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lauraanne_gilmanForwarded with permission, to give y'all an idea of what's going on...
I’m in a cafeteria of a local elementary school awaiting the buses that will take our group to Louisiana.
We have just been briefed about the job ahead of us.
A complete mandatory evacuation of New Orleans has been ordered, but with more than 15 percent of the population having no transportation (they rely on public trans) there are thousands of people who will be staying in the city. The football stadium is being opened as a “refuge of last resort”(along with nine other sites) for those who have no where else to go, and as always in a situation like this, there are those people who feel they can “ride out the storm.”
Those are the people who we are going to LA to search for and rescue when the storm has passes, if it’s possible.
Sustained winds are expected to be at approximately 165 mph when the storms hits with gust to 190. It was explained to us that only 7 percent of the structures in New Orleans can withstand that wind velocity.
The city, which sits below sea-level, is expected to be under upwards of 15 feet of water when all is said and done. The surge itself is estimated to be at greater than 20 feet. The levee system is expected to break down even before the eye passes over the city.
Any shift off the storm’s track won’t help either. If landfall is to the west of New Orleans, the winds may not be so high (but what’s the difference really between 140 and 160? They’re both going to cause catastrophic damage), but the rain and flooding will be worse, as the right upper quadrant of any storm carries the most water. If landfall is to the East, well, that’s a better scenario, but just minimally and the chances of that happening anyway are slim.
The people I’m with are very quiet right now. We’ve just been given the number of lives that emergency ops is expecting to lose in this storm. The press is saying that tens of thousands of lives could be lost, but we’ve been told to expect in the area of 3000 to 9000 dead or missing.
The risks to these rescue personnel are enormous; anytime you go into an unknown situation there are risks; when you go into something knowing what the risks are, it’s a little safer but still very scary. As I watched families of these brave people say their good-byes, they did it with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces that we know are just there for encouragement.
We will travel throughout the night and stage as close as we can to the city with emergency ops watching the storm reports from the National Hurricane Center and making the determination about how far we go and when we move in for real.
Our group is mostly paramedics and firefighters. These people were trained to save lives. The group going with us is strictly search and recovery. They were trained to hunt out and find the dead. Everyone here is praying (whether they believe or not) that our group is needed more.
I’ll keep you posted when I can and send stories and updates as it’s possible.
Good morning, friend. A nearly twelve hour trip has found us close to the Mississippi / Louisiana border. The winds and rain here are already very intense with the eye of this storm still four or more hours away from passing as close to New Orleans as it is now projected to get. We first started seeing rain as we approached Tallahassee and we’ve been it for virtually all of the trip through the Florida Panhandle. The word I that the eye made land fall over an island chain just south of LA already, will be back over water for a little while and will pass just to the east of The Big Easy. Our two crews are definitely in a dangerous area but we’re right where we need to be to get dispatched quickly when the time arrives.
The trip here was mostly quiet, those people able to sleep doing so overnight, while the chance still presents itself. There probably won’t be too much time for that once mid-day arrives. Some people are communicating with family and friends, much like I am doing with you. There is all kinds of electronic and battery operated equipment that allows this to happen. I’m using my laptop now, but when I can’t, there will still be other ways to send a quick note.
In addition to the electronics on board with us, the bus is also carrying a variety of medical and rescue equipment. We have everything from your standard ambulance equipment (IV supplies, intubation kits, diabetic necessities), to inflatable rafts for navigating the expected waters in New Orleans, to bottled water, food, blankets and the like. We also have a supply of Haz Mat type suits and a variety of other special clothing to keep us dry. There is a fear in New Orleans that if the Levee system breaks, the town will not only be flooded but it will be flooded with toxins from every place imaginable…the oil refineries, the sewage treatment plants, and even chemicals from individual homes… the kitchen cleaner under your sink, the bleach in your laundry room, the ammonia in the bathroom. Some of the rescuers have brought small “good luck” charms from home. I just have my cane. I brought the one you suggested I name Anjo; it’s the only one I even considered bringing.
Where we are, local police, ambulance, and fire units stopped responding to 911 calls about an hour ago. Once the sustained wind reaches a certain speed, it isn’t safe for the vehicles to be on the road. We have already heard from an officer who said that he and several of his units were out as little as three hours ago picking up people who called 911 saying that as the winds and rain picked up they changed their minds and wanted to evacuate. For hours, the police and fire crews were responding to these calls and moving people to the emergency shelters. Now it’s too late. If you chose to stay behind, you are completely on your own. There is no way to help those people until after the sustained winds die down; where we are, that isn’t expected for more than seven hours.
Our information tells us that there are more than 33,000 people in the Super Dome in New Orleans. That alone is very, very scary. The structure has only been testing to withstand winds of 135 miles per hour, and although Katrina has been “down-graded” to a Cat 4 from a Cat 5 (anyone who is comforted by this should think again --- it’s all the same when you’re talking winds of greater than 140 mph), the winds may be stronger than 135 sustained with gust closer to 180 and 190. There is a very real possibility that parts of the Super Dome may not make it through the storm.
Another situation that rescuers face is the many hotels around New Orleans that are filled to capacity. When the flood waters begin to rise (and they will, there’s no question), we expected to see people move from the lower floors to the higher floors in search of a safe --- of not dry --- place. If the city ends up below even twenty feet of water, that’s more than two stories of a structure that cannot be inhabited.
Other things we’ve been briefed on include the many “creatures” that may make their way into the city. With a broken levee system and with the Mississippi River making a new home in the city itself, people may be dealing with snakes, sea life, and alligators for quite some time to come. There is a special unit coming from Texas with nothing but anti-venom for the different types of snake bites that we could see in the area. We’ve also been warned about the possibility that grave yards in the area may become unearthed with all the water.
It’s a lot to think about, a lot to absorb. There’s a lot of time to think right now, as all we’re doing is sitting and waiting and taking in as much information as we can. We try very hard not to depend on the press for our information, as the people running this operation have come to understand that the press doesn’t always get it right. Additionally, it seems that there is more of an entertainment element to the press these days; people watch more for the suspense of what’s going to happen next than for the facts of what has really happened. Our information comes from the National Hurricane Center, the Emergency Operations Centers, from FEMA and the Red Cross, and from the local police station and firehouses.
I’ll try to write again when we actually get dispatched and I know where we’re going. Take care, my friend.
I’m in a cafeteria of a local elementary school awaiting the buses that will take our group to Louisiana.
We have just been briefed about the job ahead of us.
A complete mandatory evacuation of New Orleans has been ordered, but with more than 15 percent of the population having no transportation (they rely on public trans) there are thousands of people who will be staying in the city. The football stadium is being opened as a “refuge of last resort”(along with nine other sites) for those who have no where else to go, and as always in a situation like this, there are those people who feel they can “ride out the storm.”
Those are the people who we are going to LA to search for and rescue when the storm has passes, if it’s possible.
Sustained winds are expected to be at approximately 165 mph when the storms hits with gust to 190. It was explained to us that only 7 percent of the structures in New Orleans can withstand that wind velocity.
The city, which sits below sea-level, is expected to be under upwards of 15 feet of water when all is said and done. The surge itself is estimated to be at greater than 20 feet. The levee system is expected to break down even before the eye passes over the city.
Any shift off the storm’s track won’t help either. If landfall is to the west of New Orleans, the winds may not be so high (but what’s the difference really between 140 and 160? They’re both going to cause catastrophic damage), but the rain and flooding will be worse, as the right upper quadrant of any storm carries the most water. If landfall is to the East, well, that’s a better scenario, but just minimally and the chances of that happening anyway are slim.
The people I’m with are very quiet right now. We’ve just been given the number of lives that emergency ops is expecting to lose in this storm. The press is saying that tens of thousands of lives could be lost, but we’ve been told to expect in the area of 3000 to 9000 dead or missing.
The risks to these rescue personnel are enormous; anytime you go into an unknown situation there are risks; when you go into something knowing what the risks are, it’s a little safer but still very scary. As I watched families of these brave people say their good-byes, they did it with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces that we know are just there for encouragement.
We will travel throughout the night and stage as close as we can to the city with emergency ops watching the storm reports from the National Hurricane Center and making the determination about how far we go and when we move in for real.
Our group is mostly paramedics and firefighters. These people were trained to save lives. The group going with us is strictly search and recovery. They were trained to hunt out and find the dead. Everyone here is praying (whether they believe or not) that our group is needed more.
I’ll keep you posted when I can and send stories and updates as it’s possible.
Good morning, friend. A nearly twelve hour trip has found us close to the Mississippi / Louisiana border. The winds and rain here are already very intense with the eye of this storm still four or more hours away from passing as close to New Orleans as it is now projected to get. We first started seeing rain as we approached Tallahassee and we’ve been it for virtually all of the trip through the Florida Panhandle. The word I that the eye made land fall over an island chain just south of LA already, will be back over water for a little while and will pass just to the east of The Big Easy. Our two crews are definitely in a dangerous area but we’re right where we need to be to get dispatched quickly when the time arrives.
The trip here was mostly quiet, those people able to sleep doing so overnight, while the chance still presents itself. There probably won’t be too much time for that once mid-day arrives. Some people are communicating with family and friends, much like I am doing with you. There is all kinds of electronic and battery operated equipment that allows this to happen. I’m using my laptop now, but when I can’t, there will still be other ways to send a quick note.
In addition to the electronics on board with us, the bus is also carrying a variety of medical and rescue equipment. We have everything from your standard ambulance equipment (IV supplies, intubation kits, diabetic necessities), to inflatable rafts for navigating the expected waters in New Orleans, to bottled water, food, blankets and the like. We also have a supply of Haz Mat type suits and a variety of other special clothing to keep us dry. There is a fear in New Orleans that if the Levee system breaks, the town will not only be flooded but it will be flooded with toxins from every place imaginable…the oil refineries, the sewage treatment plants, and even chemicals from individual homes… the kitchen cleaner under your sink, the bleach in your laundry room, the ammonia in the bathroom. Some of the rescuers have brought small “good luck” charms from home. I just have my cane. I brought the one you suggested I name Anjo; it’s the only one I even considered bringing.
Where we are, local police, ambulance, and fire units stopped responding to 911 calls about an hour ago. Once the sustained wind reaches a certain speed, it isn’t safe for the vehicles to be on the road. We have already heard from an officer who said that he and several of his units were out as little as three hours ago picking up people who called 911 saying that as the winds and rain picked up they changed their minds and wanted to evacuate. For hours, the police and fire crews were responding to these calls and moving people to the emergency shelters. Now it’s too late. If you chose to stay behind, you are completely on your own. There is no way to help those people until after the sustained winds die down; where we are, that isn’t expected for more than seven hours.
Our information tells us that there are more than 33,000 people in the Super Dome in New Orleans. That alone is very, very scary. The structure has only been testing to withstand winds of 135 miles per hour, and although Katrina has been “down-graded” to a Cat 4 from a Cat 5 (anyone who is comforted by this should think again --- it’s all the same when you’re talking winds of greater than 140 mph), the winds may be stronger than 135 sustained with gust closer to 180 and 190. There is a very real possibility that parts of the Super Dome may not make it through the storm.
Another situation that rescuers face is the many hotels around New Orleans that are filled to capacity. When the flood waters begin to rise (and they will, there’s no question), we expected to see people move from the lower floors to the higher floors in search of a safe --- of not dry --- place. If the city ends up below even twenty feet of water, that’s more than two stories of a structure that cannot be inhabited.
Other things we’ve been briefed on include the many “creatures” that may make their way into the city. With a broken levee system and with the Mississippi River making a new home in the city itself, people may be dealing with snakes, sea life, and alligators for quite some time to come. There is a special unit coming from Texas with nothing but anti-venom for the different types of snake bites that we could see in the area. We’ve also been warned about the possibility that grave yards in the area may become unearthed with all the water.
It’s a lot to think about, a lot to absorb. There’s a lot of time to think right now, as all we’re doing is sitting and waiting and taking in as much information as we can. We try very hard not to depend on the press for our information, as the people running this operation have come to understand that the press doesn’t always get it right. Additionally, it seems that there is more of an entertainment element to the press these days; people watch more for the suspense of what’s going to happen next than for the facts of what has really happened. Our information comes from the National Hurricane Center, the Emergency Operations Centers, from FEMA and the Red Cross, and from the local police station and firehouses.
I’ll try to write again when we actually get dispatched and I know where we’re going. Take care, my friend.
