Gulf Coast Exodus (Please help if you can)--
For those of you following this horrible tragedy (see below headlines at http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9063708/) please consider contacting the American Red Cross or a reputable charity of your choosing. With the evacuation of the city many will need places to stay and basic supplies (and your thoughts and prayers). Do what you can, as soon as you can.--CRD
From MSN -- "New Orleans mayor orders looting crackdown
Thousands feared dead from Katrina's wrath; stadium evacuation begins
Aug. 31: The mayor of New Orleans says Hurricane Katrina probably killed thousands of people, but as NBC's Martin Savidge reports, the focus Wednesday was on rescuing survivors."
posted by responsible_dvlpmnt at Thursday, September 01, 2005
71 Comments:
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With many residents in Missouri City having family and friends in Louisiana and other Gulf Coast regions, what organized relief efforts are being done locally? If anyone knows of involved local relief agencies please share them in this thread.
Here is one I found for a current area relief effort-
http://www.houstonredcross.org/
I found one for the local United Way.
http://www.uwtgc.org/news/2005/081205_Health_Fair_Ft_Bend.html
The current Mocity relief efforts are being referred. See recent news release:
"Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief
A Message from Frank Simpson, City Manager, Missouri City
Many employees have family and friends that have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina and everyone is truly touched by this tragedy. Missouri City employees and this community are very caring and giving and I know want to do something. I am aware that we are receiving calls and requests on how to offer assistance and help.
At this time any employee and others outside of the organization are being referred to the Red Cross. The Red Cross phone number is 1-800-HELP NOW, or 1-800-435-7669, website is www.redcross.org. There may be other efforts (such as drop off points for food or clothing; etc.) the City becomes involved with for this community's response to relief efforts and we will send an advisory in that regard when that comes about.
I really appreciate everyone's sincere desire to help and want to do something now. I believe the best relief is a coordinated effort and that is best done through organizations such as Red Cross."
Are any neighborhoods doing anything?
From my reading of this they need places for the evacuation refugees. Is the Astrodome alone really going to fill that need? Why not Reliant too?
We just sent a check to the Houston Food Bank. See
http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/
"The Red Cross had collected $21 million, nearly $15 million of that from individual donations through its Web site, Red Cross spokeswoman Kara Bunte said. Some insisted on making their donations in person."
--This just came in from Khou...
Is that person still spamming this site?
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Looks like they are getting some help. Any updates on those being bussed to the Astrodome?
I saw a story at:
http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khouo50901_cd_reggiedome.14ab9211.html
Can you believe the price of gas is going through the ceiling on this disaster.
I know, it's hard to believe we're paying this much for it. What was it last year at this time?
Update from MSN:
NBC, MSNBC and news services
Updated: 8:40 p.m. ET Sept. 1, 2005
-Chaos erupts amid New Orleans’ desperation
Local official blames FEMA for ‘national disgrace’; toll in Mississippi hits 126-
"NEW ORLEANS - Storm victims were raped and beaten, fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as parts of hurricane-flooded New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. “This is a desperate SOS,” Mayor Ray Nagin said."
I found a site listing multiple listings for aid groups at:
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/citizenship/giving/agencies.asp
Saw this one on Siennanet.com:
Fall Concert Series begins Labor Day Weekend with Joe Carmouche. Beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 4th at the Sienna Amphitheater. BRING A DONATION TO SUNDAY'S CONCERT FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS.. See Sienna News for more details.
The latest from CNN:
"Military heads to New Orleans
• Governor: Troops 'know how to shoot and kill'
• Overwhelmed police have to guard own precinct
• Large explosion reported in city's railroad district
• Houston's Astrodome full, turns away refugees
• New Orleans survivors live among corpses"
-Please see the list posted in this thread to help out if you can.--CRD
More on the concert/fund raiser from SiennaNet.com:
"**Bring a donation to Sunday’s Concert! (09/01/2005)
Catastrophic Hurricane Katrina
Bring a donation to Sunday’s Concert!
Hurricane ‘Katrina’ has already caused heavy flooding, power outages, and at over 110 deaths in Mississippi alone. The impact on the food banks in the Gulf States is enormous – with serious implications for the millions of residents in need of potable water and food.
The America’s Second Harvest Network of food banks and food-rescue organizations is in need of food, and funds to help victims in states impacted by Hurricane ‘Katrina’, including Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Your support will enable the America’s Second Harvest Network to serve the needs of disaster victims by transporting food, securing additional warehouse space and helping our food banks resume and maintain operations for those in need.
While the Houston Food Bank will continue to accept donations to support our local community, we are asking for specific donations to assist with direct aid for hurricane Katrina. The best form of support is cash donations, as they provide for the quickest relief. However, other items are desperately needed to help those who have lost so much. Sienna Plantation is a generous, giving community so please join our efforts. A drop off location will be set up at the amphitheater for our Labor Day Concert, Sunday, September 4th starting at 6pm.
Specific items that can be donated for disaster relief are:
Paper Goods - plates, cups, diapers, tissue
Cleaning supplies - Bleach, Top Job, Mr. Clean type products
Water - Bottled drinking water (No glass containers)
Single-serving snacks - Pop-Tarts, cereal bars
Peanut butter
Heat and eat foods - chili, stew, canned pasta with sauce, canned vegetables, etc.
Lunchables or other single-serving foods that do not require refrigeration
MRE's (Meals ready to eat)
Baby formula
Personal hygiene products"
CRD Note: The Houston Food Bank website for direct donations is http://www.houstonfoodbank.org/ (see earlier post in this thread for this site and many others helping out in this crisis).
Thank you for posting this. We have sent a donation to the food bank already and encourage others to help too.
From a nearby website-
"What warms my heart is that people are listing their offers to pay to fly people to places like Sacramento and to housefolks in their surplus living spaces until they can getthemselves back on their feet. Just out of curiosity, I searched for "100 miles" from my zip code here in Reno (89512) and see that folks are offering their vacation homes up at Lake Tahoe, etc. Marvelous acts of generosity!!"
this site is available at http://www.MoveOn.Org/
I saw this on KHOU. A way to volunteer and help at two sites:
http://www.harriscountycitizencorps.com/ -- a site for volunteering.
Red Cross: 1-866-GET-INFO -- general info.
http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou050830_mh_evacueeoffers.baffa7d.html -- A list of Houston area corporate donors.
I will try to get more and enter them here.
I believe the red cross needs blood too. Call:
Red Cross: 1-866-GET-INFO -- general info.
I heard volunteers were needed down at the Dome. Is that true?
This article clip came in from msnbc as the situation deepens in N.O.:
“This is a national disgrace,” New Orleans’ emergency operations chief Terry Ebbert said Thursday. “We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can’t bail out the city of New Orleans.”
At New Orleans' airport, hundreds waited their turn for medical attention at the largest triage center in U.S. history. NBC's Kerry Sanders spent the night there, waking up to find two others next to him had passed away."
What a story.
You should see the crowd at the Astrodome. None stop medical personnel. Someone told me constant calls are going out for medical volunteers. Help if you can and/or have this type of training!
Where I work we have been receiving calls for assistance all day. If you all can please offer some help!
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Find family members at this site:
http://gulfcoastnews.com/
Looks like a great site and a great idea. Kinda like the e-walls you see so often during disasters.
Just in from MSNBC:
"Tulane University canceled its fall semester Friday because of Hurricane Katrina and encouraged its students to take classes at others schools while New Orleans tries to clean up from the flooding."
Is anyone coordinating a clothing and food drive locally?
I haven't heard anything at this site besides the Food Bank effort.
Here is a site with local volunteer needs:
http://www.volunteercenter.us/rsvp6.htm
From: http://katrinablog.msnbc.com/2005/09/hattiesburg_mis_1.html
Posted: Saturday, September 3 at 05:43 pm CT by Mike Brunker
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Big excitement rippled through the shelter this afternoon when the first representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid a visit to the shelter.
They only stayed long enough to hold a quick meeting and distribute fliers giving the phone number and instructions for people who have suffered property loss to call –- (800) 621-3362 -- but their long-anticipated arrival was nevertheless a shot in the arm for Katrina outcasts who have been reluctant to leave out of fear that it could mess up the paper trail and potentially cause problems in receiving compensation for their losses later on. Watch for an update on this situation soon.
We just sent a contribution into Catholic Charities for hurrican relief and would like to challenge others in Missouri City to do the same. I think their web-address is
https://dnbweb1.blackbaud.com/OPXDONATE/AddDonor.asp?cguid=DE909191%2DBC78%2D4DC0%2D96FA%2DE7E51D583FAC&sid=F79DC75C%2DA14F%2D4CE3%2DA494%2D7CAFCE5EF7E5
or
http://www.catholiccharities.org/ccabout.html
Our neighbor in Lake Olympia just spent most of the night as a volunteer helping out down at the astrodome. He said so many were heading down to help that they were actually turning some volunteers away.--That was actually good to hear with all the negative stories coming out.
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This came in from an AP news story:
"Sep 5, 6:28 AM EDT
Police Try to Keep Order in New Orleans
By ROBERT TANNER
AP National Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- As authorities struggled to keep order across this ruined city, the continuing strain from Hurricane Katrina erupted when gunmen opened fire on a group of contractors and the state's largest newspaper lashed out at the federal government's response.
Despite the tensions, rescues of stranded residents continued Sunday as Coast Guard helicopters picked up refugees and the flood waters began to recede, leaving the grisly task of collecting bodies.
Federal officials urged those still left in New Orleans to leave for their own safety. Large-scale evacuations were completed at the Superdome and Convention Center.
The death toll across the Gulf Coast was not known. But bodies were everywhere: floating in canals, slumped in wheelchairs, abandoned on highways and medians and hidden in attics."
We were turned away when we tried to volunteer during the day time but apparently they still need help at night at the dome.
They're currently looking for volunteers to commit to a 9-10 hour shift at least.
Thanks for this info.
AP Update:
NEW ORLEANS - The floodwaters that caused so much misery and death in New Orleans were being pumped back into Lake Pontchartrain as rescue crews from as far away as California trolled the evacuated city for stragglers and authorities braced for what the receding deluge would reveal.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began pumping water out the flooded city Monday after closing a major gap in the levee that burst during Hurricane Katrina, flooding 80 percent of the bowl-shaped city.
--Please ck earlier threads for ways to help. . .
I just heard they are expecting it to take from weeks to months to dry the city out and that doesn't include the toxic waste problem that will emerge as the water is pumped out.
Local housing contacts (from khou):
"Katrina relief: Donate, find housing
12:53 PM CDT on Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Following are Web sites dedicated to those who want to offer housing to Katrina evacuees and those evacuees who are in need of housing.
• HurricaneHousing.org | 888-638-4559
• KatrinaHousing.org
• Operation Share Your Home | 888-827-2525"
I know that several churches in the area are paying for extended stay facilities. Contribute to them if you'd like to host a place for a family.
The Greater Houston Community Foundaton coordinates donations for the Bush-Clinton Fund at:
http://www.ghcf.org/
I saw this on KHOU.com
"Katrina relief: Find the missing, relocated
04:42 PM CDT on Thursday, September 8, 2005
Following are web sites dedicated to connecting people to with loved ones caught in the path of or displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
• Red Cross (http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/katrina/locate)
• KHOU.com's Home Link (http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou050830_jt_homelink.b55da12.html)
• KHOU.com's video connections
•The Katrina Data Project (http://www.katrinadataproject.com/)
• National Next of Kin Registry | 800-944-4084
• CNN.com's safe list
• MSNBC.com's reconnect
• Blog: Latest from New Orleans
•WWL-TV: Web site | In Houston, Time Warner Cable channel 76, 310" -- for more visit on this story at http://www.khou.com/weather/advisories/stories/khou050906_jt_missingpersons.2f8ca3ed.html
I heard some of the area churches are sponsoring Astrodome meals for the hurricane survivors.
This was found on the Missouri City website:
Hurricane Katrina Relief Resource Guide
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) provides the following links for assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina:
o Texas Department of Insurance Consumer Help Line
o 800-252-3439
o Louisiana Department of Insurance Consumer Help Line
o 800-259-5300
o 225-342-5900 (outside Louisiana)
o http://www.ldi.la.gov/HurricaneKatrina.htm
o Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
o 800-931-9548
o Mississippi Department of Insurance Consumer Help Line
o 800-562-2957
o 601-359-2453 (outside Mississippi)
o http://www.doi.state.ms.us/
o Alabama Department of Insurance Consumer Help Line
o 800-433-3966
o 334-241-4141 (outside Alabama)
Two more local numbers you can call to volunteer. They need weekday help mainly:
281-261-9199 (Second Mile Mission--Stafford)
281-275-2100 (Fort Bend County Contact Info)
AP update:
Updated: 4:27 p.m. ET Sept. 10, 2005
"WASHINGTON - One storm could end up costing almost as much as two wars.
Although estimates of Hurricane Katrina's staggering toll on the treasury are highly imprecise, costs are certain to climb to $200 billion in the coming weeks. The final accounting could approach the more than $300 billion spent in four years to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Analysts inside and outside government agree that the $62 billion that Washington has spent so far was merely the first installment of perhaps an unparalleled sum...."
The Methodist and Catholic churches in Sugar Land are running cloths and food pantries for victims of Hurrican Katrina along with sponsoring long term stay facilities. They need volunteers to sort, load and put together kits. Weekend shifts are available 9-12 weekdays and 9-7p on weekends. We've done some and highly recommend it if your looking to get more involved.
I believe Sugar Creek Baptist is also a drop-off point.
Khou update:
UTMB to rethink storm plan
11:26 AM CDT on Monday, September 12, 2005
By Kelly Hawes / The Daily News
GALVESTON — Michael Megna has been keeping a close eye on the events unfolding in the communities hit by Hurricane Katrina.
“They are living out our worst nightmare,” he said. “The pictures coming out of New Orleans are just chilling.”
Megna, the man responsible for putting together a hurricane plan for the University of Texas Medical Branch, said he had seen the images of hospitals with all of the windows broken out and draperies flapping in the breeze.
“I never would have expected that kind of damage to those buildings,” he said...."
In Quail Valley we've been collecting cloths and delivering them to the Red Cross centers. It's sad to think but this disaster has brought many good people together.
We've been sending money to the food pantry & the red cross. The need is great but everyone can get involved and do something.
This site is to help find missing children and reunite them with their family:
http://www.missingkids.com.
Here's a site for direct donations to the American Red Cross through MSN.com:
https://donate.msn.com:443/pages/landing.html
Latest from MSNBC:
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 6:38 a.m. ET Sept. 15, 2005
NEW ORLEANS - As floodwaters recede from the city’s hard-hit east side, a grim scene of destruction has been revealed: Block after block of once-flooded neighborhoods are covered in a slimy, putrid muck and dotted with ruined cars, snapped utility poles and collapsed houses.
Although the cleanup will likely take months, Mayor Ray C. Nagin said the tourist-friendly French Quarter and central business district may reopen as early as Monday after the Environmental Protection Agency said the foul-smelling air in the city was not overly polluted.
From Khou.com:
Astrodome nearly empty after moving day
06:12 PM CDT on Thursday, September 15, 2005
By Carolyn Campbell / 11 News
Click to watch video
"The carts started rolling early Thursday morning.
Families packed up their belongings to move again, this time from their homes in the Astrodome and Reliant Center to their new temporary home in the Reliant Arena.
"This is the third time we've moved," said evacuee Juliette Anderson.
Officials said the move is all in an effort to better serve the evacuees. The shelter's headquarters will be in Reliant Arena once everyone has moved there."
New Orleans update:
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 7:06 a.m. ET Sept. 17, 2005
NEW ORLEANS - Some business owners were being allowed back into the city Saturday to get a head start on opening the rollicking bars, stores and restaurants that keep the good times rolling in New Orleans.
But many residents, from the cast-iron balconies of the French Quarter to the white-columned mansions of the Garden District, said it will be weeks, if not months, before they are ready again for partying till dawn.
This was on an AP site:
Sep 18, 6:09 AM EDT
Rescuers Find 76-Year-Old Man in Big Easy
By DAVID CRARY and ROSE HANSON
Associated Press Writers
See Expanded Coverage
More Stories, Multimedia
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Day after day, for more than two weeks, the 76-year-old man sat trapped and alone in his attic, sipping from a dwindling supply of water until it ran out. No food. No way out of a house ringed by foul floodwaters.
Without ever leaving home, Gerald Martin lived out one of the most remarkable survival stories of Hurricane Katrina. Rescuers who found him Friday, as they searched his neighborhood by boat, were astounded at his good spirits and resiliency after 18 days without food or human contact.
The latest:
New Orleans health care system faces major crisis
07:44 PM CDT on Sunday, September 18, 2005
Associated Press
"NEW ORLEANS -- The city’s health care facilities have been shattered to an extent unmatched in U.S. history, and its hospital system faces grave challenges as residents begin returning, the vice president of the national hospital accreditation organization said Sunday.
The official, Joe Cappiello, said several hospitals were probably damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Katrina, while some may try to rush back into business before conditions are safe. Others, while rebuilding, may lose doctors and nurses to communities elsewhere."
--If you can volunteer, send financial support or share your home for a time. . .
Here's an AP release:
First lady visits Katrina evacuees in Houston
05:54 PM CDT on Monday, September 19, 2005
Associated Press
HOUSTON -- First lady Laura Bush served smothered chicken to Hurricane Katrina evacuees Monday at the city’s convention center shelter, still home to about 300 survivors uprooted by the storm.
First lady Laura Bush helped serve food to volunteers and evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center Monday.
Bush also met with religious leaders and volunteers during a three-hour visit to Houston.
“This type of relief never could have happened without all of us,” Bush said as she sat in a semicircle of Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders at the George R. Brown Convention Center. “It will be a long road for us. We have to stay with them every step as they rebuild their lives and it is not going to be easy.”
Are they moving the Katrina victims from Houston?
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