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National Situation Report From the Florida Division of Emergency Management
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MCI LAUNCHES TOLL FREE SERVICE TO REUNITE LOVED ONES IMPACTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA
September 8, 2005 -- FEMA to Reimburse Local Jurisdictions for Debris Removal
September 8, 2005 -- FEMA Contracts to Provide Housing Relief for Displaced Hurricane Victims
September 8, 2005 -- Legal Help Available for Hurricane Katrina Victims
September 8, 2005 -- National Situations Update: Thursday,
September 7, 2005 -- National Situation Updates: Wednesday,
September 6, 2005 -- National Situation Update: Tuesday,
September 4, 2005 -- National Situation Update: Sunday
September 4, 2005 -- FEMA Establishes Hotline To Coordinate Donations For Victims Of Katrina
September 4, 2005 -- Temporary Housing for Hurricane Katrina Evacuees Includes Cruise Ships
September 4, 2005 - Temporary Housing For Hurricane Katrina Victims
September 3, 2005 -- National Situation Update: Saturday
September 3, 2005 -- Critical Commodities Continue Into Disaster Areas While Government Responds to Challenges of Most Catastrophic Disaster in U.S. History
September 2, 2005 - FEMA Urges Patience While Search Continues for Stranded Victims and Supplies Stream In
September 2, 2005 -- National Situation Update: Friday,
August 31, 2005 -- National Situation Update: Wednesday,
August 30, 2005 -- Evacuees Cautioned Not To Re-Enter Damage Areas Prematurely

FEMA 

September 8, 2005 FEMA to Reimburse Local Jurisdictions for Debris Removal

JACKSON, Miss. -- State and local governments will be reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency for 100 percent of Hurricane Katrina eligible debris removal costs incurred during the sixty days following President Bush’s federal disaster declaration, from August 29 through October 30th, 2005.

Examples of eligible clean-up include removal of debris from public rights-of-way to ensure safe passage and debris removal from public property to eliminate health and safety hazards.

Removing the massive debris left by Hurricane Katrina is a cooperative effort between local communities, state governments, federal governments, and state and federal agencies.

“Field assessment teams estimate the amount of debris left by Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi at 16 million cubic yards,” said FEMA Public Assistance (Infrastructure) Officer Dennis Colton. “That is enough debris to fill a thousand football fields, to a 10-foot deep capacity.”

Debris assessment and removal update:

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.


September 8, 2005 - FEMA Contracts to Provide Housing Relief for Displaced Hurricane Victims

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency has contracted with five of the nation’s major corporations to speed emergency housing relief to Gulf Coast families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

These emergency contracts joined a new Housing Area Command created and led by FEMA to address the extreme housing needs of the region and the more than 1 million people who were forced to flee their homes because of the storm. While not all evacuees will require housing, currently 163,000 citizens of Louisiana are now residing in shelters.

The Housing Area Command includes FEMA, the private sector contractors and partners from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the American Red Cross. Their primary goal is to secure emergency housing for all displaced disaster victims. The command will also develop plans for longer-term solutions to address housing needs in the wake of a storm that affected 90,000 square miles. The immediate site of the work will be the hardest hit states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

The corporations contracted for support include:

“We have already mobilized over 2,000 people and have begun hiring craftsman and laborers, some displaced by the storm, so that they can participate in rebuilding the region and rebuilding their lives,” said Bernhard.

The Housing Area Command is the focal point for coordinating the federal response and for maximizing innovation and assistance from donors and businesses.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

September 8, 2005 - Legal Help Available for Hurricane Katrina Victims

Jackson, MS -- Free, disaster-related legal assistance is being provided by Mississippi volunteer attorneys for low-income individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The service, coordinated through volunteers from the Mississippi Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar Association and the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is available by calling the Disaster Legal Service hotline at 1-866-255-4495.

Persons in the declared counties may ask for help with disaster-related legal questions including questions about insurance claims, home repair contracts, consumer protection matters, landlord-tenant concerns, mortgage foreclosure and debt collection problems.

The federal disaster for individual assistance covers the counties of: Amite, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Stone, Walthall, and Wilkinson.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland security on March 1, 2003.


National Situations Update: Thursday, September 8, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Response
Overview:
This is a twice daily executive summary of salient actions, plans and a synopsis of key features from the most recent situation report.
Strategic Efforts/Considerations
Near Term:
Vaccinations for all evacuees.
Threats to National Security and overall situational awareness continue to be assessed while Hurricane Katrina response and recovery operations are underway. The Federal Government is analyzing threats, critical infrastructure and readiness of response/recovery assets not deployed to disaster operations.
Interim:
Relocating evacuees from shelters to temporary housing within the next 17 days.
Ensuring evacuees have prompt access to registration for Stafford Act benefits.
Supplying all evacuees with $2,000 debit cards extendable up to $26,200.
Coordinated Federal (HHS, FEMA, DOD, and VA), State, and local efforts in developing mortuary and interment plans, likely to require substantial resource support.
Long Term:
Establishment for long term housing of evacuees.
Federal facilitation of small business and economic recovery; plans will be developed and implemented by State and local officials.
Significant Updates
General:
Coast Guard Chief of Staff (VADM Allen) has arrived in New Orleans to establish and lead Joint Task Force Katrina –Forward PFO, aboard the USS IWO JIMA (New Orleans)
The Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, signed a National emergency grant for more than $100 million to create 25,000 temporary jobs in the disaster areas, largely to assist in clean-up and recovery efforts.
Evacuation:
Evacuees continue to be identified and removed from disaster areas to emergency shelters, albeit in smaller numbers than in earlier evacuation efforts.
Evacuees are declining to move to cruise ships; decision is on hold.
Response & Recovery:
At the request of Secretary Mineta, Secretary Rumsfeld has provided a blanket approval for deployment of vessels from the Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Fleet in support of disaster recovery.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues with debris clearing operations in Lafourche, LA.
Unified Command Mobile is working with the US Navy and American Salvage Association to prioritize salvage operations throughout the Mississippi impacted area.
National Emergency Resource Registry (NERR)
29,283 resources listed; 289 requests for resources received.
Levee Breach:
The USACE is continuing to pump water out of New Orleans after closing major gaps in the 17th street and London canal levees. USACE is working to plug another major levee breach. Work on levees is proceeding slowly in order to not damage the levee system and create a new breach.
Critical Infrastructure:
Local fuel supplies in MS and LA are improving. Lines at gasoline stations are decreasing, especially since the power was restored at the major terminal in Collins, MS.
A shortage of Hydrogen (key component in chemical production) is causing chemical companies to consider shutting down in the next few days, impact on the National economy and security are being assessed.
Dept of Commerce requesting priority effort is given to getting the New Orleans Air Products liquid hydrogen facility back into operation as quickly as possible. Facility represents 31% of North American industrial hydrogen production. Parts of the steel industry have begun to curtail operations with potentially negative impacts on the economy. NSC, DOC and DHS are working with industry to offset losses from Air Products, but it appears best case only part of the loss can be made up. The Corps of Engineers began unwatering the facility on September 5th and Air Products is in the final stages of determining how long it will take to get the facility operational again.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is not aware of any information that suggests that any radiation sources, if present at their 20 MS and 75 LA identified locations, would represent a hazard to government responders or members of the public. Flooding conditions may make the sources more difficult to locate, but should not increase their potential hazard. A possible basis for concern is when/if a storage location has been broken into and sources removed from their shielding containers.
On 6 Sept DOE and LA Dept of Environmental Quality officials will meet to coordinate the need if any for Air Measurement System Support overflights
Transportation:
Re-establishing the I-10 corridor across Mississippi into New Orleans. This requires the repair of the east bound span of the bridge at Pascagoula, MS, and the Twin Span Bridge across the eastern end of Lake Ponchartrain at Slidell, LA. I-10 provides the only high speed, multi-lane access to New Orleans from the east.
Reconstruction of US-90 across the Gulf Coast in Mississippi including the bridges at Bay St. Louis and Biloxi. This highway is vital to commerce along the Gulf Coast.
When the flood waters on portions of I-10 and US-90 in New Orleans and New Orleans east recede it is expected that there will be a requirement to repair or reconstruct roadways and repair or replace the numerous short bridge spans along that route. Assessments will be made when the waters recede.
US-90 in St Tammany Parish and the two bridges along that route will require some repair and possible replacement. Though an alternate route into New Orleans, that route is mostly a local route and is not as vital as I-10 to the restoration of New Orleans. (FEMA HQ)
EPA: Contaminated Floodwater Dangerous
Floodwaters in New Orleans contain levels of sewage-related bacteria that are at least 10 times higher than acceptable safety limits, endangering rescue workers and remaining residents who even walk in it, federal officials said Wednesday. Results of the first round of testing by the Environmental Protection Agency were no surprise, but reinforced warnings that everyone still in the city take precautions to avoid getting the water on their skin — especially into cuts or other open wounds — much less in their mouths.
"Human contact with the floodwater should be avoided as much as possible," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.
Health hazards from that water make it imperative that remaining residents comply with evacuation orders, added Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If you haven't left the city yet, you must do so," she said. Also found were elevated levels of brain-harming lead, a risk if people, particularly children, were to drink the water, something residents have been told to avoid since Hurricane Katrina struck.
The first tests for more than 100 chemicals and other pollutants so far turned up elevated levels only of E. coli and other coliform bacteria — markers for sewage contamination — and lead. But, "we don't know what else is contained in that water," Johnson warned. The first testing was done on water from residential neighborhoods, not industrial sites where other toxic contaminants may lurk. Moreover, oil is in the water, and it's likely that chemicals such as asbestos will be in debris from older buildings, he said.
Federal health officials stressed that rescue workers should wear protective clothing and gloves before entering flooded areas, and be careful not to splash the dirty water into their faces. Find clean water and soap to wash exposed skin as soon as possible. "Always, always, always wash hands before eating," Gerberding stressed.
Symptoms of E. coli ingestion are vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and fever; anyone with those symptoms, or who has open wounds exposed to tainted water, should seek medical attention.
Louisiana's state epidemiologist, Raoult Ratard, agreed that it's not a good idea to wade in the water for hours or drink it, but expressed concern that exaggerating the danger could scare rescue workers. "The water is not safe, but the water is also not extremely dangerous," he said. "The best decontamination is a shower with soap and water."
Wednesday's initial focus was on standing floodwater, but more than 1,000 drinking water systems in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama were affected by the hurricane. EPA testing is going on in the other states, too, and how quickly drinking water can be restored in part depends on the degree of contamination in water supplies those systems treat.
Each water-treatment plant will have to adjust levels of chlorine, filtration and other treatments to eliminate pathogens, such as E. coli bacteria or the parasite cryptosporidium, says water quality expert Charles O'Melia of Johns Hopkins University. If chemicals are in water supplies as well, it's possible activated carbon could soak them up, he said; routine treatment would remove the carbon.
Many hurricane-stricken areas have issued boil-water alerts, and boiling will kill bacteria and parasites, O'Melia said. The CDC recommends a rolling boil for one minute; some health experts recommend the additional step of running the water through coffee filters.
For people who can't boil water, adding chlorine from unscented household bleach will kill bacteria, but not cryptosporidium, a diarrhea-causing parasite dangerous to people with weak immune systems, O'Melia cautioned. The CDC recommends one-eighth teaspoon of bleach per gallon of clear water, one-fourth teaspoon if the water is cloudy; let it stand for 30 minutes before drinking.
Also Wednesday, federal health officials said evacuees still in shelters later this fall will be among the first people vaccinated against the flu because of the risk that highly contagious influenza could sweep through the crowded facilities. Manufacturer Sanofi-Pasteur is making 200,000 of the first flu shots available to those evacuees, Gerberding said. (Media Sources)
Cases Of Vibrio Vulnificus Identified Among Hurricane Katrina Evacuees
Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs)
No new activity to report. (FEMA HQ)
Disaster Declaration Activity
The following were granted Emergency Declarations on September 7, 2005, to support the Hurricane Katrina Evacuation:
Michigan: FEMA-3225-EM-MI
District of Columbia: FEMA-3226-EM-DC
Washington: FEMA-2337-EM-WA
Oregon: FEMA-2338-EM-OR
New Mexico: FEMA-3229-EM-NM
Illinois: FEMA-3230-EM-IL
All Declarations provide for Public Assistance Category B (emergency protective measures), including direct Federal assistance, at 100 percent Federal funding for all Counties in each State, and the entire District of Columbia. (FEMA HQ)

National Situation Updates: Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Efforts To Aid The Victims Of Hurricane Katrina Continue
National Situation Update: Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Levee Fixed by Army Engineers, Water Being Pumped Back Into the Lake

A week after Hurricane Katrina struck city of New Orleans, the US Army Corps of Engineers plugged the levee break that swamped much of the city and floodwaters began to recede, but drainage will take nearly three months in some neighborhoods, according to an Army spokesperson.

Sheets of metal and repeated helicopter drops of 3,000-pound sandbags along the 17th Street canal leading to Lake Pontchartrain succeeded Monday in plugging a 200-foot-wide gap, which opened at the height of the hurricane and flooded 80 percent of the city up to 20 feet deep. The water was being pumped from the canal back into the lake. State officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say once the canal level is drawn down two feet, Pumping Station 6 can begin pumping water out of the bowl-shaped city.

Some parts of the city already showed slipping floodwaters as the repair neared completion, with the low-lying Ninth Ward dropping more than a foot. In downtown New Orleans, some streets were merely wet rather than swamped.

The news came as many of the 460,000 residents of suburban Jefferson Parish waited in a line of cars that stretched for miles to briefly see their flooded homes, and to scoop up soaked wedding pictures, baby shoes and other cherished mementoes.

Since many New Orleans streets are still filled with stagnant, fetid waters smelling of garbage and raw sewage, the military was considering using planes to spray for mosquitoes. Standing water could become a breeding ground for the mosquitoes, which could lead to a widespread outbreak of diseases such as the West Nile virus. (Media sources)




September 4, 2005 -- National Situation Update: Sunday,
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Exhaustion And Illness Adding To The City's Death Toll
Thousands of angry, exhausted and desperate storm victims gained a measure of deliverance Saturday as the evacuation of New Orleans continued and troops poured in to restore order after almost a week of near-anarchy. By yesterday evening, significant progress had been made clearing the Superdome and the city's convention center, two potentially dangerous flash points of anger where as many as 50,000 people had spent five grueling days since Hurricane Katrina struck.
Having largely emptied the cavernous Superdome, which had become a squalid pit of misery and violence, officials turned their attention to the convention center, where people waited to be evacuated as corpses rotted in the streets. The death toll in the city is not known, but the dying continues as people succumb to illness, exhaustion and days without food and water.
Craig Vanderwagen, rear admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service, said one morgue alone, at a prison in the town of St. Gabriel, expected 1,000 to 2,000 bodies. Search-and-rescue operations continued throughout New Orleans. State officials said thousands more remained trapped in the city and a full evacuation could take weeks.

Almost 13,000 Coast Guard personnel are in the city performing search-and-rescue operations and another 3,000 are expected to join them Monday. At the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, about 1,000 people - tired and dirty from living for days on the sidewalks outside the center - were loaded into air-conditioned buses in the first two hours of the evacuation operation Saturday morning. An estimated 25,000 people have been waiting for help outside the center.

Food and water arrived there on military trucks for the first time Friday. People were relieved to get some supplies, but they were more interested in escaping the dreadful conditions. The National Guard said the evacuees will be taken to shelters in Houston, San Antonio and Baton Rouge. People were allowed to take whatever belongings they could carry onto the bus. Some carried or dragged bags and suitcases loaded with possessions from home; others took ice chests, food and blankets.
Louis Armstrong International Airport served as a massive clearing house for some of the storm's sickest victims Saturday. Military and Coast Guard helicopters flew a steady stream of evacuees from hospitals and rooftops to the airport southwest of downtown. Inside the four triage tents, medical personnel tended to people who had gone for days without their medication, some of whom were not lucid enough to describe their ailments.

With the evacuee situation stabilizing somewhat, and increasing numbers of armed soldiers and police on the streets, officials said Saturday they would start aggressively dealing with the bands of armed looters who pushed the city to the brink of complete breakdown. Frustration at the slow rate of recovery and the federal response to the disaster also mounted Saturday in Mississippi and Alabama, where storm victims voiced resentment that New Orleans seemed to be getting most of the attention. (Media Sources)

Air Force Special Operations Command Units Saving Lives
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) personnel have saved more than 1,300 people in support of Hurricane Katrina activities, conducting around-the-clock search and rescue (SAR) operations staged from Jackson, MS.

Currently, 25 HH-60 helicopters and more than 100 Air Force pilots, pararescuemen, combat controllers, medical and support personnel are assisting the efforts to remove the injured, ill and stranded from the flooded streets of New Orleans.

AFSOC’s HH-60s are capable of air-refueling and night operations, enabling the non-stop SAR effort. Several of the command’s HC and C-130 Hercules aircraft are staging out of locations in Patrick Air Force Base, FL, and Moody AFB, GA, to refuel the helicopters and provide supplies to the units located in Jackson, New Orleans International Airport and Naval Air Station New Orleans where rescue and medical teams have been aiding in the relief efforts.

AFSOC has been staging SAR missions into New Orleans from Jackson, MS, since Tuesday, August 30, and is ferrying survivors to collection points and area hospitals depending on the care required for the individuals.

Airfield operations at the New Orleans International Airport and NAS New Orleans are continuing with the aid of AFSOC combat controllers teams who’ve been in place since Aug. 31. The combat controllers set battery-powered lights and operate other navigational aids, then function as air traffic controllers with portable radios allowing military aircraft to land and take off.

HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters are specifically designed to find and recover individuals in hazardous areas. Pararescuemen are highly trained emergency medical technician special operators. Combat controllers and pararescuemen are accustomed to operating in the most difficult and hostile conditions and are trained in numerous special operations skills such as SCUBA and parachute operations. (US Air Force)

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September 4, 2005

FEMA Establishes Hotline To Coordinate Donations For Victims Of Katrina

WASHINGTON, DC - The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency has established a toll-free Hurricane Katrina hotline to accept public contributions of goods and services to assist victims. The hotline, 1-800-440-6728, has been activated and has begun receiving calls from around the nation and the world.

The current critical need is for monetary donations to assist organizations at work providing relief in effected areas. These include the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and others. USA Freedom Corps, an office at the White House created by President George W. Bush to assist volunteering in America, is coordinating all types of donations to the relief effort. A list of organizations active during disasters can be found at the USA Freedom Corps website, www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

The FEMA hotline can coordinate donations of all types. A representative will take your name and information on how to contact you, as well as what type of goods or services you wish to donate. Donation offers may include temporary housing for disaster victims, vehicles, construction equipment, food, clothing, or other offers that may assist those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

FEMA's 1-800-440-6728 hotline is able to assist those wishing to donate money to their preferred organizations with a history of responding to disasters. The hotline does not itself accept donations and is not designed to accommodate emergency or information resource and it cannot assist those wishing to do business with the agency. For more information on this please visit www.fema.gov/ofm, or contact FEMA's acquisition voice message system at (202) 646-4006.

FEMA also has activated the National Emergency Resource Registry to coordinate donations from businesses willing to assist with major needs such as housing, transportation and supplies. It is able to match donors to specific needs in the affected area. Businesses can access the database at www.fema.gov and click on the "Help the Victims of Hurricane Katrina" or www.swern.gov to register to provide relief.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
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September 4, 2005
Temporary Housing for Hurricane Katrina Evacuees Includes Cruise Ships, FEMA Reports
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency is “pulling out the stops” on identifying available housing solutions for hurricane evacuees, said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and head of FEMA.

“FEMA is handling the Herculean task of coordinating the relocation of many thousands of individuals and families whose lives have been torn apart by Hurricane Katrina,” Brown said. “Every available alternative, including creative options for immediate housing, is on the table.”

Brown said the housing mission is being aided from a wide variety of sources across the nation including state parks, military bases, available housing stock and private homes. “The response has been overwhelming and we’re working to place people in safe shelter as quickly as possible,” he said.

He reported today that cruise ships -- with lodging for about 8,000 persons -- are one of several options which will provide temporary housing and comfort for those whose have been disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. Two ships, with a capacity of about 2,600 passengers each, will be based in Galveston, Texas, tomorrow and begin boarding evacuees Tuesday. Evacuees are chosen by state and local authorities with priority given to the elderly and other people with special needs. No one should self-report to any ships, but work with local emergency officials if shelter is needed.

A third ship is scheduled to arrive in Mobile, Ala. on Thursday, Sept. 8, to begin lodging about 1,800 displaced persons. Details about a fourth ship that will hold 1,000 occupants will be provided soon. Currently, it is preparing to move from Charleston, S.C., to head for the Gulf Coast. FEMA tasked the U.S. Military Sealift Command to charter four cruise ships. Contracts were awarded for three ships from Carnival Cruise Lines and one from Scotia Prince Lines. All four ships are under charter for six months.

Other housing options being already being implemented or considered include:

September 4, 2005
Temporary Housing For Hurricane Katrina Victims
WASHINGTON D.C. - Ninety percent of evacuees housed in the New Orleans Superdome have been evacuated and 7,000 additional active duty troops are on the way to help with search, rescue and security in the disaster-stricken area, Michael D. Brown, Department of Homeland Security's Principal Federal Officer for Hurricane Katrina response and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today.

"Even as progress is being made, we know that victims are still out there and we are working tirelessly to bring them the help they need," said Brown. "FEMA and the entire federal government, is deploying every resource available to treat wounds, aid the suffering and protect and preserve lives. We will not rest until every need is met."

Brown, along with state and federal partners, and voluntary agencies, is holding press briefings twice a day to provide updates on response efforts. To date:

Affected individuals in declared counties can register online for disaster assistance at www.fema.gov or call FEMA's toll-free registration line 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) - TTY 800-462-7585, hours. Victims are encouraged to register on-line due to the possibility of high call volume. If registering by phone, owners of commercial properties and residents with only minor losses are urged to wait a few days before calling so those whose homes were destroyed or heavily damaged can be served first. Phone lines are open 24-hours, 7 days a week.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
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September 3, 2005
National Situation Update: Saturday, September 3, 2005
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Troops Bring Food, Medicine to New Orleans

To cries of "Thank you, Jesus!" and catcalls of "What took you so long?," a National Guard convoy packed with food, water and medicine rolled through axle-deep floodwaters Friday into what remained of New Orleans and descended into a maelstrom of fires and floating corpses.

More than four days after the storm hit, the caravan of at least three-dozen camouflage-green troop vehicles and supply trucks arrived along with dozens of air-conditioned buses to take refugees out of the city. President Bush also took an aerial tour of the ruined city, and answered complaints about a sluggish government response by saying, "We're going to make it right."

In what looked like a scene from a Third World country, some people threw their arms heavenward and others nearly fainted with joy as the trucks and hundreds of soldiers arrived in the punishing midday heat. But there were also profane jeers from many in the crowd of nearly 20,000 outside the convention center, which a day earlier seemed on the verge of a riot, with desperate people seething with anger over the lack of anything to eat or drink.

The soldiers' arrival-in-force came amid angry complaints from the mayor and others that the federal government had bungled the relief effort and let people die in the streets for lack of food, water or medicine. By nightfall Friday, the mayor's tone had changed. Nagin returned from a meeting with President Bush a picture of calm. A day earlier, the mayor erupted in tears during a radio interview and told the government to "get off your asses and let's do something."

The president took a land and air tour of hard-hit areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and admitted of the relief effort: "The results are not enough." Congress passed a $10.5 billion disaster aid package, and Bush quickly signed the measure.

What were perhaps the first signs of real hope for recovery came on a day that was ushered in with a thunderous explosion before daybreak and scattered downtown building fires that only confirmed the sense that New Orleans was a city in utter collapse.

The explosion at a warehouse along the Mississippi River about 15 blocks from the French Quarter jostled storm refugees awake and sent a pillar of acrid gray smoke over a city that the mayor has said could be awash with thousands of corpses. Other large fires fire erupted downtown.

With a cigar-chomping general in the convoy's lead vehicle, the trucks rolled through muddy water to reach the convention center. Flatbed trucks carried huge crates, pallets and bags of relief supplies, including Meals Ready to Eat. Soldiers in fatigues sat in the backs of open-top trucks, their rifles pointing skyward.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco said the military presence helped calm a jittery city. The governor also said refugees in the convention center should be evacuated Saturday. Guardsmen carrying rifles also arrived at the Louisiana Superdome, where a vast crowd of bedraggled people — many of them trapped there since the weekend — stretched around the entire perimeter of the building, waiting for their deliverance from the heat, the filth and the gagging stench inside the stadium.

Within minutes of the soldiers' arrival at the convention center, they set up six food and water lines. The crowd was for the most part orderly and grateful for the first major supply convoy to reach the arena. With Houston's Astrodome already full with 15,000 storm refugees, that city opened two more giant centers to accommodate an additional 10,000. Dallas and San Antonio also had agreed to take refugees.

At the broken levee along Lake Pontchartrain that swamped nearly 80 percent of New Orleans, helicopters dropped 3,000-pound sandbags into the breach and pilings were being pounded into place to seal off the waters. Engineers also were developing a plan to create new breaches in the levees so that a combination of gravity and pumping would drain the water out of the city, a process that could take weeks.

Law and order all but broke down in New Orleans over the past few days. Storm refugees reported being raped, shot and robbed, gangs of teenagers hijacked boats meant to rescue them, and frustrated hurricane victims menaced outmanned law officers. Police Chief Eddie Compass admitted even his own officers had taken food and water from stores. Officers were walking off the job by the dozens.

Some of New Orleans' hospitals, facing dwindling supplies of food, water and medicine, resumed evacuations Friday. Rescuers finally made it into Charity Hospital, the city's largest public hospital, where gunfire had earlier thwarted efforts to evacuate more than 250 patients. Behind, they left a flooded morgue where residents had been dropping off bodies. After it reached its capacity of 12, five more corpses were stacked in a stairwell. Other bodies were elsewhere in the hospital. (Media Sources)

Hurricane Katrina Recovery – Gulf Coast area (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas)
There is a shortage of fuel of all types in the affected area. Several electric utilities have lost infrastructure, causing power outages throughout the region. Additionally, cellular and other telephone services have also been disrupted.

FEMA is working with other federal agencies to provide assistance to state and local governments in the affected areas. The U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has provided 605 buses to transport evacuees out of the affected areas (primarily New Orleans). An additional 500 buses will be provided shortly. DOT is coordinating the use of military and commercial aircraft to speed up the evacuation process out of Louisiana. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will assist by expediting passenger inspection.

The U.S. Coast Guard has deployed Search and Rescue (SAR) Units from throughout the country to provide 24-hour assistance to residents in Mississippi and Louisiana. The USCG is also working to open all waterways in the affected areas, especially for the movement of gasoline and coal barges. USCG law enforcement assets have been deployed to the Gulf region to assist local and state police agencies. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spenser arrived in New Orleans Thursday evening (September 1).

The U.S. Navy has deployed 10 ships to support Katrina recovery efforts.

FEMA is coordinating with states and other federal agencies to provide commodities to the affected areas. The current priorities are food, water, fuel, and ice. FEMA is prepared to deploy 30 million Meals-Ready-To-Eat (MREs) to the affected area; many of which have already been distributed.

FEMA is also working with state and other federal officials to develop long-range plans for the recovery of the affected area. Initial recovery plans include development of temporary housing for the several thousand residents of New Orleans and other areas that have been displaced by the hurricane damage. (FEMA HQ)
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September 3, 2005
Critical Commodities Continue Into Disaster Areas While Government Responds to Challenges of Most Catastrophic Disaster in U.S. History

Washington - FEMA, along with its federal partners, state governments and voluntary agencies, are all working to keep meals ready to eat (MREs), food, water, ice, medical supplies, generators, and other critical commodities flowing into hurricane-hit areas, said Michael D. Brown, Department of Homeland Security’s Principal Federal Officer for Hurricane Katrina response and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“This is a disaster of catastrophic magnitude like none we’ve seen before,” said Brown. “It has created challenges that we are working around the clock to address and fix. In the meantime, we continue life-saving and sustaining efforts and directing resources to those with the most urgent needs.”

To date,

Affected individuals in declared counties can register online for disaster assistance at www.fema.gov or call FEMA’s toll-free registration line 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) – TTY 800-462-7585, hours. Victims are encouraged to register on-line due to the possibility of high call volume. If registering by phone, owners of commercial properties and residents with only minor losses are urged to wait a few days before calling so those whose homes were destroyed or heavily damaged can be served first. Phone lines are open 24-hours, 7 days a week.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
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September 2, 2005
FEMA Urges Patience While Search Continues for Stranded Victims and Supplies Stream In
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Michael D. Brown, Department of Homeland Security's Principal Federal Officer for Hurricane Katrina response and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, called for patience in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
"Response operations are being conducted over a disaster area of nearly 90,000 square miles - the biggest single disaster response in our nation's history. This is a catastrophic event, and it takes time to get assets to victims over this large area," said Brown. "We ask for patience from individuals who may be uncomfortable but are safe while we conduct search and rescue efforts for those who are stranded and without commodities."
To date, Federal response activities include:
The sheltering and care of more than 91,000 hurricane victims. FEMA is supporting state partners, the American Red Cross and voluntary agencies, in ensuring that victims of the storms are in safe shelters with essential life-sustaining commodities. As of today, people are in 275 shelters in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
The rescue of more than 4,800 people by FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal, state and local rescue teams. All 28 of FEMA's US&R task forces have been deployed in response to Hurricane Katrina. Fourteen task forces and two Incident Support Teams are working in Louisiana and Mississippi and the remaining task forces are enroute. Eight swift water teams from California are also deployed making a total of approximately 1,800 US&R responding to this disaster.
The deployment of nearly 1,200 National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) personnel to support medical facilities and hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi which are not fully operational. Teams are staged near disaster areas for immediate and rapid deployment further into the disaster zone once it is safe to do so. NDMS teams are also coordinating the transport of medical needs victims from New Orleans to Houston.
The coordination of nearly 16,000 law enforcement personnel including National Guardsmen, and federal, state and local police officers being sent to the stricken areas.
Convoys of food, water and ice which are arriving hourly in impacted areas.
The evacuation of thousands from New Orleans to Texas. FEMA has contracted for more than 650 buses to expedite the state-ordered evacuation.
President Bush has authorized 100-percent reimbursement to Louisiana for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance. The government normally pays 75 percent of these costs.
Affected individuals in declared counties can register online for disaster assistance at www.fema.gov or call FEMA's toll-free registration line 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) - TTY 800-462-7585, hours. Victims are encouraged to register on-line due to the possibility of high call volume. If registering by phone, owners of commercial properties and residents with only minor losses are urged to wait a few days before calling so those whose homes were destroyed or heavily damaged can be served first. Phone lines are open 24-hours, 7 days a week.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
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National Situation Update: Friday, September 2, 2005
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Texas Agrees to Take 50,000 More Refugees
The state of Texas agreed Thursday to take in three times more refugees from Hurricane Katrina than officials initially expected, bringing the total number of evacuees to nearly 75,000. Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that 50,000 more refugees would relocate to Texas, with plans to house 25,000 each in San Antonio and Dallas. Those people would join 23,000 others who are already being sent from New Orleans to the Astrodome in Houston.
Late Thursday, however, after accepting more than 12,000 Hurricane Katrina refugees, officials said the Astrodome was full and began sending buses to other area shelters and as far away as Huntsville, about an hour north of Houston. Perry declared an emergency disaster for the state, freeing up money to provide services for hurricane victims.
The hurricane "has created emergency conditions in Texas that will require all available resources of both federal and state governments to overcome," Perry said. "We will do all we can as a state and a people to help our neighbors to the east who have lost so much."
A shelter is being created in San Antonio in a huge warehouse at KellyUSA, a city-owned complex that once was home to an Air Force base. In Dallas, the refugees will go to Reunion Arena, the former home of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. "Whatever we are called upon to do ... we intend to welcome these people with open arms and to try to give them some dignity which these circumstances have taken away from them," San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger said.
The governor asked the state Department of Housing and Community Affairs to set aside all vacant low-income housing units for refugees. So far 7,000 units have been reserved for hurricane victims. Texas will also open its schools and hospitals to some of the hurricane's most desperate refugees. The state Health and Human Services Department planned to extend office hours to help people with Medicaid, food stamps and prescription benefits.
"We're getting calls across the country from people who want to help," Perry said. "It's going to be the largest influx of refugees in American history." The American Red Cross has opened about 20 shelters in other Texas cities. Texas is a relatively close drive for New Orleans evacuees, many of whom escaped the city on Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 before Katrina struck. Tens of thousands of survivors continued to fill hotel rooms across the state days after the storm. Some hurricane survivors planned to start over in Texas. Many are poor. Some lived on the streets of New Orleans. Others lost homes or their jobs when the hurricane flooded their city.
"I'm not going back. I'm going to rebuild in Dallas," said Thomas Washington, 46, who arrived in a caravan of cars carrying 26 people. The group left New Orleans on Sunday and stayed first in motels. They eventually turned to the evacuee shelter at Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas. Washington, who worked as a security officer at a Naval facility, said his home near Lake Pontchartrain is gone. "All I have is a pair of jeans and a shirt," he said.
Perry, who agreed to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco's request Wednesday to take in the evacuees, said Texas naturally wants to help its neighbor. "I think we all understand it's by the grace of God that this terrible tragedy didn't come ashore a few hundred miles west," Perry said. (Media Sources)
Katrina Response Overview
Coordinated major airlift of evacuees to begin 8:00 a.m. CDT, September 2, 2005.
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September 1, 2005
National Situation Update: Thursday, September 1, 2005
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
Military Providing Full-Scale Response to Hurricane Relief Effort

Joint Task Force Katrina is setting up today at Camp Shelby, Miss., as the Defense Department's focal point to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency's relief efforts along the Gulf Coast, Air Force Maj. Eric Butterbaugh, a U. S. Northern Command spokesman, confirmed today.

Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, 1st U. S. Army commander, will head the task force to coordinate DoD active-duty support for disaster relief efforts in the hurricane's aftermath, much of it already under way or in the works.
Meanwhile, the number of National Guardsmen on duty in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida rose to almost 8,300 today.

National Guard units and members in 17 more states remained on standby today, ready to provide assistance as required in the wake of extensive damage, rising floodwaters, and power and communications outages throughout the region, Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke, a DoD spokeswoman, said.

The guardsmen remain under their respective governors' control, which enables them to provide law-enforcement support in the affected regions -- something the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits active-duty forces from doing within the United States. While under state control, the National Guard is not bound by Posse Comitatus, NORTHCOM officials explained.

While establishing Joint Task Force Katrina today, NORTHCOM was already providing or coordinating a full range of support involving active-duty forces and assets.

As of this morning, four MH-53 Sea Stallion and two HH-60 Seahawk helicopters from USS Bataan were flying medical-evacuation and search-and-rescue missions in Louisiana, and Bataan's hospital was preparing for possible use for medical support. Bataan, based out of Naval Station Ingleside, Texas, is in the waters off the Louisiana coast. High Speed Vessel Swift, also based at Ingleside, sailed to the waters off Louisiana to provide support, as well.

Three helicopters from the Army's 3rd Corps, in Fort Hood, Texas, are in Baton Rouge, La. , and two more in Mississippi to help with searches and rescues and damage assessments, NORTHCOM officials reported. In addition, five Air Force helicopters from the 920th Rescue Wing, from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. , and 347th Rescue Wing from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. , are in Mississippi for search-and-rescue missions, officials said. These aircraft are capable of nighttime searches and rescues and also will transport FEMA assessment teams over the area to gather critical information for state and federal emergency managers. Meanwhile, eight U. S. Transportation Command swift-water rescue teams, each with 14 members, were headed from California to Lafayette, La. , today to rescue stranded civilians from flooded areas, NORTHCOM officials reported.

A wide range of other military members and assets were also bound for the Gulf Coast to provide more support, NORTHCOM officials reported. The Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group was preparing to sail from Norfolk, Va. , loaded with disaster response equipment and was expected to reach the Louisiana coast in five days, officials said. The group consists of USS Iwo Jima, USS Shreveport, USS Tortuga and USNS Arctic.

The hospital ship USNS Comfort was preparing to leave Baltimore to bring medical assistance to the Gulf region and was expected to reach the area in seven days, officials said. Plans were being made bring USS Grapple, a Navy rescue and salvage vessel, to the region to support maritime and underwater survey and salvage operations.

NORTHCOM also established federal operational staging areas at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. ; Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss. ; Barksdale Air Force Base, La. ; Alexandria, La. ; and Fort Polk, La. , to expedite the movement of relief supplies and emergency personnel to affected areas, officials reported.
In addition, NORTHCOM liaisons are operating in Clanton, Ala. ; Baton Rouge, La. ; and Jackson, Miss. , to coordinate efforts between the command, other DoD elements and FEMA.

Standing Joint Forces Headquarters North will provide an augmentation cell and its command-and-control vehicle to Joint Task Force Katrina, and JTF Civil Support will provide a joint planning augmentation cell, officials said.

Meanwhile, in Colorado Springs, Colo. , NORTHCOM's Joint Operations Center remains on 24-hour duty to expedite any additional requests for help from FEMA representatives, officials said. (Media Sources)
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August 31, 2005
National Situation Update: Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Homeland Security Threat Level: YELLOW (ELEVATED).
New Orleans 80 Pct Flooded; Dike Breach Letting In Lake Water - Officials

New Orleans is 80 pct flooded, with water still rushing into the city after Hurricane Katrina due to a 200 foot breach in a dike protecting the city from Lake Pontchartrain, city officials said.

New Orleans, most of which is below sea level, is surrounded on three sides by bodies of water, with Lake Pontchartrain in the north, Lake Borgne in the east and the Mississippi River in the south.

Most of the flooding was being caused by a breach in the levee holding back Lake Pontchartrain, officials said, and US military engineers were searching for ways to plug the hole, including dropping shipping containers filled with sand from airplanes.

'The breach in the 17th Street canal is about 200 feet wide,' New Orleans Police Lieutenant Julie Wilson told reporters. 'The water is going to keep coming in until it reaches the level of the lake. I don't know what they are going to do.'

'The devastation is greater than our worst fears,' said Louisiana state Governor Kathleen Blanco. 'It is just totally overwhelming. It is a tragedy of great proportions.'

'There's no electricity and won't be any for quite a while,' the governor told reporters in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana capital. 'There's no water. And there's no food to be had.

'The communications network is completely gone,' Blanco said. 'We think there may be only one major way into the city right now.'

Governor Blanco said rescuers have saved hundreds of people, but 'many lives' have been lost. 'We know that many lives have been lost,' she said, but there was no way for authorities to put together any kind of reliable death or casualty toll.

Telephone communications with New Orleans were cut off and around 700,000 people were without power.

The Superdome, which is holding at least 10,000 evacuees, was surrounded by water on Tuesday. Evacuees sat tight in the massive sports arena, which itself bore Katrina's scars after having much of its outer dome ripped off on Monday. (Media Sources)
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August 30, 2005
Evacuees Cautioned Not To Re-Enter Damage Areas Prematurely

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Emergency management officials are appealing to residents of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who evacuated in advance of Hurricane Katrina's landfall to stay put.
"This hurricane has caused catastrophic devastation across areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama," said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and head of FEMA. "FEMA, along with our federal, state and local partners, is working around the clock to get live-saving assistance into the hardest hit areas.
We need everyone's cooperation to keep passable roads clear and to prevent those returning from placing additional burdens on the limited shelter, food and water in the heavily impacted areas."
Many Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama residents heeded evacuation orders and made the safe choice to leave areas threatened by Hurricane Katrina. Early reports indicate that hundreds of thousands of customers are without power in impacted areas, and for some, it may be many days or weeks before power and other essential utilities are fully restored.
Returning residents could face blocked and washed out roads, downed power lines across highways, unsafe road crossings due to flooding and many other dangers. Many storm related deaths occur when residents return to their communities and homes, a statistic FEMA is trying to minimize in Katrina's
wake.
"We know people are anxious to return home, but we are asking for everyone's patience in waiting for the all clear," said Brown. "Our greatest concern is the safety of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama residents, first responders and rescue workers."
FEMA pre-staged emergency response teams and critical commodities such as ice, water, meals ready-to-eat (MREs), and tarps in strategic locations in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Convoys of supplies are moving into heavily impacted areas but with many roads damaged or impassable, it may be several days before emergency workers are able to reach all the victims of Katrina.
FEMA recommends that evacuees tune to local news coverage wherever they are located for ongoing response and recovery information. Federal, state and local officials will work with the media in these areas to communicate emergency information as it becomes available.
Evacuees can call the American Red Cross' information line at 1-866-GET-INFO for information regarding emergency assistance and public safety information and road closures. In addition, Louisiana residents can call the Louisiana State Police at 800-469-4828 to check on roadways that are open and safe for travel in less impacted areas.
FEMA also reemphasized that volunteers should not report directly to the affected areas unless directed by a voluntary agency. Self-dispatched volunteers can put themselves and others in harm's way and hamper rescue efforts.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
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