Topic: Katrina
in Forum: Humor
Observations on the decent, the dire and the despicable...
Finally, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, water is flowing out of New Orleans as Lake Pontchartrain recedes to its normal stage. After the water levels inside and outside the levees equalize, much of New Orleans' real estate will still be about eight feet under, where it will remain until levees are repaired and pumps activated, likely in four to eight weeks. A huge swath of Mississippi and Alabama is also drying out from this devastating storm—a storm that left some thousand dead and wreaked incalculable human suffering on more than a million survivors, most of whom are now homeless and jobless.
In a sense, the shock this week was reminiscent of that Tuesday morning almost four years ago—but the death and destruction of 9/11 occurred in two hours, whereas Katrina's mayhem is an ongoing disaster. As it was with 9/11, our response to catastrophic events such as those witnessed this week define us as a people; it reveals, proportionally, both the best and worst of our citizens and our society.
As it was with 9/11, our response to catastrophic events such as those witnessed this week define us as a people; it reveals, proportionally, both the best and worst of our citizens and our society. But the media coverage has not been proportional.
But the media coverage has not been proportional. For five days and counting, the 24-hour news recyclers have played an endless loop of footage featuring misery and destruction accompanied by thematic tunes and graphics—surreal. Those cameras have captured loss and suffering amid misery and looting. To be sure, that's what they do best—but there is much more to this story than meets the camera eye.
How we respond to catastrophe says a lot about our character as Americans. Unfortunately, there were very few cameras this week focused on hundreds of thousands of decent people responding to very difficult circumstances with great courage and resolve. At ground level, most who lost all their material possessions remained thankful—grateful that they, their families and their friends, were alive. You know the type. Their glass is always half full and they live for the next sunrise, not the last sunset. Their stories reflect the true American spirit.
Additionally, those who suffered losses are far outnumbered by relatives, friends and strangers who have lent a hand and donated material goods, services and money. These folks have opened their churches, homes and businesses to provide shelter for refugees invited into their communities. Thousands of Americans from around the nation, professionals and laborers alike with expertise necessary for recovery efforts, have left their homes and families in order to volunteer their assistance. Countless millions are offering daily prayer for victims. As each day has passed, the ranks of those stepping forward to help their displaced countrymen have grown exponentially. This is the face of America, but the cameras have not captured these images.
This is the America that volunteered thousands of personnel and billions of dollars to help with the recovery effort in South Asia after last December's Tsunami.
Further, due in part to federal planning efforts by the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11, federal, state, and local government agencies have responded to this crisis side by side, expeditiously delivering emergency support to those who would not—or could not—evacuate in advance of the hurricane or its residual flooding. National, state and local leaders have set aside petty political differences in a unified effort to care for the immediate and intermediate needs of those left homeless. They have also begun to work out a comprehensive recovery plan for the region.
That notwithstanding, the media focus has been almost exclusively on two percent of the affected population who have yet to be evacuated—not only the TV media, but the print media as well. Friday morning, The Washington Post's headline read "A City of Despair and Lawlessness". Apparently The New York Times got the memo, too; their headline read "Despair and Lawlessness Grip New Orleans".
Consequently, there is plenty of media coverage on official complaints that services have not been delivered fast enough, that rescue efforts have been too slow, and that there have been competing agendas. "We are watching this devastation unfold on our televisions for days and you have to ask: where is the federal government?" queried Sen. Frank Lautenberg. "We should have had a significant amount of troops and supplies there on the ground Monday."
Apparently Mr. Lautenberg is "logistically challenged." He missed, for example, the fact that when the levees failed, President George Bush activated 15,000 National Guardsmen (5,000 more on the way), who were joined by thousands of police officers, physicians and emergency-management specialists from around the nation. Within 24 hours of the levees failing, there were 50 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, 25 Urban Search and Rescue task forces, eight swift-water rescue teams, two Incident Support Teams, and 1,700 trucks loaded with water, ice, meals, medical supplies, generators, tents and tarps en route. Additionally, FEMA coordinated massive relief efforts with DHS, DoD, HHS and other agencies with relief capabilities—indeed, an armada is now on its way.
Individual preparedness is the foundation of national preparedness.
However, as this column has noted before, individual preparedness is the foundation of national preparedness. The federal government does not have, nor has it ever maintained, enough emergency-relief inventories to alleviate all suffering in a catastrophe of this magnitude. What it does maintain will, at best, meet only minimal needs and may not be available for days or even weeks depending on the nature of the catastrophe. (FederalistPatriot.US posts an excellent resource page "Recommended Action Plan" with all you need to know about emergency preparedness measures for yourself and your family.)
Mr. Lautenberg will have to cut his summer vacation short and return to Washington, though, as President Bush will be asking Congress for $10 billion to cover immediate relief expenditures for FEMA alone.
Jon,-Majestic Glass Corvette Club-....Red #72,blk.interior,1979 C3 Corvette-TH350,Weiand,Holley,glass tops,Pioneer,3.55's,K&N,Dynomax,Flowmaster 40's,Energy Suspension,Spicer,VB&P(pics soon); 1978 Olds Cutlass Supreme 350/350,Dk. Blue 2-door Coupe-Hotchkis,PST,K&N,XM...'99 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ V6,black/grey leather,intake,strut bars,tint... |IMG|http://www.msnusers.com/cutlasscorvetteworkinprogress/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=63|/IMG|
Lifetime MemberTo everyone that was hit by theis devistaed hurricane.
My lady and I wish you the best. May all of you stand tall and over come this bad time. We have sent in money(she told me to do it 
) but only for a good cause. 
We watch some news about it but she has a hard time watching.
Yes she is human that I just think that the whole USA should of done more before and after the hurricane. But to me, the USA is still not one(UNITED as they all say). 
BEST WISHES AND GOOD LUCK from the two of us.
NRA-ILA JOINS IN OFFERING ITS PRAYERS TO VICTIMS OF KATRINA
NRA and its members join Americans nationwide in offering our deepest sympathy, thoughts and prayers to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. We ask that our members join in offering their support to our fellow citizens affected by the storm as they struggle to cope with the devastation left in its wake.
We also offer our support to those involved in the ongoing search and rescue, and rebuilding operations, and encourage NRA members who are able, to offer whatever assistance they can. Even if you are far away from where tragedy struck, please check with national organizations and local authorities to see if they are in need of volunteers, donations, or other types of humanitarian assistance.
For more information on who you can contact to help, please visit www.nra.org/article.aspx?id=3769
Jon,-Majestic Glass Corvette Club-....Red #72,blk.interior,1979 C3 Corvette-TH350,Weiand,Holley,glass tops,Pioneer,3.55's,K&N,Dynomax,Flowmaster 40's,Energy Suspension,Spicer,VB&P(pics soon); 1978 Olds Cutlass Supreme 350/350,Dk. Blue 2-door Coupe-Hotchkis,PST,K&N,XM...'99 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ V6,black/grey leather,intake,strut bars,tint... |IMG|http://www.msnusers.com/cutlasscorvetteworkinprogress/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=63|/IMG|
My wife works for a major corporation that has several Hospitals in New Orleans. What I am about to post are copies of emails sent from personal experiences at the hosipital and internally. I'm doing this so those of you know there has always been heroes in the wake of danger and there are companies that stepped up and went beyond anything the government was doing to keep their employees safe. This information is not to condeme our government or any agency it just goes to show that sometimes its much easier for a smaller entity to take action then a larger entity which is what I see that failed in this instance.
I will tell you that these emails and press information were sent out to some very high level people with in this country and I can not post those email addresses only the subject matter.
Date Line: 9-1-05
Here is an email my forwarded to me from my wife. She works for HCA and they have several hospitals in New Orleans. They are struggling to keep them running, supplies are low, there is no power, and many other things are getting worse such as unruly crowds, looters and they are beginning to fear they may be over run by people looking for drugs. Things are truly deteriorating rapidly. Some of the hospitals are fully occupied with one containing 1200 employees and patients, most of which were too ill to evac before Katrina. Below is a description from a nurse's email from a nurse in the NICU unit within the hospital and what they are going through. I'm sure this will be just one of the heroic situations that you will hear about over the many months and years to come. If you can find a way to donate to the relief please do so.
Matthew Held
Media and PR Supervisor
Subject: FW: Neonatal Evacuation report from New Orleans-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 12:11 PM
To: Non-BusinessNewsGroup
Subject: Neonatal Evacuation report from New Orleans
As a nurse, this is as bad as it gets. I hope I am never placed in that situation. Please pray
Please pray for all the healthcare workers trying to do their jobs in conditions like this.
Just to update everyone. We just returned from New Orleans to Birmingham with 4 neonatal patients at the same time on transport. We flew to New Orleans airport via jet and Lifesaver helicopter met us there with the helicopter. Lifesaver took 3 crew members from the airport to Oschner since there was no ground access due to flooding. Oschner's heliport was under water and we landed on the parking deck. With equipment in hand, we walked down 6 flights of stairs, (all of the elevators are out of service), through the hospital where there is caution tape and leaks all throughout the hallways. We then walked up two flights of stairs to the unit where they are now caring for the babies. Luckily it was now the 2nd floor instead of originally the 10th floor. All of the windows were blown out of the 10th floor by the storm. On the flight into the airport all you could see is destruction and water everywhere, I thought "Truly a saddening sight", then with the flight on the helicopter it got worse. We were much closer at that point and could see more destruction, more water, looters, Police/ EMS, and uncontrolled fires all over.
Upon entering the make-shift nursery, the first two staff were on phones crying their eyes out talking to someone on the other end trying to cope. All of the staff in the unit were overjoyed to see that someone had come to help. They had requested help from all over but they told us we were the only ones to show up today. They thought we were coming for only one patient and when we told them we had the resources to transport 4, they were shocked to say the least. Then we said maybe we can help more tomorrow and to our surprise they all were even more excited that we would come back again to help. The nurse practioner in the unit pulled me aside and asked me "How bad is it out there looking from the air? I mean really, is it as bad as they say?" With tears running down her face and tears in my eyes I said "Yes Ma'am it is, maybe worse and my heart is broken for all of you down here". With that she had to walk away.
All of the staff are working in t-shirts, shorts and flip flops due to the lack of ventilation. It was at least 110-120 degrees in the unit. They had all of the babies in open cribs or warmers that were off and all were down to their diapers, some with elevated temps still. All of the staff have been there since Saturday and said they don't think they will be able to leave until the 5th of September. With that said, many have nothing to go home to.
Tonight all 4 babies came back to UAB RNICU but they have at least two more babies for us to transport tomorrow and Dr. Prince here in Birmingham said we could bring one back to TCH and one to UAB. Plans may change by tomorrow.
New Orleans is in a total state of destruction and chaos and my heart is broken so badly. I didn't have good words to make them feel better but made sure they all knew they were in my thoughts and prayers.
I'm sorry to have been so chatty but I had to release somewhat.
Respectfully and mentally/emotionally drain
Company Press Release:
The Company can not estimate at this time the physical damage to property or financial impact to its operations as a result of hurricane Katrina or when operations related to the affected facilities will return to some degree of normalcy. HCA is insured for property damage and business interruption with per location deductibles ranging from three to five percent of insured asset values. The Company believes that the effect of the hurricane on the Company’s financial position and operations will not be material.
“The personal devastation created by this disaster is far more significant than the Company’s property losses experienced in
HCA’s temporary staffing agency, All About Staffing, has sent nurses to support Garden Park Medical Center in Gulfport, MS and Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Lafayette, LA. All About Staffing has nurses staged in various cities around the country ready to be sent to HCA hospitals as needed.
In addition, the Company has given $1 million to the HCA Hope Fund, a fund created to help HCA employees in time of crises. The Company will also match employee donations to the fund dollar for dollar.
Hospitals Affected by Hurricane Katrina
362 bed hospital
pharmaceuticals and evacuating patients. Some patients were evacuated today via boat by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The Company anticipates that all remaining patients will be evacuated by tomorrow. Once all patients are evacuated, approximately 1,000 physicians, employees and family members will also be evacuated.
102 bed hospital
178 bed hospital
Lakeview suffered water and wind damage. The hospital is operational on backup and portable generators, and there is currently no plan to evacuate.
130 bed hospital
The Company’s other
Later that day (internal email sent):
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to give you an update on our disaster relief efforts in
We have also helped
We are also in the process of evacuating our staff, doctors, and family members still in place at Tulane and are now down to about 570. We have staged buses at the
As I write this, security is our biggest concern, not just in
This morning we announced a corporate donation of $1 million to the Red Cross for disaster relief. This is in addition to the $1 million contribution to our own employee relief fund announce two days ago.
We will update you when we have more information. Thanks for your continuing support.
This company took action not only to protect their employees, but to protect lives all at their expense. While the media tends to focus on all of the bad things there are many good things, heroic things that are happening behind the scenes that never get reported and people never get credit for.
Jon,-Majestic Glass Corvette Club-....Red #72,blk.interior,1979 C3 Corvette-TH350,Weiand,Holley,glass tops,Pioneer,3.55's,K&N,Dynomax,Flowmaster 40's,Energy Suspension,Spicer,VB&P(pics soon); 1978 Olds Cutlass Supreme 350/350,Dk. Blue 2-door Coupe-Hotchkis,PST,K&N,XM...'99 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ V6,black/grey leather,intake,strut bars,tint... |IMG|http://www.msnusers.com/cutlasscorvetteworkinprogress/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=63|/IMG|