Sept 5th, 2005
3:32 P.M. Ben Morris, Slidell mayor: We are still hampered by some of the most stupid, idiotic regulations by FEMA. They have turned away generators, we've heard that they've gone around seizing equipment from our contractors. If they do so, they'd better be armed because I'll be damned if I'm going to let them deprive our citizens. I'm pissed off, and tired of this horse$#@@."
2:24 P.M. - (AP) Some 400 to 500 police officers from New Orleans' 1,600 member force were unaccounted for, Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley said.
Reinforcements for police arrive from around the country, allowing a rest for emergency workers who have been working nearly nonstop since before the storm hit.
10:12: A.M. - Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard: I'm not surprised at what the feds say, they're covering their butts. They're keeping the body counts down because they don't want to horrify the nation. It's worse than Iraq, worse than 9-11. They just don't want to know how many were murdered by bureaucracy.
10:10 A.M. - Broussard: I know what the body count is so far, but I won't horrify the nation.
Mayor: Katrina death toll may hit 10,000
15 comments:
From "Army Times" 9/2/05
Numerous soldiers also told Army Times that they have been shot at by armed civilians in New Orleans. Spokesmen for the Joint Task Force Headquarters at the Superdome were unaware of any servicemen being wounded in the streets, although one soldier is recovering from a gunshot wound sustained during a struggle with a civilian in the dome Wednesday night.
“I never thought that at a National Guardsman I would be shot at by other Americans,” said Spc. Philip Baccus of the 527th Engineer Battalion. “And I never thought I’d have to carry a rifle when on a hurricane relief mission. This is a disgrace.”
Spc. Cliff Ferguson of the 527th Engineer Battalion pointed out that he knows there are plenty of decent people in New Orleans, but he said it is hard to stay motivated considering the circumstances.
“This is making a lot of us think about not reenlisting.” Ferguson said. “You have to think about whether it is worth risking your neck for someone who will turn around and shoot at you. We didn’t come here to fight a war. We came here to help.”
OMG! I just can't believe how this has all played out. I've been reading your posts and it just seems to get worse. This morning on the news they had a segment about a guy who had painted on his roof that he had diabetes and needed medical attention. He died, of course, he did not get the medicine he required.
Sherri, I have been in constant contact with family and friends in Louisiana. The situation is worse than our federal government officials are telling us.
My sense from my many friends outside of Louisiana, is no one truly understands the level of damage, both human and property.
Hardened miltary men who have followed the events on TV and are now on site have told reporters that unless you see it first-hand, you cannot understand what has occured here.
I don't know how to impress upon folks that our country has lost a major American city. New Orleans is a dead city. It will come back, but right now, a major American city, for all intents and purposes, does not exist. Around 1 million American citizens in Louisiana and Mississippi are displaced. The death toll will eclipsed 10,000 with somewhere between 1000 to 2000 coming from Mississippi--maybe more. I think we will see somewhere between 8,000 and 15,000 dead in Louisiana. No one really knows right now.
Why couldn't the DANG national guard be in our dang nation!? frick...
BA~~4
I've been watching this on tv CONSTANTLY since it happened ... virtally every waking hour.
While there is no way I can KNOW how bad it is ... I CAN extrapolate! That the government is so BLIND I canNOT fathom. That FEMA is acting so CRIMINALLY is beyond belief. What IS the reasons for depriving people of communication, diesel fuel and generators? For insisting people stay in their flooded homes and not allowing them to leave to go somewhere to get food and water?
These are ALL reports I've heard about FEMA. I'm not sure which is the bigger disaster ... the damage done by Katrina or the disaster being done by FEMA and the government. Its inconceivable. Whatever happened to 'the buck stops here' philosphy first espoused by another President ... Harry Truman (at least I think it was him). Bush just thinks the buck should be passed to someone else who in turn passes it on to yet someone else who passes it on.
HORRIFIC!!!
BA~~36
I wondered when they would release the actual count. It is horrifying but we as a public have a right to know. How could there not be that many, plus many more who haven't been recovered yet.
It is beyond sickening to see what's happening down there with killing others. Hasn't there been enough?!
Karen, it will be weeks or even months before anyone knows the official number. Many perished in their attics and until a house by house search can happen--keep in mind, the city is still under water--it's impossible to know.
I believe the state has a couple thousand in temporary morgues set up south of Baton Rouge and in other remote locations. How many are in refrigerated trucks is anyone's guess.
I genuinely feel for the people who are down there. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through. No food, nowhere to go, people shooting at each other. It's hard for me to believe this is happening in my own country.
I'd like to ask a favor;
Please dont forget the feelings you've had over the last few days.
As this disaster goes on, and on and on over the coming years-we as humans will start to become very numb to the story. Something else will happen in the world to grab the attention of the media and then people will start to distance this story from their minds. Why wouldnt we? Its terrible.
I just ask that for everyone's sake-The best way to help those victims of this disaster is to not forget them again.
Thanks.
I've said this before and I'm saying it again: The way the whole situation was handled is nothing short of a national disgrace. Absolutely EVERYONE dropped the ball on this one. Not only that, most of them are trying to say that they didn't even know there was a ball to drop in the first place!! What a bunch of imbeciles. I've even read comments on other blogs about how much better we'll get at handling natural disasters as time goes on. EXCUSE ME???? We handle natural disasters all the time! Even HURRICANES! And we handle them a lot better than this one! Now I've heard a rumor (don't know if it's true) that the curruent director of FEMA has absolutely no experience in disaster management. If it's true, it would explain A LOT.
It just keeps getting worse instead of better
Yes Ananke-His previous job before FEMA was as head of an Arabian Horse association from which he was asked to leave.
I can tell you that the response we got last year here in FL for the 3 hurricanes we went thru was better. Of course it was a smaller scale-no flooding, and it was an election year and Jeb Bush is the governor...
It's really sad...in the hands of mother nature, humans can be really helpless even if they r very much prepared.
Shows that nothing material is indestructible and only human courage and strength remains...
Keshi.
I'm really sorry this is happening, it's just so sad. I read today about women being attacked, people being shot at. One can't even imagine how most of these people are feeling.
Leigh, the stories coming out are too horrific to post here. I'm still in shock that this is happening to a major American city and happening to my former home and happening just 500 miles from where I live now.
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