Katrina and New Orleans

Things continue to be desperate in New Orleans. I have been monitoring many of the e-mails from my High School Class in New Orleans.

Please read the following Yahoo News Item: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050902/ts_nm/weather_katrina_wrap_dc

Pray for the people there. Desperate circumstances bring out both the best and worst in all of us. There is a deep abiding anger by the many people who have not received help. Pray that help will come quickly.

A friend forwarded the following letter. Read it. It will give you a feel for what is going on by people participating in the rescue operations. Pray for them as well.

Pray for the National Guard and the rescue workers . The letter sent to me reads as follows:

"Little did I know what I would be doing following Hurricane Katrina's>aftermath but as I type right now, there won't be a more gratifying or>more surreal experience I went through tonight. We went up to the office>today and held a press conference regarding the postponement of the game>and it was the right decision. As the PMAC and Field House are being used>as shelters we decided as an office to do everything we could to help the>situation.>At first, we were just supposed to make copies of this disaster relief>form for all of the people. The copiers will never print a document more>important than that. It's weird. Nearly 12 hours ago we were running off>copies of game notes for a football game that is now meaningless. We>printed the copies and carried them over to the Field House at 6:30 p.m. I>wouldn't leave the area for another 8 hours.>On the way back to the PMAC in a cart, it looked like the scene in the>movie Outbreak. FEMA officials, U.S. Marshalls, National Guard, and of>course the survivors. Black Hawks were carrying in victims who were>stranded on roofs. Buses rolled in from N.O. with other survivors. As>Michael and I rode back to the PMAC, a lady fell out of her wheelchair and>we scrambled to help her up.>We met Coach Miles and Coach Moffiit in the PMAC to see all the survivors>and it was the view of a hospital. Stretchers rolled in constantly and for>the first time in my life I saw someone die right in front of me. A man>rolled in from New Orleans and was badly injured on his head. 5 minutes>later he was dead. And that was the scene all night. What did we do, we>started hauling in supplies. And thousands of boxes of supplies. The CDC>from Atlanta arrived directing us what to do.>One of the U.S. Marshalls was on hand so the supplies could not become>loot. I asked him what his primary job was. He serves on the committee of>counter terrorism, but once he saw of the disaster, he donated his forces>to come help. He said the death toll could be nearing 10,000. It was>sickening to hear that.>After unloading supplies, I started putting together baby cribs and then>IV poles. Several of our fball players and Big Baby and Tasmin Mitchell>helped us. At the same time, families and people strolled in. Mothers were>giving berth in the locker rooms. The auxiliary gym "Dungeon" was being>used as a morgue. I couldn't take myself down there to see it.>I worked from 8 pm until 2:45 am. Before I left three more buses rolled in>and they were almost out of room. People were standing outside, the lowest>of the low from NO. The smells, the sights were hard to take.>A man lying down on a cot asked me to come see him. He said,"I just need>someone to talk to, to tell my story because I have nobody and nothing>left. He turned out to be a retired military veteran. His story was what>everybody was saying. He thought he survived the worst, woke up this>morning and the levees broke. Within minutes water rushed into his house.>He climbed to the attic, smashed his way through the roof and sat there>for hours. He was completely sunburned and exhausted. Nearly 12 hours>later a chopper rescued him and here he was.>We finished the night hauling boxes of body bags and more were on the way.>As we left, a man was strolled in on a stretcher and scarily enough he>suffered gunshots. The paramedic said he was shot several times because a>looter or a convict needed his boat and he wouldn't give it to him.>Another man with him said it was "an uncivilized society no better than>Iraq down there right now." A few minutes later he was unconcious and>later pronounced dead. I then left as they were strolling a 3 year old kid>in on a stretcher. I couldn't take it anymore.>That was the scene at the PMAC and it gives me a new perspective on>things. For those of you who I haven't been able to get in touch>because of phone service, I pray you are safe. Send me an email to let me know. God bless.>Bill Martin>LSU Sports Information"

H.D.