New Orleans to Evacuate as Hurricane Katrina Approaches

[Amelia]

This picture graphically shows why clean water for New Orleans, will be a long time in coming.

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[Jeannieb43]

I heard on the radio today that the Governor (or it may have been the Mayor) had announced that the entire city of New Orleans will have to be evacuated. All the infrastructure has been lost, so even if some houses might still be standing there's no way for people to live there.

[Amelia]

Official: Prisoners Riot, Take Hostages in New Orleans

ABC News

Children Reportedly Among Those Held Captive

- Inmates at a prison in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans have rioted, attempted to escape and are now holding hostages, a prison commissioner told ABC News affiliate WBRZ in Baton Rouge, La.

Orleans Parish Prison Commissioner Oliver Thomas reported the incident to WBRZ.

A deputy at Orleans Parish Prison, his wife and their four children have been taken hostage by rioting prisoners after riding out Hurricane Katrina inside the jail building, according to WBRZ.

Officials are expected to hold a press conference regarding the riots at 9 p.m. ET.

A woman interviewed by WBRZ said her son, a deputy at the prison whose family is among the hostages, told her that many of the prisoners have fashioned homemade weapons. Her son had brought his family there hoping they would be safe during the storm.

[Amelia]

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Pastor James Thomas, left prays with Hurrican Katrina evacuee Calvin Noble at a Dallas shelter, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005. Noble drove in from New Orleans with his wife and four children Wednesday morning. They chose to weather Katrina, then saw everything they owned destroyed, before escaping the city. (AP Photo/ Donna McWilliam)

[Amelia]

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U.S. Navy: fork trucks from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima load stores from the pier to the ship prior to deployment from Naval Station Norfolk, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, in Norfolk, Va. Four Navy ships loaded with supplies _ ranging from food and water to soap and medical supplies _ were preparing to leave Virginia, and they were expected to arrive in the Gulf by the weekend, according to the Navy. (AP Photo/ U.S. Navy, Photographer's Mate 1st Class Gregory A. Roberts)

[Amelia]

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Perry Williams, left, helps a local store owner clean up after his shop was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in Gulfport, Miss., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005. Residents are still without power or running water following the hurricanes landfall on Monday. (AP Photo/Denis Paquin)

[:"green"]Notice how some items are left on the shelves, untouched by the storm. [/]

[Amelia]

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Ali Jalloul delivers unleaded fuel to a Marathon station in Detroit, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005. Gasoline prices already at record levels in Michigan spiked even higher Wednesday in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

[Amelia]

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A USNS Comfort civilian personnel worker stands in the doorway of the hospital ship, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, in Baltimore. The hospital ship is preparing to leave Baltimore and sail south to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

[Amelia]

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All gas prices are over $3 a gallon at a Chevron gas station in San Francisco, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005. Gasoline prices leaped Wednesday as key refineries and pipelines remained out of service following Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

[:"green"]I havent been out yet today. Im afraid to even look at the gas prices anymore. [/]

[Amelia]

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Frank Kaljo, who said he can only afford one gallon of gas, fuels his car at a gas station, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, in Chicago where the top grade was selling for $3.89 per gallon. As the shutdown of supplies from the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico drove energy prices to hew highs, the White House signaled Wednesday it is willing to tap into the nation's oil reserves to help refiners whose supplies were disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

[Gail]

Jerry Rogers told me today that the gas prices had gone up...

It's amazing how fragile economies are, isn't it?

[Amelia]

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School Buses

[Amelia]

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From roadways to waterways

[Amelia]

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[Amelia]

Canada ready to help

By ALLISON DUNFIELD

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Globe and Mail Update with Associated Press

Aid organizations across the United States and in Canada are already receiving donations from people who want to help those devastated by this week's hurricane in the southern United States.

"We want to reassure the president and the people of the United States that we are their best friends and their neighbour, and we will be there to help them in a situation that truly is without parallel in our country or theirs," Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan said Wednesday.

"Yesterday, the Department of Human Health Services in the U.S. contacted our public health agency and asked for an inventory of emergency supplies that, if they need them, we could send at a moment's notice."

That inventory was completed Wednesday.

American officials are still assessing their needs, but in coming days Canada will be prepared to send everything from water purification systems to the Canadian military's Disaster Assistance Response Team.

Asked by reporters about the effect of Katrina on the Canadian economy — higher oil prices expected as a result of supply disruptions — Ms. McLellan acknowledged there could be an impact but stressed she wants to focus on the human tragedy of the disaster at this moment.

Prime Minister Paul Martin was set to speak by phone Thursday with U.S. President George W. Bush about what Canada can do to help the reconstruction effort.

Elsewhere in Canada, Ontario is looking into whether its medical and hydro workers can help, and Premier Dalton McGuinty spoke to the U.S. ambassador to Canada asking what the province can do.

"We stand at the ready to assist," said Mr. McGuinty, who added Ontario could help with its Emergency Medical Assistance Team.

Relief efforts by Canadians in disaster zones are largely organized in Ottawa, but Mr. McGuinty said he wants to know from Ambassador David Wilkins what specifically Ontario can do.

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer said officials with Manitoba Hydro have also offered to send staff to the affected areas to help restore power.

The effort is the American Red Cross's "largest-ever mobilization of resources for a single disaster," it said.

Hurricane Katrina came ashore Monday between New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., inundating large areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. As of Wednesday, at least 110 people were confirmed dead, and thousands of others were stranded in emergency shelters.

As of Wednesday, the American Red Cross had raised $21-million (U.S.), which is comparable to the response for last year's victims of the Asian tsunami.

"The outpouring of support has been amazing," said Kara Bunte, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross, which has set up hundreds of shelters for hurricane victims.

The American Red Cross said nearly $15-million had come from their website. The organization has set up a phone line to accept donations, along with Web contributions. However, on Wednesday it had been inundated with users and was difficult to access.

The number of Hurricane Katrina victims in Red Cross shelters is up to 45,000 and growing, the rescue organization reported Wednesday.

Some 250 shelters were open in the storm damaged area and the Red Cross had set up 15 emergency kitchens capable of feeding 350,000 people, another spokeswoman, Deborah Daley said.

The Canadian Red Cross is also accepting donations for hurricane relief. "[The organization] has received hundreds of call from Canadians wanting to help the people impacted by this disaster and will accept funds designated for Hurricane Katrina," said Don Shropshire, the national director for disaster services at the Canadian Red Cross.

Highly trained Canadian disaster response volunteers are currently being readied to be sent to the devastated areas, the Red Cross said.

However, the Canadian Red Cross warned people not to send donations of food or clothing for victims of Katrina, saying the cost of shipping such items to the devastated areas is prohibitive.

On its website, the U.S. Salvation Army was asking for a $100 donation, saying that will help to feed a family of four for two days, along with providing drinking water and a household cleaning kit. It was also asking for volunteers, donations of equipment and for people to pray for victims of the storm.

Jim Ferguson, territorial emergency disasters services director for the Canadian Salvation Army, told globeandmail.com that he is waiting for the call for trained officers to be sent down to the southern United States to help out.

However, Mr. Ferguson noted that the reconstruction effort will take months or even years, so he expects that Canadian Salvation Army workers won't be called in until U.S. workers need to be relieved.

"Due to the enormity and length of time [for recovery efforts] they'll need replacements," he said. Canada has 4-5,000 trained officers who could be sent, he said.

Although the Canadian Salvation Army has received calls about donations, it is not actively seeking funds, Mr. Ferguson said, because it does not have a fund earmarked for hurricane victims. However, it is still accepting donations.

As well, he said, there may be more than enough donations pouring in from American donors.

"Money tends not to be a problem for our organization [regarding] disaster relief. People are very generous."

Like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army is asking people not to donate gifts-in-kind because there are no warehouses available for storage in the devastated areas.

Other groups in the United States with phone lines set up for those wanting to help included Catholic Charities USA and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

In Crawford, Tex., White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters that the U.S. administration has been putting together an aid package to help people deal with the aftermath of Katrina.

"I know that there is discussion that is ongoing on that," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. "And, certainly, I would expect a supplemental is something that is going to be needed in a situation like this."

Mr. McClellan said it was likely that the cost would be so high it would require a supplemental budget request.

As well, the U. S. administration said it is still working out a dollar figure on the disaster and thus won't be able to begin doling out aid on a relief fund until then.

In Canada, Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan said Ottawa has contacted U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and advised him that Ottawa stands ready to provide assistance if needed. She scheduled a news conference for Wednesday. That could mean sending emergency medical supplies and equipment to hospitals in the midst of the disaster.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Paul Martin offered Canada's condolences and said he had put Ms. McLellan in charge of Canada's disaster assistance response.

" I know that she and a number of her Cabinet colleagues have been in touch with their American counterparts and have begun to determine what assistance Canada can offer. We have made it clear that we are prepared to offer any and all possible assistance, and we will continue to work closely with our neighbours as they deal with this terrible event."

The Prime Minister had been criticized by the Conservatives for not speaking up on Canada's behalf sooner.

"Americans need to know that we support them and will assist them in any way. It's imperative that our Prime Minister relays this message directly to [u.S.] President [George W.] Bush," said foreign affairs critic Stockwell Day.

On Wednesday, several provinces, including Ontario and Manitoba, also offered their assistance.

Canadians are being warned not to travel to the affected areas in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. No Canadians have been reported to have died in the hurricane. Those who may have missing friends or relatives are being asked to call Foreign Affairs at 1-800-267-6788, or in Ottawa at (613) 944-6788.

[Amelia]

World responds to Katrina with compassion — mostly

8/31/2005

USA Today

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — From papal prayers to telegrams from China, the world reacted with an outpouring of compassion Wednesday for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in messages tinged by shock that a disaster of this scale could occur in the United States.

Islamic extremists rejoiced in America's misfortune, giving the storm a military rank and declaring in Internet chatter that "Private" Katrina had joined the global jihad, or holy war. With "God's help," they declared, oil prices would hit $100 a barrel this year.

Venezuela's government, which has had tense relations with Washington, offered humanitarian aid and fuel if requested.

The storm was seen as an equalizer — proof that any country, weak or strong, can be victimized by a natural disaster. Images of flood-ravaged New Orleans earned particular sympathy in central Europe, where dozens died in raging floodwaters only days ago. (Related story: Tsunami zone sympathizes)

"Nature proved that no matter how rich and economically developed you are, you can't fight it," says Danut Afasei, a local official in Romania's Harghita county, where flooding killed 13 people last week.

Throughout Europe, concerned citizens lamented the loss of life and the damage caused to New Orleans, often described as one of North America's most "European" cities.

French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent messages of sympathy to President Bush. Chirac, who has famously quarreled with Bush over the Iraq war, addressed this letter, "Dear George."

Pope Benedict XVI said he was praying for victims of the "tragic" hurricane while China's President Hu Jintao expressed his "belief that that the American people will definitely overcome the natural disaster and rebuild their beautiful homeland." (Related story: Pope prays for victims, rescuers)

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II also sent a message to Bush saying she was "deeply shocked and saddened" at the devastation caused by the hurricane and expressing her condolences, "especially to the families of those who have lost their lives, to the injured and to all who have been affected by this terrible disaster."

The U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland — a capital at the foot of the Alps hit by flooding last week — said calls were rushing in from Swiss individuals and institutions looking for a way to donate to relief efforts.

"We are getting calls from the Swiss public looking to express their condolences, (and) people are also asking for an account number where they can make donations," said spokesman Daniel Wendell.

The Internet-edition Vienna daily Der Standard had recorded 820 postings commenting on a front-page story on the hurricane. In one of the postings, signature "Emerald" asked where money could be donated to the victims, but the question sparked a debate about whether a rich country like the United States needed such aid.

In response, one posting, from signature "far out," argued that hurricane victims who are poor still needed support.

Amid the sympathy, however, there was criticism.

As U.S. military engineers struggled to shore up breached levees, experts in the Netherlands expressed surprise that New Orleans' flood systems failed to restrain the raging waters.

With half of the country's population of 16 million living below sea level, the Netherlands prepared for a "perfect storm" soon after floods in 1953 killed 2,000 people. The nation installed massive hydraulic sea walls.

"I don't want to sound overly critical, but it's hard to imagine that (the damage caused by Katrina) could happen in a Western country," said Ted Sluijter, spokesman for the park where the sea walls are exhibited. "It seemed like plans for protection and evacuation weren't really in place, and once it happened, the coordination was on loose hinges."

The sympathy was muted in some corners by a sense that the United States reaped what it sowed, since the country is seen as the main contributor to global warming.

Joern Ehlers, a spokesman for World Wildlife Fund Germany, said global warming had increased the intensity of hurricanes.

"The Americans have a big impact on the greenhouse effect," Ehlers said. (Related story: Scientists: Global warming pumps up storms)

But Harlan L. Watson, the U.S. envoy for negotiations on climate change, denied any link between global warming and the strength of storms.

"Our scientists are telling us right now that there's not a linkage," he said in Geneva. "I'll rely on their information."