Katrina Live Thread XII

President Bush: "We are dealing with one of the worst national disasters in our nation's history." Push has appropriated vast federal resources to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

78,000 people are currently in shelters. New Orleans evacuation continues. 10,000 additional National Guard troops have been called to service.

Hospitals are running low on supplies, and public health concerns include water borne disease, poor sanitation, food and drinking water contamination and shortages, mosquitoes, carbon monixide poisoning from electricity generators, lack of childcare, and the special needs of the elderly.

2theAdvocate - Baton Rouge Includes Slidell, St. John Parish, St. Bernard Parish updates, and other locations.

Due to the number of requests to assist, the following list of some charities is provided.
This is not intended as an endorsement for any of the charities.

www.redcross.org or 1-800 HELP NOW - note: website is slow
Salvation Army - 1-800-SAL-ARMY or Salvation Army currently looking for in-state volunteers - (888)363-2769
Operation Blessing: (800) 436-6348.
America's Second Harvest: (800) 344-8070.
Catholic Charities USA: (800) 919-9338, or www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: (800) 848-5818.
Church World Service: (800) 297-1516 or online at www.churchworldservice. org.
Lutheran Disaster Response: (800) 638-3522.
Nazarene Disaster Response: (888) 256-5886.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: (800) 872-3283.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is accepting donations at its 3,800 stores and Web site, www.walmart.com.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

NRL at Stennis check-in number

From the folks at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington:

In light of the communications difficulties created by the Hurricane Katrina, Naval Research Laboratory Stennis Space Center (NRLSSC) employees and contractors in southern Mississippi and southeast Louisiana are asked to contact the Naval Research Laboratory Employee Help Line at 1-800-386-3801. This toll-free help line is staffed by Naval Research Laboratory Human Resources staff who can provide updated information to NRLSSC employees.

posted at # 9:41 AM

Diamondhead request

We'd like to hear something from those out in Diamondhead, too:

Hi, We have close friends (elderly) @ 7724 Laie Place in Diamond Head. I can't seem to find out how bad the damage is there and of course I can't reach them by phone. Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and all your efforts!

Debbie Lee

posted at # 9:29 AM

From Bitsy Black

She writes:

As for my family (4 sisters and 2 brothers), they survived the storm. The 4 along the coast have lost everything. But thank God, I got to here my younger brothers' voice yesterday and it was so sweet. To all of you out on the Gulf Coast, my heart is with you, be paitient, help is coming. Watch out for each other, love each other. God Bless You all.

posted at # 9:28 AM

The Virgils from Biloxi

Checking in:

My name is Nina Virgil and just wanted to say that we are fine. Floyd Virgil, Dominic Virgil and Floyd Junior. Floyd senior Dominic and my self are now in Florida at ( uncle Mikes) house. Floyd junior is in Louisiana working, I would like information about my granddaughter Elizabeth Virgil. She lives with her mother and stepfather Ben and Shasity Bond. Today is her 6th birthday and my 51st. I ask for prayers of comfort and strength. Most of all prayers for the Bond family's for safety. I can receive text messages at 228-326-8081 or 228-324-2419. Please send me any information that you can. Or I can be reached at BiloxiLday46@aol.com

May God continue to Bless everyone in the States of Mississippi and Louisiana.

posted at # 9:26 AM

She wants some action

Sweetiepie_C sends:

Could someone please go and see what the north end of Hancock Co looks like and give others info(that means above I-10) ... I hate to sound crude but most people including the people that run the county don't think anyone lives up that way.. well I am here to inform you there are thousands even more than live in Waveland and Bay St. Louis combined up north of I-10. If we could still look at the county voter records people would see that most of the people live north of I-10.

Also what kind of condition are the schools in? Are we gonna be the last to get aid like with Camille.. Oh yes I remember that one. The north end of the county got everything last and then it was a lot of politics on who got what.

We have reporters heading north into Hancock county as we try to expand the areas we're covering. The problem has been access. We can only get to the places where the engineers have gotten roads cleared. We're trying to get news from all over to help as many places as possible.

posted at # 9:22 AM

Info on leaving the area

Lynn Stover from Missouri e-mails:

My daughter and father are in Biloxi, all is ok but they want to come to MIssouri.Is that possible?I can't find any road info dealing with leaving the area. Thank you for any help,I realize we are lucky that they are all OK, but my dad needs to get out there for awhile,he is 78 and has some health problems.

I'm sure they'll have no problem from law enforcement once they tell them they're leaving the area. Pass Road is passible, as is I-10 to get to U.S. 49, which is open heading up. Anticipate it to take longer than normal, so factor that into the gas calculations.

posted at # 9:17 AM

Security assistance offer

Hal Lowder, Jr., from Eagle Watch Investigations in Georgia:

We here in Georgia send you our sympathyâ€¦..we provide physical security and consulting for businesses during these types of crises. We have worked such storms as Hugo, the South Georgia floods, and numerous tornado incidents. If any of your businesses/hotels/hospitals in the Gulf area need consulting or physical security to assist in minimizing the damages to their properties, please put them in contact w/ us. We can deploy w/ short notice. Thank you in advance, please accept our prayers as well. (my personal cell is 678-936-0824 ( we carry full insurance/ licensing and have reciprocity with Ms and LA).

posted at # 9:08 AM

M. Puckett sends the following e-mail:

BLESS you with this info. line! As a family member starved for info. on my lifetime of family and friends we are frantic for any info. I want any info. about travel in the area as I need to evacuate my elderly mom. She is a hospice patient currently in the hospital. She is an evacuee and NOT a patient there. I would like to get her OUT of the way as she requires full care. Do you know HOW we can get 'permission' to come in and evacuate her? Any info. would sure help. Your work is reaching and comforting millions! May our positive prayers lift you to continue your work!

We're under the impression that just about everybody is being turned away from the area. There are a lot of people that in your situation, and it looks like the only thing we can tell you is to be patient. A lot of people here are taking care of as many people as they can, so trust that the best is being done for her. I know it's not much, but it's all we can do.

posted at # 7:56 AM

Imperial Palace query

Paula Pender from Warner Robins, Ga., e-mails:

My husband and I have been coming to Biloxi for about 5 years, several times each year. We always stayed at Imperial Palace and over the time, became acquainted with so many of Imperial's employees. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Biloxi and the surrounding areas and we will do what we can to help in anyway we can. In watching all of the news since this terrible tragedy happened, we have heard nothing about Imperial Palace or that side of Biloxi. If you can, please tell me how this particular hotel and side of town fared. I know some of the people we dealt with on all of our visits must have lost their homes and livelihood as well and I know there are other things more important than this particular e-mail. But I am worried about these people and am anxious to find out something about Imperial Palace.

Thanks for your e-mail. Imperial Palace is still in the East Biloxi part of town that was severely damaged. I saw some aerial shots of the IP that showed some damage, but I'm not sure that we have gotten specifics from there. Keep checking our Web site for our best information.

posted at # 7:45 AM

From Killeen, Texas

Susan Davis e-mails:

I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all the Sun Herald staffers who have risked their lives to keep us up to date on what is happening back home. This is such a godsend to all of us who have left and want to return. Any bit of information is appreciated. Depsite all that has happened, I can't wait to get home.

We left Orange Grove on Saturday, and are now in Killeen TX. We are going to try to make the drive home on Saturday to salvage what we can. Any one reading this, we are looking for info on Robinson Rd & the Pass. Any info is appreciated.

THE SUN HERALD IS THE BEST!!!

Thanks for the well-wishes.

posted at # 7:41 AM

Laurel question

Patsy Dean e-mails:

Can you give me any information on damage in Laurel? I have friends who have family that were going there from Pascagoula.

We haven't gotten information from Laurel, but we'd like to. If anybody can help, let us know. Also check our message boards for the exchange of information there.

posted at # 7:37 AM

Hattiesburg being left behind?

Elizabeth Garrett from Williamsburg, Va.,:

I keep hearing lots about the cost of Mississippi, but I have family in Forrest Co., I have spent 3 days on the phone with Jackson Highway Patrol and just yesterday got to speak with Emergency Management Services for Forrest Co. and Forrest Co. Sheriff's Office. They are all short staffed and over worked. The really interesting part is that they stated that there is NO assistance there - No Red Cross, No FEMA - NO ONE TO HELP THEM!!!! Is there anything that can be done to get them some help also? GOD BLESS FORREST CO. VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT! They were the only ones who could get to my family and help them. My Grandfather is on 7 machines that keep him alive and they got to him just before his generator ran out of gas. I will always be truly indebted to them - they saved his life! Now, someone needs to get them all help so that more lives can be saved!

Thanks for the information from an area we haven't been able to get much from. I'm glad your father has been saved.

posted at # 7:34 AM

The Swiss send their best

Remo Gubler Strassmann from Lucerne, Switzerland e-mails:

Maybe it won't help you, but I wish you strength and force to overcome this. We had a similar natural disaster here a week ago, similar in terms of financial costs, but not victims. Come on, you will overcome this.

I know we'll overcome this. It'll be a long, hard slog but we'll make it. Thanks for your message.

posted at # 7:28 AM

Satellite images

Dave Harless from California sends the following:

I've got family from Ocean Springs, MS who evacuated north to West Point, MS and are safe but have been wondering what's left of their house. National Geodetic Survery (NGS)/NOAA just posted images of the Gulf Coast, taken after Katrina, on their site and it reveals in detail the damage done along the coast. Readers with internet access can get an idea of how their home/neighborhood fared â€“ especially valuable since many neighborhoods are inaccessible. I hope you would be able to print nearly full page pictures of each of these images in your paper as soon as possible so that locals can see their neighborhoods.

These are not rotated/aligned â€“ but you can compare sat. images with the maps & archive satellite photos available on maps.google.com.

Dave, thanks for that information. We're a little limited in our Internet access, but I'm sure others will find this informative.

posted at # 7:15 AM

Linda Duggins sends the following e-mail:

Millions of people are homeless due to Hurricane Katrina. Some had insurance to cover loss many did not. Renters in the effect area have lost everything. We are offering a room in our home to help an individual or a small family. I urge others to do the same. Please help us to spread the word and to help others.

I posted this on the internet at a few websites and people are responding back who want to help also. The Red Cross told us to contact churches in the effected area and in Houston because they are taking people to the Astro Dome. The Red Cross does not refer people to private resources. We want to help. There are people from Oregon to Kentucky who want to help. Please help us to reach out to the people and offer a place for them to stay while their community is being rebuilt. If for some reason you are not able to then pass this email on to others who can. Thank you and may you be blessed abundantly for your assistance.

Thanks. Consider the word passed.

posted at # 7:12 AM

Back up

I just rolled off the sleeping bag behind my desk that my good friend Lou Connelly left with me yesterday. It's amazing how thankful you can be for little things.

Let's get back to work.

posted at # 6:40 AM

Generator crashed, now I will

Our generator went down, but senior maintenance technician Chris Aubry, and distribution center supervisor Leroy Yarborough and system specialist Buster Collins got it back up in short order. I'm going to log off now, but will return after working on a story tomorrow (today ... ouch) morning. Please remember to check out our messsage boards and post there to get and give information about the area.

posted at # 2:21 AM

Glowing words

Lisa Stroup in Western Kentucky e-mails:

To Sun Herald staff:
I cannot thank you enough; I am tired of CNN but still glued. I finally found your web postings and doubt I will ever sleep tonight. We have friends that we cannot reach; an elderly couple in Gulfport and this is our only hope to date. Praying that someone will tell us they know them and that they are safe.

My family made our first trip to Gulfport and Biloxi Memorial Day 2004; your paper featured my dad and Mr. Hunter on the anniversary of D-Day. They were reuniting for the first time since WWII. I took my father and 7 yr old son and took in the wonderful sights of your area. Stayed at the fine little Biloxi Beach Motel, climbed in the branches of the Friendship Oak, watched the bananas being loaded while at the dolphin show, even had a comp dinner at the Grand Casino. Our memories will last a lifetime. My little boy has kept you all in his prayers this week, from our friends to the residents we don't know, to the owners of the Olive Garden we ate at, to the dolphins that he thinks swam free during the storm.

My prayers are with you all; what fine people and deserving of God's grace and mercy.

Thank you to the staff of the Sun Herald for providing us all across the country to feel connected to you there. Wish we could do more to help.

I'm speechless.

posted at # 1:10 AM

Pearlington isn't forgotten

Ben Caruso in Houston, Texas, e-mails:

You guys at the Sun Herald are awesome. Amazing tenacity to get the news out. Any ideas on how I can get information on Pearlington? Every area local news station from the Coast to Jackson to national news have bypassed coverage on Pearlington. I know it's not a metropolis, but I've seen quite a few inquiries on other blogs, but no results. Any ideas? MS DOT tells me I can't enter the area for another 1 or 2 weeks. I've even given CNN a story idea for the forgotten little town in Hancock County.

Thanks for the kind words. I can assure you we haven't forgotten about Pearlington. We're trying to expand our coverage areas every day, moving out as recovery crews keep expanding their reach by clearing the way. I know it's frustrating for people, but we won't forget about anybody. Please bear with us and we'll do our best.

posted at # 12:49 AM

Returning to work

Todd writes from Columbus, Ga., where he and his family evacuated to before the storm:

It's heartbreaking to see what the Coast is going through, but I'm so glad you guys are posting online, so those of us who did leave can keep up with what's happening on the Coast.

Question: My mother works for Memorial Hospital and my brother works for Wal-Mart in Pass Chritian. I know that both places have sustained heavy damage. I was wondering if there was a number that they could call to let their respective businesses know where they're at and when they need to report for work.

Thank you for all that you're doing and keep up the great work!

For Memorial Hospital, I'd keep trying to call their numbers until phone service returns. We don't know for sure when that will be, but let them know periodically.

For Wal-Mart, I'd recommend going to the Wal-Mart in your area and asking for a manager. See if perhaps there's a corporate headquarters phone number you can call to see what they might have set up.

posted at # 12:40 AM

Wanting to help

Tony Munoz in Wyoming, Mich., represents the efforts of a church there wanting to bring supplies to the Coast. Wednesday, Harrison County officials asked that you contact them first before coming down, because there may be advantages to stretching out delivery of supplies. If you remember after 9/11, there were a lot of supplies that went bad because they couldn't be used, but would have been better put to use in the following weeks. They want you to call (228) 865-4002. That number won't work right now, probably, but keep trying periodically and let them know what you'd like to do. You should also not forget about Hancock and Jackson counties either, and they should be able to direct you to help out there.

We all appreciate it.

posted at # 12:35 AM

I'm OK Line online

Eric and Melissa Istre ask if our "I'm OK Line" lists are online. That was originally the idea, but it looks like it's not happening. We'll get that fixed as soon as we can.

posted at # 12:18 AM

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Where to post your search requests

The next couple of e-mails are ones I'm sure we'll be getting lots of in the coming hours and days. We've got a request from Larry Cotton in Lawton, Okla., for Robert Bass and family to contact him at (580) 284-0388, and one from John Downer, looking for information on Harold (Jack) Spurlock from Moss Point, who may be at the Moss Point High School shelter. John says our "I'm OK Line" has been busy all day, which is to be expected given the massive scope of this disaster.

The Sun Herald has a message board for folks to post this sort of information. I'm just now seeing it, and it looks like an amazing tool for you to use with lots of activity. Wow. Great job, folks. This is doing a much faster job of anything I could ever hope to do, especially on a slow dial-up connection.

(One other tip for Jack: Check with your local American Red Cross chapter, and see if you can send a health and welfare request to that shelter through them. They may have ways to get information from that shelter through other channels, like amateur radio operators.)

posted at # 11:47 PM

Historic first post back

This is historic on so many levels. After being offline for 30-something hours, the first e-mail we got is from Ken in Ocean Springs:

I'm not sure if this is the avenue for this but, I need you to hold delivery of my paper until further notice. I am at (house number deleted to protect privacy) Woody Circle in Ocean Springs.
Thank you,
Ken

I know this is completely inappropriate, but as someone who's also lost a home, I found one of my first laughs in a couple days because of this post. I hadn't thought to have my delivery service suspended; it just never occured to me.

Don't worry, Ken. We won't be delivering until we can get around a litle easier. I'll pass along your info to our circulation department just to make sure. Thanks for subscribing, and we'll be ready to give you your papers on your front yard when you are.

posted at # 11:41 PM

Here we go

OK, you can look to the right to see the new e-mail address. It's KatrinaSunHerald@aol.com. Remember, we encourage you to use our toll-free "I'm OK Line" at (866) 453-1925 to track relatives and loved ones. You can leave a message and we'll run them each day in our paper. Our Wednesday paper arrived at about noon and we distributed 20,000 copies by a variety of means. Employees from every part of our paper -- circulation, pressmen, advertising, operations, business office and newsroom -- were handing out papers at the water giveaways, cantinas, shelters, intersections and even the old fashioned way, throwing them on yards, all for free.

Thursday, we'll be distributing 25,000 by all those methods, plus others, including through the American Red Cross to their shelters and support sites.

Friends point out my cynicism at times, but I've never been prouder to work at the Sun Herald than right now. We've done great work, and the support we've gotten from the Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer, Macon (Ga.) Telegraph, St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press, Bradenton (Fla.) Herald and the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News has helped us put out two of the best papers you'll ever see. More help is on the way from our Knight-Ridder sister papers, and we'll keep trying our best. You deserve it.

posted at # 10:54 PM

Back online

This is Don Hammack at the Sun Herald offices on the Gulfport/Biloxi border. Our landlines have just come back on, although we are only able to dial outside the 228 area code. We're dialed up through an AOL number in Starkville. Stand by for an updated e-mail address to send comments or information to. My work account was forwarded to a local ISP, and it's not showing up on the Internet anymore.

Bear with us, and we'll be back soon.

The Bloginator

posted at # 10:14 PM

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

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