How much more do you think they could have done by this stage?
FEMA Katrina Situation Update
Here's the part of FEMA's National Situation Update for Thursday, September 1, 2005 relating to hurricane Katrina:
Joint Task Force Katrina is setting up today at Camp Shelby, Miss. , as the Defense Department's focal point to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency's relief efforts along the Gulf Coast, Air Force Maj. Eric Butterbaugh, a U. S. Northern Command spokesman, confirmed today.
Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, 1st U. S. Army commander, will head the task force to coordinate DoD active-duty support for disaster relief efforts in the hurricane's aftermath, much of it already under way or in the works. Meanwhile, the number of National Guardsmen on duty in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida rose to almost 8,300 today.
National Guard units and members in 17 more states remained on standby today, ready to provide assistance as required in the wake of extensive damage, rising floodwaters, and power and communications outages throughout the region, Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a DoD spokeswoman, said.
The guardsmen remain under their respective governors' control, which enables them to provide law-enforcement support in the affected regions -- something the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits active-duty forces from doing within the United States. While under state control, the National Guard is not bound by Posse Comitatus, NORTHCOM officials explained.
While establishing Joint Task Force Katrina today, NORTHCOM was already providing or coordinating a full range of support involving active-duty forces and assets.
As of this morning, four MH-53 Sea Stallion and two HH-60 Seahawk helicopters from USS Bataan were flying medical-evacuation and search-and-rescue missions in Louisiana, and Bataan's hospital was preparing for possible use for medical support. Bataan, based out of Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, is in the waters off the Louisiana coast. High Speed Vessel Swift, also based at Ingleside, sailed to the waters off Louisiana to provide support, as well.
Three helicopters from the Army's 3rd Corps, in Fort Hood, Texas, are in Baton Rouge, La. , and two more in Mississippi to help with searches and rescues and damage assessments, NORTHCOM officials reported. In addition, five Air Force helicopters from the 920th Rescue Wing, from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. , and 347th Rescue Wing from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. , are in Mississippi for search-and-rescue missions, officials said. These aircraft are capable of nighttime searches and rescues and also will transport FEMA assessment teams over the area to gather critical information for state and federal emergency managers. Meanwhile, eight U. S. Transportation Command swift-water rescue teams, each with 14 members, were headed from California to Lafayette, La. , today to rescue stranded civilians from flooded areas, NORTHCOM officials reported.
A wide range of other military members and assets were also bound for the Gulf Coast to provide more support, NORTHCOM officials reported. The Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group was preparing to sail from Norfolk, Va. , loaded with disaster response equipment and was expected to reach the Louisiana coast in five days, officials said. The group consists of USS Iwo Jima, USS Shreveport, USS Tortuga and USNS Arctic.
The hospital ship USNS Comfort was preparing to leave Baltimore to bring medical assistance to the Gulf region and was expected to reach the area in seven days, officials said. Plans were being made bring USS Grapple, a Navy rescue and salvage vessel, to the region to support maritime and underwater survey and salvage operations.
NORTHCOM also established federal operational staging areas at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. ; Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss. ; Barksdale Air Force Base, La. ; Alexandria, La. ; and Fort Polk, La. , to expedite the movement of relief supplies and emergency personnel to affected areas, officials reported. In addition, NORTHCOM liaisons are operating in Clanton, Ala. ; Baton Rouge, La. ; and Jackson, Miss. , to coordinate efforts between the command, other DoD elements and FEMA.
Standing Joint Forces Headquarters North will provide an augmentation cell and its command-and-control vehicle to Joint Task Force Katrina, and JTF Civil Support will provide a joint planning augmentation cell, officials said.
Meanwhile, in Colorado Springs, Colo. , NORTHCOM's Joint Operations Center remains on 24-hour duty to expedite any additional requests for help from FEMA representatives, officials said. (Media Sources)
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Major Developments in Katrina's Aftermath, Katrina's Effects, at a Glance
There have been many deaths and much destruction in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. 80 percent of New Orleans is flooded, up to 20 feet deep in places. Hundreds of thousands are without power.
Congress to Vote on $10B Katrina Package, Congress weighs emergency session on hurricane aid, Legislation Needed for New Orleans Courts
Congressmen were returning to Washington DC to pass a $10 billion package for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the government's agency that responds to natural disasters. It is currently spending around $500 million a day in the area affected by hurricane Katrina. FEMA already had about $2.5 billion available for the fiscal year ending on Sept. 30.
When Congress returns after Labor Day it will need to pass legislation allowing the New Orleans courts to move elsewhere.
U.S. Won't Relocate Soldiers for Katrina
The U.S. won't be sending troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan to help with the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. It will look to find ways to send individual soldiers home to look for or after their families, however. Troops in Iraq include 3,700 soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard's 256th Enhanced Separate Brigade which is due back home by November if their deployment is not extended, and National Guard units from Louisiana and Mississippi. Units from other stretched National Guards from other states are being sent to help Louisiana.
Katrina Clobbers Rich, Poor in Miss. Town, Katrina Virtually Wipes Miss. Town Off Map, Mississippi Coast Now a Stretch of Rubble
Both the houses of the rich on the sea shore and the houses of the poor inland in Pascagoula and surrounding Jackson County were devastated by hurricane Katrina. One of senator Trent Lott's houses was amongst those destroyed by the storm surge.
Waveland in Missouri, just 35 miles east of New Orleans, appears to have been particularly badly hit by hurricane Katrina. At least 50 of the 7,000 residents have died, there is little left standing, no power, no phones, and no way out
Every coastal industry of Mississippi's coastline has been devastated - fishing, gambling, tourism and shipbuilding. It will take a long time for the state to rebuild.
Bush warns against looting, gas profiteering, Troops to Quadruple New Orleans Police, Unrest Intensifies at Superdome Shelter, New Orleans evacuation slows as shooting, chaos erupt, Chaos, crime add to Katrina's mental woes -experts, New Orleans Cops Ordered Back to Streets, Gulf relief force swells, Airborne troops alerted; Gulf relief force swells, More Navy Ships Headed to the Gulf Coast, U.S. Gov't Launches Massive Relief Effort, Navy Chief Calls for Post-Storm Cooperation
President Bush said Thursday, "I think there ought to be zero tolerance of people breaking the law during an emergency such as this, whether it be looting, or price-gouging at the gasoline pump or taking advantage of charitable giving, or insurance fraud." He didn't say what those without food, water or medicines should do, however, and it is doubtful if they would have heard him in a city without electricity. He urged Americans to conserve gasoline, but there were no specifics forthcoming. He said that U.S. oil companies should forfeit profits during the crisis, but donate cash. He did not expect to avail himself of offers of contributions from other countries as America could take care of itself.
1,400 National Guard troops area arriving in New Orleans each day to help control looting and lawlessness according to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Unrest is growing in the chaos of New Orleans. People have been shooting at helicopters in their anger and desperation, which has slowed down rescue and evacuation. The chaos and crime in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina will make it harder for people to recover psychologically from the disaster. New Orleans Police had to switch from rescue to dealing with looters, as those who had lost everything took necessities from those who had stockpiles, including nursing centres and hospitals as well as stores. Others were looting for personal gain or drugs, guns and alcohol.
On top of nearly 50,000 military personnel, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman and a variety of other ships are being sent to the gulf. The Air Force was adding a high-flying U-2 spy plane to take pictures to help relief efforts. It is illegal for active duty military personnel to get involved in domestic law enforcement, but crowd control and site-protection were said to fall outside of the definition. They would be under command of the governors. The relief effort will be the largest in history according to President Bush.
Admiral Mike Mullen called for more cooperation in the future between relief groups, government agencies and the military. He mentioned lessons that could be learned from last December's tsunami, and from European co-operation over Kosovo. He also said that while he supported realigning military bases around the country, it was not a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket when cutting costs. For example, one of the Navy's major suppliers, a Northrop Grumman shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., is now underwater.
New Orleans mayor issues "desperate SOS"-TV, Katrina Survivors Face Tragedy, Triumph
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin made an urgent plea for assistance on Thursday, as food and water ran out for people in the unsanitary and unsafe Convention Center.
Many survivors have harrowing tales to tell of fear, struggle and loss. And yet there were stories of survival and joyful reunions in temperatures where 72 hours is the longest most people would be expected to survive without water in the sweltering heat. Volunteers with boats rescued many.
Biggest health worry after Katrina is clean water, Sewage in Floodwaters Carries Disease
Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has declared a public health emergency for the entire Gulf region. Cholera, typhoid, viruses such as hepatitis A and dehydrating diseases are possibilities due to stagnant, contaminated water. Electrocution and injury in the debris could lead to more deaths. This news wire has a lot of advice.
From the air it appears that much of the Gulf Coast's first line of defence against hurricanes, the Chandeleur chain of barrier islands and the wetlands, has been devastated, leaving the coast more vulnerable to storm surges.
New Orleans's water has been contaminated by a variety of toxic spills, but major factories and refineries elsewhere have not been breached.
Major Storms Nothing New in New Orleans
Descriptions of other major storms in the history of New Orleans.
25,000 La. Refugees Head to San Antonio, Tense Crowds Load Buses Bound for Texas, Ala. Relief Agencies Prepare for Survivors, Katrina Survivors Just Want to Get Home, Utah May House 1,000 Hurricane Refugees
Texas will take in 25,000 more evacuees from Louisiana on top of those already been housed in the Astrodome in Houston.
Alabama relief agencies will be taking care of refugees from Mississippi and Louisiana; not just their own.
The refugees of Hurricane Katrina scattered around the country in hotel rooms, want to get home and back to their lives, even if there is nothing to go home to.
Utah is ready to take in up to 1,000 refugees from hurricane Katrina, many at the Army National Guard's Camp Williams. Utah is also prepared to send up to 200 Utah National Guard troops. People who lost their pets or left them behind can e-mail hurricane(at)bestfriends.org for help.
Americans Open Homes to Katrina Refugees, Thousands Send Donations for Storm Victims, Fla. Schools Accepting Displaced Students, Organizations Accepting Katrina Donations, Residents Open Homes to Katrina Refugees, Feds Asks Cruise Ship Companies for Help
People are offering living space to refugees from hurricane Katrina. At the moment their offers are being posted on web sites like craigslist.org but few of the refugees have access to the Internet, but those who do are able to move out of motels.
Thousands of private Americans, celebrities and businesses have given cash, food, drink, materials, or volunteered their skills or held fund-raisers. Schools and universities have offered places to students.
Many charitable and religious organizations are accepting donations, including the Red Cross (1-800-HELP-NOW), the Salvation Army (1-800-SAL-ARMY) and the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Carnival Cruise Lines is looking at the feasibility of acting on the federal government's request for cruise ships to use as emergency shelters.
Canada's Martin calls Bush, offers Katrina help, France May Mobilize Relief From Caribbean, Germany says ready to help U.S. with Katrina, Katrina Prompts Global Support for Victims
Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin has offered President Bush "in any way and at any time". Canada has received no formal request for help.
France is ready to send whatever help that America needs from the French Antilles in the Caribbean.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said that Germany is ready to help with water treatment facilities and mobile shelters, for example.
Messages of condolence and support were sent from all over the world, even from countries which normally have tense relations with the United States. Some Islamic extremists rejoiced, however. Offers of help came from the governments of Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, for example, and messages of sympathy came from France, Germany, China, the Pope, and Queen Elizabeth II. Members of the public from many other countries donated to charities supporting the relief efforts. There was also criticism, including from experts in the Netherlands who were surprised at the New Orleans flood system failure. Some said that global warming has increased the intensity of hurricanes, but Harlan L. Watson, the U.S. envoy for negotiations on climate change, denied this.
Storm may shut refineries for months-Govt, Murphy Oil: 'Minimal Damage' From Katrina, FAQ About U.S. Emergency Oil Stockpile, White House to Release Oil From Reserves
Some U.S. refineries shut by Hurricane Katrina may not reopen for several months, while others may be able to resume converting oil to gasoline or other useful products within a week or two. Currently nine are shut, representing about 11 percent of total U.S. refining capacity. Prices are unlikely to fall below $3 a gallon in the short term as a result. Some pipelines are also closed down. Some oil is to be released from reserves.
Reclaiming the Big Easy Means Hard Choices, Getting a Disaster Loan From the SBA, Katrina Victims Hope for Emergency Grants
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that it will take many weeks to pump the water out of New Orleans. In the meantime, big decisions will be need to be made at every level from the individual family up about rebuilding. The sum of these individual decisions, heavily influenced by how much insurance and reserves they had, could make a big difference to the make-up of the city. The Florida Keys tourist industry now has problems finding staff because of a lack of low income housing. Hopefully rebuilding will at least lead to better levees and higher quality building.
Small business owners are likely to turn to the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program for help to rebuild their businesses.
Advice on the recovery process. Rule number one: keep yourselves safe.
Clean Air Settlement Reached With Cargill
Cargill Inc. will upgrade pollution control devices at 27 corn and oilseed plants in the Midwest and to pay civil penalties and pay for other environmental projects around the country. The government, ten states and four counties had sued the company in Minnesota for significantly underestimating emissions from its operations in 13 states. These included Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Tennessee. The plants produce volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide.
In Minnesota, Biodiesel Is Next Big Thing
From Sept. 29 Minnesota will require diesel fuel sold in the state for semis, farm tractors and combines, cranes, school buses and certain other vehicles to contain a 2 percent vegetable oil blend called B2. The state's soybean farmers are pleased.
In the same news wire, poultry breeders had filed a suit against their local airport claiming that noise from the planes flying overhead reduced the number of eggs that their chickens laid. They have dropped the lawsuit for the time being as the airport plans to condemns some of their farm to build an access road.
UK activists club together to beat climate change
A new organization, Stop Climate Chaos, has been launched in the UK. It is a coalition of leading British environment and aid groups: Airport Watch, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Medact, Operation Noah, Oxfam, People & Planet, Practical Action, RSPB, Sustrans, Tearfund, the Women’s Institute, WWF-UK, the Woodland Trust, and the Wildlife Trusts. It will lobby the British government to curb emissions of greenhouse gases.
Bird flu kills a Vietnamese, emergency plan at work
The deadly bird flu virus has killed another Vietnamese, bringing the Asian death toll to 63.
Encephalitis Death Toll Hits 352 in India
352 people have now died of Japanese encephalitis in India, as 44 children died overnight. The disease is spread from pigs to humans by mosquitoes, so pig catchers have been employed to round up or drive away the pigs which roam free in the city.
Seven dead this year as dengue fever hits Singapore
Seven people in Singapore have died this year of dengue fever, a mosquito-born infectious disease. New cases are increasing.
Ebola Virus Threatens Gorillas, Chimps
Ebola virus, which was first identified in 1976, has killed about 1,000 people through massive internal bleeding. It also infects apes, and is threatening to wipe out apes and chimpanzees in Central Africa which have already been put at risk by hunting and logging. Chimpanzees are our closest relatives, and 96 percent to almost 99 percent of our DNA is identical.
Sumatran orangutans face extinction as peace comes
Indonesia's Aceh province has moved towards peace in the months since last December's tsunami devastated the area. Now the orang-utangs, "people of the forest", may be annihilated if rebuilding and illegal logging for timber and to make for oil palms take their toll on the timid and highly intelligent animals' last refuge on Sumatra Island. Numbering 85,000 in 1900, they are now down to around 7,000.
Python Bites Calif. Boy in Bed
A 12-year-old boy in California was bitten by a 4-foot ball python in his sleep. His injury was not serious. The snake did not belong to the family; it will be either adopted or euthanized.
Tanzanian villager fights off lion
A Tanzanian man fought of a lion which attacked him. Two people with him screamed for help, and one was bitten before the lion ran off.
Panda Gives Birth to Two Cubs in China
An American-born panda, Hua Mei, has given birth to two cubs in Sichuan province, southwest China. The mother is taking care of one; the other is in an incubator.
Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal Gives Birth
There are only about 1,300 Hawaiian monk seals and most live in Hawaii, and most live in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but about 50 live on the main Islands. One of the 50 has given birth to a pup on the beach near Poipu. Marine conservationists and volunteers have been making sure that people give them breathing space.
Woman Allegedly Smuggles Fish in Cream Jar
A woman has been charged with trying to smuggle three tiny fish into Australia from Taiwan in a face cream jar.
Ancient and modern man lived side by side -study
Radiocarbon dating of artefact finds in the Grotte des Fees at Chatelperron in central France shows that Neanderthals and our ancestors shared the same space at the same time around 38,000 years ago.
Swarm of Small Earthquakes Shakes Calif.
Southeast California has been shaken by a swarm of small earthquakes up to magnitude 4. No damage was reported.
Ark. Man Finds 1.22 Carat Diamond in Park
The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas is unique in North America for allowing the public to dig for diamonds. One man recently found a 1.22 carat, gem-quality diamond worth more than $1,000.
Index of topics in this series.
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Hi. :)
It is very common for people to want to assign blame. I think it is more worthwhile to study the causes so that they can be avoided in future.
I agree that it will be good if people take alternative energy more seriously now. I hope they will also think about other ways they can make their way of life more sustainable.
[Views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of CompuServe, Netscape, any government, agency, or news organization.]
Gross!
Here's the EPA's Response Activity for Thursday, September 1, 2005 relating to hurricane Katrina:
EPA emergency response personnel are working in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue to help assess the damage and prepare for cleanup in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. EPA is responsible for cleanup of hazardous materials including oil and gasoline in the area. EPA employees have been deployed to the region to assist with assessment and cleanup. Our national and regional Emergency Operations Centers are currently operating 24 hours a day.
EPA has mobilized 12 environmental emergency response teams to the affected areas in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. These teams are providing assistance with overall “search and recovery” efforts and are conducting initial assessments of the environmental impacts of Hurricane Katrina, including potential impacts from chemical facilities, oil refineries and water treatment plants. EPA is operating 69 watercraft to the area to support the rescue efforts. EPA's New Orleans response team has helped in over 200 rescues using watercraft. EPA’s environmental surveillance aircraft is being used to assess spills and chemical releases along the coasts of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.
EPA teams are currently assessing, evaluating, and supporting drinking water and wastewater facilities in the hurricane area. EPA estimates that the number of water systems affected by the hurricane is 60 in Alabama, 290 in Louisiana and 130 in Mississippi. Those systems that are running on generators will need additional fuel to stay operational. EPA is sending its mobile laboratory to Baton Rouge today to provide technical analysis to help drinking water systems restore service. EPA also is coordinating a multi-state water-quality-testing analytical network to aid systems in recovering.
EPA personnel are overseeing and offering technical assistance in the disposal of hazardous materials and other debris left behind by the storm. Teams are working closely with the Coast Guard to conduct assessments of potential oil spills and chemical releases caused by the hurricane. EPA's debris task force is preparing a debris management plan and evaluating landfill conditions and capacity in the hurricane area.
Environmentally safe clearance standards for the re-occupation of residences and commercial buildings will be established by EPA. EPA has practical and scientific expertise in the environmental health hazards caused by flood waters, especially the effects of molds and mildew.
