL GUARD BE CALLED UP. DHHS IS ALSO CALLING UP MEDICAL TEAMS TO COME TO THE AREA. GUARD- THERE ARE 31, 000 AVAILABLE IN THE TRI-STATE AREA, AND 19 STATES HAVE OFFERED HELP- ATLEAST HALF OUR GUARD HAS/IS DEPLOYED IN IRAQ, PENTAGON IS GIVING DIFFERENT NUMBERS ON THIS. BUT WE KNOW THAT HALF OF THE WOUNDED OF 17,000 AND DEAD ARE GUARD, BUT THIS IS A MOMENT THAT WE NEED THE GUARD- THERE SHOULD BE ATLEAST HALF OF 337,000 AVAILABLE STATESIDE AT THIS TIME TO ASSIST WITH THIS DEVASTATION. NOW HOW MUCH EQUIPTMENT, HUMVEES, AND AMPHIBS IS UNCLEAR, AS ARE HOW MANY FLIGHT VEHICLES, IT HAS NOT BEEN CLEAR IF MUCH OUT GUARD EQUIPMENT IS OVER IN IRAQ. ANOTHER POINT OF CONCERN IS THAT MANY BASES IN THE GULF REGION , BUT IF THE GULF STATES ARE TO BE EVACUATED TO A BASE, THEN OTHER STATES WILL HAVE TO BE ASSESSED. THREE NAVY SHIPS ARE ON THE WAY AS OF TUESDAY NIGHT- MAYBE THEY WILL THINK TO BRING THE" MERCY" OR THE "HOPE" VESSELS AS THEY DID AFTER 9-11. NOAA AND USGS ARE ALREADY SENDING TEAMS TO ASSESS AND DO AERIALS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SOON MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF HELP ON THE WAY- NOT TREAT THIS AS A PHOTO OP. SADLY THIS ACTUALLY MIGHT TURN OUT TO BE OUR GREATEST LESSON WHY WE NEED A NATIONAL GUARD HERE AT HOME , BECAUSE WE WILL NEED THESE TROOPS FOR MONTHES- THIS IS OUR GREATEST TRAGEDY. AND OUR PEOPLE NEED TO TROOPS HOME TO HELP RESTORE ORDER STRUCTURE AND REBUILD. THIS IS A CRISIS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH. IT APPEARS THAT MANY DEPTS ARE ALREADY MAKING DECISIONS WITHOUT THE PRES. YET EVEN BACK IN WHITE HOUSE...

(3) IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE HEALTH CRISIS'S ON THE HORIZON, THESE PEOPLE ARE MISSING RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND ALSO HAVE LOST HOMES, AND JOBS, EMERGENCY ORGS WOULD BE WISE TO CONSULT WITH TSUNAMI ORGS AND NGO'S; AND LEARN FROM THEM HOW TO ORGANIZE AND STRUCTURE THE MASSIVE EFFORTS THAT WILL BE NEEDED IN THIS TRI-STATE AREA.THE PEOPLE THERE NEED HELP AND SOON AS THE CONTAMINATED WATER CRISIS WORSENS AND LACK OF FOOD AND HEALTHCARE. THERE WILL BE DEHYDRATION, MALNUTRITION, AND INFECTION RATES THAT WILL SKY-ROCKET OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS WITH OUT PROPER AID MOBILIZED. DHHS IS SENDING 27 PALLETS OF GOODS, BUT IT IS UNLCEAR AS TO HOW THAT WILL BE DISPERSED OR DISTRIBUTED. FEMA IS ALSO SENDING HEALTH TEAMS- BUT IS ONLY LOOKED LIKE APRROX 40 PEOPLE- MORE ARE NEEDED. MASH UNITS WILL NEED TO BE SET UP. CAMPS WILL NEED TO BE ORGANIZED ON ABANDONED BASES OR SCHOOL CAMPUSES IN A STATE CLOSE BY, AND SET UP QUICKLY.MILITARY WISE- SOME OBVIOUS CHOICES WERE KEESLER, CAMP SHELBY, HOMESTEAD, AND THE NAVY- PENASCOULA OR PASCAGOULA BUT ALL OF THESE BASES HAD TOO MUCH DAMAGE TO BE CONSIDERED VIABLE CHOICES. ALSO I PERSONALLY THINK THAT AS MANY VEHICLES OF TRANSPORT NEED TO BE EXAMINED, CHINOOKS, AND EVEN C5'S AND POSSIBLEY EVEN CALLING RUSSIA AS THEY HAVE LARGE HELIS THAT MIGHT HELP MOVE PEOPLE. ALL OPTIONS NEED TO BE EXAMINED TO EXPEDITE MOVING PEOPLE TO SAFER LOCATIONS. ONLY 200 SHELTERS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE OPEN IN THE THREE STATES, CHURCHES WILL HAVE TO BE ENCOURAGED TO ASSIST AND OPEN THEIR DOORS, AS WELL AS COLLECT CLOTHES AND OTHER ESSENTIALS.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PAPERS FOR FULL SERIES OF ARTICALES: THE INDEPENDENT, SAN DIEGO TIMES, AND ALSO REUTERS, I AM TOO TIRED TO POST LINK.SORRY.