Hurricane Katrina
Re-posting this from another journal
I drafted this today on my way out of the storm affected areas. PLEASE forward this to anyone, everyone you can think of. Friends, family, individuals, corporations, national and internation news media.
I am writing to plea on behalf of all residents of the Gulf Coast region, from Louisiana to Florida. I am one of the lucky ones - I braved the storm and got out to be able to tell about it. I grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi but have lived and worked primarily in New Orleans for the last four years. Some friends and I evacuated that city late Saturday night to stay in Gulfport where we felt safer from the storm surge and flooding. Eight of us rode it out in my mother’s home, listening to and feeling the roaring winds and rains for almost 12 hours. Our back porch roof was ripped off completely, and the roof over our kitchen was punctured, leaving the kitchen in shambles from the effects of wind and rain. We count ourselves lucky, the house is still livable and everyone who stayed there is safe. My mother’s business and entire source of income, however, is completely destroyed. All of my friends from New Orleans have given up hope of salvaging their homes and possessions. Several friends, including my boyfriend’s father, are still stranded in New Orleans. My boyfriend and I were able to make it out of Gulfport to the nearest open airport, which was Baton Rouge, to fly north to help his company relocate and continue to do business. He is one of the lucky ones - he still has a job. When we left my mother’s house there was absolutely no communication in or out of the area, and we barely knew the status of Biloxi, the next city over, let alone much information about New Orleans.
I implore you, I plead with you, and I beg you, HELP US. Millions of people are homeless, without the basic necessities of life, or worse yet, hurt or dead. Many of these jobs and homes will be irreplaceable. The majority of these people have no way right now to ask you for help themselves. I’m sure they won’t mind me requesting assistance on their behalf. Last year I felt the effects of the tsunami in Southeast Asia from the other side of the world. Myself and many of my friends donated what we could to help with the relief efforts there. All we can do right now is hope that the people of the world will be as generous towards us as we tried to be for those who suffered through that tragedy. I am begging you, do what you can and put yourself in our shoes. Please know, I have seen friends and neighbors banding together to help each other make it through this experience. I will be the first to condemn those who are seen looting useless personal property, but please understand that those who have been left behind are forced to do what they must to survive at this point. They cannot do much without outside help. This is what we need from all of you so urgently at this time. Please don’t let us down - we can’t make it without you.
Mallory Whitfield
August 31, 2005
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The main local hospital in New Orleans are currently blocked off to the public. Hospital staff and their families have now locked themselves into the hospital because there are too many people trying to seek refuge. One nurse was shot when she tried to go outside. There is no electricity, and back up generators are failing (also if you overdue the stove and generators you risk carbon dioxide poisoning) people are dying inside of the hospitals.
People have not had clean water for almost 3 days now.
“40,000-50,000 people in the superdome, including seriously injured people, and evacuees from the Hospitals.
There are no running water or sewage facilities -- and no power. Temperatures are in he 90's within the building. Water is still rising and the Mayor is just now being evacuated by helicopter as City hall is now surrounded by water that can only be reached by small boat, water is about 3 feet deep at the steps of City Hall.
80% of New Orleans is totally submerged now, and will likely become 100% submerged tonight…. News Orleans will continue to fill up with water… This is turning into a 'slow motion version' of the worst case scenario for New Orleans.
Over 1,200 people have been rescued by 40 coast guard recovery helicopters where people are standing on roofs - since yesterday. Untold numbers of dead - likely in the hundreds and possibly near 1,000 or more. Disease is expected to take a heavy toll within days. This could claim thousands of lives.”
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Out in the streets dead bodies are currently NOT being retrieved because rescuers are focusing their efforts on search and rescue of people who are still alive. That is not a good thing at all because stagnant water + raw sewage + dead bodies of people/animals + hot weather = mosquito abatement and massive disease problems along with water/food contamination. Flood victims battered by Hurricane Katrina are facing this silent but equally deadly enemy in toxin- and bacteria-laden waters carrying the threat of contamination and disease.
money is needed ASAP. If the problem is not nipped before it really starts to get rolling there will be massive spread of serious diseases, which will start to effect hundreds/thousands.
PLEASE DONATE if you can - If you don't have money you can try and raise some money by holding benefit shows, organize a community garage sale, organize a charity sports game, bake sale, art sale, craft sale, any kind of event that will raise money. Inside the cut are some ideas on how to raise money. every little bit helps. Some say that they don't have money for themselves to give to organizations, but there are a lot of other things that you can do.. it will bring you, your friends, family and community together and also help some great causes.
I got together w/ some friends who are in local bands and we're going to have a huge benefit show and donate all of the money.
here are some other ideas of what you can do to help if you don't have a lot of money to give
1)Talk to your neighbors over the next few days, take all of the things that you don't want and hold a large garage sale and send all the money to one of the organizations. This can raise hundreds of dollars in just one afternoon. If there are items left just donate them to goodwill or go pass them out yourself.
2)Return unwanted Christmas gifts and send the money to aid organizations
3)Contact a local church, temple, mosque, community center, community college, university and ask if they would allow you to use one of their rooms (for free) to hold a benefit show.. get together with a few local bands (whatever type of music) and throw a giant benefit show, make it fun and positive.. add some speakers or video into the mix.. ask all of the bands to play for free, but offer to give gas money, and be sure to provide band members with water... to save money when you make flyers ask your local copier (staples, officemax) to donate copies of the flyers, they will either give you a discount or donate some of the supplies.. charge a $5-10 sliding scale donation (don't turn anyone away due to lack of funds) make sure that you turn 100% of the money raised to an organization that you respect - on the flyers you can even add that people can drop off clean clothes/food at the show.. take those goods and redistribute it within your own community. You can raise more money by contacting local businesses and getting them to donate certain items (down here in OC we had surf shops donate boggy boards, skateboards, surfboards, etc) and raffle them off at the concert.. sell each raffle ticket for between $2-4.
4)if you are an artist, craft maker.. get together with similar artisans, have a craft weekend or night.. make a bunch of stuff and sell your items the next day/weekend, donate all proceeds
5)get together with friends and have a car wash, a bake sale.. do it at an outdoor shopping mall.. be sure to have another donation jar available for people to donate
6)contact your local aid organization and ask how you can help.. some will need help packaging items and putting together aid kits.. the more people that volunteer the more direct aid money can go into specific projects.
7)email friends w/ the list of places that they are able to donate
8)hold a documentary/movie night at a local church, community center, college/university student lounge.. set a sliding scale of $5.00 (don't turn anyone away due to lack of funds) and give all donations to an organization that you respect.
Unless you live in the areas that were directly effected by the Hurricane, and can actually drop off donated items please DO NOT send clothes/blankets/food/water etc to the local charity groups. Those items take up a lot of room in the donation centers, they also cost a lot of money to ship, transport, and pass out. Humanitarian Aid/medical organizations know what they are doing and know the supplies that they need on the ground… so unless you can personally drop off items at specific donation centers DO NOT overburden the charities that are trying to get aid to people.. donate money to them instead because they will buy what they need in mass numbers, and will utilize those items in the most effective manner.
Organizations that are currently taking donations are:
http://www.stormaid.com
http://www.redcross.org
http://www.fema.gov
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org
http://www.feedthechildren.org
http://www.networkforgood.org
http://www.nsalamerica.org
The Humane Society
https://secure.hsus.org/01/disaster_relief_fund_2005
by the way to all the racist fuckers out there making fun of the black people stuck in the hurricane devestated areas here's some education on some facts and figures.
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/30/email_attributed_to_.html
The poorest 20% (you can argue with the number -- 10%? 18%? no one knows) of the city was left behind to drown. This was the plan. Forget the sanctimonious bullshit about the bullheaded people who wouldn't leave. The evacuation plan was strictly laissez-faire. It depended on privately owned vehicles, and on having ready cash to fund an evacuation. The planners knew full well that the poor, who in new orleans are overwhelmingly black, wouldn't be able to get out. The resources -- meaning, the political will -- weren't there to get them out.
White per capita income in Orleans parish, 2000 census: $31,971. Black per capita: $11,332. Median *household* income in B.W. Cooper (Calliope) Housing Projects, 2000: $13,263.
There are dead animals floating in the water, pets left behind. Surely people thought they would be back to collect the pets. Not so. The rescuers smell like gas when they come back in; there's gas in all of the water that consumes the area. Fires are burning all over the place. Our teams are tired and they are thirsty and they are hungry. And they have a place to sleep and water to drink and food to eat. I can only imagine how the people without these "luxuries" are feeling right now.
Each night will be a race against time. When night falls, people can't get picked up from roofs, the rescuers can't chop into people's roofs to check the attics for anyone alive or for anyone dead (sadly, there are dead). At night we can't see power lines we can't see obstacles, we can't see any of the things that will bring down a helicopter or pose a danger to boats rescuers.
One of the teams came in today after having been out for hours at a time. One particular rescuer went straight to a corner and collapsed into tears. I went directly to him and just held his hand. What else could I do? I said nothing. He said it all. They lowered him 26 times and he pulled 26 people to safety. He wants to be back out there but there are mandatory rest periods. His tears are tears of frustration.
Entire teams are working on nothing but evacuating the hospitals. All four of the major hospitals are beginning to flood. Critical patients have to get out or surely they will be lost. Generators cannot run forever; that's just the way it is. There are limited facilities to take those that are rescued and those that need to be evacuated. Anything that leaves by air leaves by helicopter. There are no runways for planes that aren't under water. Only one drivable way in and out.
Water everywhere and more keeps coming. Until they can do something about the three levees that are broken, more water will come and more water will kill. The water poses major health threats. Anyone with even a small open cut is prone to infection. Anyone who touches this water and touches his eyes, nose or mouth without find a way to "clean" himself first will be sick with stomach problems before long. It's bad and it's getting worse. It's not going to be anything better than devastating for days or weeks at best.
I wish I could tell you that I'll check in again soon. I can't. I don't know when my next message will get out. We'll be leaving where we are within just an hour or so.
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My sister, and her friends are putting together a Hurrican Relief yard sale. If you would like to donate clothing, or anything else you dont use or need, please email me. If you would like to just donate money that would be greatly appreciated as well. All of the proceeds will be going to the American Red Cross. My email address is: rickynamy0907@yahoo.com; Im looking forward to hearing from everyone so please do everything, and anything you can to help these people!