[Scan-DC] Observations from the hurricane zone

[Rapbep at aol.com]

All,
 
Saw this on another list and thought I'd send it on. Paints a grim picture  
of the reality of the situation in the Gulf.
 
RON
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD (NEAR BWI)

Here's what was sent out:
 
Lifelong friend Steve, career mil aviator, called last night from Jackson,  
MS. Back briefly, today returns to MS NG staging area Gulfport Airport. In air  
since Tuesday. No gas anywhere, Jackson included. No power south of Jackson, 
his  just on. No civilization from coast to thirty miles inland. Wires gone, 
water  out, landlines silent, some cell stuff 'surprisingly works', easier to 
call out  then in. Flown in/around Iraq, numerous war zones, disaster ops, 
never seen  anything like this. "The real deal." "Hellhole." "Huge infrastructure 
failure."  'Magnitude of problem beyond tv pictures...can't truck in water 
until 'roads'  cleared. Roads solid walls of debris, u.s.w.."

Gulfport NG tdy facility 600 men on cots, one portajohn, no  provisions, 
'week to typhus'. Alternately flying Gov. Barbour over area and fire  suppression. 
Barbour knows goals, no use for presskys. Steve's helo photographed  by tv 
crew while fighting fire Long Beach, MS. Unable to work local FD by radio  
despite 'new 800' funked radios. Flew to Gulf, filled bucket, flew back to fire,  
dump bucket, repeated until fire knocked down. FD & Steve communicated via  
lo-tech, reliable hand 'wave off'. 
 
Innovative, hi-tech, best thing since fitted sheets, u.s.w.  800 meg  radios 
'enabling everyone to talk to everyone worthless, first to fail'. 4960U  
working fine along w/VHF Lo & V/UHF. 

Many shots fired  at helos,  media silence/downplay notwithstanding. CG & NG 
fly in  pairs, one rescues/fights fires, other provides cover. Helo parts shot 
off.  Stopped evac at superdome as gangbangas firing at helos. Pilots operate 
120 sec  max in LZ: less time in sights, lower shootdown risk. Miraculous if 
flying only  one week, as predicted. More like month++.

Airlines aside, mil av  fuel scarce. 90's chickens home to roost compounding 
leadership failures in LA  & elsewhere. MS recovery sooner than LA, despite 
total destruction of 50  miles of coast to 5+ blocks  inland.