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FEMA Katrina Situation Update
Here's the part of FEMA's National Situation Update for Sunday, September 4, 2005 relating to hurricane Katrina:
Thousands of angry, exhausted and desperate storm victims gained a measure of deliverance Saturday as the evacuation of New Orleans continued and troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. By yesterday evening, significant progress had been made clearing the Superdome and the city's convention center, two potentially dangerous flash points of anger where as many as 50,000 people had spent five grueling days since Hurricane Katrina struck.
Having largely emptied the cavernous Superdome, which had become a squalid pit of misery and violence, officials turned their attention to the convention center, where people waited to be evacuated as corpses rotted in the streets. The death toll in the city is not known, but the dying continues as people succumb to illness, exhaustion and days without food and water.
Craig Vanderwagen, rear admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service, said one morgue alone, at a prison in the town of St. Gabriel, expected 1,000 to 2,000 bodies. Search-and-rescue operations continued throughout New Orleans. State officials said thousands more remained trapped in the city and a full evacuation could take weeks.
Almost 13,000 Coast Guard personnel are in the city performing search-and-rescue operations and another 3,000 are expected to join them Monday. At the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, about 1,000 people - tired and dirty from living for days on the sidewalks outside the center - were loaded into air-conditioned buses in the first two hours of the evacuation operation Saturday morning. An estimated 25,000 people have been waiting for help outside the center.
Food and water arrived there on military trucks for the first time Friday. People were relieved to get some supplies, but they were more interested in escaping the dreadful conditions. The National Guard said the evacuees will be taken to shelters in Houston, San Antonio and Baton Rouge. People were allowed to take whatever belongings they could carry onto the bus. Some carried or dragged bags and suitcases loaded with possessions from home; others took ice chests, food and blankets.
Louis Armstrong International Airport served as a massive clearing house for some of the storm's sickest victims Saturday. Military and Coast Guard helicopters flew a steady stream of evacuees from hospitals and rooftops to the airport southwest of downtown. Inside the four triage tents, medical personnel tended to people who had gone for days without their medication, some of whom were not lucid enough to describe their ailments.
With the evacuee situation stabilizing somewhat, and increasing numbers of armed soldiers and police on the streets, officials said Saturday they would start aggressively dealing with the bands of armed looters who pushed the city to the brink of complete breakdown. Frustration at the slow rate of recovery and the federal response to the disaster also mounted Saturday in Mississippi and Alabama, where storm victims voiced resentment that New Orleans seemed to be getting most of the attention. (Media Sources)
At 11 pm EDT (0300Z) the center of Tropical Storm Maria was located near latitude 27.1 north longitude 54.9 west or about 695 miles (1115 km) east-southeast of Bermuda. Maria is moving toward the north-northwest near 14 mph (22 km/hr). This general motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours.
Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph (110 km/hr) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours and maria could become a hurricane today. Tropical Storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the center.
Estimated minimum central pressure is 995 mb (29.38 inches). (National Hurricane Center)
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EU, NATO prepare hurricane aid, Kuwait donates $500 mln oil products for Katrina, U.S. Asks EU, NATO for Hurricane Aid, Pope sends Vatican aid to Katrina victims, Qatar Offers $100 Million in Hurricane Aid
The European Union and NATO have now had requests for aid from the United States, starting with blankets, camp beds, first aid kits, logistical supplies, prepared meals and water trucks, but no troops, and the first loads should be on their way.
Kuwait is donating $500 million in oil products and other humanitarian aid to the United States.
Qatar pledged $100 million in humanitarian assistance Saturday.
Offers are known to have been received from Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, the Vatican, Venezuela and the United Arab Emirates. Whilst none have been refused, it is not known how many have been accepted, or how much most of them were for.
Congress Likely to Probe Guard Delay
Congress is likely to investigate why National Guard troops from other states who were ready and waiting to come to the rescue as soon as Katrina had passed were not given the go-ahead for days. Louisiana accepted New Mexico's offer on the Sunday before Katrina but the paperwork did not come through from Washington until late Thursday. Other National Guard units say that they were ready but were not asked.
Bush Aides Meet With Black Leadership, Rapper Kanye West blasts Bush on TV benefit show
President Bush's top advisers have met with black leaders to discuss the administration's slow response to blacks affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Rapper Kanye West accused President George W. Bush of racism at an NBC benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina victims.
Sen. Frist Becomes Medical Volunteer, Ala. Native Rice Heads Home to Help
Sen. Frist was helping to treat victims at Louis Armstrong International Airport and the New Orleans Convention Center Saturday. He said there was a major communication problem. He also toured the areas in a helicopter. He has called for oversight hearings. He planned to work in Mississippi and Alabama and to return to New Orleans with supplies before returning to Washington by the time the Senate reconvenes on Tuesday.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, returned to her native Alabama to tour the damage. She defended President Bush, saying race was not a factor. The floods were 11 feet high in places, and many in Mobile were left without power for days. Two people are known to have died.
Roughly 70 nations have offered more than $100 million in cash donations, plus supplies.
Mississippians' Suffering Overshadowed, Gulf Coast towns confront Katrina's grim legacy
Mississippi hurricane survivors are still waiting for food, clean water, gasoline, ice and shelter, and they are angry at the lack of aid and disgusted by the looting in New Orleans. Medicines are running out. Hurricane Katrina hit much harder in parts of Mississippi than in New Orleans, where most of the damage was done by the levees giving way afterwards. At least 144 people died, but the final toll will be higher. Bulldozing has begun, with utility workers slowly reconnecting supplies, and other workers still finding bodies.
New Orleans Begins Grisly Cleanup, New Orleans collects dead as officials dodge blame, HHS Chief: Katrina Death Toll in Thousands, General Roars Into Action in New Orleans, Bush officials visit devastation left by Katrina, Last 300 Refugees Leave Superdome, Anti-terror teams switch gears, help with Katrina
The cleanup has begun in New Orleans with thousands of bodies still in the water, in streets and in homes. It is not considered healthy for people to stay. The Superdome was finally emptied of the living Saturday evening. Most of the evacuees had not had the means to escape. Others were still being rescued from rooftops. Utilities were due to start assessing storm damage Sunday. Clearing up and counting the dead has also begun in other afflicted areas.
The president of Jefferson Parish south of New Orleans, Aaron Broussard, said "It's not just Katrina that caused all these deaths in New Orleans. Bureaucracy has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans area, and bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now."
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff flew into New Orleans. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took a look at New Orleans' international airport on Sunday. He spoke of the unprecedented "two catastrophes". Apparently he meant the hurricane plus the flood.
Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said that the death toll would be on the thousands. Other sources have suggested ten thousand. Dysentery has already broken out in Biloxi, Miss.
Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, commander of the 1st Army and a native of Louisiana, has arrived in New Orleans to take charge of military efforts. He told soldiers to point their weapons down and get moving.
Anti-terror teams are being diverted to work in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Field hospitals are being set up in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, and mobile medical units are on the way.
Big Easy Was One of a Kind Before Katrina
New Orleans had seen a lot before hurricane Katrina; plague, attacks by the British Army, and fires. It had shown many sides jazz, food, atmosphere, Mardi Gras, and poverty. Nicknamed the Big Easy, it is unique.
Astrodome Triage Center Treating Hundreds, Miss. Shelter Closes as Several Fall Ill, A Look at Refugee Situation Around U.S., Survivors Search for Missing Loved Ones, Katrina Evacuees Distraught Over Lost Pets, Out of Storage, La. Farmers Dump Milk, Governor: Texas Nearing Refugee Capacity
The queues for medical assistance are still very long at the Houston Astrodome, full of evacuees whose medications have run out or who have sustained injuries or become ill or who are pregnant.
A shelter at a Biloxi school has been closed after more than 20 people became ill, probably with dysentery due to tainted water.
Refugees were being taken in by centres, hotels, homes and other temporary housing in many states. States housing or expecting to house refugees include Alabama (10,000), Arizona (1,000), Arkansas (70,000), Colorado (1,000), Florida (14,600), Georgia (900), Illinois (500), Louisiana, (50,000), Maryland, Michigan (10,000), Minnesota (5,000), Mississippi (tens of thousands), Missouri (500), Oklahoma (5,000), South Carolina (5,000), Tennessee (13,000), Texas (220,000), Utah (300), Washington (400) and West Virginia (500)
Survivors of hurricane Katrina are searching desperately for loved ones, many of them children. Many of them do not yet have access to phones or other sources of information. Many bodies are already too composed for easy identification. The Red Cross has a hotline, 1-866-GETINFO. Sites offering information include http://www.sunherald.com, http://www.nola.com and http://hurricanekatrinasurvivors.com.
Many evacuees are distraught because they could not bring their pets with them Some were euthanized. Others were being looked after when hey left, but may not be now.
Farmers in Louisiana are dumping milk because they cannot store it, and searching for food for their animals, as well as facing the costs of repairing damage.
Gov. Rick Perry has warned that Texas is running out of room for evacuees. More than 220,000 have arrived.
300 Airmen Leaving Mideast for Gulf Coast
300 airmen from Iraq and Afghanistan will start flying home during the next two weeks and will help restore Keesler Air Force Base. 100 who should have been shipping out will stay home. U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq are not being allowed to come home early, unless granted emergency leave if their family members are dead or injured.
Hurricane Survivors Must Decide Future, New Orleans residents lament lack of insurance, Lloyd's says has no Katrina cost estimate, New Orleans Couple Weds in Miss. Shelter, Gulf Coast Jobless Rate Could Hit 25 Pct.
Only about 40 percent New Orleans residents were insured against floods. 150,000 properties are estimated to have been flooded in New Orleans.
The Lloyd's of London insurance market has not published an estimate the cost of hurricane Katrina to it, but says it can cope.
Hurricane survivors who have lost everything will need to decide whether or not to return to their communities. Some have already found jobs in Houston. Children are being enrolled at news schools. Some have decided one way or another, others are going back to look.
A couple who were due to wed in New Orleans just before hurricane Katrina struck got married at the Mississippi Coliseum shelter. The marriage license was all they had with them from the wedding-to-be. A fellow evacuee, who had already been homeless, co-ordinated the preparations and donations for the event.
The jobless rate in the Gulf Coast is expected to rise to at least 25 percent in the wake of hurricane Katrina. 28 percent of people in New Orleans already lived below the poverty line.
Another Storm Possible in Hard-Hit Region, Hurricane Maria Poses No Threat to Land
With weeks left in this unusually active storm season, another hit or two on the Gulf Coast is a possibility. With the waters so warm, such storms could be strong. Whilst elsewhere another storm could do little more damage to what has already been destroyed, in New Orleans there could be further breaches in the levees causing more damage. The Mississippi could also bring further flooding if there is heavy rain upstream, although this would be unseasonable.
Maria became the fifth hurricane of the season on Sunday, but is not expected to threaten land.
Katrina's Wrath Hits Holiday Drivers
Many people driving for the holiday were having difficulty finding fuel and being charged over $3 a gallon when they did. They were urged to conserve fuel.
Iraq's al Qaeda says Katrina is "wrath of God"-Web
The al Qaeda group in Iraq has called the deaths due to hurricane Katrina the "wrath of God," according to a web site.
Encephalitis Death Toll in India Hits 432
Another 39 children died, bringing the total of deaths due to Japanese encephalitis in Uttar Pradesh, northern Indian to 432.
Index of topics in this series.
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Here's the EPA's Response Activity for Sunday, September 4, 2005 relating to hurricane Katrina:
EPA today issued an advisory urging the public to exercise caution when re-entering hurricane-damaged buildings and take precautions if household hazardous waste or asbestos-containing building materials are present.
EPA search and rescue operations continue in the hurricane area. An additional 100 people were rescued by EPA yesterday. So far, EPA has rescued approximately 650 people in addition to distributing food and water.
EPA has mobilized 12 environmental emergency response teams to provide assistance with overall search and recovery efforts and is conducting initial assessments of the environmental impacts including potential impacts from chemical facilities, oil refineries, and water treatment plants. Rapid needs assessment is being done to identify damage in New Orleans . EPA and state officials are compiling a comprehensive database of potential pollution sources in preparation for additional overflights and on-ground inspections in the coming weeks.
EPA’s environmental surveillance aircraft is being used to assess spills and chemical releases. On Sept. 3, the aircraft surveyed the smoke plume of a large fire in the New Orleans warehouse district. The survey did not reveal any contaminants of undue concern in the smoke.
EPA has collected six flood water samples in downtown New Orleans . The samples have been shipped to labs in Houston and Lafayette, La., for analysis. EPA has granted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a waiver from water discharge permits to aid the Corps in pumping out hurricane flood waters.
EPA is assisting the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals in assessing drinking water and will deploy 45 more EPA personnel to Louisiana during the week of Sept. 5. EPA is providing assistance on water assessment to Mississippi at its emergency operations center and expects to assist with site assessments. EPA estimates the number of water systems affected by the hurricane is now 72 in Alabama, 683 in Louisiana and 466 in Mississippi . Systems running on generators will need additional fuel to stay operational. Two EPA mobile laboratories are being deployed to Louisiana to provide analytical services as drinking water service is restored to communities.
EPA personnel continue to oversee and offer technical assistance in the disposal of hazardous waste 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 will be assessing environmentally safe clearance standards for residences and commercial buildings. EPA has practical and scientific expertise in the environmental health hazards caused by flood waters, especially the effects of molds and mildew, and in disposal of household hazardous waste and building debris from storm-damaged buildings.
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Here's the EPA's Caution for Sunday, September 4, 2005 relating to hurricane Katrina:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal, state and local officials are urging individuals to use caution when returning to hurricane-damaged homes and buildings. EPA today issued an advisory to the public that provides general guidance to help address potential hazards in structures damaged by hurricane Katrina.
EPA urges the public to be on the alert for leaking containers and reactive household chemicals, like caustic drain cleaners and chlorine bleach, and take the following necessary precautions to prevent injury or further damage:
Individuals should exercise caution when disturbing building materials to prevent physical injury or other health effects. Building materials may contain hazardous materials such as asbestos that when carried by the air can be breathed in and cause adverse health effects. If it is suspected that asbestos containing materials may be present, they should not be disturbed. Asbestos containing materials include the following:
Federal, state and local personnel are being deployed to the hurricane-affected areas to establish debris-management programs, including household hazardous waste collection and disposal programs. These efforts may take days or weeks to come to all communities. In the meantime, EPA urges the public to exercise caution and report concerns to local environmental, health and waste disposal authorities.
For more information, the public can go to http://www.fema.gov/regions/iii/env/debris.shtm. Government officials can get information on managing hurricane debris at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/disaster/disaster.txt.
