Blogosphere …
Baton Rouge situation
“I am getting very angry about this situation because these folks causing the problems are seriously hindering the relief efforts. I understand that they are desperate, but we’ve got to take drastic action to make sure the volunteers and other evacuees are safe.
Update: Dave Frey e-mails this:
i think there’s something major happening downtown br. my wife just got an email from a friend at a law firm down there and they’re being escorted out of their building by swat teams.”
– Posted Sept. 1 at 11:12 a.m. ( http://www.JoshBritton.com) in Baton Rouge, La.
Mississippi town washed away
“I’m sure this is merely one of many towns that completely vanished the day that Katrina hit, but this is shocking nonetheless. Waveland, Mississippi, a town of 7,000 people about 35 miles east of New Orleans, was obliterated by the storm. Reports say that about 50 of the residents are dead, although it would be easy to speculate as to how many more will be found later. The CNN article refers to it as ‘the former town of Waveland.’ I wonder how many other former towns will be discovered in the relief effort.”
– Posted Sept. 1 at 12:36 p.m. ( http://www.brendanloy.com)
Bodies are everywhere
“All of our providers are dropping. We’re down to one. We have enough fuel to keep us powered for a long time, but we could lose internet access soon if our last provider drops.
So I guess what I’m saying is that any moment could be my last moment online. If we do lose internet, Outpost Crystal might have to be abandoned by all but Sig and Myself. I’ve got to get Crystal out of here safely and relocated to someplace out of this state. I’m working on escape routes now.
Now for some updates:
1. Been too busy to debrief the police officer, so that will come later. Low priority now.
2. Buses loading people up on Camp Street to take refugees to Dallas, or so the word on the street (literally) is.
3. Dead bodies everywhere: convention center, down camp street, all over.
4. National Guard shoving water off the backs of trucks. They’re just pushing it off without stopping, people don’t even know it’s there at first — they drop it on the side in debris, there’s no sign or distribution point — people are scared to go near it at first, because the drop points are guarded by troops or federal agents with assault rifles who don’t let people come near them, which scares people off. It is a mess. When people actually get to the water, they are in such a rush to get it that one family left their small child behind and forget about him until Sig carried him back to the family.”
– Posted on Sept. 1 at 11:50 a.m. ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/ interdictor) in New Orleans, La.
( http://www.deadlykatrina.com/)
Thankful daily amid the tragedy
“We are thankful for what we have by way of shelter, food and liquids… and even after covering the tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, I struggle daily, with everyone else, to describe the deep hold this crisis has on all of us. We really have seen the degradation of civil behavior, and the reasons are so clear: So many here have nothing. And so we prepare for another workday in our makeshift compound in the French Quarter, under guard (made necessary by the desperation here) and thankful that we have homes and families to go home to. Our company has taken good care of us… though this story has a corrosive effect on the psyche.”
– Posted on Sept. 1 at 9:27 a.m. ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/ 8045532/) in New Orleans, La.
To do today: 1) Get in canoe 2) Deliver a clue
“This morning I was scanning a new website that was created as a place for bulletins about Hurricane Katrina, and I saw that someone had posted a message along these lines: “Hi from New Orleans! We’re creating a new foundation to help victims of Katrina. Here’s our phone number, give us a call if you need anything.” I wish that someone would hop into a canoe, and paddle over to these well-meaning but ignorant people, and give them a few clues:
1. New Orleans is under martial law right now. This is not the moment to attempt to incorporate a nonprofit agency, open a bank account, apply to the IRS for tax-exempt status, etc.
2. Not even the American Red Cross, a well-established agency with trained personnel and steady funding, dares to offer a carte blanche such as ‘give us a call if you need anything’ during a major disaster.”
– Posted on Sept. 1 at 9:30 a.m. (http://katrina05.blogspot.com/)