Waterworld

I stayed out of the Katrina fray since the devastation received wall-to-wall coverage that left my stomach in knots. Diane & family are OK, Kate's keeping everyone as up-to-date as possible & Matt is compiling the rest of the information we need to know in a constantly updated post aptly called "Atlantis".

Conditions are horrendous through-out the Gulf Coast, neighboring areas have been hit with extensive flooding, the infrastructure of New Orleans has pretty much collapsed and the water is rising.

In addition to everything else these people have lost, they now face a lack of food, little if any sources for safe drinking water and water borne illnesses that can be deadly if left untreated. The hospitals are swamped - those that can operate are doing so under the harshest of conditions; those who can not are trying to find a way to transfer patients to facilities that can take them.

Those who can get messages out are doing so, but communications are sparse at best, last night Bill Quigley got a message to The Heretik

PLEASE HELP HERE IF YOU CAN

There are well over a 1200 people still in the Tenet Memorial Hospital on Napoleon in New Orleans. Predictions are that flood waters will continue to rise to another 9 feet tonight. Latest info is that they have started helicoptering out people, but verY small numbers, less than 100 since 1 pm. Giving you this update because we may have no electricity before long. Our phone numbers are 504.897.4531 and 504.897.4530, we cannot call out. Feel free to call us or give numbers to media to call us. They are estimating that it may take several days to evacuate these people - water electricity food security all will be gone by then.

Please help by notifying the press and the government. People are hoping that friends around the country can help out. Thanks for giving people hope.

Peace, Bill Quigley

all the while, over at AMERICAblog, shades of Nero

People in affected areas need help & need it badly: now to save lives and will need more to rebuild for the future. Disaster Recovery & Relief Effort Information:

• Red Cross
  
• America's Second Harvest
• AmeriCares
  
• Missing Person Board
• Institute for Business & Home Safety - Recovery Resources
• The Humane Society of the United States - Disaster Animal Response Teams
• KatrinaShelter.com - Grassroots compiled list of shelters for victims

UPDATE (new links added) :

• STORM DIGEST BLOG
• Gulf Coast Missing Person's Database
  (this is a different DB than the board listed above)
• Forum for the Missing
  

UPDATE 8/31/05 @ 1:40 EST (from Matt, who has a pretty comprehensive list of informational links & resources at Tattered Coat):

• Katrina Check-in
  A place to connect people affected by Hurricane Katrina to those their loved ones (includes “I’m Okay” and “I’m Searching for” forums

Tags: Hurricane Katrina; New Orleans, Louisiana; Alabama; Mississippi; Florida

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