Katrina Aid

[sisabet]

I am not here. No one can see me here. If you say I have been here, I will deny it.

::looks over shoulder::

If I don't get a chance to rant soon about mandatory evacuations and how if there are no procedures in place to help the people without financial means to *leave*, then you really can't say that they are mandatory and how not having proper resources in place when you know and have known that this exact situation can occur and have had at least 35 years to get ready is a total and overall failure to the society you are supposedly there to protect and serve, I might explode. As it is, I almost blew up at a rather crass coworker (actually - middle manager) who wondered why all those idiots stayed in New Orleans when they should have left, but at the last minute I gritted my teeth and explained how it works.

Just. Damn.

I'm on the list here for catastrophe duty so I have no idea if I'll have to stay late yet or can go home tonight. A bunch of reps are being deployed to Mississippi once the storm passes through Louisville (we expect a bit of flooding) but I shouldn't be one of them. Unless things get really desperate so never say never (but seriously - you really do not want me on your roof).

But, to call this storm devastating is just inadequate.


Please remember that if you want to help in some way - the American Red Cross does take credit card donations.

http://www.redcross.org/

Comments

[renenet.livejournal.com]

Hi. I love you. You are invisible, I don't see you, but I love you.

[luna-k.livejournal.com]

Oh, sweetie, you keep on ranting with your brilliant (if invisible) self.

[missmurchison.livejournal.com]

I don't see you at all. I'm just saying, to the invisibility of you, word. I heard story after story about people with no cars or unreliable cars, or who were ill. Whenever I asked why the feds didn't do anything, someone would say, but the city couldn't . . .

The cities had no resources, most of the National Guard is in Iraq, and Bush was eating cake. I know this thing blew up fast, but damn!

I knew you'd be on call to help. Take care sweetie, and I hope you don't wind up on any roofs!

[missmurchison.livejournal.com]

Okay, they're talking about finding a way to evacuate all those people because the situation is so untenable. If they couldn't get them out beforehand, they should have figured they'd need to afterwards and started thinking about it sooner. After all, this isn't the worst case scenario! *shivers*

Talk about horses and barn doors.

Of course, I'm talking to someone who isn't here.

We haven't heard from one person in Hattiesburg yet, but we're supposing it's just that it's impossible to get through.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I'm pretty sure the reason we haven't heard from Lum is because there is no power in her city. I won't move from generally fretting to all-out-worry for another day.

I bet Hattiesburg is a mess. I hope your people are all dry and safe.

[missmurchison.livejournal.com]

You haven't heard from Lum? I got word 3rd hand that everyone was safe but there was no power. I hope "everyone" includes the folks in Pearl River that wouldn't come stay with her.

I'm not sure about the "dry" but I'm fairly sure Hattiesburg is far enough north our friends are safe.

[kamilaa.livejournal.com]

To your invisible self I pass along the message that vagabondage says they got a text message from one of Lum's daughters earlier today and that all in the Lum family are well.

So that's one worry off everyone's minds, invisible or not. =)

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

YAY! I've tried calling and it keeps telling me that "due to the hurricane, we are unable to complete your call" so this is a load off. Thank you.

[dualbunny.livejournal.com]

Your invisible ranting seems too reasonable to be real ranting. Even if it wasn't invisible. I keep boggling myself at how the people in charge of such an area could have shirked planning for something like this for so long.

Hang in there. Hope you don't have to stay invisible for too long.

[elz.livejournal.com]

If I don't get a chance to rant soon about mandatory evacuations and how if there are no procedures in place to help the people without financial means to *leave*, then you really can't say that they are mandatory and how not having proper resources in place when you know and have known that this exact situation can occur and have had at least 35 years to get ready is a total and overall failure to the society you are supposedly there to protect and serve, I might explode.

Being from a part of the world that doesn't get especially dangerous weather of any kind, I'd had this vague, idealized sense that "mandatory evacuation" meant cops and national guardsmen going door to door, helping people to get out. It's mind-boggling to me that you're SOL if you don't have a car or the money for a hotel. I mean, even from the most pragmatic perspective, wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to bus people out of the area and provide shelters well out of harm's way than it is to airlift people off their roofs and treat all the resulting injuries? How is there not federal money earmarked for this sort of thing? And if there is, what the hell are they spending it on?

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear. I kept thinking about buses and shelter options. I think they were banking on the storm weakening or the levees holding. But where are the naval crusiers and the Army with their heavy equipment/helicopters?. During the Loma Prieta earthquake, the naval ships tried to fight the fires from their ships by pumping in water when the mains broke. I keep having a vague thought of something else being possible that is not being done.

I almost blew up at my next door neighbor who said this was all overblown - until I realized they only watch Fox news.

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

But where are the naval crusiers and the Army with their heavy equipment/helicopters?.

Iraq. Heh.

[morgandawn.livejournal.com]

Hey, I heard on the news they're sending one from VA. It will be there in a week. In today's fast paced I spaced on the space issue - we're a big continent.