New Orleans Status Updates--NO POLITICS

[terpkristin]

It's worth a shot.
The "Katrina hits Category 5" thread is really hard to read when you're trying to find out how people are, as it has been seriously clouded by the political pissing contest.

I really would like a thread to keep track of our New Orleans bretheren (or those with family in NO)--without the politics coming into it.

EF, any news for us? You're moving back to LA in a few weeks, right?
Masked, any word from your family?
Pumpy, any thoughts?
Anyone else I missed...?

As for my brother he's safely in Texas and has no intention of going back to NO, as near as I can tell. He may go back at some point in the far future, but he doesn't think his place is OK...if it isn't flooded (it might have escaped that), he thinks it might have been looted. As of now his plan is to hang out for another week or so in Texas then go up to Indiana to visit my sister and then over here to Columbia, MD to see my folks, and then possibly move to Portland, Oregon or Ashville, North Carolina. We wired him a little bit of money so he could buy some changes of clothes. As far as I know, though, mostly what he took out of NO with him was himself, about 2 changes of clothes, and his cat. Sadly, that does imply that his computers are all at his place in NO (including his laptop). :( Oh well, it's just stuff...just a shame it's expensive stuff.

/tk

[RendeR]

I finally heard from my uncle and his family today. He stayed in Biloxi (house 4 miles from the coast) through the storm, and it appears that somehow the house made it through. He said everyone was ok and that he's on a scavenger hunt for gas for his generator.

Took a damn week for him to find a way to contact the family though, I can't imagine how people are dealing with missing loved ones. I'm not all that close to my uncle's family, but it was driving me nuts.

[Masked]

Quick update - Sunday, my parents went to Children's Hospital where my dad works. They were able to drive out of the city Wednesday and are now staying with relatives in western Louisiana. They are planning to be there for sometime, and my dad is setting up his practice there. It will be some time before the hospital reopens in New Orleans. Unfortunately, our house is severely flooded and by this point may be a total loss. And my cat could not be taken to the hospital with them. She was 19 and had been very sick for some time.

We have no information about any of our relatives in Mississippi, but, fortunately, they did not live on the coast.

[terpkristin]

From the other thread.
And, RendeR and Masked, glad to hear your families are OK. Very sorry about the house and cat, though. :(

So, um, yeah, my friend - you know, the one I thought was dead all week - he called me this morning. He was in New Orleans East, one of the areas that was actually under several feet of water just from the hurricane (before the levee broke). He had four feet of water in his apartment on Monday. After living in it for three days, he finally ran out of food and swam in the floodwaters a mile to the nearest grocery store. He's not proud of it, but the store had already been broken into by other people, so he went in and took some canned food and some beverages so he could survive. He found a mattress floating around the area and put his groceries on top of it, and he pulled it back to his apartment, because, believe it or not, his flooded apartment was the only place that he felt safe. He stayed there until his longtime friend went looking for him and pulled him out. He's now in a shelter in Lake Charles, and somehow, his friend and his friend's family had no room to take him to their next stop. He's surrounded by strangers, he has been unable to reach his parents to let them know that he's alive. I felt terrible because I urged him to leave on Sunday morning, and the knucklehead refused to go. His priorities weren't in the right place, and he understands that now, but he had to go through hell to realize it. Even though I did everything I could from 1000 miles away, I would have felt pretty bad if he would have perished in this storm.

I'm sorry that I can't provide the board with any compelling political commentary, but I'm trying to get back into this thread just to give a unique perspective. It may sound strange, but I feel like I'm in a very strange situation, considering that I was fortunate enough (and I feel very guilty using that term) to have left the city right before all of this happened. Yeah yeah, boo-hoo, poor Pumpy. Still, if this is no longer the right thread to post anything like this, let me know and I'll just leave it alone again.
/tk

[Pumpy Tudors]

Since I had stopped posting in the other thread, there are a lot of things that I hadn't mentioned. I did just make a couple of posts there, though, and one of them mentioned a good friend of mine who somehow escaped after the storm. Still, since I haven't mentioned many of these things yet, they're going to just jump out at people. Sorry that I didn't give any background before, but that's the way things are.

My mother and sister are in Lafayette, Louisiana. They are actually about to rent a house out there for a few months. My sister had just started her final semester at UNO. I'm not sure what she's going to do as far as her degree is concerned yet. She may finish it up at UL-Lafayette, or she may just see if UNO reopens in January.

My father was on his way to Atlanta, last I heard. I haven't spoken with him since the storm, but my sister has. He's safe.

I had an aunt, a cousin, and an uncle all stay in New Orleans at the time of the storm. They all happened to be in New Orleans East, which was hit hard by the hurricane before the levee problems even started. They're on my mother's side, and my mother hasn't heard from them yet, nor have I. My mother and sister have tried to contact my aunt and cousin by cell phone, and they have not gotten a response. My mother admits that she may just be optimistic, but she thinks that she actually saw my aunt and cousin on the television in one of the crowds in New Orleans early this week. Again, this may just be optimism, but in reality, it's likely that none of those family members of mine survived. I hate to say it, but none of them were as well-equipped as my aforementioned friend was to handle that disaster.

There were other relatives of mine on my father's side whom I haven't spoken to in a couple of years. My dad might know what has happened to them. When I talk to him, I'll ask. I hope that they left before the storm even hit. I have a good feeling about some of them for various reasons, but there are others who I really couldn't make a guess on. I probably won't know anything about them for at least a couple of days, and if my dad doesn't know, it could be weeks before I find out.

[ice4277]

Not New Orleans, but I finally got in touch with my best friend, who works at a TV station in Hattiesburg. The shitty part for him is, he just moved there for this job less than two weeks ago. Anyways, apparently his apartment made it through mostly ok, they just got the water turned back on this morning. Power may be a while, but at least his station got its generator back up and working. Phone coverage is spotty, he called and left me a message but I can't get back in touch with him.

The important thing to me is that he is ok, relatively speaking that area didn't get it as bad as the coast, but you never know for sure until you hear from somebody themselves.

[finkenst]

A personal update for me, family, and friends:

My sister has opened her home to employees form the Southern Center for Agricultural Research. The building was completely destroyed by the hurricane and flooding. My sisters works for the Northern Center here in Peoria...

All of the employees of the southern center are going to be scattered throughout the US at the various CAURs.

A girl on my volleyball team was expecting a call from the NO zoo earlier this week about a job... To think she could've already moved to new orleans...

sigh.

:(

[Eaglesfan27]

The other thread has become a mess and since you asked about updates, I'll copy my post from the other thread with the most recent update:

Pumpy, that is truly great news. It makes me feel a bit guilty about posting my own good news which pales in comparision of importance.

First, our plans to go to Olive Garden or a buffet changed as no one wanted either tonight. So, we went to a place called the "best barbeque in North Little Rock" by our hotel's clerk. It was quite good. The waitress recognized our Hibernia card as she used to live in New Orleans. She got the owner to make our 70 plus dollar meal half price! That was good news bit #1.

I just arrived back at the room and finally LSU has posted. I'm now offically on special leave with full pay!!!! That status is effective until September 30th. It will be re-evaluated at the end of the month. I can be re-assigned to wherever they need me, but they will make "all attempts" to place me where the storm forced me to re-locate. Therefore, it looks like there is a chance they'll provide me with work in Shreveport. Regardless, I will be paid and that just lessened the financial hit of this whole situation considerably.

Again, I sort of feel bad even worrying about that, when I read about situations such as Pumpy's friend went through. I'm glad he is well Pumpy.



Additional thoughts: I'm just amazed at the generosity of people in Little Rock. There are a lot of little things that people here are doing to help us, and it is greatly appreciated. Also, thank you everyone on this board who has sent well wishes/prayers our way.


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[sabotai]

First, our plans to go to Olive Garden or a buffet changed as no one wanted either tonight. So, we went to a place called the "best barbeque in North Little Rock" by our hotel's clerk. It was quite good. The waitress recognized our Hibernia card as she used to live in New Orleans. She got the owner to make our 70 plus dollar meal half price! That was good news bit #1.
mmmmmm.....bar-b-que....*drool*

[Galaxy]

Jeebs gonna be pretty disappointed in you EF. :D

[Eaglesfan27]

Jeebs gonna be pretty disappointed in you EF. :D
I don't want to sidetrack this thread from important updates, but we are planning on going to the Olive Garden no later than this Monday Night! :D


We just decided not to go there tonight.

[Galaxy]

I don't want to sidetrack this thread from important updates, but we are planning on going to the Olive Garden no later than this Monday Night! :D


We just decided not to go there tonight.

Not side-tracking. Just make sure not to call it a date. :)

Are you just going to stay in the hotel in Little Rock until you find out something? How is the family coping with everything?

[Eaglesfan27]

I just read Pumpy's most recent post. I'll be praying that all of your family survived Pumpy.


I know it was a harmless joke, Galaxy :) Our first apartment (of the two) isn't going to be available in Shreveport until the 9th. So, unless LSU wants me to move earlier, we will be staying at the hotel in Little Rock until either the 7th or the 9th if we can't find a hotel in Shreveport that accepts pets for the 7th through the 9th.

[terpkristin]

Wow, Pumpy...
Quite powerful stuff. I found that we've been going crazy with just my brother in the New Orleans area...I can't imagine having my entire family down there. :( I'll keep your family in my thoughts.

EF, glad to hear things are going more or less as good as can be expected. Sounds like you've got a good plan for rebuilding and getting back to "normal," which is awesome.

ice, glad to hear your friend is OK, too.

I probably missed someone, but so far it seems the consensus here is mostly that people are doing OK and trying to get back to some semblance of normal. Please keep us updated on how things are. :)

/tk

[CamEdwards]

that's wonderful news EF. And Pumpy, I'm really sorry to hear about your family. I'll keep hoping for the best.

I heard from one of my more avid callers in Ponchachoula today. His house is okay, but the power's still out in the area. Have another regular caller in Pascagoula, MS. Haven't heard from him yet. :(

[RPI-Fan]

There is somebody from work who had 7 siblings, nieces, nephews, etc. parrish in the storm.:(

[TargetPractice6]

I heard from my friend that was at UNO today. He was in Mobile and is catching a flight back to Lexington tomorrow.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'd like to say something here because I really need to get it off my chest. I've already said it to my wife, and she understands and has been very supportive and helpful. Like I mentioned before, however, I wish to provide my perspective of things to anybody here who's interested. If the below sounds like whining or that I'm downplaying the problems that the people of the Gulf region are going through, I sincerely apologize. I would never intend to suggest that my personal concerns are anywhere near as important as the terrors that those people have faced. With that said, I still want to give some idea of what I'm feeling, because I've been awfully quiet on the board this week. I'm about to tell you why.

I feel absolutely terrible about being in Pennsylvania right now. My wife's family lives in Memphis, so although she can be supportive, she just can't feel the way I do right now. I know that my family is happy that my wife and I did not have to endure any part of this tragedy, but a part of me wishes that I had still been in Louisiana for the hurricane. It hurts me to know that my parents and my sister may have lost their homes. I can't imagine what it's like for them right now. Nine years ago, my mom, my sister, and I lost our home to a fire. We didn't know where we were going to go, but we bounced around between family members and friends for a few months until we got back on our feet. I realize now that I had always been comfortable with that, because we went through the experience together.

I've always been very close with my mother and sister. I don't mean to say that I'm not close with my father, because I am, but he moved out when I was about 12. I still saw him very regularly, and he's always been a good father to me, but I lived with my mother and sister until just a couple of years ago. We've been through everything together. Now, even though nobody could have predicted the timing of this event, I feel like I abandoned them at the worst possible time. I'm trying not to feel this way, but if this had to happen, I wish this would have happened six weeks ago when I was still there. I would never wish for my wife to deal with this, so I'm having a hard time reconciling these feelings, because she would have been there with me. I know that my mom and sister are getting through this a lot better than thousands of other families, and they're going to be fine. It just doesn't seem fair that they're going through this and I'm not. I went to my first day of work up here today. It's only a temporary job, but up until last week, I had been looking forward to some work because I wanted some spending money. I couldn't enjoy working again, though, because the places where my family worked are gone. It doesn't feel right that I have my new home, my car, my material possessions, my clothes -- my motherfucking clothes. We were together through everything, and now at the worst time in their lives, I have many of the things that I used to only dream about. It's just not fair.

I briefly spoke to my mother about this the other day, and she assured me that they're all going to be OK. In my heart, I know that they will be, because they're strong people. I just wish I was there to prove that I'm strong, too. Instead, I'm sitting here at my damn computer in dry, crystal clear Pennsylvania with tears in my eyes.

Maybe I'm not as strong as I thought.

[Swaggs]

Pumpy, in case you are unwilling to go into the other thread, Jim made this post, which probably summarizes a lot of our feelings towards you at this time:

Originally Posted by Solecismic
On the other hand, I have all the respect in the world for people like Pumpy's friend, who did what he had to do to survive, and still feels a little bad about it. Good people make tough decisions, and aren't overly proud of themselves.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Thanks, Swaggs. As much of as a bonehead as my friend is, I am extremely proud of him for what he's done this week.

[Franklinnoble]

Pumpy, I think it's great that you're so conscious of the timing of your situation. I would suggest that God has blessed you for a reason here - and that you should prayerfully consider how to best use the opportunity you've been given.

[kcchief19]

Pumpy, I don't know what to say. Seeing the pain you're in is heartbreaking. I'm so fortunate that I don't have friends and family in the area down there -- I can't imagine what you're going through. You're not whining. These are the kinds of things you need to get out and talk about. I'm glad you're wife is there for you.

I completely understand the feelings you're going through. A lot of people feel that way when things are going well for them and someone they love is going through a trial. But look at it another way; there are a lot of things about this situation that are fortunate for you and your family. For instance, I'll bet your mother is thankful to god that you're safe and she doesn't have to worry about you being someplace in trouble. Based on what I've seen from you over the years, I'll be willing to bet that if you're mother knew you were in danger it would tear her apart. She's glad you're someplace safe and secure.

Thanks to events in your life, you're also probably in a position to offer different help to your family and friends than you could if you were there That's a god send; not a curse. You are where you are at for a reason. I can't tell you how much it says about you that you have those feelings. It means you're one of the good guys. Don't punish yourself. You don't deserve it. It'll get better. I know it never feels that way, but it really will get better.

Keep us up to date, as you feel like it. If this place can be an outlet for you, use it. I can't think of a better thing this fourm can do than be a place to vent and get your feelings out. Hang in there! A lot of people are thinking about you, your family and your friends.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Pumpy, I think it's great that you're so conscious of the timing of your situation. I would suggest that God has blessed you for a reason here - and that you should prayerfully consider how to best use the opportunity you've been given.
My mother would agree with you here. I'm trying to keep my life moving up here. I'm finally on the verge of getting a pretty decent job, my wife is having the time of her life teaching computer science, and we even get to see live hockey for the first time in three years. I have been unable to afford to make a donation to the Red Cross so far, but when I get my first paycheck, I certainly will. The Red Cross did a hell of a job taking care of my mom and sister when they were in a shelter, and they're doing the same job all over the Gulf coast right now. While there's that part of me that wishes to be there, another part of me is getting ready to take care of myself in the same way that my family was taken care of.

Thank you.

[CamEdwards]

this is going to sound incredibly gay, but if there's one person in the world I could hug right now, it'd be you Pumpy.

Love you buddy. You and your family are in my heart and my prayers.

[Pumpy Tudors]

To everybody who has comments for me, thank you. I don't want anyone to feel left out from my thanks because I appreciate it from all of you. This is a big help in keeping my head together.

[Franklinnoble]

this is going to sound incredibly gay, but if there's one person in the world I could hug right now, it'd be you Pumpy.

Love you buddy. You and your family are in my heart and my prayers.
Yeah, that's pretty gay. :D

[Swaggs]

this is going to sound incredibly gay, but if there's one person in the world I could hug right now, it'd be you Pumpy.

Love you buddy. You and your family are in my heart and my prayers.

are you trying to steal Subby's title?

[Pumpy Tudors]

Hey, I'll take some gay right now. Take what you can get, huh? :)

[RendeR]

Hang in there man, with something this humungous happening, we've all gotta stop and realize we're all together in this. We're all thinking of you and yours even as we think of our own.

[Franklinnoble]

Hey, I'll take some gay right now. Take what you can get, huh? :)
Sure. I'll bet Cam will even be good enough to give you a reach-around. :eek:

:D

[JonInMiddleGA]

EaglesFan - awesome news. You've become a regular topic around my house this week & this is certainly going to be well received downstairs (tonight you were on-the-way-to- dinner conversation, I even tried to steer them to Olive Garden as a show of solidarity ;)
No dice on my end either).

Render & Masked - glad to hear there's good news on your respective relatives.

PumpyTudors - Dang, this is the third thing I've typed in this post to you, neither of the first two got it right, maybe 3rd times the charm. ... ... Aw crap, this ain't gonna be right either. I can't say "I know how you feel", but I sure can say that I feel an awful lot for what you must be going through. I don't know why yours is the story that made me cry for the first time amid all the stories, but it did. My heart goes out to you & your entire family, along with as sincere prayers for comfort & relief as I've ever uttered.

[Eaglesfan27]

Pumpy, I just got back to my computer and your posts have brought tears to my eyes as well. I think I'm feeling something similar to what you are feeling on a MUCH smaller scale. I was thinking about it earlier. I feel bad about my good fortune. I think it is a variation of survivor's guilt or some similar phenomenon. In any case, I'm not going to try to overintellectualize this, but you as well as your entire family and the entire city are in my prayers.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

I've just been trying to hold it together for my family and myself the last few days. I'm not ashamed to say I'm crying right now as my wife is sleeping in the bed beside the table.

[Franklinnoble]

Dola -

I've just been trying to hold it together for my family and myself the last few days. I'm not ashamed to say I'm crying right now as my wife is sleeping in the bed beside the table.
Gay. ;)

[Pumpy Tudors]

Dola -

I've just been trying to hold it together for my family and myself the last few days. I'm not ashamed to say I'm crying right now as my wife is sleeping in the bed beside the table.
Believe me, I know where you're coming from. We each have our own separate situations, but I think our feelings come from the same place. You're doing a terrific job handling this entire situation, and I can only imagine what it's like. Everything's going to be great for you.

[Cringer]

Well, one of the Imperial League owners checked in today with us. He lives in Slidell and is moving all around it sounds like.

Still waiting on another owner who lives in Gulfport. :(

edit: and expect plenty of wet/dry vacs to be down there, that was what my company sent down there on our trucks, as they do with most hurricanes I think.

[Glengoyne]

...
edit: and expect plenty of wet/dry vacs to be down there, that was what my company sent down there on our trucks, as they do with most hurricanes I think.
I've just read through most of the twenty whatever page thread on the Hurricane. I posted there, but I don't think the last few pages of that thread put me in the best frame of mind, so my post there really doesn't convey my feelings about the events, and how they have affected many of the posters in this thread.

My heart goes out to everyone here who has been displaced or had their family uprooted or even lost by this disaster. You and yours are in my throughts and prayers.

It is odd. This week I was completely slammed at work. I've been putting in 16 and 20 hour days all week long. I left relatively early 6PM Thursday night, and that is when I learned on the radio that the levees on Lake Pontchartrain had failed. I knew what that meant for New Orleans, and only then did I start to understand why that Katrina Thread at FOFC had been at the top of the page for so long. Earlier that day I was actually a more than a little pissed with a vendor who had diverted the generator I had ordered weeks ago to a company in Mississippi. Oops.

[terpkristin]

Wow reading this thread has made ME cry (just reading such emotional notes from people).

Pumpy, I can't exactly know what you're feeling, but it does remind me a bit of how I felt on 9/11, being separated from my family, all of us in areas near the sites of 9/11. I'll still be thinking about you and your family. You sound like a very strong family, which I've found is quite often the most important factor in getting through these things, so I have faith that you all will.

As for the rest, thanks for keeping this on-topic and please keep us updated with how things are going. We are family here on some level, and I want to know how the family is doing.

I guess I'm allowed to cry, though, I *am* a girl..

/tk

[JonInMiddleGA]

I guess I'm allowed to cry, though, I *am* a girl..


AFAIC, everybody "human" is allowed to cry as needed through this one.

[terpkristin]

AFAIC, everybody "human" is allowed to cry as needed through this one.
Sorry,that was my lame attempt at at least getting a smile out of people in response to some of the previous "gay" comments (which again, I took as levity on some level), etc.

Sorry if that was mis-represented or misunderstood.

/tk

[JeeberD]

Once again, I'm glad to hear that everyone is safe and sound... :)

Saw this article this morning, and I'm amazed that they're going to be shipping evacuees 1100 miles to the west. Of course, with Houston already bursting at the seams I'm very glad to see El Paso stepping up to help out however it can.

Evacuees coming to El Paso

400 could be given shelter on Monday

By Adriana M. Chávez
and Daniel Borunda

The Downtown civic center was converted into a huge shelter and hospitals were put on alert as El Paso mobilized Friday for a possible influx of hundreds of victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“El Paso is ready to do what the state of Texas needs us to do,” Mayor John Cook said. Hurricane victims could arrive in El Paso this weekend, but their arrival is not likely until Monday.

A massive mobilization of local emergency resources began at 5:30 p.m. Friday as the El Paso Emergency Operations Center was activated because of a false expectation of four planeloads of hurricane survivors en route to the city.

Cook said city officials received “bad information” from the military about refugees arriving in El Paso early Friday evening.

By 8 p.m. Friday, volunteers were assembling a field of cots in a section of the Judson F. Williams Convention Center and bringing in other supplies in preparation for the refugees’ arrival. Some volunteers were
still in training after attending a Red Cross orientation session Thursday.

“I want to give back to the community what the community has done for me,” said Eastsider Deborah Moreno, 48, who was at her first training session Friday when volunteers were mobilized and sent to the convention center. “I want to go out and help in the rescue” efforts. Fort Bliss donated cots. Hotels donated bedding.

Though no victims arrived Friday, about 400 hurricane survivors may come to El Paso in the next few days, and the number of arrivals could leap to 5,000 as shelters fill up in other parts of Texas, Cook said.

Other city facilities such as recreation centers may be used to shelter refugees, and Fort Bliss officials have offered to help as needed, including as a refuge for displaced military families.

About 75 police officers surrounded the civic center and city hall in preparation for the refugees’ arrival but were told to “stand down” after 8 p.m., Cook said. Federal funds for disaster relief are expected to reimburse the city of El Paso for expenses related to Hurricane Katrina. El Paso constables, police and sheriff’s deputies will be on hand for security.

“We’re more prepared than other cities were,” Cook said. “Those problems are not going to happen in El Paso.”

More than 100,000 hurricane victims could head into Texas over the coming days, said the office of Gov. Rick Perry. A recent Associated Press count listed more than 150,000 people already in hotels and refugee sites.

Lt. Danny Medrano, assistant coordinator for El Paso City and County Emergency Management, said evacuees will be housed in three separate areas in the convention center: a triage or staging area, a sleeping area and a dining area. Medrano said the sleeping area will also be separated into areas to divide the elderly, children and families, and single men and women. It has 12 showers.

El Paso has more than 300 hospital beds on standby as city hospitals were told by federal emergency officials to be prepared.

The notification has allowed the officials for the hospitals to prepare their staffs for a possible increase in patients. Rene Hurtado, spokesman for Sierra Providence Health Network, said the hospital staffs have also been informed that they may be needed to come in on their time off to help.

Thomason Hospital spokeswoman Margaret Althoff-Olivas said the hospital was told to expect about 550 evacuees, who would be brought to El Paso by plane. City officials said refugees who need medical care would first be taken to Beaumont Army Medical Center, and then to Thomason Hospital as Beaumont filled up. Once Thomason Hospital was filled, patients would be be taken to private hospitals.

Cook said he was proud of the number of El Pasoans who flooded phone lines at City Hall to volunteer or to offer donations or housing. Police spokesman Detective Carlos Carrillo said police are urging people to donate time or money for now, not goods such as food or water.

For information on how to help in El Paso, visit the city’s Web site at www.elpasotexas.gov. Residents who want to donate supplies, housing or services may call the El Paso hot line at 541-4145.

Also, in an article about New Orleans Saint (and former Miner) Brian Young it sounds like the Saints will be playing their games at LSU this year.

Young OK: Meanwhile, former UTEP standout Brian Young is OK after evacuating New Orleans with the rest of his Saints teammates before Hurricane Katrina hit.

Nate Poss, UTEP's assistant athletic director for football operations, said Young has no idea what happened to two of his houses in New Orleans.

"He has no idea because they flew the team to Oakland, and his wife took off to St. Louis to be with her family," Poss said. "They're leaving Oakland this weekend, and they're going to house the whole season in San Antonio. They think they'll be playing at (LSU's) Tiger Stadium, but they're not sure yet.

"He knows one home was probably completely ruined. He said he talked to people back in New Orleans that saw alligators and sharks swimming down the street he lived on."

As for Young's injured knee, Poss said it's good to go.

"He said the knee is healing and he'd be ready for game one, wherever they play."

[albionmoonlight]

Compared to this board, I have massive survivors guilt. I live up here. My parent's house and sister's apartment are in a part of town that seems to have come out pretty OK. My Aunt's house East of the City is gone (probably still underwater). My best friends parents' house was in the middle of most of the looting. It's probably gone. But, unlike Pumpy, I know that everyone has gotten out and safe. Unlike EF27, I have no property down there. I'm fucking lucky as hell--even though that's hard for me to beleive sometimes.

Like Pumpy, I want to be there helping. It is really nice that I have my sister and brother-in-law up here. Taking care of them has helped us feel like we are doing something.

My wife and I were talking. What finally causes us to break down aren't the pictures of the Superdome and other large landmarks. It's the pictures of the little places that are ruined. The places around the corner that you recognize that are looted out or drowned. It's all the little things that you didn't even know that you were taking for granted that you may never get to do again.

And it's knowing that there are so many . . . . so many people that I passed on the street hundreds of time driving to school, going downtown, getting a cup of coffee--who are dead. Dead.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sorry if that was mis-represented or misunderstood.
/tk

Yours wasn't (at least not by me), but mine was I guess. I was trying to joke back with you kinda the same way, I just meant "don't worry, it's not just a girl thing".

You meant well, I meant well, we each misunderstood ... but y'know what, let's not worry about it. Hopefully we're all clear now & this thread can continue to serve its good purpose.

[Pumpy Tudors]

My wife and I were talking. What finally causes us to break down aren't the pictures of the Superdome and other large landmarks. It's the pictures of the little places that are ruined. The places around the corner that you recognize that are looted out or drowned. It's all the little things that you didn't even know that you were taking for granted that you may never get to do again.

And it's knowing that there are so many . . . . so many people that I passed on the street hundreds of time driving to school, going downtown, getting a cup of coffee--who are dead. Dead.
This has gotten me, too. I have tried to describe it to the people I've been meeting at my new job (even though I'm only going to be at the job for a couple of days, when people find out that I'm from New Orleans, they open up to me with thoughtful comments and questions). I tell them about how I recognize so many of those places that I've seen, and that's why I can't watch any more news coverage. I stopped watching three or four days ago, and I don't think I'm going to watch any more for a long time.

[flere-imsaho]

I didn't read any of the other thread, so I'm probably coming to all of this a bit late. Having said that, I'd just like to say that New Orleans FOFCers have been in my thoughts and I'm sincerely hoping things will end up working out for all of you and your families. What a terrible, terrible event.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I didn't read any of the other thread, so I'm probably coming to all of this a bit late. Having said that, I'd just like to say that NO FOFCers have been in my thoughts and I'm sincerely hoping things will end up working out for all of you and your families. What a terrible, terrible event.

*Caution* Humor Ahead ... repeat *Humor Warning*

I had to laugh a little after I read your post the first time, major "WTF" moment.

I read "...that NO FOFCers have been in my thoughts" as the word "no", not as the abbreviation for New Orleans.

I thought you had finally snapped completely until I read it the second time.
;)

[flere-imsaho]

JIMG - Holy crap! Good catch! I've edited my post. *phew*

[Eaglesfan27]

My wife and I were talking. What finally causes us to break down aren't the pictures of the Superdome and other large landmarks. It's the pictures of the little places that are ruined. The places around the corner that you recognize that are looted out or drowned. It's all the little things that you didn't even know that you were taking for granted that you may never get to do again.


Yeah, this is part of what gets to me too. I think of all the places Kathy and I dated (yes they were dates) and I realize that we may never get to go to those places again. We truly do take so many things for granted that we don't even realize at the time.

I've had to stop watching the coverage as well. I'll read the text from the updates at wwltv or wdsu's websites, but I'm just overloaded on the pics for now.

[Buccaneer]

Compared to this board, I have massive survivors guilt. I live up here. My parent's house and sister's apartment are in a part of town that seems to have come out pretty OK. My Aunt's house East of the City is gone (probably still underwater). My best friends parents' house was in the middle of most of the looting. It's probably gone. But, unlike Pumpy, I know that everyone has gotten out and safe. Unlike EF27, I have no property down there. I'm fucking lucky as hell--even though that's hard for me to beleive sometimes.

Like Pumpy, I want to be there helping. It is really nice that I have my sister and brother-in-law up here. Taking care of them has helped us feel like we are doing something.

My wife and I were talking. What finally causes us to break down aren't the pictures of the Superdome and other large landmarks. It's the pictures of the little places that are ruined. The places around the corner that you recognize that are looted out or drowned. It's all the little things that you didn't even know that you were taking for granted that you may never get to do again.

And it's knowing that there are so many . . . . so many people that I passed on the street hundreds of time driving to school, going downtown, getting a cup of coffee--who are dead. Dead.
I know what you mean. I sit here in perfectly dry, calm weather with no gasoline shortages. Other than my love for the region based on traveling through it once (and wanted to have gone back), I have no personal connections. But my heart does go out to Pumpy and his family friends, as well as to all of the have endured losses, deaths and displacements. What little I have contributed, I do hope and pray that it will make a difference. I also pray for perserverance, patience and attention to those needing care in all of the ways possible. Through this tragedy, I pray that those in Gulf Region and everywhere else can walk within the peace, joy and comfort of our Lord.

[chinaski]

We're still holding hope for my gf's great aunt and her great aunts friends. Her name is Doris Breland and she was last seen in her home in Pascagoula Mississippi. Just a bunch of lil 90 year old ladies :( just the thought and I start bawling again, she the sweetest little thing you could ever imagine :( we know the whole area where her home is was destroyed, they said they were going to ride it out, were just hoping someone forced them out in time.

[JeeberD]

*Caution* Humor Ahead ... repeat *Humor Warning*

I had to laugh a little after I read your post the first time, major "WTF" moment.

I read "...that NO FOFCers have been in my thoughts" as the word "no", not as the abbreviation for New Orleans.

I thought you had finally snapped completely until I read it the second time.
;)

I thought the exact same thing when I saw it... :)

[Cringer]

Well, with no general Hurricane thread I wasn't sure were to post this. I guess this will do.

Just watching FOXNews, it is amazing how there are still people sitting at houses surrounded by water still. Watching helicopters drop boxes of food and water down into the water and the people wading out into the water to collect it. This never ceases to shock me, every day.

And now FOX is showing that the white people have lost their mind. There are people swimming in a pool. The pool water looks kind of clean, but is surrounded by te nasty flood water. Wacky mofo's.

Oh and about crying as people were talking about early in this thread. Don't worry, I have gotten the teary eyes several times over the last week. Mainly when I have to see some of the kids or pleas to find family members, it is hard not too.

[Masked]

My family has found a house in Lake Charles to live in. My aunt recently moved, but has not sold her old house yet. They just need to get some furniture. At least my mother's spirits are better since she was joking about how stupid it was that it took her 48 hours to remember this.

[terpkristin]

Where is Lake Charles?
Glad to hear your mom's got her humor back. :)

/tk

[Masked]

Where is Lake Charles?
Glad to hear your mom's got her humor back. :)

/tk
Lake Charles is in the southwestern corner of La. It is about halfway, between New Orleans and Houston.

[Cringer]

Yeah, Lake Charles is about 25 miles from the Texas state line on I-10.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm very glad to hear about your mother finding a place to live, Masked.

I'm hearing from some of my friends and colleagues and am glad to hear that they are safe. A few of my colleagues are volunteering in Baton Rouge, and I'm feeling guilty that I'm not there volunteering. At least I'll be able to volunteer in Shreveport and maybe head to Baton Rouge as well once I get my family settled in at the apartments next week.

[Cringer]

I'm very glad to hear about your mother finding a place to live, Masked.

I'm hearing from some of my friends and colleagues and am glad to hear that they are safe. A few of my colleagues are volunteering in Baton Rouge, and I'm feeling guilty that I'm not there volunteering. At least I'll be able to volunteer in Shreveport and maybe head to Baton Rouge as well once I get my family settled in at the apartments next week.

I am not sure how many displaced people are there, but judging from the packed hotels the other day when I drove through, there has to be plenty who will need to be going into shelters/temp housing in Shreveport soon. I would think there will be need for volunteers in that area for sure. Of course, I guess this pretty much is true for most 'untouched' towns int he area. You just don't here much about it from afar....

edit:spell check.

[Vince]

My thoughts and prayers are with all of you (and everyone not on the board) affected by the Hurricane. Such a tremendous tragedy...it's great to hear that most all of you are doing well, though.

[Eaglesfan27]

This isn't directly related to me, but this is from a friend of mine who doesn't mind me sharing this email. There are a lot of heroic stories that we haven't heard and I thought a few uplighting tales might be nice. This friend of mine is an internal medicine doc who did some great things along with a friend of his who is an Intensive Care Specialist:

<!--StartFragment -->
I have just arrived in Houston.

We spent 6 days in Methodist Hospital with very limited resources. Without Mike Parker half of the 700 people in Methodist would have died. We went as long as 12 hours with no generator power and had to bag all of the vent patients we had no suction, etc. Mike P got to his boat and with the help of many people procurement of diesel and water was done. We were able to keep the vents on in the ICU 80% of the time. The rest of the hospital was completely without power.. We ate very little, and slept less than 2 hours a day. We lost 14 patients. In my opinion about half were headed there anyway.

Jan McC did a laparotomy in the ICU without power or suction. We had to move several patients to the roof that weighed 350 plus and one that weighed 500 plus lbs. We had patients on the roof for hours. UHS tried to send us supplies but several boats and helicopters were taken by FEMA. On Thursday we started evacing patients. It was not until the army showed up on Friday in full Helo force with Chinoos that we could move patients quickly.

I am very proud of my fello MDS, nurses and medical staff. With a coordinated team effort a bigger catostrophe was avoided. We had several near misses. Time does not allow me to tell you everything.

Several people including Natalie Barroccas and my wife and family and people I don't even know got the message out. For the first 2 days Methodist did not exist in media.. I thank them all for their help.

I think that this will make us all better and loving people. I will never stay for another Hurricane like that but I thank God that I had the opportunity to stay a Methodist and play a small role in helping my fello man. There are many Heros in this story.. When we get together I will share them with you.

[terpkristin]

I don't know if you all have seen it, but this map is a Google interactive map like the FOFC Map we have, but it's got reports from people on area status: http://www.scipionus.com/

Edited to add: Based on the above map, looks like my brother's place escaped flooding, but they say that looting is rampant in the area, including many residential break-ins. We're assuming the worst, in terms of looting, since he lived on the ground floor.

/tk

[Pumpy Tudors]

Good news about my uncle. He's on a bus to San Antonio right now. My aunt and cousin (who lived together) still have not been heard from.

[Eaglesfan27]

That is excellent news about your Uncle. I will continue to pray for your Aunt and Cousin. Hopefully, they just haven't been able to make contact. Kathy and I just heard from a few friends today who were only now, finally able to make contact.

[albionmoonlight]

"Salt in the Wound"


http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09.html#076625





Saints to move?

By Robert Travis Scott
Capital bureau

New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson is leaning strongly toward moving the Saints permanently to San Antonio following the devastation to the city and the Superdome by Hurricane Katrina, a state senator who has spoken with a top team official said Saturday.

Sen. Mike Michot, R-Lafayette, said he spoke with Saints’ chief of administration Arnold Fielkow by phone Friday morning about Benson’s potential plans.

Team officials could not be reached Saturday. The team had previously announced it was looking for a new home for the current season, and San Antonio was one of the options.

Michot said he was told that Benson has not made a final decision, but the owner is serious about moving once and for all to San Antonio. “We may lose them permanently,” Michot said.

A possible move by the team is a “huge concern” among a few state officials who have become aware of it, but every significant political figure in the state is preoccupied with reacting to the storm aftermath.

State officials want to convince Benson to delay a decision so that the state can focus on the rescue and rehabilitation effort and later find a way to keep the Saints at home in New Orleans.

“This is like pouring salt into the wound,” Michot said.

Michot said decency dictates that Benson should postpone any decision on a permanent move until state officials have had a chance to talk with him.
“Give us time,” Michot said.
Another state official confirmed a similar conversation with Fielkow.

Michot is the vice-chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, a key committee for legislation related to state agreement with the Saints.
He said that in the long run the Saints might be better off staying in New Orleans because a revived city with national support could provide a better stadium.

[Buccaneer]

5:01 P.M. - (AP): The Superdome is nearly empty. Just 300 people remain out of the 25,000 evacuees who were staying in the stadium-turned-shelter.



Buses have been carrying out people by the hundreds all day. But at last word, the final 300 evacuees were still waiting with no bus in sight.



This last group to leave the Superdome may be the most difficult. Many of them were homeless before Hurricane Katrina hit and were forced by the National Guard and other authorities to stay at the sports stadium. About 100 of the final evacuees have spent the day searching out beer and alcohol kept at the stadium. Some are unruly and at least one had to be put in hand cuffs by police.



Meanwhile, the scene inside and around the Superdome is being described as a total mess. Garbage, debris and discarded belongings has stacked up in four-foot piles that stretch for two blocks past the stadium.
------
4:23 P.M. - (AP): Only pockets of stragglers remain in the streets around the New Orleans Convention Center, and paramedics have begun carting away the dead.



Most of the hurricane survivors were taken away earlier today by bus and helicopter.



Many of those who filed onto the buses had to walk past corpses to make their escape. Conditions were so crowded that many refugees had to leave bags full of belongings at the side of the road.



One woman who had been stuck at the convention center for five days said "anyplace is better than here."



National Guardsmen are providing security at the center. They confiscated knives and letter openers from people before they boarded the buses.

That is goodd news about these two places, which have been the unfortunate focus all week. I do, however, take exception to calling the Superdome a "shelter". It was never set up to be a shelter, which ended up being one of the biggest mistakes, I think.

[Buccaneer]

I guess now they start concentrating on doing a house to house search. Knowing the many blocks within the city, I suspect that will take a long time to do a systematic search. I also wonder what percentage they will find bodies, whether most of them got out or would it be a higher percentage.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

The 82nd Airborne Division is now in New Orleans. Let's go kick some ass All Americans.

[Karlifornia]

When will this situation go from "Another narrowly-averted hurricane disaster" to "holy shit it's actually happening this time" to "It's like a third world country now" back to "It's getting better" ? :(

I'm pretty far removed from this disaster, as I was with 9-11, living in California and all. I suppose the only way I could really know the pain you all are going through would be (knock on wood) if my area suffered a disaster like that. I was just down in Huntsville, AL last month.....They're probably pretty torn up about it....

Pumpy, Masked, and everyone else who has family or friends there, I have you in my thoughts, and look forward to hearing some good news...

[Cringer]

Not sure if this has been posted, I have missed some stuff after all.....

http://www.nola.com/forums/searching/

Basically a missing persons list....loooooooooooooooooong list.

[Masked]

Not sure if this has been posted, I have missed some stuff after all.....

http://www.nola.com/forums/searching/

Basically a missing persons list....loooooooooooooooooong list.
There is no communication infrastruture in place. No one can be contacted by their home or cell phone. Lots of people don't have access to their primary email, etc.

[Cringer]

There is no communication infrastruture in place. No one can be contacted by their home or cell phone. Lots of people don't have access to their primary email, etc.

I understand that, I just wanted to pass along the site. :)

[JW]

I got this from another board tonight, provides some info on the condition of the French Quarter, fyi:

from (deleted name), owner of A Gallery for Fine Photography on Chartres St.:
THANKS - Too much to say right now.

I got a few things out and have them in Baton Rouge.

Just got out last night. I could have stayed, my supplies would have lasted for seven more days.

But, the fires have started.

The reports of looting downtown are exaggerated. Yes, they broke into the grocery stores, drugstores, gas stations, for food, etc. Canal Street had a few hours of thugs doing sports shops, but all other shops and the ENTIRE French Quarter is safe and untouched. The storm did glass and roof damage and trees UPTOWN. Just needs to be swept. Looks LESS dirty than a typical Mardi Gras day.

THE FLOOD did NOT get into the French Quarter, and along the river to AUDUBON PARK.

I stayed and helped and photographed and bicycled these areas every day.

NO shooters, some idiots, but everyone doing the best to get along and survive. Other flooded areas, it is very desperate and there are some battles going on, but very isolated.

[Doug5984]

Just kind of an update from the Lafayette area. I have been looking for a house of my own. I was taking my time since I have a lease at my apartment until december- but since the hurricane every apartment in town is booker and just about every house is selling so fast...I'm not sure what this is going to do for the future populations of Lafayette / New Orleans- Don't know if these people will settle and stay here, or if they will move back in a year or so.

[Cringer]

Local news from down here about stuff going on to help those in the hurricane....NEWS ARTICLE (http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=8980&Section=Local)

My favorite part....

Stilettos Gentleman’s Club in Pharr and Brownsville is donating all $5 cover charges today () and Sat., Sept. 10, to the Red Cross. The club’s valet service, Cameo Parking, is also donating their $5 valet fees to the Hurricane Relief, said Manager EbrahimMorales. And on Sept. 10, the club’s entertainers will hold a car wash at the Pharr location, where management will sell $5 barbeque plates of chicken, rice and beans at its Pharr location.

Throughout the week, Stilettos will continue to collect cash donations, as well as clothing, diapers and canned food to partner with Valley Trucking Company and transport the donations to Louisiana.

[Airhog]

I think too many people equate gentlemens clubs with the dregs of society. It's nice to know that not all club owners are totally bad people.

[Ryan S]

Is it just me, or did the WWL streaming video quality go downhill after Yahoo took over the hosting? The video seems to stop every 5 seconds or so for me.

[Galaril]

This is a morbid thought but the number of fatalities sounds like we will be looking at deaths in the tens of thousands range., which is incredible in an advanced country that had fair warning. I am not insinuating any blame here BTW.

[Farrah Whitworth-Rahn]

If some of you folks are still thinking about giving money to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina, I'd like to recommend the Search Dog Foundation (http://www.searchdogfoundation.org/98/html/index.html). This organization rescues dogs from shelters, and trains them to be search and resuce dogs. To date, they've sent twenty six dogs to search for survivors of the hurricane.

They don't receive any government funding, but respond when the government calls on them. They've sent teams to the Oklahoma City bombing site, the WTC on 9/11 and most recently the mudslides in Southern California.

If that doesn't convince you, howabout a gratuitous cute puppy dog picture? This is Cody. He and his handler Linda are in Mississippi looking for survivors.

http://www.searchdogfoundation.org/98/html/zimages/cody.jpg

[Cringer]

Canal repairmen killed by police......wonderful.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Canal repairmen killed by police......wonderful.
Heard it on FOx News too. Apparently they were Army Corps of Engineers, Oh boy! Looks like there are some itchy fingers and nerves over there.

[Cringer]

Heard it on FOx News too. Apparently they were Army Corps of Engineers, Oh boy! Looks like there are some itchy fingers and nerves over there.

FOX is putting out a different story now, hopefully this one is right.

They say that the contractors are alright, and that guys with guns indeed were the ones shot as first reports said. I think they said the contractors were shot at by the 'bad guys' I guess.

[terpkristin]

Not to derail this important piece of news, but PLEASE keep things of a political bent out of here. I'm hoping that this thread will be a place where our New Orleans (and other affected areas) residents can check in and let us know they're OK. I don't want it to turn into the mess that the other Katrina thread was. Besides, there are other threads here for general news related to Katrina.

EDIT TO ADD: Sorry, I probably sound like a bitch, but I just don't want a nightmare to start like the other one did...(though the news is quite important...).
/tk

[JW]

Update - AP is now reporting that some Corps of Engineers contractors were fired on and the police responded and killed some of the assailants. WWL-TV of New Orleans, using Lousiana Public Broadcasting facilities, is reporting this and has retracted the story saying the contractors were killed. For those in Louisiana, apparently LPB has given its studios to WWL for the time being.

Damn, let me add that another AP report is now saying some contractors were killed. This report was filed after the one I cited above, and the WWL announcers gave the sequence of reports and retractions. So no one seems to be sure about this one.

Another update. Corps of Engineers rep at a news conference this afternoon said Corps contractors were fired on but none were hit. All other details still up in the air, but it appears no contractors were killed.

[Glengoyne]

Along with the notes above about local support for the Hurricane victims. Our church is offering to bring a family displaced by Katrina to our small town in CA. We have a parsonage with no tennant, and a couple of members who own small/mid-size businesses that are offering employment. So if we are able to locate a family willing to forsake the Gulf Coast, and start again in California we're in position to give them a good start.

[McSweeny]

i was up in boston last night at a punk rock basement show/party. and the guy who owns the place has a show there about twice a month and charges people 5 bucks to drink from the kegs. anyway, around 40-60 people show up and he usually makes enough money to cover the kegs and any equipment that gets busted (mic stands, etc etc).

well last night he made the announcement that he was passing the hat around to collect donations for the Red Cross and that he'd match everything that was donated. He also said that he'd be matching and donating all the money people had paid to drink from the keg. It was so great to see everyone reaching into their pockets and dumping pretty much whatever they had into the hat. Spare change, crumpled up 5 dollar bills, everything. I only wish that i had more than 20 bucks on me. It really made my night though

i know it didn't end up being a whole lot of money, but the fact that we could contribute in even this meager way made me feel pretty proud.

[Farrah Whitworth-Rahn]

Linky (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168466,00.html)


New Orleans Couple Weds in Shelter

Sunday, September 04, 2005

http://www.foxnews.com/images/service_ap_36.gif

JACKSON, Miss. — Trenise Williams and her fiance were going to be married in New Orleans (search (javascript:siteSearch('New Orleans');)) just hours before Hurricane Katrina (search (javascript:siteSearch('Hurricane Katrina');)) unleashed catastrophic damage on the Gulf Coast.

They fled the area instead and "with the snap of an eye, I lost everything," she said. The only remnants of the wedding-to-be was a marriage license Williams, 28, tucked into her purse.

She and Joseph Kirsh joined about 3,000 other refugees at the Mississippi Coliseum (search (javascript:siteSearch('Mississippi Coliseum');)) shelter about 190 miles north of New Orleans.

Shelter resident Rochelle Smith, a Jackson-area woman who was homeless before the storm, heard of Williams' plight on Thursday and decided that a lack of wedding dress or cake wasn't going to stop the couple from having their special day.

On Saturday, the couple were married.

As children played and weary survivors slept, Williams and Kirsh exchanged vows before an Episcopalian minister and a crowd seated in folding chairs. Some snapped photos with instant cameras, while others used camera phones to capture the moment.

The ceremony couldn't approach what the couple had originally planned, but they were touched by the outpouring.

"It's beautiful," said Williams' mother, Evelyn. "It's real hard; we lost everything at once."

Smith took on the role of wedding planner, coordinating donations from local businesses, including jewelry and shoes. Others donated hair and makeup services, a traditional dress and five lilac bridesmaid gowns.

The couple approached local entrepreneur Bob Ford, who owns Sanctuary Golf Club in Brandon. Ford and his wife, Joyce, were cooking food for shelter residents throughout the week. Ford helped finance the ceremony.

"We want to uplift everyone here ... give people something to live for," Ford said.

[sachmo71]

Ugh...




New Orleans Begins Counting Its Dead


Email this Story

Sep 4, 9:19 PM (ET)

By ROBERT TANNER


NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Orleans turned much of its attention Sunday to gathering up and counting the dead across a ghastly landscape awash in perhaps thousands of corpses. "It is going to be about as ugly of a scene as I think you can imagine," the nation's homeland security chief warned.

As authorities struggled to keep order, police shot eight people, killing five or six, after gunmen opened fire on a group of contractors traveling across a bridge on their way to make repairs, authorities said.

Air and boat crews searched flooded neighborhoods for survivors, and federal officials urged those still left in New Orleans to leave for their own safety.

To expedite the rescues, the Coast Guard requested through the media that anyone stranded hang out brightly colored or white linens or something else to draw attention. But with the electricity out though much of the city, it was not known if the message was being received.


With large-scale evacuations completed at the Superdome and Convention Center, the death toll was not known. But bodies were everywhere: floating in canals, slumped in wheelchairs, abandoned on highways and medians and hidden in attics.

"I think it's evident it's in the thousands," Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said Sunday on CNN, echoing predictions by city and state officials last week. The U.S. Public Health Service said one morgue alone, at a St. Gabriel prison, expected 1,000 to 2,000 bodies.

In the first official count in the New Orleans area, Louisiana emergency medical director Louis Cataldie said authorities had verified 59 deaths - 10 of them at the Superdome.

"We need to prepare the country for what's coming," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on "Fox News Sunday.""We are going to uncover people who died, maybe hiding in houses, got caught by the flood. ... It is going to be about as ugly of a scene as I think you can imagine."

Chertoff said rescuers have encountered a number of people who said they did not want to evacuate.

"That is not a reasonable alternative," he said. "We are not going to be able to have people sitting in houses in the city of New Orleans for weeks and months while we de-water and clean this city. ... The flooded places, when they're de-watered, are not going to be sanitary."

In Sunday's bridge confrontation, 14 contractors on their way to help plug the breach in the 17th Street Canal were traveling across the Danziger Bridge under police escort when they came under fire, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers. Police shot at eight people carrying guns, killing five or six, Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley said. None of the contractors was injured, authorities said.

Meanwhile, a civilian helicopter crashed Sunday evening near the bridge. The two people on board escaped with only cuts and scrapes, according to Mark Smith of the state office of emergency preparedness.

In addition to the lawlessness, civilian deaths and uncertainty about their families, New Orleans' police have had to deal with suicides in their ranks. Two officers took their lives, including the department spokesman, Paul Accardo, who died Saturday, according to Riley. Both shot themselves in the head, he said.

"I've got some firefighters and police officers that have been pretty much traumatized," Mayor Ray Nagin said. "And we've already had a couple of suicides, so I am cycling them out as we speak. ... They need physical and psychological evaluations."



The strain was apparent in other ways. Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, dropped his head and cried on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"The guy who runs this building I'm in, emergency management, he's responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard nursing home, and every day she called him and said, 'Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?' And he said, 'And yeah, Momma, somebody's coming to get you. Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you Thursday. Somebody's coming to get you on Friday' - and she drowned Friday night. She drowned on Friday night," Broussard said.

"Nobody's coming to get her, nobody's coming to get her. The secretary's promise, everybody's promise. They've had press conferences - I'm sick of the press conferences. For God's sakes, shut up and send us somebody."

Hundreds of thousands of people already have been evacuated, seeking safety in Texas, Tennessee and other states. The first group of refugees who will take shelter in Arizona arrived Sunday in Phoenix. With more than 230,000 already in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry ordered emergency officials to begin preparations to airlift some of them to other states that have offered help.

What will happen to the refugees in the long term was not known.

Back in New Orleans, walk-up stragglers at the Convention Center were checked by Navy medics before they were evacuated. Lt. Andy Steczo said he treated people for bullet wounds, knife wounds, infections, dehydration and chronic problems such as diabetes.

"We're cleaning them up the best we can and then shipping them out," Steczo said.

One person he treated was 56-year-old Pedro Martinez, who had a gash on his ankle and cuts on his knuckle and forearm. Martinez said he was injured while helping people onto rescue boats. "I don't have any medication and it hurts. I'm glad to get out of here," he said.

In a devastated section on the edge of the French Quarter, people went into a store, whose windows were already shattered, and took out bottles of soda and juice.

A corpse of an elderly man lay wrapped in a child's bedsheet decorated with the cartoon characters Batman, Robin and the Riddler. The body was in a wooden cart on Rampart Street, one shoe on, one shoe off.

Rene Gibson, 42, driving a truck while hunting for water and ice, said people are not going to leave willingly. "People been (here) all their life. They don't know nothing else," he said.

Amid the tragedy, about two dozen people gathered in the French Quarter for the Decadence Parade, an annual Labor Day gay celebration. Matt Menold, 23, a street musician wearing a sombrero and a guitar slung over his back, said: "It's New Orleans, man. We're going to celebrate."

In New Orleans' Garden District, a woman's body lay at the corner of Jackson Avenue and Magazine Street - a business area with antique shops on the edge of blighted housing. The body had been there since at least Wednesday. As days passed, people covered the corpse with blankets or plastic.

By Sunday, a short wall of bricks had been built around the body, holding down a plastic tarpaulin. On it, someone had spray-painted a cross and the words, "Here lies Vera. God help us."

[Cringer]

In addition to the lawlessness, civilian deaths and uncertainty about their families, New Orleans' police have had to deal with suicides in their ranks. Two officers took their lives, including the department spokesman, Paul Accardo, who died Saturday, according to Riley. Both shot themselves in the head, he said.

This is very sad. Poor guys had one hell of a time in that city, all politcal B.S. aside. I can't imagine what it was like for them trying to do their jobs.

[Farrah Whitworth-Rahn]

Mayor Nagin is sending N.O. police and fire fighters on all expense paid vacations to Las Vegas. Begining ASAP.

Linky (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/national/nationalspecial/05vegas.html)


City to Offer Free Trips to Las Vegas for Officers

<nyt_byline version="1.0" type=" "> </nyt_byline> By JOSEPH B. TREASTER (http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?ppds=bylL&v1=JOSEPH%20B.%20TREASTER&fdq=19960101&td=sysdate&sort=newest&ac=JOSEPH%20B.%20TREASTER&inline=nyt-per) and CHRISTOPHER DREW
<nyt_text> </nyt_text> NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 4 - A day after two police suicides and the abrupt resignations or desertions of up to 200 police officers, defiant city officials on Sunday began offering five-day vacations - and even trips to Las Vegas - to the police, firefighters and city emergency workers and their families.

The idea of paid vacations was raised by both Mayor C. Ray Nagin and senior police officials who said that their forces were exhausted and traumatized and that the arrival of the National Guard had made way for the officers to be relieved.

"I'm very concerned about individuals who have been here, particularly since the first few days, and have been through a lot of hardship," Mr. Nagin said in an interview.

He said most of the police officers, firefighters and emergency medical workers "are starting to show signs of very, very serious stress, and this is a way to give them time to reunite with their families."

Mr. Nagin, who has been demanding more federal assistance for days as his city struggled with despair, death and flooding, said he had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for the trips but the agency said it could not. He said the city, therefore, would pay the costs.

He said he believed there were now enough National Guard members in the city to allow the police to take a break and still keep the city secure, and he brushed off questions about whether such a trip might look like a dereliction of duty.

"I'll take the heat on that," Mr. Nagin said. "We want to cater to them."

His words were seconded by the police superintendent, P. Edwin Compass III, in a separate interview. "When you go through something this devastating and traumatic," Mr. Compass said, "you've got to do something dramatic to jump-start the healing process."

The officials were planning to send 1,500 workers out in two shifts for five days each. They are sending them to Las Vegas because of the availability of hotel rooms and to Atlanta because many of them had relatives there.

They said that they were trying to get the first officers on their way on Monday and that the first stop would be Baton Rouge, about 75 miles from here.

There the officers will be given physical examinations and inoculations against possible infection from the polluted floodwaters, said Col. Terry Ebbert, the director of homeland security for the city, who has authority over the police and fire departments and other emergency services.

Then, Colonel Ebbert and other officials said, those who want to go to Las Vegas or Atlanta will be given air transportation and a hotel room. The city is reserving hotel rooms in Baton Rouge, they said, adding that the officers and firefighters may also be given the choice of flying to other cities.

Colonel Ebbert, the senior official running the recovery and rescue operation, and Mr. Compass both said that they planned to take a break as well, but probably for less than five days, and that they would continue to direct the recovery by telephone.

Officials said they expected the military, with much greater resources, to expand rescue work, begin cleaning up the city and take the first steps toward reconstruction.

W. J. Riley, the deputy superintendent of police, said that by late Sunday afternoon more than 2,900 National Guard members and law enforcement officers from around the country were operating in New Orleans. By early evening, Mr. Riley said, the advance units of a 2,200-person force from the 82nd Airborne Division had landed.

Several thousand more soldiers were expected, including members of the First Cavalry Division.

Reinforcements are also expected for the fire department. Senior firefighters, who have been forced to ignore some fires and to try merely to keep the worst blazes from spreading, said that several hundred firefighters with fire engines and radio equipment were heading for New Orleans from departments around the country.

New Orleans officials said they would remain in charge. Mr. Riley, who has been on the police force for 24 years, will oversee the police department in the superintendent's absence.

"We haven't turned over control of the city," Colonel Ebbert said.

Mr. Riley said that 40 percent of the city's force of about 1,200 officers would remain at their posts while the others were on leave. When the first group returns, Mr. Riley said, those who stayed behind will get a break.

Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Matthews, who is also the director of the city's Office of Emergency Preparedness, said officials viewed the time off for their security forces as essential. "We've been at this six days and we need to give our people a break," he said.

[Buccaneer]

Withdrawn out of respect for kristen and this thread. Sorry.

[terpkristin]

Seriously, if there are going to be pot-shots either way here, can you PLEASE take it out of this thread and start a new thread about said issue?

At least then, the pissing contest will be kept to its own thread and those looking for the updates on conditions and people won't have to comb through partisan bashing? Please?

EDIT: This post refers to something that has since been removed from this thread. Thank you Bucc and the other person who'd posted (flere?) for taking it to a different thread, I (and I'm sure the others looking for the status updates of our FOFC-maters) appreciate it.

/tk

[sachmo71]

There's a video on CNN that some of you may want to watch called the Faces of Katrina. I was very moved by it, mostly because it reminded me that even this horrible devistation will not break New Orleans. It may change it, but you can't break the spirit of a city with roots this deep. It's just not possible.

[JW]

This from a La. internet forum.

I just came back from downtown N. O. Had to go through six roadblocks to

Posted by xxxxxx on September 5, 2005 at 3:53 p.m.

get in, first one at I-10 at Gramercy.
I picked up some animals from two houses in the uptown area. Lots of trees down, many roads blocked, roof damage everywhere, but not a lot of major structural damage and no flooding. Saw 8-10 residents moving around in the area from Causeway to Tchoupitoulas at I-10, a few people standing guard over their businesses, but mostly just official and emergency vehicles.

The area around the Dome flooded as far as the eye can see. Still a couple of homeless guys walking the deserted I-10, a few boats putting in the water between the Dome and cemeteries. The interstate is flooded and impassable in both directions at the cemetery. No traffic at all, no people. Helicopters everywhere, Sea Stallions, CH-43's (I think), lots of Huey and even civilian ambulances and police choppers. The sky is full; looked like DaNang.

Saw one boat putting in to pick up a body floating between the fence and the interstate just north of the dome.

On the return trip, saw several convoys of ambulances, looked like one of them (25) was from Mass. or one of the Commonwealth states. Another was from Tennessee. Several convoys of National Guard and one regular Army group. Many 18-wheelers are on the roads headed into the city, getting off at Clearview and Causeway.

We went in on Clearview, to River Road, then Magazine to Jefferson. Came back to Tchoupitoulas to I-10, back to St. Charles, up to Jackson, back over to Magazine, to River Road, to Causeway and I-10 back to BR. Brought two cats and a hamster out of there..all okay, but glad to see a human!

But access is still very limited, River Road and Magazine are still one lane in a lot of places because of downed trees and other debris. The main power infrastructure looks fine, saw no damage to two large transformer substations, and the HV lines all look intact. Lots of downed electric, telephone and cable lines are down in the neighborhoods though, including one huge bundle which crossed I-10. That bundle is now a speed bump on the interstate.

Lots of M-16's, flak vests. NG troopers standing guard on many street corners, fully armed. Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas has been set up as a staging area for the military and emergency people, and that whole parking lot is full of equpment and tents.

It's bad, folks, not that you didn't already know it. But it's eerie down there in the Uptown, not a sound but a few birds and a chopper going by, all those blank and boarded houses covered in downed trees and power lines. Surreal, and I was glad to get back to BR.

God bless the people who lived there.......

[Eaglesfan27]

Just thinking today about the barbeque that we were supposed to host with all of the friends that were supposed to come over today.

2 of them are in Florida with their family. 4 of them are in Houston at various hotels. 2 of them are in Tennessee and are seriously considering buying a home there and permeantly relocating :(

The other 2 I haven't heard from, but I'm fairly sure they are somewhere safe.

Oh well, time to figure out where myself and the family are going to eat tonight.

[Galaxy]

Just thinking today about the barbeque that we were supposed to host with all of the friends that were supposed to come over today.

2 of them are in Florida with their family. 4 of them are in Houston at various hotels. 2 of them are in Tennessee and are seriously considering buying a home there and permeantly relocating :(

The other 2 I haven't heard from, but I'm fairly sure they are somewhere safe.

Oh well, time to figure out where myself and the family are going to eat tonight.


Good to hear that most of your friends are safe. Are the 2 in Tennessee scared to go back, or just are comfortable in Tennessee? Are you and your wife still thinking about relocating outside the state? Here is a site for Little Rock's restaurants...http://www.hellolittlerock.com/Restaurants.Cfm

[JeeberD]

I waited on a family (husband, wife, teenage son) today who is from New Orleans. I walked up to the table and asked how them how they were doing (my usual greeting) and the wife said, "Ugh...you don't want to know." I kinda laughed it off at first, and then she mentioned that it had been a long time since they were at an OG and that they were from New Orleans...and I really didn't know what to say except for "Oh...I'm sorry." I wanted to get them a discount or free food or something, but the manager who was there today is a hardass and wouldn't do anything.

After they had eaten I tried to talk to them a little bit about their situation and it sounded like they think their house has some water damage but they don't think it's completely flooded. And once again, all I could do was tell them that I was sorry and wish them the best of luck with their situation...

[Eaglesfan27]

Good to hear that most of your friends are safe. Are the 2 in Tennessee scared to go back, or just are comfortable in Tennessee? Are you and your wife still thinking about relocating outside the state? Here is a site for Little Rock's restaurants...http://www.hellolittlerock.com/Restaurants.Cfm
We've never really thought about relocating outside the state except for in the short term. We will be in Little Rock for at least 2 more days, possibly 4 more days. Hopefully, by then at least 1 of our apartments should be ready and we will move back to Shreveport. Thanks for the link, I'm looking for some more ideas for dinner now, but it looks I've been outvoted and it looks like we are going to a chinese restaurant tonight.

As far as my friends, they just don't want to come back. Their home was in a hard hit area and they feel it is certainly going to have taken heavy damage. They also are enjoying Tennessee.

[Buccaneer]

New Orleans is getting tough with people who are still refusing to leave the hurricane-ravaged city.



Mayor Ray Nagin says water will no longer be handed out to people who refuse to leave.


:(

BYOW.

[albionmoonlight]

Update on my family:

A friend went to see my sister and Brother in law's apartment. The roof caved in and everything is lost to water damage/mold. That's the bad news. The good news is that their cat was alive and was rescued and is now safe.

The friend also saw my parent's house, and it only had minor wind damage. That's good news, too.

My Brother-in-law's job will take him to Jacksonville for the short term. They are leaving to go there tomorrow. My sister may or may not be relocated to Houston for the short term.

The stress of dislocation is starting to get to my Mom, but I suppose that that is to be expected.

[sachmo71]

My nephew went back to survey the damage in Kenner...

He, his brother, and two of his sisters live with their father. They have no homeowners insurance. Luckly, they only got a few inches of water in the house, so most of their clothes and electronices made it. Since they won't be able to stay and dry the place out, they aren't sure how it's going to look in a couple of months, but they still have some property.

My other niece, who does have homeowners insurance, wasn't as fortunate. They had about 2 feet of water in the house, some structural damage from the winds. Good news is that her husband's truck did not sustain damage, as the water only made it up to his bumper.

All in all, the family was rather lucky. Hopefully my brother-in-law didn't lose his stash...that would be just HORRIBLE! :)

[Jon]

Although they don't live in New Orleans, my family in Meridian, MS was hit by the hurricane. The house has some roof damage, and has not had any power since it was knocked out. There is extensive damage in the yard, and we lost a shed, but no one was hurt, fortunately, b/c no one was home. Unfortunately, no one was home b/c my mother had a stroke the week before and was in the hospital. She has no feeling in the right side of her body, some intermittent swallowing problems, and a lot of cognition problems. She doesn't really recognize my stepfather, and she thinks I'm in college still (I haven't been in college in over a decade). She can't have a conversation for more than five minutes at a time before she zones out.

I know this topic was really supposed to be about the hurricane, but her situation is partly due to the hurricane. They had to relocate her from a different floor b/c the wind damage to the hospital was pretty severe on the upper floors. Some of her treatment was delayed b/c of the power outages in the hospital.

I'm glad that she is still alive, and did not have to face the problems of the people in NO. It's also good to hear that some of our FOFC family members are okay.

[sachmo71]

Although they don't live in New Orleans, my family in Meridian, MS was hit by the hurricane. The house has some roof damage, and has not had any power since it was knocked out. There is extensive damage in the yard, and we lost a shed, but no one was hurt, fortunately, b/c no one was home. Unfortunately, no one was home b/c my mother had a stroke the week before and was in the hospital. She has no feeling in the right side of her body, some intermittent swallowing problems, and a lot of cognition problems. She doesn't really recognize my stepfather, and she thinks I'm in college still (I haven't been in college in over a decade). She can't have a conversation for more than five minutes at a time before she zones out.

I know this topic was really supposed to be about the hurricane, but her situation is partly due to the hurricane. They had to relocate her from a different floor b/c the wind damage to the hospital was pretty severe on the upper floors. Some of her treatment was delayed b/c of the power outages in the hospital.

I'm glad that she is still alive, and did not have to face the problems of the people in NO. It's also good to hear that some of our FOFC family members are okay.


Jon,

The good news is that with strokes, much of the damage can be overcome with therapy. Good luck to you and your family; we'll say a few prayers for you.

[Ksyrup]

Not an update, but just a Katrina-related observation I thought I'd pass along...

We flew up to Michigan for a family wedding this weekend and flew back on Sunday morning. On the plane to Cincy (our connection) was a blues/jazz band from New Orleans that had just played the International Jazz Fest in Detroit and was on the way to a gig in Ohio. While on tour, Katrina had hit and left them homeless. They decided to keep touring because they had no homes to go back to. It sounded like they were going to extend their tour if possible, just to delay having to go back and/or trying to find a new home base. Very sad.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm officially stressed out now. We have made a verbal committment to those 2 apartments in Shreveport, LA for at least one month. I finally found out where my boss is located. He is in Jackson, LA at a hospital up there with the patients from NOAH. Being the dutiful employee, I called him. He wants me to come up there if he can find housing for me. He isn't guaranteeing that he can. However, if he does, it is unlikely that he would find housing for my in-laws as well.

They would have to squeeze into our place which would cause all kinds of complications if I want to keep us all together. However, I feel since I made a verbal committment to that apartment complex in Shreveport, I should take those apartments for at least the month that I verbally committed. Also, I've contacted my friend at LSU-Shreveport's medical school and she informs me that there is a permeant opening for a professor of psychiatry there and they would love for me to take it. My wife is dead set against even considering relocation to Shreveport as she still will have family and friends in the New Orleans area.

So I have to be careful to be gracious, keep my options open, yet not mislead. I don't want to say "No, I'm not taking that job" to my friend in Shreveport just in case LSU-New Orleans cuts my job for some reason. I also want temporary work if that becomes necessary.

Ultimately, I may have to have my family live in Shreveport and drive back-and-forth to Jackson, LA. It is a 220 mile trip that will likely take in the range of 4 hours due to some of it being on back roads. I assume I'd stay in the place that my boss might offer me for 4 days a week and return to family for a 3 day weekend or something for the next month. I'm waiting to hear from him later today to see if an apartment is even available. I'm hoping there isn't one...

[Wolfpack]

bind (bind)

n. Informal. A difficult, restrictive, or unresolvable situation
ex. "Eaglesfan27 is in something of a bind with his job and family situation."

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Just wanted to give a little levity to the situation. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

For the psychologically minded, one might even say I'm in a double bind ;)

[NoMyths]

For the psychologically minded, one might even say I'm in a double bind ;)*groan* ;)

[flere-imsaho]

I don't know if this is New Orleans-related, specifically, but I work for Northwestern University, which just announced the following:


Northwestern University will offer students enrolled at colleges and universities in hurricane-stricken areas the opportunity to take classes at Northwestern this fall as visiting students.

Northwestern will waive tuition for those students, allowing tuition revenues to continue to go to those students “home” institutions. If students have already paid their fall semester tuition to their home institution, Northwestern will provide available space in classes at no additional cost. If the visiting students have not yet paid tuition at their home institution, Northwestern will charge the home institution’s tuition and transfer those funds to it.

“Northwestern stands ready to assist students from those institutions affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath to the greatest extent possible,” said University President Henry S. Bienen.

Interested undergraduate students should apply through Northwestern’s School of Continuing Studies. The application deadline for those students will be extended to Sept. 15. All courses in which space is available offered through the School of Continuing Studies will be open to these students. In addition, where capacity is available, the visiting students may enroll in undergraduate courses in other Northwestern schools.

Fall quarter classes at Northwestern begin Sept. 20.

Students seeking to enroll in the emergency visiting student program should contact Lesley Todd at the School of Continuing Studies at 847-491-5251, by e-mail at [email protected] or go to <http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/ugrad/nondegree> on the Web.

Credits earned by visiting students at Northwestern may be transferred to other colleges and universities. At the end of the fall quarter, Northwestern will give students enrolled through the program transcripts for the courses they complete.

Northwestern also will make available a limited number of rooms in the University’s residence halls. Students interested in university housing should inform the School of Continuing Studies during the enrollment process.

Northwestern’s Graduate School will attempt to accommodate any master's or doctoral degree-seeking student from a New Orleans-area university who wishes to be a visiting student at Northwestern for the fall term. Emergency visiting students in the Graduate School also will not be charged tuition for their studies. Graduate students from the New Orleans area who may have an interest in studying at Northwestern University for the fall term should contact Associate Dean Simon Greenwold at [email protected] or 847/467-1829.

Northwestern Law School will offer enrollment to 15 second- and third-year law students from Tulane University and Loyola University of New Orleans. Those students are expected to arrive sometime next week.


Please pass it on to whomever it may be of use.

[Klinglerware]

Brown University is doing the same for Rhode Island residents and siblings of Brown students...

As relief organizations provide food, water, clothing and other essentials, Brown will take a number of steps to help some of the students at higher education institutions who have no hope of attending their colleges and universities this semester. We will accommodate as many of these students as space allows, providing free tuition for one semester.

Brown and the seven other institutions in the Rhode Island Independent Higher Education Association (RIIHEA) will offer admission for the upcoming semester to Rhode Island residents whose studies at colleges and universities in the devastated areas have been interrupted by the hurricane. Students will apply through RIIHEA, which will coordinate with member institutions. Brown will supply a staff member to assist this effort for undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical students who are Rhode Island residents. Displaced students who are Rhode Island residents may contact RIIHEA directly at (401) 272-8270.

Students who would otherwise be enrolled in colleges and universities in the affected communities and who are siblings of currently enrolled Brown students will also be offered admission to the University for one semester. They may contact the admission office directly.

Brown will accept undergraduates for one semester from Xavier University of Louisiana, Dillard University, and Tulane University whose studies have been interrupted by the disaster. Brown will encourage Leadership Alliance institutions to join us in this effort. Leadership Alliance students whose studies have been interrupted by the hurricane may contact the Leadership Alliance at Brown: (401) 863-1474.

The College Admission Office is developing a streamlined process to handle the admission of all students as special students when they present evidence of enrollment at an institution that has suspended its operations because of the hurricane. The College Admission Office may be contacted at (401) 863-2378. The application is available online (pdf).

Although we have no space available to house students, we will do everything possible to help them find housing during their time at the University. Efforts will be made to arrange accommodations for students with demonstrated need as determined by the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA).

Graduate Students:

The Dean of the Graduate School has sent a letter to Chairs and Directors of Graduate Study asking that they accept qualified students from graduate institutions that have been forced to close as a result of the hurricane. Admitted for one semester as exchange scholars on special student status, they will not be charged tuition. Places will be assigned on a space-available basis, which varies from department to department. Students may call the Graduate School at (401) 863-2600 to inquire.

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) will send a message to Brown faculty members requesting that they reach out to collaborators and colleagues at affected institutions and invite them to send their post-doctoral fellows to Brown, and to come to the University as visiting faculty, if space and other necessary facilities can be provided to support their research. OVPR will provide limited funding for travel or minimal research expenses. Inquiries should be directed to OVPR at (401) 863-7999.

[Klinglerware]

Dola -

Many schools have similar programs/offers in place for displaced students and faculty. I'd scout out school websites to look for the most appropriate offer...

[chinaski]

There will be 1500 survivors just 6 blocks up the street from me staying at one of our many vacant schools. Ive been up there the last 2 days helping clean and setup. I setup all the pc's and the network for the computer room today. The first batch of people will be arriving tonight at 7. I went from going down there to down there coming up here.

[chinaski]

My GFs mom finally got word on her great aunt, shes alive and made it out just in time. Her 84 year old boyfriend drove from Alabama after she told him she wouldnt leave her house, he literally saved her life and 4 of her friends. Every home in her area was destroyed.

[wbatl1]

There will be 1500 survivors just 6 blocks up the street from me staying at one of our many vacant schools. Ive been up there the last 2 days helping clean and setup. I setup all the pc's and the network for the computer room today. The first batch of people will be arriving tonight at 7. I went from going down there to down there coming up here.

What general area of the country are you in (not to be personal but just because the idea of vacant schools is foriegn to me. All of our school enrollments are growing like a weed)

[chinaski]

What general area of the country are you in (not to be personal but just because the idea of vacant schools is foriegn to me. All of our school enrollments are growing like a weed)
This is in Portland Oregon. Seems like we're constantly in a school budget crisis, and every year more schools close down.

[ISiddiqui]

I just heard that Stephon Marbury is personally given half a million for the relief effort. He was really shook up and during a speech could hardly speak because he crying throughout the whole thing. It was really touching.

[Eaglesfan27]

Finally talked to my boss who claims he has been trying to call me without luck over the last few days (which is suspicious since my cell phone has generally been working the last few days.) He'd like me to come to Jackson, LA by myself "as soon as possible" but understands that I have family concerns to attend to. This request goes against the general policy that LSU has at this moment of all staff being on special paid leave at least through September. He would like me to come and stay there in a trailer once I get my family settled in Shreveport. I asked him if any of the other faculty are there (naming them all by names.) He told me not one of them is, and none of them are planning on coming there at this time. One of those faculty members is at the same level as me having just started. He told me that none of the faculty are there. However, he does have 3 state MD's that there are there because they get paid extra to be there. Also all of the Child Fellows are there and are getting paid extra to be there (6 child/adolescent psychiatry fellows.) Therefore, I've decided that my wife and family need me, I can volunteer in Shreveport, and I'm not going to rush to go to Jackson, LA at this time.

[Galaxy]

I'm officially stressed out now. We have made a verbal committment to those 2 apartments in Shreveport, LA for at least one month. I finally found out where my boss is located. He is in Jackson, LA at a hospital up there with the patients from NOAH. Being the dutiful employee, I called him. He wants me to come up there if he can find housing for me. He isn't guaranteeing that he can. However, if he does, it is unlikely that he would find housing for my in-laws as well.

They would have to squeeze into our place which would cause all kinds of complications if I want to keep us all together. However, I feel since I made a verbal committment to that apartment complex in Shreveport, I should take those apartments for at least the month that I verbally committed. Also, I've contacted my friend at LSU-Shreveport's medical school and she informs me that there is a permeant opening for a professor of psychiatry there and they would love for me to take it. My wife is dead set against even considering relocation to Shreveport as she still will have family and friends in the New Orleans area.

So I have to be careful to be gracious, keep my options open, yet not mislead. I don't want to say "No, I'm not taking that job" to my friend in Shreveport just in case LSU-New Orleans cuts my job for some reason. I also want temporary work if that becomes necessary.

Ultimately, I may have to have my family live in Shreveport and drive back-and-forth to Jackson, LA. It is a 220 mile trip that will likely take in the range of 4 hours due to some of it being on back roads. I assume I'd stay in the place that my boss might offer me for 4 days a week and return to family for a 3 day weekend or something for the next month. I'm waiting to hear from him later today to see if an apartment is even available. I'm hoping there isn't one...


Just curious, why is your wife not wanting to move to Shreveport permeantly? Will she have a job in New Orleans with her hotel (is it damaged?)?

[digamma]

A close friend's family runs a company that provides maintenance and janitorial services for large office buildings in NO. His father ventured back into the city over the weekend to check on an number of the buildings they service (as well as their own offices and warehouse). He had to use a boat to go from building to building. Though he had attempted to prepare himself, he said he was still amazed at the destruction of the city. He said the desertion was eerie and it was, at times, frightening. Most troubling, though, he said were the bodies. He passed a number while on the boat, and at one point, he said he simply pulled over to the side and broke down in tears. I really can't imagine what that would have been like.

On a positive note, they are all safe and their personal property sustained little damage. Their warehouse is flooded and probably ruined. They're trying to figure out what to do to keep their business and their employees going--though they do have some hope because not all of their business was located in NO (some spread across LA and into Texas).

[Eaglesfan27]

Just curious, why is your wife not wanting to move to Shreveport permeantly? Will she have a job in New Orleans with her hotel (is it damaged?)?
She goes to school at a college in New Orleans and doesn't want to transfer permeantly. She also doesn't want to leave behind friends/family who will return to the city in the future. They are the main reason we moved to New Orleans from NJ in the first place.

[Galaxy]

Didn't realize she was still in school? She go to college, or a culinary arts school?

[Eaglesfan27]

Didn't realize she was still in school? She go to college, or a culinary arts school?
She goes to a college with a culinary arts program. She also has to take things such as French this semester. She is also working on a "hotel and restaurant management degree."

[Galaxy]

She goes to a college with a culinary arts program. She also has to take things such as French this semester. She is also working on a "hotel and restaurant management degree."

Ahh...Cool. I am a hotel and restaurant management major. Taking a culinary arts course this year, but your wife's program seems more focus on culinary arts and less on management (as it is the reverse here). My one professor last week was worried about one of his colleuges down in the region.

[Eaglesfan27]

Ahh...Cool. I am a hotel and restaurant management major. Taking a culinary arts course this year, but your wife's program seems more focus on culinary arts and less on management (as it is the reverse here). My one professor last week was worried about one of his colleuges down in the region.
They are actually 2 completely seperate 2 year programs that she is overlapping slightly to be done in 3 1/2 to 4 years (she would have been done in 3 1/2 before the storm hit. The storm will likely mess with her having enough accreditation hours in each field to be done in that time period now. She is a 3rd year now and is almost done her culinary arts degree. She only needed about 120 more hours working in a restaurant to be done that degree.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Tomorrow morning/early afternoon we'll be leaving Arkansas and driving to a hotel in Bossier City which is next to Shreveport as they finally have rooms available and that will make it easier to move into the (monthly) apartment on Friday.

It will nice to be back in the state of Louisiana, despite the wonderful hospitality of many great people here in Arkansas.

[JeffNights]

Ok i heard a frightening rumour.

As for the bodies, they will put them all in a mass grave, then make it a memorial?

a mass fuckin' grave?

[HomerJSimpson]

Ok i heard a frightening rumour.

As for the bodies, they will put them all in a mass grave, then make it a memorial?

a mass fuckin' grave?


Unidentified bodies? Surely not the ones with known family members?

[JeffNights]

Unidentified bodies? Surely not the ones with known family members?


Beats me, its a disgusting rumour I heard.

[NoMyths]

Trident Technical College here in Charleston just announced that they will be giving free tuition to students displaced by Katrina, as well as assistance with books and housing.

[duckman]

The mayor has ordered a "forced" evacuation of the city.

[sachmo71]

:)







Dear America,

I suppose we should introduce ourselves: We're South Louisiana.

We have arrived on your doorstep on short notice and we apologize for
that, but we never were much for waiting around for invitations. We're
not much on formalities like that.

And we might be staying around your town for a while, enrolling in your
schools and looking for jobs, so we wanted to tell you a few things
about us. We know you didn't ask for this and neither did we, so we're
just going to have to make the best of it.

First of all, we thank you. For your money, your water, your food, your
prayers, your boats and buses and the men and women of your National
Guards, fire departments, hospitals and everyone else who has come to
our rescue.

We're a fiercely proud and independent people, and we don't cotton much
to outside interference, but we're not ashamed to accept help when we
need it. And right now, we need it.

Just don't get carried away. For instance, once we get around to fishing
again, don't try to tell us what kind of lures work best in your waters.


We're not going to listen. We're stubborn that way.

You probably already know that we talk funny and listen to strange music
and eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to get out of your
yard.

We dance even if there's no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too
much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we're
suspicious of others who don't.

But we'll try not to judge you while we're in your town.

Everybody loves their home, we know that. But we love South Louisiana
with a ferocity that borders on the pathological. Sometimes we bury our
dead in LSU sweatshirts.

Often we don't make sense. You may wonder why, for instance - if we
could only carry one small bag of belongings with us on our journey to
your state - why in God's name did we bring a pair of shrimp boots?

We can't really explain that. It is what it is.

You've probably heard that many of us stayed behind. As bad as it is,
many of us cannot fathom a life outside of our border, out in that place
we call Elsewhere.

The only way you could understand that is if you have been there, and so
many of you have. So you realize that when you strip away all the
craziness and bars and parades and music and architecture and all that
hooey, really, the best thing about where we come from is us.

We are what made this place a national treasure. We're good people. And
don't be afraid to ask us how to pronounce our names. It happens all the
time.

When you meet us now and you look into our eyes, you will see the
saddest story ever told. Our hearts are broken into a thousand pieces.

But don't pity us. We're gonna make it. We're resilient. After all,
we've been rooting for the Saints for 35 years. That's got to count for
something.

OK, maybe something else you should know is that we make jokes at
inappropriate times.

But what the hell.

And one more thing: In our part of the country, we're used to having
visitors. It's our way of life.

So when all this is over and we move back home, we will repay to you the
hospitality and generosity of spirit you offer to us in this season of
our despair.

That is our promise. That is our faith.

(Chris Rose Times Picayune)

[Eaglesfan27]

Quick update:

After a rather pleasant 3 1/2 hour drive, we've safely arrived in Bossier City at our new hotel. This room is nicer than our old room and only slightly more expensive (and of course it is still part of the chain that accepts pets.)

We'll be in the hotel for at least the next 2 days and possibly up to the next 8 days as we know the 1st apartment will be ready on the 9th, but the 2nd one will be ready anywhere between the 9th and 15th.

[sterlingice]

Katrina kills most fish in New Orleans aquarium

Survivors being prepared to move, association reports

(CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina killed most of the fish in the New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Web site reported.

The animals were killed when the facility lost power and the staff had to evacuate.

A small staff is tending to the surviving animals and preparing to move them out of the facility, which is at the foot of Canal Street along the Mississippi River.

The Aquarium of the Americas was considered one of the foremost aquariums in the world, the conservation Web site Mongabay.com said.

"It had 10,000 fish representing more than 530 species and featured four enormous exhibits -- Mississippi River gallery featuring catfish, paddlefish and alligators; the Caribbean Reef exhibit featuring a clear, 30-foot-long tunnel surrounded by aquatic creatures; the Amazon Rainforest display featuring piranhas and tropical birds; and the Gulf of Mexico exhibit featuring sharks, sea turtles and stingrays -- in addition to a number of smaller displays."

Some animals survived the loss of power, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Web site reported.

"The sea otters, penguins, leafy and weedy sea dragons, birds (macaws and raptors), and the white alligator are fine," the association said on its Web site

"Midas, the infamous 250-pound sea turtle, survived and has been coaxed into the holding area in the Gulf of Mexico Exhibit," the association said.

Air pumps are key for an aquarium, according to Mongabay.com.

"Aquatic plants, animals, and waste-converting bacteria all depend on oxygen dissolved in water for respiration."

Zoos weather storm better

Meanwhile, New Orleans' other animal centers fared better, with only a pair of river otters reported dead at the Audubon Zoo and a whooping crane lost at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species.

"From what I understand, we didn't take any water," zoo spokeswoman Sarah Burnette told CNN on Sunday. Most of the damage to the zoo -- which houses about 1,200 animals in natural habitats -- appeared to be limited to uprooted trees and plants, she said.

A crocodile from the research center was missing, said Rhett A. Butler, a conservationist and founder of the Web site mongabay.com.

The Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species is several miles from the zoo on New Orleans' West Bank.

The American Association of Zoo Keepers said Sunday that other zoos in the Gulf Coast area fared well too, though the threat was not over.

"We are thankful that most of the reports we have received about the zoos and aquariums in the area are hopeful," the association said on its Web site. "It is still too early to assess the full impact and the danger is not over yet for some areas. Flooding continues to be a problem and is actually increasing in the worst-hit areas."

Burnette said the zoo took pointers from the Miami zoo after deadly Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992, then the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

"We have worked closely with Miami MetroZoo ever since Hurricane Andrew, and we totally revised our hurricane plan after talking to them. We have a protocol we go through whenever we know something's brewing," she said.

In anticipation of Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans zoo stockpiled fuel, food and other supplies, Burnette said. When it hit last Monday, the staff fled to the sturdy reptile building and raided the cafeteria for food. Some staff remained at the zoo, she said.

"We did plan well, but I think we also were really fortunate to be on the natural bank of the Mississippi River," Burnette said. The land is on higher ground than other parts of New Orleans, which is several feet below sea level. In the center of the zoo is a 28-foot, man-made "mountain" that was built decades ago when lagoons were dug, she said.

Meanwhile, the 211-member American Zoo and Aquarium Association began a fund-raising initiative, headed by the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, to provide relief.

The association posted on its Web site what it knew about the status of zoos in the hurricane's path:



New Orleans (Audubon Zoo), Louisiana: Audubon Nature Institute executive staff continue to assess the impact of Hurricane Katrina on all Audubon facilities. Audubon staff are working round the clock on recovery efforts.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Zoo: Power is back on at the zoo. There are lots of trees down, but no animal losses. Cleanup efforts are under way.
Alexandria, Louisiana, Zoo: No animal loss.
Jackson, Mississippi, Zoo: The zoo suffered slight building damage and has about 35 trees down. No injuries to staff or animals.
Birmingham, Alabama, Zoo: The zoo was without power for a day, but power is restored. Trees down, but no animal losses.
Montgomery, Alabama, Zoo: The zoo has resumed operations. There are trees down, but no animal losses.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/09/07/katrina.zoos/index.html

SI

[Pumpy Tudors]

sachmo, that was great. I never read the newspaper much, but on the few occasions I've read a Chris Rose column, I've gotten a kick out of it.

[sachmo71]

Now I'm thinking of all the new ghosts in New Orleans...like they needed more.

:(

And yet another effect of this storm that I hadn't thought of...
My wife was on her way out to go to the gym. I asked her if she wanted to get frisky tonight, or if I would have to fly solo (it's been almost a week), and she said "if we don't watch Katrina coverage, I'll be fine."

TV OFF!

[Buccaneer]

eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to get out of your
yard.
True dat.

[Dutch]

Quick update:

After a rather pleasant 3 1/2 hour drive, we've safely arrived in Bossier City at our new hotel. This room is nicer than our old room and only slightly more expensive (and of course it is still part of the chain that accepts pets.)

We'll be in the hotel for at least the next 2 days and possibly up to the next 8 days as we know the 1st apartment will be ready on the 9th, but the 2nd one will be ready anywhere between the 9th and 15th.

I just sent you probably the largest PM I've ever sent anyone. I did get an error about my mailbox being full, so if you didn't get it, let me know. :)

[Dutch]

Katrina kills most fish in New Orleans aquarium

Survivors being prepared to move, association reports

(CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina killed most of the fish in the New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Web site reported.

The animals were killed when the facility lost power and the staff had to evacuate.

A small staff is tending to the surviving animals and preparing to move them out of the facility, which is at the foot of Canal Street along the Mississippi River.

The Aquarium of the Americas was considered one of the foremost aquariums in the world, the conservation Web site Mongabay.com said.

SI

:(

I went there when it was nearly brand new. It was an awesome place.

[Pumpy Tudors]

UPDATE:

I spoke to my father today for the first time since the hurricane. He's staying in a hotel in Atlanta indefinitely. He's heard from just about everybody on his side of the family, and the two people he hadn't heard from were pretty nomadic anyway. They might not have even been in the New Orleans area when the storm hit.

Still no word on my aunt and cousin on my mother's side, though.

[Farrah Whitworth-Rahn]

EF - Just saw this and thought of you. Might be worth looking in to.

linky (http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG090705.6b8226ab.html)

Tom Planchet

7:02 P.M. - FEMA Official: If you were hit with any sort of disaster-related loss, you qualify for federal assistance. If you had to spend a night in a hotel, FEMA will cover it. Save your receipts, keep track of everything you’ve bought.

[Galaxy]

Now I'm thinking of all the new ghosts in New Orleans...like they needed more.

:(

And yet another effect of this storm that I hadn't thought of...
My wife was on her way out to go to the gym. I asked her if she wanted to get frisky tonight, or if I would have to fly solo (it's been almost a week), and she said "if we don't watch Katrina coverage, I'll be fine."

TV OFF!


Been hanging out with HA? :D

[Buccaneer]

Now I'm thinking of all the new ghosts in New Orleans...like they needed more.

:(

And yet another effect of this storm that I hadn't thought of...
My wife was on her way out to go to the gym. I asked her if she wanted to get frisky tonight, or if I would have to fly solo (it's been almost a week), and she said "if we don't watch Katrina coverage, I'll be fine."

TV OFF!
T.M.I.

[Passacaglia]

Meanwhile, the 211-member American Zoo and Aquarium Association began a fund-raising initiative, headed by the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, to provide relief.

Lincoln Park Zoo? Uh-oh..

[Eaglesfan27]

I just sent you probably the largest PM I've ever sent anyone. I did get an error about my mailbox being full, so if you didn't get it, let me know. :)
Unfortunately, all I got was my original message quoted with no further reply :(

My box is only about a third full as I cleaned it the other day. Any of the info that you can re-send will be much appreciated. Thanks :)

[Eaglesfan27]

EF - Just saw this and thought of you. Might be worth looking in to.

linky (http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG090705.6b8226ab.html)
Thanks for the info. I'm saving receipts for however it might help.

[Buccaneer]

Thanks for the info. I'm saving receipts for however it might help.
Have faith, FEMA is really, really good at paperwork.

EF, I hadn't said this yet but I thank you for putting an encouraging human face on this tragedy.

[sterlingice]

:(

I went there when it was nearly brand new. It was an awesome place.
I went there in 8th grade. Very cool :D

SI

[sachmo71]

T.M.I.


sorry, bucc. :(

[Tigercat]

Well apparently my parents are back in their house in St Charles Parish (outskirts of N.O.) with family members that lost their house or still can't get back to their houses.

I would be back there myself, but I want to see if I can't speed up my Master's work here and defend my thesis before I head back down there for a long haul of repair and rebuilding work... So thats left me up here camping out without any regular internet or anything else civilized until I can get everything in order with my school situation. So frustrating, I really want to be down there already with everyone else. :mad:

Glad to here of everyone else and their families doing well. We could use all the good news we can get until we see whats under the rubble and water.
:(

[mrsimperless]

They had an interview with a woman on NPR last night (All Things Considered, I think) that was still in NO. Apparently everyday her and her friends were gathering at a sports bar called (someone) White's Sports Bar. The place was located on Bourbon St. It was a very odd interview to say the least. The thing that seemed to worry this woman the most was getting booze to the bar every night. She kept talking about how they had trouble getting beer there in the evenings. The interviewer would ask her about things like food and water, but she would always go back to the alcohol. Very, very weird interview.

[mrsimperless]

Found a link to the story where you can listen to the interview if interested.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4836552

[Wolfpack]

They had an interview with a woman on NPR last night (All Things Considered, I think) that was still in NO. Apparently everyday her and her friends were gathering at a sports bar called (someone) White's Sports Bar. The place was located on Bourbon St. It was a very odd interview to say the least. The thing that seemed to worry this woman the most was getting booze to the bar every night. She kept talking about how they had trouble getting beer there in the evenings. The interviewer would ask her about things like food and water, but she would always go back to the alcohol. Very, very weird interview.

Sounds like she's got a good grasp of the larger picture and her place in it.

[Klinglerware]

A friend of mine who writes a medical blog has some NO related dispatches this week. Some of it makes for interesting reading...

http://blogborygmi.blogspot.com/


Also, my relatives from Gulfport finally checked in. They returned to their home to find that their roof no longer exists. But, everyone is accounted for, so my family is very relieved...

[Eaglesfan27]

Kathy and I are about to drive over to check out our new temporary apartment in Shreveport (it's only about 10-15 miles from our hotel in Bossier City I think.)

Also, we just found out that the hotel rooms for tonight and the next 2 weeks are free courtesy of the red cross. This will saves us significant money as the in-laws apartment won't be ready for another week and the one apartment would be difficult to live in with 5 adults and 4 pets (that don't get along well.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Another little status update:

The new apartment is smaller than we are used to, but this shouldn't be a problem since we don't have most of our stuff. It is a very nice apartment despite being small, and we saw the type of furniture that will be in it tomorrow (by looking at a model.) Overall, I'm very pleased considering we made the deal over the phone without ever looking at it. The neighborhood (it is a gated community) seems very nice.

Unless, I bring my laptop back to my mother-in-law's hotel room, I likely won't have internet access for at least a few days so that might be why I won't check in for a while. The new apartment doesn't come with internet and it is all a matter of how fast we can get either Cable modem or DSL hooked up.

[Galaxy]

Nice to hear the Red Cross giving free rooms. I hope this isn't hurting your financial situation, as well as your large house savings.

[Eaglesfan27]

Nice to hear the Red Cross giving free rooms. I hope this isn't hurting your financial situation, as well as your large house savings.
I can't complain. This will put a dent in our savings that might delay our house purchasing a month or two (plus of course we might have lost some of our property back home) but we are very fortunate.

I agree that it is nice to see the Red Cross doing this.

I just called a few places and it looks like I won't have internet access until at least Monday after we leave the hotel at noon tomorrow (unless I hang out with my computer in my mother-in-law's hotel room some over the weekend.)

[JW]

This from a local internet forum. Arabi is in St. Bernard Parish just outside New Orleans. St. Bernard Parish is basically submerged. They have announced for example that there will be no school this year in St. Bernard Parish. They have told teachers to seek jobs elsewhere and parents to get their kids in school elsewhere. There may be hundreds or a thousand (parish president's estimate) dead in St. Bernard. I don't think this is a political comment: And yet the media has virtually ignored the plight of the good people there.

When all is said and done, there will be thousands of stories like this of my pt. from Arabi....

I got the whole story today from her son. She's a 79 year old woman, who along with her 2 sisters road out Katrina. Her only son who works on a cruise boat in Hawaii, called her before Katrina hit and told her to get out. Instead, she chose to ride out the storm in his cousin's "brick" home. Her son is now in BR and living in our ICU waiting room to be near his Mother. The story he told me today of his mother's escape from Katrina and how she came to my hospital, brought me to tears and still does.
When the levee broke, the water rose so fast the cousin's boat got trapped under the carport. The 3 sisters got out of the house, had life vest on and clung to a tree until the cousin could get the boat out. During this time, one of the sisters could no longer hold onto the tree and floated into the swamp behind the house.

Cousin got in his boat and tried to save the sister, but when he got there she had a water moccasins in her life vest and she was dead. He rescued her body and tied her to the roof of the house. The son, said his cousin told him, her eyes were opened and she was not breathing... she must have been dead.

Cousin then got the other two sisters into the boat and they were turned away at two shelters so he left them on the Court House steps. They stayed there in the sun with no water or food, until they were rescued Wednesday. After he put the two sister on the steps, he went back for the third dead sister and her body was gone.

The two sisters were airmeded to the PMAC (LSU, Pete Maravich Assembly Center). One of my fellow nurses took care of her that night at the PMAC before she was transfered to our unit.

That week I worked Sun-Wed and helped transfer her from the strecher to the bed. She had these huge water blisters on her arms and legs. It was then, I knew, I had to go and volunteer Thursday and Friday at the PMAC on my days off.

My patient's living sister is alive and doing well, living in Florida with nephew.

Today one of her wound cultures came back possible Vibrio.

God bless theirs souls.

[sachmo71]

What is "Vibrio"?

[HomerJSimpson]

What is "Vibrio"?


http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/vibriovulnificus_g.htm

[Eaglesfan27]

Quick update:

No internet at my new place until Tuesday. At a Barnes and Noble right now about 10 miles from the apartment. There is a good chance I'll be going to serve in a make shift city area in about a week. Probably won't have internet during that time. I'll probably be working for a week, then off for a week. Repeat cycle until the city re-opens.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

Also, I'm really liking the new apartment which is very nice. Also, Shreveport and Bossier City are both great cities and I find myself starting to wish to move here permeantly which I feel guilty about. In any case, everyone is being very gracious to us and the cities both seem quite vibrant.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'm not sure if I posted this already -- forgive me if I have -- but I have a little more good news. My mother and sister recovered everything from their home, and they are now just outside Lafayette, Louisiana. They are renting a house there for a few months, and my sister is going to try to do her final semester at UNO through electronic courses that the university plans to offer starting next month.

Unless I hear any news about my aunt and cousin, I think I'm essentially done with FOFC for a while. This thread is a sanctuary for me and I'll continue to check it, but a lot of other discussions here are simply driving me to anger right now, and that's not an easy feat. I would never suggest to squelch anything that anybody has to say here, so I'm taking the obvious step and just getting myself away.

Good luck to all of you.

[Galaxy]

I can't complain. This will put a dent in our savings that might delay our house purchasing a month or two (plus of course we might have lost some of our property back home) but we are very fortunate.

I agree that it is nice to see the Red Cross doing this.

I just called a few places and it looks like I won't have internet access until at least Monday after we leave the hotel at noon tomorrow (unless I hang out with my computer in my mother-in-law's hotel room some over the weekend.)

A month or two of savings "lost" doesn't sound bad. Aren't Shreveport/Boosier City very close to Dallas/Fort Worth?

[GoldenEagle]

A month or two of savings "lost" doesn't sound bad. Aren't Shreveport/Boosier City very close to Dallas/Fort Worth?
It is about five hours due west. It is a straight shot though.

[terpkristin]

I'm not sure if I posted this already -- forgive me if I have -- but I have a little more good news. My mother and sister recovered everything from their home, and they are now just outside Lafayette, Louisiana. They are renting a house there for a few months, and my sister is going to try to do her final semester at UNO through electronic courses that the university plans to offer starting next month.

Unless I hear any news about my aunt and cousin, I think I'm essentially done with FOFC for a while. This thread is a sanctuary for me and I'll continue to check it, but a lot of other discussions here are simply driving me to anger right now, and that's not an easy feat. I would never suggest to squelch anything that anybody has to say here, so I'm taking the obvious step and just getting myself away.

Good luck to all of you.
Wow, that's great about your mother and sister. About your aunt and cousin, I'll be keeping them in my thoughts. We'll miss you, Pumpy, but I certainly understand your need to get away for awhile. :(

/tk

[Eaglesfan27]

Pumpy, I understand that need as well. I'll be keeping your aunt and cousin in my thoughts as well and I think that is great news about your mother and sister.

I'm just at Barnes and Nobles for essential internet update of info. I've applied through LSU for housing in the Baton Rouge area as my boss wants me to work in that general area. However, it looks like I will be moving to a trailer in an evacuee area at the beginning of October. In the meantime, my apartment is getting internet tomorrow and I'll catch up with other stuff here. However, starting on Saturday (or Monday at the latest) I'll be living the trailer away from Mrs. Eaglesfan for 10 days at a time while working and then hopefully be off for 10 days.

I will have to say the one upshot of all of this is that I've gotten to spend more quality time with my wife in one shot than I have in over 3 years and it is has been very good for our relationship despite the stresses from in-laws and the various other factors at play here.

[Eaglesfan27]

Well, I'm not sure how long I'll be home to enjoy it, but my new apartment now has high speed internet access.

[sachmo71]

Some of the before-after pictures on wwltv.com are pretty cool.

[Eaglesfan27]

Now, Mayor Nagin has announced that uptown residents (which is where I live) will be able to return to live sometime next week (he is doing a phased in re-population of the city.) This complicates my plans to go to work in a temporary city some, and also makes me wonder if I was stupid to get this apartment for a whole month (the month-to-month lease ends on October 8th.)

[NoMyths]

Stupid? Not at all. You made the best decision based on the best information you had at the time. And it's only a month's rent, at the end of the day, compared to everything else.

[Klinglerware]

Now, Mayor Nagin has announced that uptown residents (which is where I live) will be able to return to live sometime next week (he is doing a phased in re-population of the city.) This complicates my plans to go to work in a temporary city some, and also makes me wonder if I was stupid to get this apartment for a whole month (the month-to-month lease ends on October 8th.)

If you were to return, what would be the state of utilities? Would there be electricity? Would the water be safe to drink?

[sachmo71]

Now, Mayor Nagin has announced that uptown residents (which is where I live) will be able to return to live sometime next week (he is doing a phased in re-population of the city.) This complicates my plans to go to work in a temporary city some, and also makes me wonder if I was stupid to get this apartment for a whole month (the month-to-month lease ends on October 8th.)


Hey, when you go back and if you get a chance, I'd LOVE to hear how my old house on Belfast faired.

[Eaglesfan27]

Klingerware, the word is that by the time they will let us return next week, there will be electricity and water will be safe. However, I don't necessarily believe that the water will be safe (I don't want to get into the politics in this thread.) Therefore, we already had bottled water delivery service on a cooler and certainly will continue to use that. I'll also be sure to buy a LOT of bottled water here in Shreveport before we drive down just in case.

Sachmo, I'll be glad to look at the house when the chance occurs. I'll let you all know when (work is still going to be a major factor in the when) I go back and PM me the address at that time.


EDIT: I just read the article again. Water will be safe for flushing toilets only according to Nagin. Outside water will be needed for drinking and bathing.

[Eaglesfan27]

Stupid? Not at all. You made the best decision based on the best information you had at the time. And it's only a month's rent, at the end of the day, compared to everything else.
I know. The bad part is that my in-laws are just moving into their apartment tomorrow, so we'll really have wasted some money there, but at least it is only going to be a month's wasted rent.

[Klinglerware]

Klingerware, the word is that by the time they will let us return next week, there will be electricity and water will be safe. However, I don't necessarily believe that the water will be safe (I don't want to get into the politics in this thread.) Therefore, we already had bottled water delivery service on a cooler and certainly will continue to use that. I'll also be sure to buy a LOT of bottled water here in Shreveport before we drive down just in case.

Sachmo, I'll be glad to look at the house when the chance occurs. I'll let you all know when (work is still going to be a major factor in the when) I go back and PM me the address at that time.


EDIT: I just read the article again. Water will be safe for flushing toilets only according to Nagin. Outside water will be needed for drinking and bathing.


Thanks for the info. Good luck with whatever you decide to do...

[Wolfpack]

Well, until you get in there and see what the actual state of play is in the city, the money's not wasted yet. You at least have a fallback if things aren't in as good a shape as you'd hoped.

[albionmoonlight]

My friend is a Marine and one of the guys working to get the City back up and running. Take it for what it is worth, but he says that it looks like the water issue is about as bad as it can get and it may be months before they are able to provide clean water again.

[Eaglesfan27]

Well, Nagin just announced the specific schedule for the phase-in repopulation which is being done by location and zip code. Friday the 23rd is the earliest I can return home (assuming work cooperates.)

At least with the phased-in repopulation, traffic shouldn't be too terrible in theory.

[Pumpy Tudors]

My aunt and cousin are fine, and they're in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I believe that my entire family is now accounted for, and they're all OK.

[Eaglesfan27]

My aunt and cousin are fine, and they're in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I believe that my entire family is now accounted for, and they're all OK.
That is excellent news Pumpy! :)

[terpkristin]

My aunt and cousin are fine, and they're in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I believe that my entire family is now accounted for, and they're all OK.
AWESOME!!!

Glad to hear things are getting back to normal for you, too, EF! :)

FWIW, my brother has decided to stay in Austin. He may go back and see the condition of his place (and stuff) but he's got an apartment with his gf in Austin and they've registered her son in school there, so they're planning on staying there...

/tk

[Eaglesfan27]

Well, my status keeps changing almost daily it seems. It appears that I will be likely making an exploratory effort to survey my apartment in New Orleans on the 23rd, and hopefully moving back there soon after that if nothing changes too much and the place is livable.

After that, we are working on getting me set up with clinics in several temporary cities as well as possibly Baton Rouge and I'll likely be traveling 60-80 miles each way every day to go to work. That will be unpleasant, but doable for a few months. The good news is that pre-liminary reports from security where I live is that no significant damage was done to my apartment and no obvious signs of looting are present (i.e. no smashed in windows, etc.)

[Pumpy Tudors]

I finally got some details about my aunt and cousin. Their house got flooded all the way up to the second floor. They unsuccessfully attempted to break through the roof to get outside, but the water didn't get over their heads. A rescue boat came by, and they saw it and opened the window and screamed for help. The boat stopped and picked them up. They were brought to the convention center, and sometime later, they were fortunate enough to get on a bus to Arkansas.

[sachmo71]

I finally got some details about my aunt and cousin. Their house got flooded all the way up to the second floor. They unsuccessfully attempted to break through the roof to get outside, but the water didn't get over their heads. A rescue boat came by, and they saw it and opened the window and screamed for help. The boat stopped and picked them up. They were brought to the convention center, and sometime later, they were fortunate enough to get on a bus to Arkansas.


Bet they have some tales to tell.
Glad to hear everyone is ok, Pumpy.

[terpkristin]

Well, my status keeps changing almost daily it seems. It appears that I will be likely making an exploratory effort to survey my apartment in New Orleans on the 23rd, and hopefully moving back there soon after that if nothing changes too much and the place is livable.

After that, we are working on getting me set up with clinics in several temporary cities as well as possibly Baton Rouge and I'll likely be traveling 60-80 miles each way every day to go to work. That will be unpleasant, but doable for a few months. The good news is that pre-liminary reports from security where I live is that no significant damage was done to my apartment and no obvious signs of looting are present (i.e. no smashed in windows, etc.)
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that everything is ok at your apartment. I assume that you'll take your time moving back to it...at least, as much time as the month-to-month on your current place lets you (i.e. so you don't lose money by moving out of there early)?

Your mention of your long commute sounds familiar to how mine was for my new job until I moved. I was commuting about 55 miles each way through Washington beltway traffic and it was a bit crazy. A little piece of advice (if you want it), get an iPod or other mp3 player and get either an FM transmitter or a cassette adapter or a line-in cord (depending on what you have in your car) and get some audio books on Audible (www.audible.com). Or, you can burn books from Audible to CD. I always forget about that option, since my CD burner doesn't work. Anyway, I found that listening to books on my way in made the commute much more bearable, though I admit I only get audio books of things I've read before, because listening to something completely new can be hard for me to focus on. Anyway, just my $0.02 on surviving a long commute.

Audible: http://www.audible.com (tell them I sent you if you decide to use 'em, user name is kpilotte or real name is Kristin Pilotte).
My iPod setup for my commute (I use the iTrip on the iPod--it's an FM transmitter): http://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin/43880234/
Crappy traffic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin/43880237/

Let us know when you find out the status of your apartment!!!

/tk

[Eaglesfan27]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that everything is ok at your apartment. I assume that you'll take your time moving back to it...at least, as much time as the month-to-month on your current place lets you (i.e. so you don't lose money by moving out of there early)?

Your mention of your long commute sounds familiar to how mine was for my new job until I moved. I was commuting about 55 miles each way through Washington beltway traffic and it was a bit crazy. A little piece of advice (if you want it), get an iPod or other mp3 player and get either an FM transmitter or a cassette adapter or a line-in cord (depending on what you have in your car) and get some audio books on Audible (www.audible.com (http://www.audible.com/)). Or, you can burn books from Audible to CD. I always forget about that option, since my CD burner doesn't work. Anyway, I found that listening to books on my way in made the commute much more bearable, though I admit I only get audio books of things I've read before, because listening to something completely new can be hard for me to focus on. Anyway, just my $0.02 on surviving a long commute.

Audible: http://www.audible.com (http://www.audible.com/) (tell them I sent you if you decide to use 'em, user name is kpilotte or real name is Kristin Pilotte).
My iPod setup for my commute (I use the iTrip on the iPod--it's an FM transmitter): http://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin/43880234/
Crappy traffic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin/43880237/

Let us know when you find out the status of your apartment!!!

/tk
My work might want me back in 8 days in which case I'll probably move my stuff back next weekend. Kathy's work doesn't want her back quite as soon so her and her in-laws will probably enjoy the new temporary apartments for a few more days and move back via 2 trips (one with me and one without) assuming that her family's place is ok too.

Thanks for the advice. Normally, these commutes wouldn't be so bad (not fun going 80 miles but at least I'd be going about 70 mph a good part of the way, but with roads being closed it could be even worse than usual.) I might get the iPod, or I might finally get satelitte radio for my car. If I decide to go the ipod/Audible route, I'll definitely let them know you sent me. I also update about my apartment once I can.

[Galaxy]

My work might want me back in 8 days in which case I'll probably move my stuff back next weekend. Kathy's work doesn't want her back quite as soon so her and her in-laws will probably enjoy the new temporary apartments for a few more days and move back via 2 trips (one with me and one without) assuming that her family's place is ok too.

Thanks for the advice. Normally, these commutes wouldn't be so bad (not fun going 80 miles but at least I'd be going about 70 mph a good part of the way, but with roads being closed it could be even worse than usual.) I might get the iPod, or I might finally get satelitte radio for my car. If I decide to go the ipod/Audible route, I'll definitely let them know you sent me. I also update about my apartment once I can.

EF, how long until your wife can return to work? How is her hotel?

[Eaglesfan27]

EF, how long until your wife can return to work? How is her hotel?
The hotel had some roof damage. They expect her to return to work around mid October and they are paying her until she is able to return at that time. At least, that is the info from the last time she talked to her boss.

[sachmo71]

My niece went back to NO with her father to see how they faired. Here is her email about what she found. Feel free to browse the photo album...just brings the loss that much closer to home. My old house is about 3 blocks north of the picture of Palmer Park.


This past week I made a quick trip to New Orleans with my dad (Paul) to see if we could get into the city. A client of his had left all of her artwork in his shop after a gallery showing and wanted to meet us there.

Paul had also heard that his house had flooded by a friend who made it in the city the day before. We went in to try and find his cat (the friend rescued the bird), retrieve some paperwork and a computer from the store, and check on the house.

It was a long and grueling trip. We made it in with no problems at the checkpoint, and these are the pictures of what we found. His shop is okay and his house is destroyed. The way stuff was all over the house it looked as if the water agitated while it was in there.

The whole city smelled like wet hay and cow dung. The smell of the mildew everywhere is indescribable.

Paul, Lynn and Walker are living in Dallas until at least January. They are not sure what they are going to do. My cousin, Stephanie, in Covington (where my dad evacuated to) still does not have power. My aunt, Dolly, in Mandeville got her power back on this week. My other aunt, Charlotte, in Covington lost her house from flooding. She is currently living in Los Angeles where her son lives.

The good news is that everyone is safe. Click on View Photos below to see the pictures.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=z3y5zer.5x5mie6z&Uy=nhvfj3&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=727442059323_654504978203

[Eaglesfan27]

Looking at those pictures really does bring it alive. I've heard from a few friends, but hadn't seen any pics like these yet.

[Buccaneer]

Those are great pictures. I was struck as to how dry everything looks now despite haven been under 3-4 of water.

[JeeberD]

Wow...I really hadn't thought as to how everyone's possessions were going to be straight up ruined. For some reason I was thinking that it would be a bitch of a clean-up job once folks were allowed back into their homes, but most of the stuff in that house is ruined. The living room furniture, the beds, the clothes in the dressers...all gonna have to be tossed. It would probably be easier to start over somewhere else. Are there any consequences for folks who do exactly that by abandoning their old homes?

[JonInMiddleGA]

I hope it's okay to post this here, I thought Eaglesfan might enjoy it, maybe some others too. I just thought it was a good story written pretty well. It's fairly long for wire copy, I'll post just enough here for background, to give anyone enough to see if they want to read the whole thing.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050918/D8CMUDPG8.html

HOUSTON (AP) - They're out there. The shooters, the choppers, the looters, the lines, the foul water and the bodies. Especially the bodies. "But we're in here," says Victor Fruge.

Others - hundreds of thousands of them - had also escaped from New Orleans. But few could match the extraordinary, even miraculous odyssey of Fruge and his comrades - 16 mentally ill men and recovering addicts, cast out of their group home, Abstract House, by the storm.

For a week the men stuck together through Hurricane Katrina and its rising waters, following a survival instinct like a candle in the dark and gamely caring for each other as they traveled unsupervised for nearly 500 miles. They arrived at dawn in Houston, a sprawling and unfamiliar city among the thousands of hurricane refugees who have made the exodus to Texas, but without a friend in sight.

Along the way they ate and slept in at least four different shelters and caught rides on four different means of transport, always clutching the psychotropic medications that keep their imaginary devils at arm's length while the real world around them sunk into a deeper hell.

[Eaglesfan27]

That was an interesting read, and I think about some of the patients that I helped during my residency that were among the most mentally ill in the city, and I wonder what happened to them.

[Wolfpack]

EF, you may want to hold off on relocating back to NO for the moment. Rita's scheduled to be in the western gulf in five days. Current forecasts seem to point to a Texas/Mexico landfall, but this far out, that's usually not going to be the most accurate forecast. I shudder to think what even a weak storm will do to the area in its current state.

[albionmoonlight]

Wow...I really hadn't thought as to how everyone's possessions were going to be straight up ruined. For some reason I was thinking that it would be a bitch of a clean-up job once folks were allowed back into their homes, but most of the stuff in that house is ruined. The living room furniture, the beds, the clothes in the dressers...all gonna have to be tossed.
Another aspect that some people are missing are people who had local employment--my friend's dad had built up a private psychiatry practice over the last 40 years. It's pretty much gone now because all of his paitents are gone. You get disability insurance and life insurance and malpractice insurance and property insurance for your office and the like to make sure that your family is covered in case of the "worst case" ever happening. But you can't insure for something like all of your paitents being forced to leave town and who knows if/when they are coming back.

(Note--don't weep for them. I'm not looking for sympathy. There are a lot of people who ended up a lot worse off. I am just thinking of the thousands of people who had jobs that were not with large corporations and whose job now just no longer exists--and there was really no way to have prepared for that.)

[Eaglesfan27]

EF, you may want to hold off on relocating back to NO for the moment. Rita's scheduled to be in the western gulf in five days. Current forecasts seem to point to a Texas/Mexico landfall, but this far out, that's usually not going to be the most accurate forecast. I shudder to think what even a weak storm will do to the area in its current state.

Kathy and I noticed this yesterday afternoon after my mother pointed it out. We'll be keeping a close eye on it, and it may affect our timeplan for returning. However, thanks for pointing this out just in case we hadn't heard about it.

[Eaglesfan27]

Another aspect that some people are missing are people who had local employment--my friend's dad had built up a private psychiatry practice over the last 40 years. It's pretty much gone now because all of his paitents are gone. You get disability insurance and life insurance and malpractice insurance and property insurance for your office and the like to make sure that your family is covered in case of the "worst case" ever happening. But you can't insure for something like all of your paitents being forced to leave town and who knows if/when they are coming back.

(Note--don't weep for them. I'm not looking for sympathy. There are a lot of people who ended up a lot worse off. I am just thinking of the thousands of people who had jobs that were not with large corporations and whose job now just no longer exists--and there was really no way to have prepared for that.)

I'm not asking anyone to weep for her either, but one of my best friends is in a similar predictament except she is in her early 30's and has just recently finished residency (less than 2 years ago.) She doesn't have huge savings built up, and she had just purchased a house. She was a private practice psychiatrist and now she is seriously considering selling her house and moving back to Ohio (her home state) because she is not sure when her clients will return to town, and she believes that many of them might not.

[Wolfpack]

Kathy and I noticed this yesterday afternoon after my mother pointed it out. We'll be keeping a close eye on it, and it may affect our timeplan for returning. However, thanks for pointing this out just in case we hadn't heard about it.

Just looked at the 11 AM advisory/forecast and the news is sliding downhill a bit more. Forecast track now takes the storm into the Houston/Galveston area in five days with winds around 115, a low Cat 3. Of significant import, however, is the fact that the margin of error cone now extends east to include New Orleans.

There will be another full advisory at 5 (4 CDT) that will update the forecast again. It should be noted that the forecasts for Katrina didn't have New Orleans pegged as a possible target until 54 hours before landfall, so naturally, continue to take such things with a little salt. At least this time the city's empty for the most part, so evacuations and traffic problems attendant to that will be nonexistent if it ever came to that.

[Eaglesfan27]

Just looked at the 11 AM advisory/forecast and the news is sliding downhill a bit more. Forecast track now takes the storm into the Houston/Galveston area in five days with winds around 115, a low Cat 3. Of significant import, however, is the fact that the margin of error cone now extends east to include New Orleans.

There will be another full advisory at 5 (4 CDT) that will update the forecast again. It should be noted that the forecasts for Katrina didn't have New Orleans pegged as a possible target until 54 hours before landfall, so naturally, continue to take such things with a little salt. At least this time the city's empty for the most part, so evacuations and traffic problems attendant to that will be nonexistent if it ever came to that.
I just saw this too. I'm worried that the track is moving north and east. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this over the next few days.

[albionmoonlight]

The bad news is that once these long range forcasts start to move, they tend to keep moving. If it was supposed to hit west Texas and is now supposed to hit Houston, that means that it will probably hit to the East of Houston.

[Wolfpack]

Ugly, but fairly true. Anything this far out is a guessing game, though the forecasts through 48-72 hours generally will be in the ballpark. It's the 96-120-hour forecast that keeps moving around. If I had to call a shot based on nothing but gut and general understanding of how these things tend to shake out, I think this will landfall somewhere in SW Louisiana or far east Texas right now. The problem with Katrina was that it moved SW out of Florida and then circled back north which is a rather unusual path for a storm. Most storms will go like Rita's going, a generally W-to-WNW track for some period of time until some weakness is reached in whatever ridge is steering it west and then it begins cycling towards the north.

[sachmo71]

Here's a map with flood depth surveys.

http://mapper.cctechnol.com/floodmap.php

[sterlingice]

I'm not asking anyone to weep for her either, but one of my best friends is in a similar predictament except she is in her early 30's and has just recently finished residency (less than 2 years ago.) She doesn't have huge savings built up, and she had just purchased a house. She was a private practice psychiatrist and now she is seriously considering selling her house and moving back to Ohio (her home state) because she is not sure when her clients will return to town, and she believes that many of them might not.
I've gotta think that's an impossible situation, too. There just is no demand to move in to New Orleans so who may even buy it?

SI

[albionmoonlight]

I've gotta think that's an impossible situation, too. There just is no demand to move in to New Orleans so who may even buy it?

SI
Well, who knows what the real-estate markets are doing or will do long term, but I am hearing that in areas that did not flood, rental property is at an ultra-premium (500+ people on waiting lists for apartments). I imagine that home prices in non-flooded areas might experience a similar bump.

There are less people who want to live in New Orleans than there were pre 8/29. But there is a LOT less space in which to put them. If EF27's friend's house stayed dry, she may be able to get a pretty penny for it.

[Eaglesfan27]

Well, who knows what the real-estate markets are doing or will do long term, but I am hearing that in areas that did not flood, rental property is at an ultra-premium (500+ people on waiting lists for apartments). I imagine that home prices in non-flooded areas might experience a similar bump.

There are less people who want to live in New Orleans than there were pre 8/29. But there is a LOT less space in which to put them. If EF27's friend's house stayed dry, she may be able to get a pretty penny for it.
That is what she is thinking as well. Her home stayed dry, and she thinks she will actually make a nice profit on it.

I've also heard that it is going to be much more expensive for me to buy a home in New Orleans or LaPlace in the next year like I planned. :(

However, as you point out, who knows what the market will do in a year or longer...

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

I'm also hearing that waiting lists are VERY long for apartments in the New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, to a lesser extent the Shreveport area. I called dozens of apartment complexes in the Baton Rouge and Lafayette area a few weeks ago and was told they were all full, and I rented the last two apartments that were available at this complex in Shreveport.

[Wolfpack]

5 PM EDT info is in. Rita remains a strong tropical storm, but an expected nudge upward in strength will make her a hurricane. She's still forecast to shoot the Florida Strait between the Keys and Cuba over the next bit.

No significant changes in base NHC forecast, though significantly the discussion mentions some of the models are moving back west again. The human doing the forecasting has decided that's more an affirmation of his prior forecast from 11 AM EDT so the forecast holds from six hours ago. This will put Rita onshore in the Houston/Galveston area by Saturday morning. The timeline to watch for anyone in SE Louisiana is to see whether any sort of turn is forecast to be made in the next 24-48 hours. It's due to be off Louisiana by Thursday or thereabouts and any hit on Louisiana by then will require the storm to begin turning northward by Wednesday at the latest.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mayor Nagin under pressure from Bush and other officials has suspended the re-entry plan into New Orleans. He says that he is suspending the re-entry plan because of the threat of Rita and the weakened Levees and pumps.

[Wolfpack]

I think the folks in Louisiana can start breathing a little easier right now. 11 AM discussion continues to forecast a mid-Texas coast landing and feels pretty confident about it with all the models lining up in that area. New Orleans is no longer in the margin of error cone and it looks like the storm will pass well south of the coast unless the ridge that Rita is passing south of over the next several days suddenly decides to break down. It'll still probably be a little blustery along the south Louisiana coast and the waves will probably kick up some as well, but that will likely be the extent of it in that area.

[Eaglesfan27]

Yeah, I agree that at least the New Orleans metro area can start breathing easier. The interesting thing will be to see if Nagin resumes the repopulation plan in the next day or delays it further like federal officials seem to want. Personally, I want him to delay it until the water is at least safe to bath/shower with. Once that occurs, I want to return home.

[albionmoonlight]

I think the folks in Louisiana can start breathing a little easier right now. 11 AM discussion continues to forecast a mid-Texas coast landing and feels pretty confident about it with all the models lining up in that area. New Orleans is no longer in the margin of error cone and it looks like the storm will pass well south of the coast unless the ridge that Rita is passing south of over the next several days suddenly decides to break down. It'll still probably be a little blustery along the south Louisiana coast and the waves will probably kick up some as well, but that will likely be the extent of it in that area.
I am really happy to have your insight here. Just curious, is weather a hobby of yours, or is this related to something that you do professionally?

[Wolfpack]

Just a hobby. Meteorology is likely what I could have (should have?) chosen to do if I hadn't decided better money was being made in computer programming. Being a map geek from as long as I can remember, my favorite part of any newscast was the weather, so not only did I indulge my interest in maps, I ended up understanding quite a bit of meteorology after a while. I find hurricanes to be the most fascinating of any storms, probably due to having grown up in North Carolina and having to deal with them every year (though I did live several hours from the coast). Therefore, I usually skip all the dull advisory stuff and just read the actual discussions that the NHC puts out. I get better insight than I could ever hope to get from anybody on TV because all they're doing on TV is parroting the NHC forecaster. They're mostly lying to you when they say "we think" because only a few of them actually are doing so, the rest are reading copy. If you read the actual discussion on the NHC site related to storms, you get an understanding of why forecasters are saying what they're saying, not just that they're saying it.

[Wolfpack]

Apparently, NHC felt Rita's strengthening over the last several hours merited an updated discussion to go with their 2 PM advisory. Since it looks like New Orleans is no longer in the crosshairs, I've posted my translation of what they're thinking over in the Galveston thread for any that care to follow along.

[Masked]

My parents got back in the house this morning. They went on very short notice, so I wasn't able to fly in to help. There was about 5ft of water in the house, and our house is built about 5-6ft above the street level (and thus above sea level). Almost everything on the first floor is ruined, but a few random things were salvagable. For example, the cabinet with my parents wedding china had not moved (unlike all the other furniture), and everything in it appeared okay. The second floor is apparently fine. Although the only rooms up there are my sister's and my bedrooms. Since neither of us live there anymore, there wasn't much left. I should find out much more later today.

[Tigercat]

Well I am back down here. Weird walking into my parents house and seeing a stack of Meals Ready to Eat. Just tried one, they have gotten tastier over the years, the chemical ways of heating them up are kinda freaky.

Family isn't doing too well, my grandparents who lost their home in Waveland Miss have taken things badly, especially my grandmother. Shes gotten paranoid and won't stay with any family members. They took a car heading north to God knows where. The worst part is they are 85 and need to be around people that can help care for them. Hopefully they will realize that and come back south.... But despite that I am glad to be home, I'd much rather be in the thick of things than far away.

[Eaglesfan27]

Tigercat and any of my fellow members from Louisiana:

Keep an eye on Rita as a few of the models have it hitting as far east as Morgan City with significant impact on SELA. Brad, the meteorologist from WWLTV now thinks that a South West LA hit is becoming much more likely. I just hope that prediction doesn't continue to shift east.

[sachmo71]

Tigercat and any of my fellow members from Louisiana:

Keep an eye on Rita as a few of the models have it hitting as far east as Morgan City with significant impact on SELA. Brad, the meteorologist from WWLTV now thinks that a South West LA hit is becoming much more likely. I just hope that prediction doesn't continue to shift east.


huh. Texas news is saying a Galveston strike is very likely. Guess it depends on where you are sitting.

On top of that, Dallas could see 8-10 inches of rain if the Galveston thing comes to pass. Far cry from what will happen to the coast, but that's a big deal for this neck of the woods.

[Eaglesfan27]

huh. Texas news is saying a Galveston strike is very likely. Guess it depends on where you are sitting.

On top of that, Dallas could see 8-10 inches of rain if the Galveston thing comes to pass. Far cry from what will happen to the coast, but that's a big deal for this neck of the woods.

I'm guessing that each of the local meteorologists want to protect their areas. Brad (I can't remember his last name) the meteorologist from wwltv.com is saying there are many factors that he thinks are going to cause a signficant eastward shift of the track in the next 24-48 hours. I'm sure every official wants their area to be prepared..

[Tigercat]

Any amount of rain from rita wouldn't be fun right now, i have a roof with holes in it above me. Hopefully the corps of engineers people will be by to do the tarp fix it tomorrow, if not we are going to have to play roofers tomorrow afternoon.

[Tigercat]

Dola, I just saw a couple of models that have been run since 8pm, and they still have it safely in Texas for now. I haven't seen an update on the European model, which I find to be the most consistently close to accurate, but as of this morning it still had it landfalling well west of Houston even, hopefully that model is right this time around too.

[Eaglesfan27]

Here is a copy of the pic that I was viewing with a bunch of the models (which I don't understand that well):

http://euler.atmos.colostate.edu/~vigh/guidance/atlantic/gfs_track2.png

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

Brad was discussing these models on wwltv's forum and said that the curves at the end are indicative of a great deal of uncertainty and that he is going to review these again tomorrow (he is flying into Baton Rouge to broadcast on wwltv's newscast tomorrow. Certainly, a great majority of the models predict a TX hit, but we in LA need to keep an eye on this still.

[Eaglesfan27]

Here are the most recent models from wwltv (which only focuses on the major models.) Note that most of them have shifted to SW LA or right at the border between the states with one going further east :(

http://maps.wunderground.com/data/images/at200518_model.gif

[JeeberD]

Looks to me like most of those are nailing Galveston and only one is on the TX/LA border...

Also, it seem like all the hurricane's that have come along Rita's path have somehow avoided Texas in the past...

http://maps.wunderground.com/data/images/at200518_climo.gif

[Eaglesfan27]

I was extremely bleary eyed when I made my last post. :redface:



I've made a pledge to myself to not constantly watch this storm all day today and try to figure out where it is going. I'll pay attention to the 6 hour updates, but otherwise I'm going to try to relax.

[sterlingice]

I've made a pledge to myself to not constantly watch this storm all day today and try to figure out where it is going. I'll pay attention to the 6 hour updates, but otherwise I'm going to try to relax. I say baseball's the answer. Gary Thorne and Steve Stone doing Astros/Pirates on ESPN. Good announcing team :D

(don't see any good movies out and have no idea what else there is to do where you're at so I stick with what I know)


SI

[JeeberD]

I say baseball's the answer. Gary Thorne and Steve Stone doing Astros/Pirates on ESPN. Good announcing team :D

Thanks for the heads up for me to avoid ESPN. If I watch the Astros on TV they ALWAYS lose. I swear to god, it never fails...

[Eaglesfan27]

I say baseball's the answer. Gary Thorne and Steve Stone doing Astros/Pirates on ESPN. Good announcing team :D

(don't see any good movies out and have no idea what else there is to do where you're at so I stick with what I know)


SI
Baseball is a good answer, but my wife is insisting on us buying "just a few" storm supplies in case it hits Shreveport with some force left.

However, I've found several gamespots with Madden for the PSP, and I'm buying that today. Hopefully, it will be fun and relaxing (as long as T.O or McNabb doesn't get hurt ;))

[sterlingice]

Baseball is a good answer, but my wife is insisting on us buying "just a few" storm supplies in case it hits Shreveport with some force left.

However, I've found several gamespots with Madden for the PSP, and I'm buying that today. Hopefully, it will be fun and relaxing (as long as T.O or McNabb doesn't get hurt ;))
Try a Saints franchise where they don't have to play a "home" game on national tv in New York :rolleyes:

SI

[Masked]

My parents, who left New Orleans because of Katrina, were staying with family in Lake Charles, La which is near the Tx/La border. Since Lake Charles is under a mandatory evacuation order, they had to evacuate from their original evacuation destination and are back in the metro New Orleans area.

[Eaglesfan27]

I don't know if this is false info from trolls on wwltv's weather forum, but I don't believe it is. According to several different people, levees in St. Bernard and near the 9th ward are starting to "seep" and break again. This is without the storm even hitting yet :( I'm very afraid that parts of the city and surrounding area are going to flood again.

[JonInMiddleGA]

EF - Doesn't appear to be trollish, at least not entirely.
www.nola.com has a photo gallery titled Lower Ninth Ward Levee Seeping (http://www.nola.com/katrinaphotos/tp/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/nola/view_gallery.ata?g_id=4026)

[Masked]

Apparently the situation has gotten worse again. The levees are just too damaged to handle a 3-5 foot rise of the water in the lake.

Expires 3:45 PM CDT on September 23, 2005

Statement as of 9:52 AM CDT on September 23, 2005


The National Weather Service in New Orleans has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
Orleans Parish in southeast Louisiana
this includes the city of east New Orleans and lower ninth Ward
St. Bernard Parish in southeast Louisiana
this includes Arabi and Chalmette

* until 345 PM CDT

* at 948 am CDT... several reliable sources are reporting an
overtopping of the levee on the Industrial canal between Claiborne
Avenue and Florida Avenue. Those areas flooded during Hurricane
Katrina will flood once again with 3 to 8 feet of water... mainly
in the lower ninth Ward... Arabi and Chalmette.

[Eaglesfan27]

My boss finally called me again. Apparently, I've been prohibited from working or volunteering due to contracts! Very annoying. Now, I have to report to Jackson, LA by Monday or Tuesday "at the latest if weather doesn't permit" me to be there on Monday to move into an apartment with 2 other male docs. I'll be running an inpatient unit for about 40 hours/week (the doc just quit that was running it.) I'll also be working at 3 shelters for 4 hours/night 2 days a week, and a mobile psychiatric crisis team 1 day a week for 8-10hrs/week. My wife can't come with me because of lack of housing at this point, and if I don't report, I lose my job. He told me that they are trying to procure additional housing for me and my wife but that may take a long time.

I want to go and help, but I'm annoyed at the prospect of being seperated from my wife by 250 miles for a potentially extended period of time..

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

I might be working at a Baton Rouge Mental Health Clinic for 1 to 2 nights/week as well..

[albionmoonlight]

My boss finally called me again. Apparently, I've been prohibited from working or volunteering due to contracts! Very annoying. Now, I have to report to Jackson, LA by Monday or Tuesday "at the latest if weather doesn't permit" me to be there on Monday to move into an apartment with 2 other male docs. I'll be running an inpatient unit for about 40 hours/week (the doc just quit that was running it.) I'll also be working at 3 shelters for 4 hours/night 2 days a week, and a mobile psychiatric crisis team 1 day a week for 8-10hrs/week. My wife can't come with me because of lack of housing at this point, and if I don't report, I lose my job. He told me that they are trying to procure additional housing for me and my wife but that may take a long time.

I want to go and help, but I'm annoyed at the prospect of being seperated from my wife by 250 miles for a potentially extended period of time..
Very shitty. I'll be praying that things work out for you soon. Now is not the time to be separated from loved ones.

[JW]

A few updates on New Orleans from today from another forum, fyi:

Went through CBD and French Quarter today

French Quarter looks very good... in fact... I would say better than normal. With all the rain and few people the streets look clean. Very little traffic actually makes it a pleasant place to be. I did see people walking down bourbon street with drinks in hand about 4:00 today.
Also, CBD took a hit but believe me things are rocking back pretty quickly. Buildings are operational for the most part... elevators, etc. Went to Energy Centre and tenants can get in from 10:00 to 2:00 and can say and work if they want to. According to bldg mgmt things should be back to normal in 1 to 2 weeks. Keep in mind there was no flood water there (and it is a little high up) but most of the buildings down there came out in great shape.

Hyatt is still pretty bad but missing glass is replaced with plastic and plywood. So is the (was Texaco) building next to it.

No water anywhere but parts of the lower 9th ward.

Went by the Dome and was amazed by the water line.

New Orleans will be back soon folks... don't get too comfy in Houston!

###

Agree

I was in the CBD today & toured 4 buildings. Worked at my office all day today in basically normal conditions.

###

I took poydras exit (dome)

drove through vieux carre and assume that the exit was open. No more checkpoints and you can get under the I-10 tracks at the split now.
No exit between the split and poydras though (metairie road, carrolton etc) you gotta stay on till the CBD.

No traffic lights at all so watch out for the Hummers, they are everywhere.

[Eaglesfan27]

Not sure if this is the best place or not, but I guess so. Here is my update:

First the good: I was able to ride in the hospital van yesterday to my apartment which is on the hospital grounds. My apartment wasn't significantly damaged (an attic window broke and let in a bit of water, but nothing serious.) None of my stuff was looted or damaged! That is excellent.

Now the bad news, my boss brought me here to Jackson Tuesday. He had no place for me to sleep. I slept on the floor (no mats, mattresses, or cots, or any other sleeping apparatus was available) of a cottage that has bugs crawling on it. Last night, I slept in a bed with actual bugs of some sort. I also had 3 other people in my room, and shared a bathroom with 12 plus people. I'm not getting paid for this until October since I'm still on special leave. I have no idea what I'm going to be doing, because my boss was talking out of his ass earlier. There is a possiblity that I won't even have a job in the near future with this institution as I'm one of their newest professors and they are scrambling to find jobs for all of their professors and I'm on the bottom of the totem pole.

I've been offered jobs by several places, but I don't want to abandon my current job. However, I'm just not sure that I'm not going to get reemed by that very job. So, I'll be living in bad conditions for "3-5 weeks" 4-6 days a week with no guarantee that I won't be laid off in the near future... I'm just very frustrated, angry, and trying to prevent those feelings from affecting my patient care. Oh yeah, I still haven't gotten to do any real patient care other than helping with 1 code (for behaviour not breathing or heart problems) because of beaucratic red tape....

My "slot" of time on the dial-up internet is almost over. Hope to be heading home to my temporary apartment in Shreveport sometime tomorrow for a weekend break.

[Eaglesfan27]

Just read my previous post (before the one I just made), and realize how many lies I was told. This isn't an apartment with 2 male docs, but 11 other staff of all jobs and both sexes..

Many other lies I was told too.

[HomerJSimpson]

Take another job. Take it now.

[bronconick]

Take another job. Take it now.
What he said.

[albionmoonlight]

EF27, I love New Orleans as much as anything and want you to stay there and make it better, but you have to do what is right for you and your family.

Mrs. A. and I love it here in the Raleigh-Durham area. Many other parts of the country rock, too, and are in need of good doctors.

[Eaglesfan27]

I was pissed and at my breaking point the other day. I went into my boss's office after he returned from a meeting in Baton Rouge. We had a long talk. I'm now back at my apartment in Shreveport after working last night. There is a good chance that I will be re-assigned to the first of the clinics to re-open in New Orleans as there are needs for clinics there with people starting to return to the city today.

However, I likely won't be able to return to my apartment in New Orleans as the military has taken over the area around my hospital (which I'm grateful for as that is probably a big part of the reason my stuff wasn't looted and I won't have to worry about it getting stolen in the near future..) I'm looking at a possible trailer in Baton Rouge and commuting into New Orleans, or possibly staying with my Mother-in-law in Metairie (which is just outside New Orleans.) As much as I dread the idea of living with my MIL for 4-6 weeks, either of those possiblities sound 1000 times better than going back to where I was (which is a place where criminally insane used to be housed long term and are still housed long term, but that is a whole another discussion..) There is a chance that I will have to return to horrendous hospital where I just drove from and live there another week as well until a clinic can be opened.

My wife loves this city. She was born and raised in Metairie, and she doesn't want to leave it. I want to make her happy if I possibly can and I want to help rebuild this city, however, I will keep all options open..

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

One thing I forgot to post yesterday is that there is significant talk that either the military or much more likely the state may permeantly take over the hospital where I live. If that happens, I will be evicted and we will have no place to live as almost all of the apartment complexes in the state have a waiting list of 700-1000 people (from those I've called in the past day or so.) It could happen in a week, 2 weeks, a month, or not at all. Therefore, as much as my wife would hate it, we may have no choice but to move to either Shreveport or out of state. We are certainly holding onto our 2 bedroom apartment in Shreveport (which would never fit all of our stuff) until more information is available. The uncertainty about our living situation is very distressing to her, and somewhat distressing to me as well.

[Eaglesfan27]

Double Dola -

I'm absolutely thrilled right now. My boss called and said that for at least tonight into tomorrow I don't have to go back to the horrendous hospital as he has enough doctors there, and really can't afford to pay me at that spot. In reality, I suspect he made it so I don't have to come back because he knew I was so miserable there.

I would feel worse about talking my way out of that place, but I wasn't doing anything of real worth up there and I was living in terrible conditions.

Instead, I reminded him of how much I want to be one of the first child psychiatrists to reset up in New Orleans. He is going to propose that I become the acting Chief of Child Psychiatry at Children's Hospital in New Orleans!!!! :)

Children's Hospital is about to completely reopen, and they currently have no child psychiatrist working there (secondary to their old chief of child psychiatry leaving town because of the hurricane and temporarily relocating to Baton Rouge for at least the next several months until his place can be fixed.) I'd be the only Child Psychiatrist on staff and I'd have one resident working with me. It'd be long hours, hard work, including plenty of night call again, but I'd be in my own apartment with my wife!!! :)

I just extended this apartment (in Shreveport) for another month, and I still run a real risk of losing my apartment in New Orleans on the hospital ground, but my wife is going to start looking for an apartment somewhere in the vicinity of New Orleans tomorrow and things are really looking up. I was becoming depressed myself, and this just significantly brightened my mood.

[Galaxy]

Instead, I reminded him of how much I want to be one of the first child psychiatrists to reset up in New Orleans. He is going to propose that I become the acting Chief of Child Psychiatry at Children's Hospital in New Orleans!!!! :)

Children's Hospital is about to completely reopen, and they currently have no child psychiatrist working there (secondary to their old chief of child psychiatry leaving town because of the hurricane and temporarily relocating to Baton Rouge for at least the next several months until his place can be fixed.) I'd be the only Child Psychiatrist on staff and I'd have one resident working with me. It'd be long hours, hard work, including plenty of night call again, but I'd be in my own apartment with my wife!!! :)


Sounds like it would be a great and prestigious position for you.

[DaddyTorgo]

seriously EF, that's awesome news. Congratualtions! I hope you get the post.

as an aside, i think i might have mentioned before in a Katrina thread that my cousin's roommate's father is the COO of Charity, if that can be of ANY help to you at all, feel free to PM me and let me know, although it sounds like you're pretty well setup all things considered.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sounds like it would be a great and prestigious position for you.It's just a temporary position, and I fully expect to give the position back to my colleague once he is able to return to New Orleans. Also, my boss is proposing it tomorrow. The powers that be at Children's Hospital have to accept me for the temporary position. However, it would be great to be able to return home and work by my home, even if I might eventually lose that apartment. Furthermore, it will be good to directly care for people affected by Katrina.

Besides living in bad conditions in Jackson, LA in which I never felt like I was at home, none of the kids I was treating were evacuees.


Thanks, DaddyTorgo, I appreciate the offer of help.

[NoMyths]

Acting Chief. Sincere toast to your efforts and station, whatever may come later. Well done, EF.