Katrina, a disaster with far reaching effects

[Green Hulk]

Here I sit in Morgan City, just 90 miles west of Lake New Orleans. We lucked out with just minor wind damage as we only saw the outer bands of Katrina.

As you all know, our friends in New Orleans, South East Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were not so lucky. Hundreds of thousands of people displaced. Nowhere to return home to. If they are lucky enough to have a home to return to after the water subsides they surely won't have a place to work any longer. It's a sad situation.

I went to work this morning business as usual with the exception that our phone lines are out as well as my cell phone. I noticed more traffic than usual on the way to work this morning. The gas station line looked exceptionally long. I didn't give it a second thought. I go to work and am bored out of my mind as the phones arent ringing, no orders coming in. It doesn't take long for customers to walk in, except they weren't cusomers, they were New Orleans refugees looking for work. Willing to do anything to earn some money to buy food for their familys. It's crazy!
I leave for my lunch break and decide to stop at the gas station to fill up my truck. Forget it, the line is backed down the street and they have plastic bags over the pump nozzles. OUT OF GAS! So i continue on to my grocery store to pick up a loaf of bread so I can make a sandwich for lunch and it is packed with strangers and they HAVE NO BREAD!! I'm like WTF? I take a look around and there isn't much of anything else either. A clerk told me that a combination of not being able to get goods as most of it came out of New Orleans and the refugees buying up anything they can to survive has left the shelves bare. It's at that second that I realize that Katrina will have far reaching effects. When you drive around my town you can see refugees parked under the bridge and any other shady spot they can find to camp out. I guess they are waiting to be allowed back into New Orleans, but i guess they don't know that it will be a month, or more before they will be allowed back in.

My heart goes out to these people. This is just unreal. It humbles me and makes me grateful that I have my health, my family and a roof over my head with cold air conditioning blowing on my ass.

[Franko]

Indeed Hulk, it is a time for some introspection. Those of us in safe areas should give thanks for what we have, and what we have not lost. It makes me a little ashamed that some PWC owners on other boards argue about gas prices, who is politically to blame and other trivial matters when some have lost everything. I would venture a guess that those who lost everyting do not care one wit whether I am paying $3, $4, $5 or $10 per gallon or whether the Reps or the Dems are more to blame. They just want their lives, families and homes back. It reminds me of the adage "I used to complain that I had no shoes until I met a man that had no feet."

[Shibby1485]

Well said Franko.... i can't experience the sorrow as i'm up in NY but watching on TV really crushes the heart a little bit. that was my exact phrase on another board... i dunt care if it costs me an extra 10, 20, 30 bucks per tank of gas, those people have NOTHING left.... and that is such a horrible feeling being away from a "home" that no longer even exists.

don't get me wrong gas is out of control and i hope it's for legitimate reasons and not just bastards trying to make money off us in this hectic situation... but lives, health, families, and well-being are far more important at this point in the recovery.

[11]

Well I am amazed and horrified by what hit New Orleans, I was there on vacation a few years ago and loved the "Big Easy", seeing this place turned into such a mayhem sure hurts.

I have been following these events and I am speechless, probably because I was raised in a country that isn't ground for any type of major disaster.

[Kaybat]

I can't believe this man......I'm in S Fla(hurr alley)and when we get hit,it's a day or 2 of water.......sent money to red cross...what the hell else do ya do??(i also sent a prayer to the gulf)....I'm outa ideas ...maybe nextime somethig like this happens,get us/AWA involved?? Just throwing stuff out there.....

[Green Hulk]

A friend of mine here from Morgan City is with the St. Mary Parish Sherrif's dept. They organized a group of 100 volunteers with boats to go into New Orleans to help with rescue. They pulled out yesterday because they feared for their lives.

Some people would pretend to be drowning, or in distress only to mug the boat once they came in to rescue. They were stripped of all their food and water and in a couple of instances they even took the boat.
The looters are shooting at the helicopters too
My friend said one group of people were drinking beer and eating pizza and refused to be rescued.

They said bodies are floating everywhere. It is utter hell in New Orleans right now.

[way2fast]

When Fl got creamed by 3 hurricanes last year it woke up a lot of sleepers, myself included. The damage most of us here sustained was bad, but it was nothing compared to what Katrina inflicted on the Gulf states. I feel for those poor souls. Now I find myself glued to the TV news and weather looking for any other storms that might be brewing. I live about 200 feet from the beach and 6 months of the year, during hurricane season, I'm a nervous wreck. It is only a matter of time until we get hit with a storm of this magnitude. I'm thinking of moving inland, possibly to Tennessee. I hear they have some nice lakes there. Have to get away from the coast.

Richard

[peter]

hey whats up guys i just got power up today since last thursday 7 days and 6 nights at 94 degrees and high humidity when katrina hit miami i was bitching and complaning every day without power until i saw what she did up in the gulf states ,it is heart breaking what you see on tv so imagine what they dont want the world to see , i wish them the best

[way2fast]

A friend of mine here from Morgan City is with the St. Mary Parish Sherrif's dept. They organized a group of 100 volunteers with boats to go into New Orleans to help with rescue. They pulled out yesterday because they feared for their lives.

Some people would pretend to be drowning, or in distress only to mug the boat once they came in to rescue. They were stripped of all their food and water and in a couple of instances they even took the boat.
The looters are shooting at the helicopters too
My friend said one group of people were drinking beer and eating pizza and refused to be rescued.

They said bodies are floating everywhere. It is utter hell in New Orleans right now.

YOU CAN TAKE THE MONKEYS OUT OF THE JUNGLE BUT YOU CAN NOT TAKE THE JUNGLE OUT OF THE MONKEYS !!!

Richard