The Day After Katrina

[MrSeedy]

Watching the news this morning and despite my hopes that things wouldn't be too bad from Katrina, I find the news just devasting , though I didn't have family or friends living there. Folks stranded in their homes, with water rising still in New Oleans from a broken levee, and bulidings washed away in Biloxi, and other places, wives , husbands , and children most likely lost, and the imensity of the disaster still isn't even known completely. I'll have to do my best to just to turn off the TV, as I dont' think I can bear much more of the bad news from there, but my fervent prayers go out in hopes they can still save all those stranded people, and can soon return to some sense of normalcy.

[HarleyGal]

As I watched the news this morning all I sould think of was how overwhelming it is! :(
So much damage, so much destruction! :(

And the suffering isn't over yet for all of those people!! :(

[grindle]

I haven't seen the latest news yet, but it sounds terrible for all those in Katrina's path. I can't imagine what it must be like.

[MrSeedy]

I'm so worried that there are many hundreds or even thousands in flooded homes or clinging to trees etc. , just waiting for rescues that are slow to arrive or which may arrive too late. What a nightmare, and I wish I was there to help, though with the conditions getting around is near impossible and sometimes very dangerous for rescue crews even with a hellicopter or boat etc!!

[donybee]

It sure is a sad situation. I still can't understand why people, when told to evacuate, still insist on staying there. I guess they feel like it can't hurt them. I thought of the story on yesterday of the guy calling his buddy on the cell phone. He left, and the buddy didn't. When the buddy answered he was on his roof with the water still rising. I guess he was lucky to still have a roof to sit on. Another stupid jerk who refused to evacuate. Still I pray for the poor souls who weren't smart enough to heed warnings and lost their lives.

[DandyLioness]

It would be pretty difficult to evacuate your home. What do you take? What do you leave behind? Do you take your 5 cats with you, or do you leave them? I heard that some people were too poor to go anywhere. It must be a horrible feeling, no matter what you chose to do.

[buster]

I truly feel for those people. Some people were to old and sick to leave. Others were to poor. What a terrible tragedy. Some people are still waiting to be rescued and that help might not get there in time. And the after effects will be so much more for them to endure. It is just heart breaking. Buster

[ravenhawk]

on the news this morning I saw an interview with a guy who spent over 5 hours clinging to a tree. He said he didnt evacuate because he didnt think it would be as bad as it was. He said he new it would be rough but didnt expect how severe it got. When his house started filling up with water he floated around on his sons surfboard for a while then eventually made it up to his attic where he kicked through the wall and was able to reach a nearby tree branch. then he clung to the tree for hours until the storm subsided and his neighbors found him in the tree

[Ginny42]

My thoughts and prayers are going out to all the people who have been and still are in all the destruction. :( The flooding is just unbelievable! <_<

[decompost]

every report seems more heart-breaking than the last. :(

[nonacook]

Our relatives are all ok. The ones in Gulfport, Mississippi (Gulfport and Biloxi sort of meld together) had house damage. Niece's house lost the roof and sideing. Water damage to all the ceilings. Her Mothers house has minimal damage. I haven't heard from my relatives in Alabama and Mississippi. We cut up and hauled limbs all morning, from the high winds, but are thankful that we didn't get any more damage. Got electric power back today. There are some traffic lights that are still out. And we were miles away from the center.
I am praying for those still in peril.

[decompost]

nonacook, so very relieved to know that you and your family are okay.
and glad that your power has been restored so soon.
i hope the house damage can be repaired soon.

i feel so helpless as i watch the coverage,
local collections are being organized for donations to aid orgs.

[HarleyGal]

It's so unbelieveable and it keeps getting worse!! :( Each broadcast just seems to tell of more devastation!! :(

[TransplantShock]

I have no tv so I am not seeing these images, I jsut know I would not be able to function if I did. Our good friend Mike who hikes with us at least once a year is MIA. His house is right on the gulf and most likely gone as his place of work -_- . We know he evacuated about 50 miles inland to be with his parrents. We have not heard from him since. I cant get it out of my mind. I would give my arms and legs for him he is a great person. I have tried his cell and still...we get no word. I hope those 50 miles were enough. :ph34r:

[Audwoman]

My co-worker lives in Gulfport we have been unable to contact her all day. I pray she and her family are safe.

It is very sad I had to turn the TV off I could not watch it anymore.

[gardenlady]

it is just horrible. there are no words to describe this tragedy. i am praying for all your family and friends and hope they are safe and alright.
today i am calling the red cross to take the classes necessary to participate in disaster aid....they will be needing people to help for the next few months and i am going to go down with the red cross and do what i can. my thoughts are with all of you.

[TransplantShock]

No news yet....His house is probebly is wiped away, and the area has no power, no cell service....I've been searching the forum boards for news of missing poeple. I hope him and his parrents are ok :(

[decompost]

i sure hope you get good news, and soon!!!

dh and i are in much the same situation, some of his cousins live in houma and metarie, la. - not able to make contact -
i've seen some footage showing metarie - flooded (at least since the levees broke)
we don't know for sure if they evacuated before the storm or not -
last time we spoke, (before landfall) they were uncertain of their plans.

hard to wait, feeling so very helpless. . .

[OSunshine]

Everytime I try to organize my thoughts to join my concerns and fervant prayers for our neighbors to the west< I get caught up in the tragedy and can't articulate the emotions that consume me. I try not to worry about the lack of communication and hope that no news is good news. I'm happy for those of you who have been able to confirm good news and will continue to pray for those who haven't. May God hold all of them in his hand.

[buster]

Everytime I watch Tv my heart just brakes for those people. I saw some people on TV that came out of the water, from there homes, thinking they could get help yet they still had no place to go. No food, water, no bathroom facilities, and it was 95 degrees. Some were old and sick and can't get medical care. It's just heartbraking. Buster

[HarleyGal]

I just heard that Fats Domino, his wife and some of their grandchildren may have been lost to the flooding in New Orleans! <_< He had a home in one of the lower areas of the city that was badly flooded and decided not to evacuate! :(

[bjmots]

All of my kin in MS, AL and LA have fortunately been accounted for. Lots of people are coming into North Texas to take refuge. If anyone has friends or relatives in need of a place to stay or anything else for that matter, please let me know. DH and I will do anything we can to help.

[decompost]

bjmots ~ so very happy to know your folks are okay ~
most all of ours are heard from too ~ in tx, as a matter of fact ~
thankfully, they left la. before the storm.
it's gonna be a very long, difficult recovery.

[gardenlady]

amen to that :D

[TransplantShock]

:( Please, I beg anyone who knows and have contact with people down there to ask if they know a Keven Smith....

Waiting is so hard... :( We know his house is nothing now.

[bjmots]

TPS - where did Keven live?

[TransplantShock]

Gautier

But on saturday he said he was going inland about 50 miles...not sure where.

[bjmots]

TPS - I've got people all over the place over there. Some are actually police/fire personnel, so I'll put the word out to all of them. Lots of them that didn't have severe damage are volunteering in various places.

[TransplantShock]

I thank you with all my heart.

[Whisper]

HI! My school raised 6,300 dollars today in a fundraiser where we sold marti gras beads. The money is all going to Hurricane relief and we are trying to find other ways to raise money for the victims. The tv's are on all over school and it is so overwhelming. My teacher cried tears of joy when she saw the large donations given from some of the students. I hope that we can help. I feel so bad and helpless. I can't imagine how horrible it must be. Their toilets don't even work. The news has said that things will be rebuilt in by Febuary at the earliest. I sure hope that things look up. :(

whisper

[SilenceOfTheClams]

I just heard that Fats Domino, his wife and some of their grandchildren may have been lost to the flooding in New Orleans! <_< He had a home in one of the lower areas of the city that was badly flooded and decided not to evacuate! :(
Fats has been found with his family... they've made it! :D

Not that he's more worthy than anyone else but I thought I'd keep you posted! ;)

[TransplantShock]

Any good news is great news. :wub:

[ondinelamer]

Just found out my mother's family members are all fine. She had many cousins living in Missisippi, where she was born. My mother kept in touch with some but we never met many o them. After Mommy died, we never heard from them.

I had not known how to get hold of them all but, believe it or not, found one by putting her name in "Google." Isn't technology grand!

[TransplantShock]

I tried that but the thing is my friends name is the same as someone famous so I get nothing revelent when I goggle ^_^

[yellow22]

I almost can't help it. I made a gulf shape bed to keep only turf with a gully last weekend, didn't look right and asked my BF what I could do because it didn't look right...a string and stake I was thinking. He's now not my Bf any longer. The pain is just too much..I seem to some how suck it in before it even happens. I'm trying not to dwel on it but as a nation needed, I gave as much as I could. Spending time with my children looking at happy videos from our past has helped but that still doesn't seem to help me much. I'm not selfish but there is a light and more than a few families that have become closer because of this and friendships will have been made for a life time.

I've yet to absorb the trama...I just can't. It will take me down. I don't want to care that much. Maybe someday I will because somebody who was displaced, we'll meet and then I'll know.

[nonacook]

Transplant, The only thing I have heard about Gautier is that Singing River Mall is OK and they are giving out ice and water there. So maybe that area is not too badly damaged. I think they still don't have power. Our CBS affiliate is in Mobile and they also reach Ms, as well as Pensacola, so they have local reporters in the area. Naturally, I hear more info on their station, about "local" stuff.

They haven't said much on National news about how badly Mississippi was damaged--they seem to only want to show Louisiana, or just the casino area. The whole waterfront area in most of Mississippi is in splinters, Not just the casino areas. As far north as Jackson, people still don't have power, and no gas to run generators in a lot of places. I know folks in 2 different area north of the coast, and plan to donate through their churches, who are feeding and housing displaced folk. They are also feeding the power crews at one church. One of them still doesn't have power, themselves, but has a generator. If anyone wants to donate to that type of cause, instead of a large organization, I will gladly put you in touch with one of the churches. My nephew is minister at one, and a friend that I have been helping to do a 'soup Kitchen' mission in South America is at the other church. My relatives in Gulfport still do not have power. Only one of the 3 hospitals in Gulfport is operating. My niece is a nurse there and has been working 14-16 hours a day, and has only a partial roof on her house.

There is a lot of damage in Bayou La Batre, Alabama too. Most of the shrimp boats were damaged, and that is their largest industry there. Gulf Shores was not damaged as bad as with Ivan. Mobile had a lot of water 6-8? feet in downtown area but it has now receded.

[TransplantShock]

Thank you for the report. Last night I dreamed we had heard from him. Maybe that is a good sign?