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Hurricaine Katrina

CyberKitten
September 2nd, 2005, 11:20 PM
I am so frustrated wwatching the CNN coverage of Katrina. As one of my collegaues noted, it is mesmerizing. I worry about the children and the pets and the elderly and everyone!! I cannot help but wonder - like the mayor of this wonderful city - what the h is taking the govt so long!! And why the pres did not visit the victims - like he did in the other states and on 0/11? There is a double standard there I fear.

I cannot help but think back to the Halifax Explosion - which occured during world war one - when a train filled with health care professionals from Boston and environs arrived on the scene within 48 hours and Upper Canada sent help not much later. A tent city was set up, in spite of a horrible blizzard - and the exiting hospitals that had not been blown to smiterenes (sp?) rose to the task. Why are we not doing that now.

I know Canada is sending our war ships from Halifax full of supplies - and many of us have volunteered our services - (tho been told it is too dangerous!, this to medical people who have been to Bosnia and worse, I mean, c'mon!) . But my God, if this effort is not increased exponetially, more poeple will die and the oputbreak of serious disease will be the next catstrophe - in addition to the levees and the fires. Officials of both provate and public agencies keep inisting they are sending x numbers of supplies but to suffering ppl, this means nothing when those supplies are not there.

People need to forget politics of all sides. Yes, the fact that 40% of the Nat Guard is in Iraq does not help and yes, it does not help for these guys (and they sare mostly guys) hold self congratulatory news conferences or blame the other parties But that doe snot help the immediate situation. In Drs without Borders, we have faced maybe not worse but certainly guns pointed at us, people stopping our caravans and stealing and looting. No one ever suggested this work is easy so why on earth are these rescue groups sitting back? There are people depending on looters for food - it is just so heartbreaking and sad!!!

One of my best friends, a nun, is in NO and she stayed behind to help. I finally heard from her 2 days ago and she spoke of unbleivable scenes- reminissant of things I have seen in African countries and the Middle East. People left to die, esp the most vulnerable. Surely to God in North America, we can do something NOW!!!!

That's my rant for the day - This entire situation just upsets me to no end!!

LavenderRott
September 3rd, 2005, 09:08 AM
I am an American and I have never been so ashamed. I was in the military when I was younger, my ex husband was active duty Air Force the whole time we were married and my current husband is National Guard stationed in Iraq. I KNOW what military response times are and I can promise you, if they had gotten permission from the Federal government sooner, they would have been there sooner! National Guard units from other states must be Federalized before they can help in disasters in other states. I know that Michigan's Army National Guard was called up on Thursday afternoon . This should have and could have been done so much sooner!

Last weekend, as Katrina moved through the Gulf of Mexico, the President declared several states in a state of emergency. Among them was Florida. This would allow those states to get Federal Aid, call up their own National Guard units to help, etc. I am at a loss as to why help wasn't moved closer to the affected areas on Monday so that when the storm passed help wasn't ON HAND almost immediately. I watched t.v. this weekend and saw the same weather reports and predictions that everyone else did. Was I the only person that saw that several southern states where going to be missed or just get some rain? Couldn't supplies and troops spent a few hours in one of them and moved into affected areas Monday afternoon or late Monday night.

I was in Germany when the communist government in Russia collapsed. I can promise you that food, blankets and medical supplies from the U.S. got there in a timely manner. And yet, our own citizens are left to fend for themselves for days!

love my dogs
September 3rd, 2005, 09:52 AM
The whole situation is so very sad.

I don't understand why the reaction time has been so slow, and there are still people who have not been rescued. I'm surprised that there was not a plan of action in put in place after the last flood, so that things could move quickly if it were to flood again.

heidiho
September 3rd, 2005, 10:18 AM
:usa: :usa: I was just about to start a thread on this,i NOW finally see what all african americans have been saying all along,SHAMER SHAME SHAME ON US HERE IN THE UNITED STATES,I am beyond pissed and am in total shock of what i am seeing they are going through, I guarentee you if this happend in Hollywood or West Palm Beach Florida,those people would not be living among human feces and it NEVER would of taken 4 F****** DAYS TO GET PEOPLE THERE TO HELP.i HAVE A WHOLE DIFFERENT OUTLOOK ON bUSH NOW.aND THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT LOOTIN,YOU CAN BET YOUR A** I WOULD BE TO..iN THE ASTRODOME I WATCHED THEM INTERVIEW A LADY AND THEY ASKED WHERE ARE THE RELIEF WORKERS WHERE ARE THE COPS,WHERE ARE THE NATIONAL GUARD,SHE SAID NONE OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE THERE,,,,I have never been so upset about an issue before this,i am in utter shock and shame of this country i live in.SHAME SHAME SHAME ON BUSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Luvmypit
September 6th, 2005, 12:57 PM
I know there is reasons why it took so long but honestly I can't see how it would have taken that long. I asked myself the questions too about if it where west palm beach or Malibu would it be different and I think it would and that just out right scares me.

Although I don't think it was done spitefully to delay the response but I do believe there was a loss of urgency on the governments part. I also don't think people can properly consider the scope of this disastor. Its pretty damn huge and that is something that is hard to prepare for. But again shouldn't have taken that long. Why was the national guard driving around the superdome with their rifles up but no food or water. They couldn't drop some supplies even if they were being threatened. People died for no reason. NO REASON because of lack of supplies and coordination. Sure they had national guard there quelling the looting but you know what let them loot.
I feel sad for the whole situation.

I am too mad. Just don't know where to direct it. I see a whole load of things that went wrong.

For one they should during a mandatory evacution provide buses and shelter out of the state for those that couldn't afford it. Sure you can sit there on TV and say Mandatory evacuation but if you have no were to go and no way to get anywhere your stuck. And stuck is what most were. Then if you have catergory 5 heading to a fish bowl like NO then you need to set aside some troops with supplies already packed and planes, trains and automobiles ready to go and waiting for the storm to stop and out they go.

How many lives would those two measures have saved? And am I an elected official or even university graduate... no its common sense!!!!!!!

Rick C
September 6th, 2005, 01:39 PM
I know there is reasons why it took so long but honestly I can't see how it would have taken that long. I asked myself the questions too about if it where west palm beach or Malibu would it be different and I think it would and that just out right scares me.

Although I don't think it was done spitefully to delay the response but I do believe there was a loss of urgency on the governments part. I also don't think people can properly consider the scope of this disastor. Its pretty damn huge and that is something that is hard to prepare for. But again shouldn't have taken that long. Why was the national guard driving around the superdome with their rifles up but no food or water. They couldn't drop some supplies even if they were being threatened. People died for no reason. NO REASON because of lack of supplies and coordination. Sure they had national guard there quelling the looting but you know what let them loot.
I feel sad for the whole situation.

I am too mad. Just don't know where to direct it. I see a whole load of things that went wrong.

For one they should during a mandatory evacution provide buses and shelter out of the state for those that couldn't afford it. Sure you can sit there on TV and say Mandatory evacuation but if you have no were to go and no way to get anywhere your stuck. And stuck is what most were. Then if you have catergory 5 heading to a fish bowl like NO then you need to set aside some troops with supplies already packed and planes, trains and automobiles ready to go and waiting for the storm to stop and out they go.

How many lives would those two measures have saved? And am I an elected official or even university graduate... no its common sense!!!!!!!

When this is all said and done, we're going to find a complete failure on the part of local officials - the Mayor of New Orleans, city council and local disaster officials - to provide a credible local disaster plan and to execute it.

These are the things you do BEFORE the emergency happens, BEFORE its a federal problem.

The Feds get their share of heat as well given the bureaucratic delays in the early days but there is absolutely no way that rescuers should have discovered YESTERDAY (1) an old folks hospice with half the people dead and 2) a hospice for the mentally handicapped with half the people dead.

Those people should have been noted, accounted for, planned for, evacuated and cared for BEFORE the hurricane hit. . . . . and only locals know those local details.

The people of New Orleans are likely unaware of what comprises a competent LOCAL disaster plan and therefore are likely unaware of how badly their local officials let them down, making it easy to point at the Feds. That means the Mayor is getting a free ride right now.

As one example, when flooding was occurring in Okotoks Alberta a few months ago, there was a line of school buses outside my mother in law's old folks apartment complex at four in the morning, waiting to evacuate them.

An official in High River, Alberta, as water was rising in the streets, phoned the building I periodically occupied to find out if I was there or not, a rather astonishing attention to detail given the population of over 10,000.

You didn't see that attention to detail on the part of LOCAL officials in New Orleans BEFORE they lost their communication network.

There is no excuse.

The old, the infirm and the mentally handicapped were left behind when the mayor yelled "RUN!!" He's slapping himself on the back for getting 80% of the people out of the city when all of them basically drove themselves. Meanwhile he left the most vulnerable behind AND didn't account for them even when the Feds began to arrive en masse.

An amusing note in a tragic situation is that of the 1,400 animals at the New Orleans Zoo, only three were lost. The Zoo says it had been planning for this disaster for years. Maybe they should give some tips to the Mayor.

There will be lots of asses to kick when this is said and done. Top to bottom though, not just the Feds.

At the bottom of a Los Angeles Times column appearing a few days ago is this note that came out of the 1927 floods on the attitude of New Orleans:

Novelist Ford joined others in questioning whether New Orleans could ever regain its lightness of being, its sense that come what may, the good times would roll. When impending disaster was only theoretical, the city seemed to accept that though the end might be near, little could be done to forestall it.

"That's the structure of living in New Orleans," he said. "People feel that the place is doomed at some point, but they're going to stay. It's just a way of dealing with the end that's different from other ways of dealing with the end."

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

jjgeonerd
September 6th, 2005, 02:02 PM
There's a lot of blame to go around for this. As Rick said, the local government is responsible for the lack of planning.

Besides the slow response, the federal government should be blamed for not providing the necessary funds to strengthen the levees. This was an inevitable storm and the Army Corp of Engineers should have been given the money to protect the city (as they have been requesting for years).

Unfortunately this is all too common for natural disasters. Since they happen infrequently people and government have a tendency to forget the risk and choose to spend money on other more glamorous things. A perfect example is earthquake preparedness in Washington. We have the Alaskan Way Viaduct which is a busy double decker freeway that runs along the Seattle waterfront. It was damaged in the 2001 earthquake and everyone knows it will most likely collapse in the next major earthquake. Thousands will be killed if it occurs during rush hour. Are we replacing it? Of course not...the public, local and federal government are balking at the cost. We also have numerous unreinforced masonry buildings in the old part of town. Are they being retrofitted with steel frames? Nope...costs too much. Buildings such as these are no longer allowed in San Francisco. There will be a huge outcry though when hundreds or maybe thousands are killed when they collapse.

I can go on for days about earthquake preparedness issues that are being ignored in the western US ( and probably western Canada as well)...not to mention other natural disaster issues. People forget about the dangers they live with over time. :(

heidiho
September 6th, 2005, 02:49 PM
I hate to say it but BLACK AND POOR says it allllll.,......

Roxy's_MA
September 6th, 2005, 03:11 PM
Heidiho - Don't forget the old and the sick.

Rick C
September 6th, 2005, 03:41 PM
I hate to say it but BLACK AND POOR says it allllll.,......

And the rich white Mayor of New York today says he would never leave people behind like the black mayor of New Orleans did.

Bloomberg noted that city cops and firefighters regularly practice dealing with a range of natural disasters and would not be caught flatfooted.

He also emphasized that the city would assume responsibility for taking care of poor residents who likely wouldn't have cars or money for transportation.

"We have evacuation routes," he said. "We have ways to call and get MTA buses to take people out if they don't have automobiles."

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/343811p-293505c.html

You're going to see more and more of this as people begin to quiz their local officials about local disaster plans. . . . . and it will always come back to a comparison of what the Mayor Of New Orleans didn't do.

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

heidiho
September 6th, 2005, 04:26 PM
Oh yeah your right,dont need them either,so sadddd

Schwinn
September 7th, 2005, 12:39 PM
Okay, nothing has irritated me than people playing the race card. I've been hearing it a few times over the past few days, and for anyone who wants to play that, I have some very good news for you--white people died too. Granted, there may be some truth to the theory that the economic make-up played a role, but the theory that decisions were made on the colour of the people is ridiculous. Do think that all the white people were in the lunch room making plans, and when the black people who work for FEMA and the government walked in, they suddenly changed the subject? Or maybe Whitey was watching CNN and went, "Oh crap! There's a fellow caucasion swimming in the dark man's filth! We better get someone down there and get him out!" Or maybe they were just acceptable losses to the man trying to keep a brother down?

This whole thing was bungled, that's for sure. But it gets me really hot everytime something is screwed up, and if it isn't only white people suffering, then it must be because of racism. It was unpreparedness on the government, local, state and federal, and arrogance amonst the various agencies. Several cities and groups tried to help and were turned away by FEMA, or the state government. Wal-Mart sent in several trucks, and were turned away. Chicago tried to send down a large convoy of water trucks, and were told by the governor, "We only need one". Everyone involved wanted to look like they had it all under control, and they didn't. Then it spiralled out of control.

Luvmypit
September 7th, 2005, 12:43 PM
Charity Hospital says it all. Its right beside a private hospital. Helicopters got out all the patients in the private hospital including staff, well Charity a public hospital had people being hand pumped air into their lungs in place of ventalators, looters and others dying on the tarmac. Lets just say the other hospital evacuated days before and even their very minorly injured patients got out before sevrely injured and sick patients in the public hospital. These people were dying while they watched patients from the private hospital walk theirselves to a waiting helicopter. I understand the private hospitals and patients have insurance and that is what paid for the med copters but come on man... people dying? For what? because they didn't have private health care insurance.

Not only is it racism but classism.

Its very sad. I don't know who to blame but it certainly starts on all levels of government. Your right rick, they just squashed a plan to fix the levies b/c of money, then there was not a proper evacution plan for all people and those that are less privleged. Then knowing the state that NO is in (under sea level) have military prepared and ready to go. But they didn't. The military needs permission and they didn't get it right away from Bush.

We offered our military the next day and Bush said he'd let us know. And other countries found the same red tape all in the name of politics.

Luvmypit
September 7th, 2005, 12:46 PM
Your right schwinn but I think racism is a factor in the superdome b/c they didnt even drop supplies and when the national guard went out there it was all about protecting merchandise and they drove around and around the superdome with their rifles yet NO FOOD OR CLEAN WATER? Would that have happened if this was west palm beach. And unfortunantly I would have to say no. I think though its more classism then anything.

Schwinn
September 7th, 2005, 12:50 PM
Would that have happened if this was west palm beach. And unfortunantly I would have to say no. I think though its more classism then anything.

I can't argue against the classism, but again, there were plenty of white people suffering too. I've seen plenty of pictures of black people being interviewed and the tragedy, and if you look in the back ground, there are lots of white people. The common thread amongst everyone suffering is there socio-economic status, not thier colour.

Rick C
September 7th, 2005, 01:04 PM
Your right schwinn but I think racism is a factor in the superdome b/c they didnt even drop supplies and when the national guard went out there it was all about protecting merchandise and they drove around and around the superdome with their rifles yet NO FOOD OR CLEAN WATER? Would that have happened if this was west palm beach. And unfortunantly I would have to say no. I think though its more classism then anything.

You do know that the black mayor and his mostly black city council were the guys who were initially responsible for positioning food and water there and it was the black mayor and black city council who were urging all helicopters to look for people on rooftops rather than delegating tasks like servicing hospitals and the tens of thousands in shelters.

You'll have to provide some evidence that it wasn't the Mayor or his local disaster staff who didn't order the evacuation of one hospital while leaving the other to molder. Or that the order was racially motivated. You'll also have to explain why the racially preferenced hospital sat without contact or supplies for days before Whitey exercised racial priviledge.

As the New York Times, hardly a friend of GW Bush, said today: "It was chilling, to put it mildly, to read Mayor Ray Nagin's comment in The (Wall Street) Journal that New Orleans's hurricane plan was "get people to higher ground and have the feds and the state airlift supplies to them.""

People screwed up top to bottom but there isn't any evidence race was an issue. There's lots of evidence blacks and whites didn't know what they were doing.

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

Prin
September 7th, 2005, 01:25 PM
I just think that if the same had happened here in Montreal, it would be FAR FAR FAR FAR beyond the scope of Tremblay's abilities. Sure the mayor of New York says he'd be equipped, but New York is practically a country of its own compared to New Orleans. They say there was a little over 2 million people? Well, Montreal's MUC is 3 million, and there is NO way they'd handle it without immediate help from the army and from other provinces. NO WAY. We don't even have the resources to fill friggen pot holes. How would they be able to air lift thousands of people?? No way.

jjgeonerd
September 7th, 2005, 01:39 PM
I can't argue against the classism, but again, there were plenty of white people suffering too. I've seen plenty of pictures of black people being interviewed and the tragedy, and if you look in the back ground, there are lots of white people. The common thread amongst everyone suffering is there socio-economic status, not thier colour.
I agree that it wasn't racism...which is why I was intentionally ignoring those posts.

It is fairly evident that it was mainly the poor people who suffered...regardless of race. Evacuations were ordered but it doesn't appear there were any (or at least not enough) provisions to help people get out that didn't have their own means to do so.

Roxy's_MA
September 7th, 2005, 01:42 PM
Another thing to look at is what percentage of the population of New Orleans is black. I think it is pretty high. That is why when you see the victims on TV the majority are black.

Jackie467
September 7th, 2005, 02:01 PM
Another thing to look at is what percentage of the population of New Orleans is black.

That's correct. If you look at the statistics 95% of N.O. is balck, so of course most of the people left behind are black. How could they not be?

Luvmypit
September 7th, 2005, 02:08 PM
I'll be honest with you Rick I truly think that the response would have been different if these were folks from a predominently affluent white suburb. Honestly I hate the race card too. But this just gave me the worst feeling in my stomach and I know most others I have talked to feel the same. Im talking about the superdome incident and only that.

I will take the word racism away but it certainly is no doubt classism. Black or no black mayor.


One commander himself said we were ready but weren't given the word to go in until Bush did his fly by. .To even get in their in the first place they had to wait till Bush gave the go ahead and that was on whatever day he did his first fly by. Had nothing to do with the mayor. He was begging at this point for national guardsmen. Your right I dont know who was in command once the guardsmen got in there but to think they drove around over and over that superdome with rifles pointed and not even equiped with water.



As for the hospital thats all about class. As I said it is more an insurance issue and a public private issue as I assume. I never said that was a race issue at all or I should say I didn't mean it that way. I meant the clear line for those that can afford and those that can't. You have to rememebr the scene of people literally dying well a patient from the other hospital with a broken leg walks to the copter on the other roof of a private hospital.

heidiho
September 7th, 2005, 02:11 PM
Race or not i guarantee you respond time would of been alot faster if this happened in Malibu or Washington,,,,,,...

Luvmypit
September 7th, 2005, 02:22 PM
Its 70% black, 28% white and 3% asian.


They had the military in there and still no supplies b/c of shooting and looting. They can handle iraq and afghanistan but not maybe 40 bad people out of the how many that were there. Couldn't drop supplies? It was handled differently for sure not intentionally but it would have been different.

Rick C
September 7th, 2005, 02:25 PM
I just think that if the same had happened here in Montreal, it would be FAR FAR FAR FAR beyond the scope of Tremblay's abilities. Sure the mayor of New York says he'd be equipped, but New York is practically a country of its own compared to New Orleans. They say there was a little over 2 million people? Well, Montreal's MUC is 3 million, and there is NO way they'd handle it without immediate help from the army and from other provinces. NO WAY. We don't even have the resources to fill friggen pot holes. How would they be able to air lift thousands of people?? No way.

Well, you did have a disaster in Montreal and across Quebec in the bitter cold of 1998 didn't you? Described as the worst natural disaster in Canadian history. The Ice Storm.

About 4.5 million people without power, communication, supplies, blocked roads, etc in the depths of winter.

A brief Wikpedia description:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Canada_ice_storm

A first person recollection:

http://windupradio.com/icestorm98/

The lessons learned from an emergency preparedness analysis had this to say, among other things:

Another factor to be recognized is the subject of handling pets in emergencies. Today's pet owners no longer are prepared to leave their loved companions at home, just to respond to an evacuation. Working with animal rights agencies will become standard procedure if we are to continue upgrading the quality and effectiveness of our response and recovery efforts, while at the same time, maintaining the most important commodity — public confidence.

Without doubt, preparedness is the key. The value and role of plans, training, exercises, public education, emergency information and scientific advice, were reinforced as the keys to emergency management success. Add to these the need for resources planning and arrangements and the list becomes more complete.

http://www.ocipep.gc.ca/ep/ep_digest/aj_98_fea2_e.asp

Lastly, I found this pretty interesting in this document I looked at on the topic:

In an emergency, someone has to take control, direct efforts and keep the situation from getting out of hand. Like a hurricane, the eye of the storm has to be calm and steady, while chaos swirls around it. A plan of action, elaborated beforehand and tested by simulations, is the base on which authorities can lay the foundations of their operations. Without a plan, the law of the jungle - survival of the fittest and strongest - takes over. Without authority, there is no authority. You have to have some one who takes command, who has the authority vested in him or her from some higher authority or self activated.

http://www.imiuru.com/icestormdiary/1pages/Lessons.html

You keep hearing that over and over . . . . . but there's no indication the local officials in New Orleans were anywhere prepared to handle a foreseeable emergency.

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

CyberKitten
September 7th, 2005, 03:12 PM
Wow! Lots of opinions - I disagree Prin re the mayor of Mtl. or at least officials. The ice storm was handled quite well - I know ppl may have been without power for a considerable time but not many died and there is not what you see in NO. I think it involved all levels. The ice storm affected the Maritimes and Maine and there were very few problems.

I was upset about the situation at Charity Hospital tho but in some ways, that has more to do with the way the US health care system is structured, they pay for a system they do not have - they pay more per capita than we do and yet... anyway, that is another issue but a Couty or public hospital is not a priority for insurance companies. In other words, it is an economic issue.

I am not sure it is a race issue either. New Orleans just happens to have a majority of its city comprised of African Americans - and also has many poor people. And the safety net is just not there, unfortunately or is it is, it is marginal.

I agree with Rick about why local officials did not know about those residences. Here, we are mandated by law to provide fire and rescue with he blueprints and layout of our hospital - and seniors' residences, etc. The same is true for small villages. I recall helping my grandmother when she was still alive fill in the local fire dept's very detailed questionnaire about her home - who lived there, howe many rooms,. who sleeps where - even pets. So, NO should have had that info.

I heard on the news last nite that the Natinal Guard was compiling info about the city's infrastructure - grid by grid. That info is already available and the specific info they need should be avail NOW!!! THat it is not is a reflection.

Yep, there is lots of blame to go around but the important thing is do save everyone they can now. I do not understand why the US refuses aid from ppl they disagree with - like Castro or Chavez. Cuba has excellent dorctors who are world renowned in helping other countries. So, I am at a loss to understand that. It does not mean they have to agree with the doctors' politics - Gawd, I just hate hearing all this nonesense when people's lives are at stake!

I am still reminded of disasters I have helped out in here that often occured in the winter months and no one died. Or the Halifax explosion which endured a blizzard the next day!! They had few resources but things happened quickly!
Anyway--- let's hope things continue to improve. I do fear more lives will be lost tho - and just all the trauma, lost jobs and families, disease and pollution will also contribute to this already awful situation.

Prin
September 7th, 2005, 03:25 PM
Well, you did have a disaster in Montreal and across Quebec in the bitter cold of 1998 didn't you? Described as the worst natural disaster in Canadian history. The Ice Storm.

About 4.5 million people without power, communication, supplies, blocked roads, etc in the depths of winter.

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca
The difference was, we still had homes. We still had FOOD. We still had WATER. All you had to do was buy a generator or wood stove and you were good as new. The lowest our house got was 1.7 degrees- without heat, fire, etc. That's not even below freezing! That's by far not nearly as bad as losing power and losing everything, on top of not having any water, or food!

The roads might not have been cleared, but they were still easy enough to navigate. And of course, we still had GAS.

Schwinn
September 7th, 2005, 03:44 PM
We still had WATER.

Well, you had ice, anyway... ;)

Rick C
September 7th, 2005, 04:11 PM
The difference was, we still had homes. We still had FOOD. We still had WATER. All you had to do was buy a generator or wood stove and you were good as new. The lowest our house got was 1.7 degrees- without heat, fire, etc. That's not even below freezing! That's by far not nearly as bad as losing power and losing everything, on top of not having any water, or food!

The roads might not have been cleared, but they were still easy enough to navigate. And of course, we still had GAS.

Well, I wasn't comparing the two - only the pre-planning and lessons learned from the aftermath - but . . . .l don't think you're going to get anywhere anyway trying to minimize the impact of the 1998 ice storm.

Just had to buy a generator? Sure. Where? And a what price? Wood stove? Where? At what price? You and the other one million homes without heat? Only 1.7 degrees? That's actually worse than 30 degrees celcius in terms of survival.

There were 700 communities in Quebec alone isolated and without power.

A first person narration of one shelter in Montreal as it gradually filled up and finally lost its own power, with one bus to evacuate 500 people . . . . http://www.imiuru.com/icestormdiary/1pages/TheShelter.html

Sounds like a real piece of cake. :angel:

Anyway, I wasn't comparing the disasters per se . . . merely the lessons to be learned from them, which was my only point.

As an example, the importance of preparing for a total wipeout of communications, something that appears to leave local officials in these kinds of situations on their own in the initial days, therefore making their own local pre-planning all the more important.

The importance of pre-planning tasks in the event of certain types of disasters and failures.

The importance of exercising and practicing those tasks.

The importance of practicing inter-agency tasks.

Etc., etc, etc. . . . . those are the lessons learned in 1998 that appeared to have never made it to local officials in New Orleans.

In the post-mortem of New Orleans, we'll probably see a lot of those top to bottom lessons brought into focus . . . . again.

Don't mind me Prin . . . :grouphug:

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

chico2
September 7th, 2005, 04:15 PM
Well,in all this,the director of FEMA will be taking the fall..I read in a Swedish newspaper.Sweden is ready to go,with water-purifying equipment and other supplies,but got the response from FEMA,they are not needed..the same for other countries.
What is it with the US government,to proud to get the help their people need..politics has no place in this matter,people AND animals need help!
The US might be the riches country in the world,but the same cannot be said for it's people.

Jackie467
September 7th, 2005, 04:56 PM
I know this has been horrible and the government wasn't prepared but I'm kind of offended by all the US bashing that has been going on. I'm not a particularly patriotic person but I do love my country and I think this could have happened anywhere, including Canada. Unless you are in the situation you really don't know how it would turn out for you.

CyberKitten
September 7th, 2005, 06:16 PM
WEll I am not bashing the US, just its officials and I would say the same of Canadian govt people when they are at fault. I think that FEMA guy shold go back to his Arabian horses but I certainly do not think he is any reflection on people in the US, he is not at all representative.

I actually HAVE lived thru a hrricane - Juan - and I have also served in some areas worse than this hurricane if only because people were shooting at us. This was Bosnia tho and also we had troub;e - we being Doctors without Borders - in El Salvador and Guatamala. It's pretty horrendous to see children die and not be able to do something for them.

I do think the US needs to find a way to cover all of its residents in terms of health care but this is a view shared by millions of Americans. (Mind you my sister in Boston tends to like it just the way it is but she makes a half a million dollars a year so it does not matter to her). I recall a politician in Texas telling me whoever came up with a universal health care program in the US would be regarded as the next Roosevelt or Lincoln and would be a new US hero. (and this guy was a Republican :) )

I think all of us are upset watching helplessly as people die needlessly. Would it happen in Canada? Maybe? But New Orleans is a unique city and its ties to Acadians where I live and my own connections to the city - close friend still there and won't leave as she helps ppl - have me glued more to the TV than is prob healthy. (sighhhhhhhhh!!)

Lizzie
September 7th, 2005, 08:08 PM
A few points...

1st--the 1998 Ice Storm included far more than simply Quebec. It stretched down through Cornwall, Brockville and Kingston. It was a distaster--it was a big deal. No, it was not quite like what happened in NO, but it was our own little distaster that required a plan to save people from hypothermia. There was food...if you had some in your home that wouldn't spoil. Most places were closed as they had no power...so grocery shopping was out.

In that time, the American's helped us out--as we will now help them out.

2nd--has anyone read the clips from a Barbara Bush interview? This will shed a little light on things....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/09/07/ubush.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/09/07/ixportaltop.html

WhKnight
September 7th, 2005, 08:21 PM
At the risk of splashing about in very choppy waters, I will say that I (an
American) am stunned, saddened, and appalled by what has happened on the Gulf Coast. I believe the federal government responded far too slowly and that part of the difficulty was that FEMA was folded into the Department of Homeland Security...some analysts have noted that when this happened, there didn't seem to be one person calling the shots or coordinating the efforts, and the states just plain couldn't do that on their own...the devastation was just too wide and the states lost too many resources. I believe that many people died or suffered needlessly. (Did I mention I'm a Democrat? Probably obvious.)

It's also my understanding that scientists and others in Louisiana have been warning about the levees and the decimation of the wetlands for a long time, and asking for funds to avoid precisely this kind of event. Heeding such warning might well have reduced the damage.

In short, I am unhappy with our government's response to this. But then, I have never been a fan of George Bush...well, enough said on that.

Criticizing Bush does not mean criticizing the nation as a whole. Many people have been risking their lives and doing heroic work to save and care for the people on the Gulf coast...god bless them, every one.

What has helped me to feel less helpless and angry has been to make a contribution to the Red Cross and to volunteer to help if I can, though I'm in Missouri. I am also much heartened by the outpouring of help and sympathy from all over the world.

But I'm still mad at Bush.

WhKnight

Prin
September 7th, 2005, 09:06 PM
I'm sorry, but on the scale of things, I just don't agree that the ice storm was a "disaster". It might have been bad, but not a disaster. We didn't lose 10 000 people. I never thought for a second that I would die. Less than an hour away in New York and Vermont they had power- not too far to get if it was that crucial to get somewhere.

My aunt had power through a lot of the ice storm and when she didn't they had their wood stove- and she was feeding 180 meals a day. We could cope. How are you supposed to cope when nobody has anything? Not even shelter! That's the difference. I don't think I'm down playing the ice storm, but I think people have it WAY worse than a little bit of ice. And 1.7 degrees might be cold, but up here we're used to 1.7 in January anyway-- and I do think that waiting in an attic for days (where it's 150+ degrees F compared to 100 outside) is worse when you don't have water.

CyberKitten
September 7th, 2005, 10:06 PM
Yep, I have lived through disasters and also survived the ice storm. It does not rate as a disaster. We had no power and it was January but in the Maritimes, we tend to be prepared for that sort of thing. Sure, it was scary rto see electrical wires burst into flames and it was inconvenient not to able to shop because no power meant no scanners. But there were no "may be 10,000 deaths" out of it. Hurricane Juan was slightly worse than the ice storm but it too does not compare to this. Not much does I think.

My only point of reference is as a doctor in a third world country where I thought I would be shot for trying to get children out of the cluthches of some warlord who wanted to sell them. All this while they were sick to begin with. It was one of the few times I actually feared for my life and I would do the same thing again! There is a thriving traffic in young women (and young men for that matter) in Thailand and nearby countries. There is also the scourge of unecessary deaths from AIDS by millions in Africa that irks me with as much outrage as this situation does. Just like the situation in Africa, the many of the deaths in New Orleans could have been prevented. Had the officials in the fedceral govt read the report in the Times Picanne (sp?), had they listened to the scientists and engineers whose work triggered the report in the first place, had FEMA been kept under the pres and not placed under Homeland Security, (tho somehow I do think Tom Ridge would have handled this far better - I could be mistaken, it is just that he has been a Governor) had Mr. Bush not cut back the Budget by 44% but that also brings up why that was necessary and we all know the reply to that, had the mayor of New Orleans who can't seem to decide what party he belongs to planned to have buses - buses now under water at a city garage - ready to evacuate people not economically capable of getting out on their own, had a comprehensive plan been in place and the population gone thru mock disasters to know what to do (Remember those nuclear exercises in the 50's (before my time but I have seen the videos). Sort of like the Titanic, (not sure why I think of THAT disaster), there are so many what ifs here.

That will all be investigated later. Now we must all do what we can to help those who need help. To that end, I leave for New Orleans and environs - mostly Baton Rouge - Friday morning. We are going to give some of the physicians and other health care professionals there a break before they add complete exhaustion to te post traumatic stress they will likely suffer from later. Now, hopefully, there will be no turf wars and FEMA and the National Guard will let us in. They did ask us so we'll see. (They stressed they wanted some medical ppl who spoike French but the last time I was in New Orleans, even the Cajuns did not speak French. Tho, many who came to the Mondiale Acaden a few yrs ago here did sooo....)

I also hope to get my friend (the one who is a nun) out of New Orleans - she cannot help others if she herself is too exhausted to do anything and I am worried about her tho that is based on limited contact with her.

But in the end, the ice storm or Juan this is NOT!!! This is a disaster of a magnitude rarely seen in North America and there are no terrorists to blame it on - only the weather which is - in part due to global warming and policies of some govts, getting worse. So there will be intergovernmental bickering from now until the last report is gaining dust on some obscure windowsill.

Prin
September 7th, 2005, 10:18 PM
That's what I'm trying to say! ;)

amber416
September 7th, 2005, 11:44 PM
Schwinn, i wanted to say exactly what you said, but was biting my tongue. Also, I see a lot of blame placed on the local government and the federal government (and rightly so, perhaps, they certainly made mistakes), but what about the people? And if there were people who truly had no way out-- no family, no car, no spare money whatsoever, no means of getting to a shelter, i'm certainly not talking about them, but what about everyone else who refused to leave even when BEGGED? I was in Mobile, AL right before the hurricane hit, during the evacuations and the amount of arrogance i saw astounded me. People who wouldn't leave because, and these are direct quotes "it's too inconvenient" "it can't be that bad, the news is exaggerating" "i can tough this out" "i have children" (WHAT!?! that one really got me). People who stayed based on their own arrogance and ignorance and endangered rescue officials lives make me physically ill. There was one person on the news, someone who was supposedly "unable" to get out, who talked about how they emailed friends and family from their home before things got really ugly. See, a computer and the internet both cost money. Doubt they were too poor to get out. People were warned and a lot of people who did have the possiblity of leaving did not. Watching the media put these tabloid-worthy spins on everything and fuel this tired racism fire makes me very sad and ashamed.

Writing4Fun
September 8th, 2005, 07:32 AM
From Merriam-Webster On-Line:
"Main Entry: di·sas·ter
Pronunciation: di-'zas-t&r, -'sas-
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French desastre, from Old Italian disastro, from dis- (from L) + astro star, from Latin astrum -- more at ASTRAL
1 : a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction; broadly : a sudden or great misfortune or failure
2 obsolete : an unfavorable aspect of a planet or star"

So, yeah, the '98 ice storm was a "disaster". I agree that it didn't have the magnitude of Katrina, though.

Now, here's my million dollar question. Mother Nature has already proven that mankind cannot hold her back, no matter how hard they try. She's already levelled a city once, at the expense of countless lives. Why, then, are there plans to rebuild the levees and return NO to her original state? Why, in all of heaven's name, aren't there plans to maybe raise NO above sea level? Do we enjoy this kind of suffering? Because I can guarantee you that Mother Nature will come back and do it again and again until we learn our lesson.

Writing4Fun
September 8th, 2005, 07:39 AM
Watching the media put these tabloid-worthy spins on everything and fuel this tired racism fire makes me very sad and ashamed.
But haven't we already leaned, via the whole pitbull fiasco, that the media is hardly ever about the "truth" anymore? Isn't it all about ratings these days? I, for one, have learned to take everything the "media" tells me with a bucket-full of salt. Remember, there are three sides to every story - one side, the other side and the truth. ;)

LavenderRott
September 8th, 2005, 08:16 AM
I know this has been horrible and the government wasn't prepared but I'm kind of offended by all the US bashing that has been going on. I'm not a particularly patriotic person but I do love my country and I think this could have happened anywhere, including Canada. Unless you are in the situation you really don't know how it would turn out for you.

I am sorry you are offended but I really don't see anyone bashing the U.S.

The citizens of the U.S. have really stepped up to the plate in helping out these people who have been displaced. The monetary donations made to Red Cross and the Humane Society by private citizens is staggering.

The U.S. military - once they were "allowed" to fully participate, have done a fabulous job! They got people evacuated in 2 days, got the hole in the levee filled and restored order.

The government - well, that is a different story. Participation of the military should have been okayed days earlier then it was, money should have been offered and approved by Congress on Tuesday - not Friday! So much should have been done so much faster then it was. The President declared several states a disaster area the day BEFORE the hurricane hit - why was our active duty military in the states affected and surrounding states not put on standby at the same time?

I don't know if the fault lies with the local, state or federal government. But I do know that in business, the owner (or manager) takes the responsibility if something goes wrong in that business. No matter how you look at it, they are responsible for hiring the proper people to handle anything that might come up. In government this means that the President should have hired better people to run such organizations as FEMA and the Homeland Security Council.

One is left to wonder.....had this happened in a city in Florida (a state who's governor is named Bush) would the response had been any faster?

Schwinn
September 8th, 2005, 08:59 AM
Now, here's my million dollar question. Mother Nature has already proven that mankind cannot hold her back, no matter how hard they try. She's already levelled a city once, at the expense of countless lives. Why, then, are there plans to rebuild the levees and return NO to her original state? Why, in all of heaven's name, aren't there plans to maybe raise NO above sea level? Do we enjoy this kind of suffering? Because I can guarantee you that Mother Nature will come back and do it again and again until we learn our lesson.

I did hear in passing that this was explored at one time, and it was deemed infeasible. I forget the reasoning, but it was said it wouldn't work.

The other issue is, so I've heard, that there was actually upgrades on the table for over a year that would have prevented this from hitting the magnitude that it did, but the level of government responsible for approving it (I believe it was municipal, but I'm not exactly sure) waffled because of the cost. The levees are built to withstand a category 3 hurricane, and apparently they could be built to withstand a category 4 or even 5. Seems to me this was one big screw-up from the guppie right up to the big fish.

Rick C
September 8th, 2005, 09:28 AM
I'm sorry, but on the scale of things, I just don't agree that the ice storm was a "disaster". It might have been bad, but not a disaster. We didn't lose 10 000 people. I never thought for a second that I would die. Less than an hour away in New York and Vermont they had power- not too far to get if it was that crucial to get somewhere.

My aunt had power through a lot of the ice storm and when she didn't they had their wood stove- and she was feeding 180 meals a day. We could cope. How are you supposed to cope when nobody has anything? Not even shelter! That's the difference. I don't think I'm down playing the ice storm, but I think people have it WAY worse than a little bit of ice. And 1.7 degrees might be cold, but up here we're used to 1.7 in January anyway-- and I do think that waiting in an attic for days (where it's 150+ degrees F compared to 100 outside) is worse when you don't have water.

C'mon Prin, I can't let that softball pass. . . . . :sorry:

Obviously the ice storm was a disaster by any measure and definition . . . . the age old trick of mysteriously positioning it as an "inconvenience" in comparison to something far worse hardly disqualifies it as the disaster it was.

It was the most expensive natural weather event in Canadian history with direct costs of $6 billion and another $1 billion in insurance claims. There were 100,000 people in shelters at one point, part of 600,000 in total who had to leave their homes. At its height, there were 4.5 million people without power, including 700,000 without power three weeks after the event.

You might be interested to know the event was officially classified as a disaster by Canadian governments and taxation authorities, meaning any assistance you or other victims received even from employers, was tax free.

The much maligned FEMA in the USA had also declared the impacted areas a disaster zone and eligible for federal aid.

As to the rest of your comments, we all have an opinion I guess.

Anyway, for the third time, there was no attempt on my part to compare the magnitude of the ice storm versus Katrina. That would be foolish even if you insist.

The central point was comparing the lessons learned at the local and provincial (state) level in disaster preparation and reaction and seeing many of those lessons unheeded in New Orleans.

By the way, 30 elderly people yesterday found dead in an old folks hospice, drowned. You can put that one on the Mayor, council and local disaster officials. Don't read this link if you're squeamish - even the local official here isn't getting it when he says they should have used a Hummer to get away. Where were the school buses that should have been arranged by people like himself?:

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=b583e32b-3ac0-40cf-b5a3-a98da82b5527

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca

Luvmypit
September 8th, 2005, 09:53 AM
I just can't believe how big this is.

I don't think just watching the news does it justice. Lets say the icestorm was a disastor but NO is a catastrophe!

I re thought my stance on the racism issue. I was just mad and am still. And the news got to me. Me of all people having a pit should know. I still think the superdome would have been handled differently if it were somewhere else. I am not sure why but I think it would have.

Honestly I really don't want people getting offended especially when their country is in crisis. I know all the people here have great respect for America and talking about government and handling of these issues is certainly no reflection on American people. Cause if you judged us on our government then I would be offended too!!

jjgeonerd
September 8th, 2005, 10:41 AM
Now, here's my million dollar question. Mother Nature has already proven that mankind cannot hold her back, no matter how hard they try. She's already levelled a city once, at the expense of countless lives. Why, then, are there plans to rebuild the levees and return NO to her original state? Why, in all of heaven's name, aren't there plans to maybe raise NO above sea level? Do we enjoy this kind of suffering? Because I can guarantee you that Mother Nature will come back and do it again and again until we learn our lesson.
NO is an important port so that is probably one major reason it will be rebuilt. Many people also love the city and are willing to invest the time and money. We constantly rebuild parts of Florida after hurricanes, and we attempt to control the oceans along the California coast because they are nice places. People just like to live in areas that aren't that well suited to living. :o

Speaking as an engineer, it seems to me that raising NO above sea level would be too expensive at this point. If it was done originally when the city was founded then it may have been possible, but there is likely too much infrastructure to replace now (even considering all that has to be replaced due to the storm). The levees are easier and cheaper. Properly designed and maintained levees will work 99% of the time, BUT you're right...eventually nature will win again.

Lizzie
September 8th, 2005, 10:50 AM
I have to agree with Writing4Fun fun on this one. I've heard many professors and engineers talk about rebuilding NO and they all say the same thing---why bother? Why not rebuild a small, above sea level portion after we let the ocean find her natural coastline. It is beyond ridiculous, if you ask me, for humans to think that they can fight off mother nature. I'm sorry, but she's got the upper hand on all of us combined.

True, people enjoy NO. They've lived there their whole lives and want it back. I doubt though, that these people couldn't find enjoyment and build a life somewhere else comparable in a neighbouring city or state.

Mother natures magnitude is far greater than anything we humans can whip up to fight her off.

Schwinn
September 9th, 2005, 03:01 PM
Look at Amsterdam, the whole place is below sea level.

My question is, why were the levees built from cement walls? Wouldn't dirt walls have been better, better able to withstand a hurricane? A dyke system, if you will. Or have the cement walls, but then re-inforced from behind with dirt.

jjgeonerd
September 9th, 2005, 03:22 PM
Look at Amsterdam, the whole place is below sea level.

My question is, why were the levees built from cement walls? Wouldn't dirt walls have been better, better able to withstand a hurricane? A dyke system, if you will. Or have the cement walls, but then re-inforced from behind with dirt.
Where did you hear they were cement walls? Levees are typically soil embankments that are often reinforced with geotextiles (if they are fairly new). The news pictures I saw were ruptured soil embankments...although concrete is possible in other areas.

However, it doesn't make any difference what they were made from...they were only designed for a Category 3 storm event and they were hit with a 5. They could have been built out of anything and still failed since they were underdesigned. Requests for funding to upgrade them to resist a Cat. 5 storm had been repeatedly denied.

Schwinn
September 9th, 2005, 04:18 PM
I was only assuming they were cement. To me, they look like the walls on the side of the highway to stop sound, which I'm now assuming aren't cement either. At any rate, the pictures I saw, it appeared to me that the walls collapsed, taking the dirt with it when they gave way. To me, it looks like a giant above ground pool.

jjgeonerd
September 9th, 2005, 05:26 PM
Good picture...wonder what the helicopter is doing with that suspended white bag?? Doesn't seem like t would do much to stop all that water!

Anyways...that looks like a sounds wall for a freeway or something built on top of the levee...fairly common practice. It looks like a portion of that house's backyard was part of the levee! :eek: You can see is sloping up. Talk about living dangerously!

Prin
September 9th, 2005, 07:11 PM
THe white bag is what they dropped to close the levees. They dropped a ton of them and closed it up.

StaceyB
September 9th, 2005, 08:58 PM
Boss of FEMA pulled off job.

StaceyB
September 9th, 2005, 09:11 PM
Does anyone know if filtering the toxic water from NO back into the ocean is going to cause health risks in other areas along the coast.

Prin
September 10th, 2005, 10:16 AM
I don't think that's a priority for them right now... :(

Rick C
September 10th, 2005, 10:26 AM
Does anyone know if filtering the toxic water from NO back into the ocean is going to cause health risks in other areas along the coast.

There's no filtration . . . . its going to be a toxic mess.

The big white bags are giant sandbags.

FYI, this story in the New Orleans Times Picayune . . . . there's no clear link to it so I'll reproduce it here. If the Moderator thinks its copyright infringement, please delete it and I'll return with a link:

The story in the New Orleans Times Picayune today:

Pet reunions lift spirits of humans and animals

Families reconnect at Gonzales shelter

By Mark Waller and Susan Finch
Staff writers

The water forced Roland White to live for three days on the roof of his Chalmette home, where he built a shelter from the sun out of boards and a blanket, drank rainwater and ate olives from a jar he found floating by.

He had only one companion and only one way to hold onto his wits during the ordeal. So he talked, all the time, to his daughter’s golden retriever, Dusty.

“If you don’t talk to Dusty,” he told himself, “you’ll go crazy.”

It tore him up when getting out of heavily flooded St. Bernard Parish meant leaving Dusty behind on the Wednesday after Katrina. The 9-month-old Labrador had to stay in a fenced area at the St. Bernard Parish Prison, because the ferry across the Mississippi River to Algiers and the bus coming for evacuees wouldn’t take pets.

But more than a week later, at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales on Thursday, White caught an improbable, wonderful sight.

White, his wife, Linda, and his daughter, Lisa Faxon, had finished searching the stables for Dusty. They were about to travel back to a state park near Alexandria where they are staying when a new trailer full of panting, wagging, woofing dogs arrived. Right in the middle, standing up with his paws on the bars, was Dusty.

“Now we’re complete,” White said. “We’ve got the whole family. That’s a miracle, the way that came about.”

Working from the Lamar Dixon Expo Center, an army of animal welfare experts and volunteers from around the nation had managed by Friday to rescue more 1,300 dogs and cats, not to mention 100 exotic pets and 400 horses and mules, that New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish residents left at home when they fled from Hurricane Katrina.

But there are “tens of thousands” more animals still waiting to be brought to safety, many of them at the request of their worried owners and many strays, according to Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals executive director Laura Maloney, whose organization is overseeing the huge effort that authorities green-lighted to begin earlier this week.

Maloney said boat and truck rescue teams are breaking in, if need be, to houses where pet owners have reported their animals are trapped, but some animals are finding the rescuers, swimming to them at times. “They’re trying to jump in the boats,” she said.

Some of the animals now at the shelter were rescued from 20 to 30 veterinary hospitals that Maloney said accepted them for boarding before the storm, then made no effort to evacuate them. “It’s like my responsibility for my shelter,” a frustrated Maloney said. “I have a responsibility to ensure their safety, even if they’re not mine.”

White said he stayed at his house on Jackson Boulevard in Chalmette while the rest of his family evacuated because he wanted to protect belongings from rising water, never expecting the water to rise so much. Dusty stayed with him because the dog had been sick.

So as water filled the house, White found himself neck-deep, awkwardly pushing the 60-pound puppy up the ladder to the attic.

He later chopped, pried and sawed his way out of the attic, taking
care to make the hole big enough for Dusty.

People boated by but no rescuers came, so White eventually swam to an overturned flatboat and bailed it out with
a bucket he found. He took Dusty in the boat, but couldn’t take him past the jail.

White spent that Wednesday night sleeping on the concrete at the Chalmette ferry landing with a few hundred other people, he said. The ferry gathered them Thursday morning. A bus heading to Texas came Thursday night. But he got off at Lafayette, where he called his wife, who was in Baton Rouge and came to get him.

He said he didn’t know how to break it to his three grandchildren that he couldn’t save Dusty.
“You know how hard it was for me to tell them I had to leave Dusty back?” White said. “That broke my heart.”

The animal shelter in Gonzales was the site of happy reunions for some pet owners on Thursday. Others left disappointed, thinking about dogs and cats left on second floors with extra food and water, wondering if animal rescuers found them.

As more and more rescued animals arrive in Gonzales to be cleaned, fed , exercised and given sleeping quarters, Maloney and scores of officials from the Humane Society of the United States and other groups are making plans to move them to quarters out of state for safekeeping, she said Friday.

Owners don’t need to be concerned that they’ll lose track of their pets if they’re shipped outside Louisiana, she added, because every animals brought here is photographed and equipped with a microchip bearing information about where the animal was found. “If we know we took it from your house, we’ll call you,” she said.

And pet owners will soon have a place to see all the rescued animals: their pictures are being posted on the Internet at www.petfinder.com, Maloney said.

Jo Anne Roman of the Humane Society of Broward County, Fla., who is spending long days supervising the rescue shelter’s operations, said that most of the animals that have come in seem to have been well cared for before Katrina. They’re not starving, but they have been “terrorized” by the events that landed them here.

At the Jefferson Highway pet supply store that is the first stop for all the rescued pets, one of the new arrivals Thursday was a female Pekinese mix helicoptered in from the New Orleans Museum of Art by a New York-based organization of retired police officers volunteering to secure the museum and its $250 million worth of assets.

For her trip to Jefferson Feed and Seed, the dog was placed in an ice chest where members of the International Investigative Group had been keeping their drinks, said member Steve Dux. Colorado veterinarian Dr. James Gaynor, part of a federally funded animal rescue assistance corps, took a look at the pooch and gave Dux an upbeat assessment: “I think she actually looks worse than she is; she’s covered in greasy muck,” he said.

For many, like the White family, who lost everything, the reconciliation with their beloved pets brings hope.

White hugged Dusty and told him his family was back. Dusty excitedly ran in circles.

“When you get done saving people, I think it’s time to save these animals,” White said. “All a dog wants to do is give you love, that’s all he wants to do.''

Rick C
www.goldentales.ca