[TheForge] RE: OFF TOPIC - Hurricane

[Washington, Aubrey O.]

My brother lives in Kenner, La, a suburb of New Orleans.  He and his wife evacuated before the storm.  But he works for the La. Dept. of Health and Hospitals, so he was called back to work two days ago to help with the relief effort.  He has been stationed at the N.O. airport (which is actually in Kenner) and is leading a team of mental health professionals who are dealing with stress reactions and other mental health emergencies among victims and rescue workers.  I have talked to him several times and he confirms all the worst stories you may have seen on CNN.
 
The reason they are going after looters is not because property is more important.  The looters and other roving bands of thugs have been firing on ambulances, rescue workers, life flight helicopters, and police officers.  Ambulances have been hijacked and first responders injured.  Every day this week looters have tried to break into the downtown hospitals to steal drugs and equipment.  Many of these rescue workers are volunteers.  It is very hard for them to do their jobs when their lives are being threatened.  Most of these workers are not combat medics, they are just kind-hearted, dedicated professionals and volunteers.
 
I have been a responder to a number of major disasters (the Oklahoma City bombing, F5 tornado, etc.), but I have never witnessed the lawlessness that is happening in New Orleans.
 
Aubrey Washington
Norman, OK
 
 
 
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 18:18:57 -0500
From: schade at acegroup.cc
Subject: [TheForge] hurricane
To: Sponsored by ABANA <theforge at mailman.qth.net>
Message-ID: <C54954FE-1B3E-11DA-8EF4-000A95939732 at acegroup.cc>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed


This story seems to get worse every day. Kind of hard to believe how
little thought or planning went into a scenario that was a "known
known" (as Rumsfeld would say).

I heard last night that they had stopped the bus evac when someone shot
at a helicopter. I'd like someone to explain that one to me. Then they
pull law enforcement from rescue ops to go after looters. I guess that
property is more important than hungry people sitting on rooftops. I
did have to lol when I saw a guy come out of a broken store with a
vacuum cleaner! I hope his friends don't see that. If I ever loot a
store the vacuum cleaners are safe.

I hope Dave Mudge is okay. I'm not sure exactly where he lives but I
think he must have been in the hurricane.

Bob