Over the past couple of days I have been watching some of the coverage on CNN. Along with feeling profoundly sad for the thousands of people who have been affected by Katrina I have been taken back by the incredible power of this storm.

I am so sorry for the loss of life and the extreme devastation this has caused. =( My heart and prayers go out to all who have had their lives torn apart and to the families who have lost a loved one. May you find the strength you will need now and in the months ahead. I pray that amid this incredibly difficult time a light emerges bringing hope and comfort when you need it most. I can't begin to imagine what you are going through nor do I have the words to adequately express how sorry I am that this happened. =(

God Bless you and keep you safe.

John and I have been keeping track of the Katrina as well. I agree Cat, my heart goes out to all of those who where affected! I do have to say that I am greatful that the hurricane was down graded before landfall. It was still devistating and there is still so much damage. I pray for all of those that have lost homes or loved ones, that in the days and weeks that follow they can pull their lives back together. Sending prayers and white light and bright blessings to all!

I just got this from my adoption list from a lady in Lafayette. Not good news at all. One of the families who traveled with us to China to adopt have a restaurant in Slidell. I'm very anxious to hear from them. Yesterday evening, Hwy 190, which is normally very quiet, had a considerable amount of traffic. Hubby and I, as a precaution, filled up our vehicles and met several people who had been on the road all day, getting out of the New Orleans area. What is normally about a five hour drive from here was taking people a lot longer.

I love New Orleans, it is one of my favorite places. I have roots there, and it just breaks my heart to see what these people have had to endure. I'll probably be getting other updates from various people I know in the area and will post whenever something comes in. I've also heard that martial law has been declared, I'm sure to prevent looting. A very sad situation.


"I know some of you have evacuated the New Orleans area and they are
telling people they cannot get back into New Orleans. The roads
leading into New Orleans and Slidell area are all closed.

Acadian Ambulance service is calling in all off duty personnel and
sending them to New Orleans. They are having to evacuate people out
of the Charity Hospital and other hospitals in New Orleans. I found
out this morning that generators are failing in the hospitals and
they are getting patients out however they can to other cities. The
owner of Acadian Ambulance said that the levee was breached in New
Orleans at the 17th Street levee and the water in New Orleans is
rising 11 inches an hour.

The news from East New Orleans and Slidell is very, very grim.
There are bodies floating around so it is not a very good
situation. A Baton Rouge station got a helicopter up yesterday
afternoon and was broadcasting live pictures and it is very flooded.
The mayor of N.O. said 80% of N.O. is flooded. They were taking
people off of rooftops where the water was up to the roof of the
homes.

The news is just not very good at all coming out this morning.
Please all pray for these people who didn't get out. The attorneys
I work with are hearing from people who are stuck in N.O. and can't
get out, some in the Hyatt Hotel and private homes."

More Katrina news from my friend in Lafayette. What she says about the hospitality of the people in Louisiana is 100% correct. I have family there who would be offended if I came and stayed in a hotel rather than their home. Cajuns are big-hearted, generous people:

"The sites if you drive around our town right now is very
heartwrenching. I had to go to my credit union at noon and outside
of a loan company, was a long line of people waiting outside to get
in for loan. They was a sign on the door. They obviously were only
letting a few people in at a time. These people obviously are trying
to get money to survive since they are away from their homes.

Locally, our Cajundome, a smaller version of the Superdome is being
opened to take in evacuees. Many people have been sleeping on the
side of the roads in their cars, in the local Wal-Mart parking lots
(right off the interstate). The local newspaper talked about a
family sleeping out in sleeping bags at one of our local Wal-Mart
stores' parking lot. Churches in our area have opened up their gyms
and are feeding the people.

A local fire department served meals to people last night and are
doing so again today. They even traveled a ways down the interstate
from their small town serving people along the highway.

This is why I love living in Louisiana, our people always go out of
their way to take care of people in need.

The minute by minute coming out of New Orleans is not good at all.
They said a few minutes ago that people in Jefferson Parish may not
be able to go home for a week."

Carrie you are so right in saying the news that continues to come out of New Orleans and all of the areas devastated by Katrina is grim and not at good at all. =(

I just returned home from work and found my son watching the coverage on CNN and as I entered the room he turned to me with tear filled eyes and said "Mom this is so unbelievable these poor people, this gets worse every time I turn it on." I sat next to him and as we watched the latest reports I again was moved to tears, in fact I began to weep as the reporter was interviewing some of the people and images of the Aftermath were shown. One report stated that as many as a million people may be homeless as a result and sadly it's feared the death toll will continue to rise (they say it may go into the hundreds). Clean water and food is a serious concern as is the fear that more may perish before medical aid can reach them. I pray the ongoing rescue efforts reach all in time. Many animals are also in need of rescue and sadly so many already lost.

In a matter of minutes an apartment complex was destroyed taking some 30 lives. Watching the footage of ppl in N.O. and Mississippi on roof tops still waiting for resuce makes one feel so helpless. As does hearing stories like the man who told how he is searching for his wife who was swept away by the water as he desperately tried to hang on to her. Thousands of ppl are still inside the Superdome unable to return home, that is if they still have a home to return to. As I'm typing this I can hear CNN (I keep going to watch actually) and they just said as many as 30,000 are now in the Superdome and the toilets are no longer working with no running water. I am just so sad right now, I feel deeply for all of you. =(

It is at times like this amid the devastation that stories of human kindness and strength also emerge. People in and around the the areas affected pulling together to do what they can to help those in need, like the examples you have given Carrie. Thank-you for giving us the updates that you have, my heart goes out to All, including the many wonderful people doing what they can to help.

It was frightening to hear that another 5-7 hurricanes are still expected to hit this year. I so hope they are wrong.

This is so sad watching the horrible devastation of Karina
on the news on TV.My prayers go to all the states and people that are having to survive this disaster. Have lost everything and for the people who have lost their lives and their home and business's.I hope they find the courage and strengh to get through this and are able to rebuild their communitys and lives. I pray that Rescue help and supplys etc gets to these people stranded and the areas that need help right now.

[ August 30, 2005, 10:17 PM: Message edited by: Gremlin ]

This was sent to me. It is a partial list of organizations taking part in relief efforts. The Houston area has had a HUGE influx of Katrina's victims. In fact, they are moving people from the Superdome into the Astrodome. Hotels are filled and everywhere you look there is someone from the New Orleans area. A lot of these organizations are church based. If anyone has any other organizations taking part in relief efforts, let me know and I'll add them to the list. I think at this point, every little bit helps. It is frustrating not to be able to go over there and help these people. It really tears your heart out to watch them on tv and seeing them firsthand is even worse.

**I suggest before giving to any charity, make sure it is legitimate by checking around. Most of the ones on this list are familiar ones that I've heard of and I've included some local for the Houston area. Before you give, ask directly where the money is going to and what it will be used for.

Operation Blessing: 800-436-6348
America's Second Harvest: 800-344-8070
Adventist Community Services: 800-381-7171
Catholic Charities, USA: 703-549-1390
Christian Disaster Response: 941-956-5183 or 941-551-9554
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: 800-848-5818
Church World Service: 800-297-1516
Convoy of Hope: 417-823-8998
Lutheran Disaster Response: 800-638-3522
Mennonite Disaster Service: 717-859-2210
Nazarene Disaster Response: 888-256-5886
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: 800-872-3283
Salvation Army: 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769)
Southern Baptist Convention - Disaster Relief: 800-462-8657, ext. 6440
United Methodist Committee on Relief: 800-554-8583

KSBJ, a local Houston radio station, is accepting gift cards for the refugees. www.ksbj.com[/URL]

Red Cross - If you would like to make a donation to the Red Cross, please call1-800-HELP-NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the
Disaster Relief Fund may also be sent to your local American Red Cross
chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013
Internet users can make a secure online credit cardcontribution byvisiting www.redcross.org[/URL] or www.houstonredcross.org.[/URL]

West Houston Church of Christ is collecting gift cards (phone,gas, food,Wal-Mart, etc) in any denomination to be distributed to Hurricane Katrina victims in Red Cross shelters in Texas. The collection will extend throughthe month of September and cards may be brought (or mailed) toWest Houston Church ofChrist, 17100 West Road, Houston, TX 77095. For additional
information, see
www.westhoustonchurch.org[/URL] or call 281-856-0001.

Project Noah www.projectnoah.org[/URL]
Starting as a lifeboat for the many home schoolers and other families hurt by Tropical Storm Allison in June of 2001, Project Noah soon became a loving facet of the homeschool community with the mission to help homeschool families in crisis. They are now helping families whose children will be
staying home from public school for the next two months due to Hurricane Katrina.

**Houston ISD and others in the surrounding area are opening their doors to children in need of attending public school in the area.

[ August 31, 2005, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: Carrie ]

I just wanted to add this site, that I found through the RedCross:

CharityNavigator[/URL]

This organization, and other's like it, has a database to help you confirm the legitimacy of the charity you wish to donate to. It also has a list of charities assisting the relief effort as well as tips for donating.

Just another note, if you donate to Goodwill and I assume others, they are telling people to specifically ask that clothing, toys, etc... be sent to shelters for Katrina victims. If this is not specified, they are stocking the stores and going through it at a later date. If you tell them specifically, items will be sent directly to the victims.

I just cleaned out our closets today and will be heading to Beaumont tomorrow to donate.

I really didn't mean to be so long in posting about this. I am also profoundly stunned by the damage, injuries and loss of lives this has caused. We have been glued to CNN, watching the entire process, and I am so angry with the federal government's slow response, I could just shake them!

It seems that so many thought that people could just evacuate, no matter what their conditions were... and that just isn't true for the poverty stricken, the elderly and the infirm. Not everyone has attentive neighbors who would offer assistance to the ones who needed help, even in such a friendly place as New Orleans. I was brought to tears as they took a paraplegic man out of his attic. He apparently lived alone, and had no one to help him.

I wish that I could somehow be there to help. If nothing else, I could offer them a chance to talk about their ordeal, a hand to hold, hugs, and lots of love to try to help them deal with trying to begin their lives all over again.

I am also very saddened to see the stranded animals in trees and on deserted porches... no food, no water... I hope that people who donate won't forget to send part of the donation to the animal rescue organizations. Losing a beloved dog or cat, simply because they had no way to take them along when they evacuated, has got to be devastating so many people. Rescuing a pet and finding the owner is a sweet gift in time like these. I know we would be so heartbroken if we lost our beagle like that. I just can't imagine how I would feel. I hope that there will be some good donations to rescue the victims with fur, too.

I am just overwhelmed by this entire thing, and I know that people around the world are crying with us, and there are more than enough tears to flood N.O. all over again...
I just hope and pray that no more storms get into the Gulf... these people just can't take any more! But, mother nature will do what she is going to do, no matter.

Much love and hugs to everyone who has been touched by this giant tragedy.

Blessings to our all of American neighbors on the Gulf Coast... and welcome to those who have found shelter here in Phoenix. I hope we can give them the help they need, and a chance for a new start. Love and hugs to those who are here now at our Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the fairgrounds, here in the heart of Phoenix. (It is actually just 4 miles from where we live.)

Just had to share my thoughts & hopes....

Mare

I have several friends and family members working in shelters. James' office had a donation drive this week and he and I will be going to some of the smaller shelters in Southwest Louisiana this afternoon to deliver. I am proud to say that we could not fit all of the goods into our minivan, so we'll be puttering along I-10 in his pick-up AND a trailer packed with donations.

Just to get the word out if anyone has a shelter in their community, or would like to send something by mail, a lot of places will list items they need. Some of the common ones: air matresses, pillows, clothing and shoes (especially for babies and plus sizes) food, formula, diapers and wipes, etc...

Some of the other things they need, not all necessities, but extremely helpful: videos for children, toys, books (both children and adults), hygeine products such as soap, shampoo, feminine hygeine products, baby blankets, barrettes and other things for hair to be pulled back. An email buddy who is volunteering in a shelter told me that a lady with four adolescent daughters had approached him looking for pony tail holders so her girls could put their hair up. He found some and a few bottles of nail polish for the girls. My friend said she had never heard such happy squeals in her life, these young ladies were so thrilled with just a bottle of nail polish.

So, if anyone is able to donate, throw in a few of these little "luxuries" we all take for granted.

First, let me say that my heart and prayers go out to everyone effected by this disaster.

I do have to add that I feel somewhat angry with the local, state and federal government for their handling of this mess. It sure doesn't make me feel safe if a dirty bomb was set off in one of our major cities. We have men and women dying in Iraq to make America secure, yet our Homeland Security and FEMA is definitely not supporting their effort in my view.

Another thing which is really bothering me, is the fact that all of these evacuees are spread out over 30 states. There should have been a plan in place to take evacuees to military bases and quarantined with their families, until they were examined and vaccinated if needed for potential contagious diseases. That way it would have cut down on families being seperated. This just shows how inept and ill-prepared FEMA as well as, local and federal governments were to handle a mass disaster such as this. They should have utilized school buses and other public transportation to evacuate the less fortunate people before the storm hit. They had 5 days warning. Much of this devestation to humanity could have been avoided if proper plans were in place and followed.

Again, my heart goes out to all of these people not only in New Orleans, but Mississippi and Alabama as well. Bless them and their families and bless the good old US of A.

Some government officials, namely the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Lousiana along with the head of FEMA should all be fired.

Pate

[ September 09, 2005, 12:27 AM: Message edited by: SavannahSilkie ]