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Dept. of Transportation Statement of the President August 31, 2005 Joint Agency Press Conference PAHO
National Situation Report From the Florida Division of Emergency Management

<>FEMA Registration - 800-621-3362/TTY - 800-462-7585
MCI LAUNCHES TOLL FREE SERVICE TO REUNITE LOVED ONES IMPACTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA

This image is available as two separate images before and after. These are 1.4 and 1.5 MB files

September 5, 2005 -- Today the President approved disaster declarations for a number of states undertakeing roles in support of relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina

EMERGENCY SERVICES:
National Situation Report From the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM)
This report is excepted from FDEM Situation Report # 22 because it is the best summary of conditions in the entire disaster area from one source. PDF File
• Three (3) areas of operation expanding from initial bases
• Stennis and Hancock County: Region 1 Mutual Aid Radio Cache (MARC) Unit and Engine Strike
Team (ST) 3 (one engine in Stennis, three engines in Pearl River County, and one engine in Stone
County) to support local Fire Departments
• Biloxi and Harrison County: Fl Task Force (TF) 3, 5, and 8, Engine ST 1, Water Rescue from TF
3, & Region 5 MARC Unit
• Pascagoula and Jackson County: FL TF 4, Engine ST 2
• Three additional Engine Strike Teams are being moved: ST 4 and ST 5 from Escambia, and
Okaloosa Counties moved to Harrison County; ST 6 from Manatee County moved to Hancock
County
• Deployed ten water tankers to Harrison County
• MARC unit from Tallahassee moved to support DOF Gold team at Harrison County Gulf Coast
Coliseum
• Water Rescue from TF 9 being demobilized
• Identifying replacements and additional personnel for several command and forward ESF 4 & 9
positions
• Multiple units from Division of Forestry (Gold Team, Blue Team, IMT) working both here and in
Mississippi
• No special needs shelters open in Florida
• No official special needs shelters open in Mississippi
• Florida National Disaster Medical Services (NDMS) VA hospitals receiving out-of-state patients
• Coordinating ambulance transport of out-of-state patients with American Medical Response
National Dispatch
• Staged EPI Team 3 Nursing Teams (consisting of 7 staff each), 1-Logistics Team, and 1 IMT
Liaison to deploy to Stennis 09/04/05
• Additional health & medical (ESF8) teams being identified to support anticipated Mississippi
missions
• US Public Health service 35-member EH teams en-route to Stennis
• Re-Supplying deployed staff with ice, water, MREs, and other supplies
• Supply trucks to be deployed 9/04/05 for delivery of additional medical supplies
• MQA working on medical teams for Memorial hospital located in Gulfport, Mississippi
• Immunizations of all DOH Responders, Fire and EMS and Law Enforcement being coordinated
through ESF8
• Demobilize 1 crew yesterday and re-evaluate remaining crews
• 9/4/05 Deploy 21 nurses and 7 EPI teams
• Monitoring Haz-Mat and Environmental Protection issues in SE and NW Florida areas
• Providing Debris Management information to EMAC Tracker for Mississippi
INFRASTRUCTURE:
• Federal & State roads clear, except SR30E Cape San Blas
• Bridge Inspection and Recovery Crews deployed to Mississippi & Louisiana
• Traffic counters activated Tallahassee west
• Supporting fueling missions Florida/Mississippi (EMAC)
Alabama
• Track Closed: New Orleans to Mobile (CSX), Pascagoula to Mobile closed till weekend, Mobile to Bay Minette (CSX)
• Yards Closed: Mobile (CSX), Sibert (CSX)
Mississippi
• Track Closed: New Orleans to Mobile (CSX), Pascagoula to Mobile closed till weekend, Mobile to Bay Minette (CSX)
• Track Open: KCS
• Yards: Gulfport (KCS) closed.
Louisiana:
• Track Closed: New Orleans to Mobile (CSX), Mobile to Bay Minette (CSX), NS closed for several weeks or more
• Yards Closed: Mays (CSX), Gentilly Yard under water (CSX), New Orleans (KCS)
• Monitoring impact to communications infrastructures
• Mobilizing EMAC support team
• Mobilizing transportable communications equipment in support of EMAC operations
• Numerous fuel requests from Florida Counties, School boards, and Municipalities
• Per AAA, Escambia County has about 70% stations w/o fuel and 25% running low; other panhandle counties have mostly spot-outages
• Red Dye Diesel waived for road use in FL, AL, MS and LA
• Fuel available at Milton and Crestview FDOT Maintenance Yards for first responders deploying to
(or from) Mississippi Area of Ops
• DEP, FDOT, FWC and SERT Logistics preparing fuel strategy
• About 7,500 crews from outside Miss. should be working on power restoration at this time
• Estimate about 4 weeks to restore power to hard hit areas
ELECTRICITY
• FRCC again calls for public appeals for conservation of electricity
Mississippi Power Companies Without Power % w/o Power
Mississippi Electric Association Co-Ops 338,363 NA
Mississippi Power 167,000 NA
Energy-Mississippi 190,759 NA
Pearl River Valley Association 40, 600 100%
Singing River 64,870 100%
Coast Electric 68,701 100%
Electricity: (source: ESF12 as 9/03/05 @ 1747 hrs)
Mississippi: ROAD CLOSURES
• The roadways that remain impassable are Hwy 90, and one section of eastbound lanes of I-10 between Hwy
57 and Hwy 613. MDOT encourages that highways only be used by emergency personnel and those
Delivering essential supplies and equipment
• US-98 is open from AL to Hattiesburg only for emergency responders
• US-90 is closed from Waveland to Ocean Springs
• I-110 and MS-609 are open in Biloxi only for emergency responders to access the city from I-10
• I-20 is open across the state
• I-10 Eastbound between HWY 57 and HWY 613 and some small arteries in southern Hancock County are closed.
• The DPS is prohibiting non emergency travel in areas bordered by the Pearl River from LA North to Columbia and HWY
• 98 East to Hattiesburg and HWY 42 from Hattiesburg to State line
• I-59 SB has 1 lane open for emergency vehicles from I-20 to the LA line
• US49 from Hattiesburg to Jackson is open to the public
• Most roads south of I-20 and east of I-55 are not open to the public due to debris, down power trees and power lines
Suggested Routes for Impacted Areas
• LA - Recommended route into LA from FL for Emergency Responders I-10 to SR 607 In Miss. North on SR 607 to I-59. South on I-59 to I-12. I-55 is open from I-12 to I-10. Information supplied by the State of Texas.
• MS – I-10 and US 98 open for emergency responders only. US 49 from Hattiesburg to Jackson is open to the public. I-20 is open to the public.
• AL - I-10 open, expecting both lanes through tunnel open. Two lanes open each direction over US 90 for HAZMAT. No overweight/oversize vehicles permitted at this time.

Shelters:
• First Baptist Church of Ridgeland, 302 W Jackson St, Ridgeland (601) 856-6139
• Crossgates United Methodist Church, 23 Crossgates Drive, Brandon (601) 825-8677
• Star Baptist Church, 301 Mangum Drive, Star (601) 845-2736
• Madison United Methodist Church, 2050 Main St, Madison (601) 853-7436
• Mississippi Coliseum @ the State Fairgrounds, off the High Street exit in Jackson (601) 961-4000
Significant Events
• The Internal Revenue Service, in response to shortages of clear diesel fuel caused by Hurricane Katrina, will not impose a tax penalty when dyed diesel fuel is sold for use or used on the highway.
• This relief applies beginning August 25, 2005, in Florida, August 30, 2005, in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and August
31, 2005, in the rest of the United States, and will remain in effect through September 15, 2005.
• Coast Guard began opening ports and waterways along the Gulf. The Port of Mobile is open to barge traffic only. Intercoastal
waterways eastbound at MM 350 (Port St. Joe) open to barge traffic only.
• The lower Mississippi River has been opened to deep draft vessels with a 35 foot draft or less for one way daylight traffic only.
Only the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi remains closed to all traffic.
• Pascagoula, Mississippi is open to vessels with 12 foot draft or less.
• FL-DOT – No restrictions for electric utility vehicles going west to assist in power restoration in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana
• Fuel supplies in Florida will be impacted due to 1) damage to part of the Gulf supply network of offshore rigs, refineries and supply terminals in LA, MS, AL) widespread power outages supplying the network and navigational impediments
to barge traffic down MS River and increased fuel interruptions/demand for vehicle and power plant fuel for FL and SE US.
• More than 187 million gal in state for distribution.
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Office Of Electricity Delivery And Energy Reliability U.S. Department Of Energy

Hurricane Katrina's Impact on the U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Markets

<>September 7, 3:00 pm

According to the Minerals Management Service (MMS), as of 11:30 September 7, Gulf of Mexico oil production was reduced by 861,000 barrels per day as a result of Hurricane Katrina, equivalent to 57.37 percent of daily Gulf of Mexico oil production (which is 1.5 million barrels per day). The MMS also reported that 4.0360 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas production was shut in, equivalent to 40.36 percent of daily Gulf of Mexico natural gas production (which is 10 billion cubic feet per day).

EIA released its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook on Wednesday, September 7. Because considerable uncertainty remains regarding the specific extent of Katrina's damage, it is difficult to provide a single forecast for the upcoming winter and subsequent months as is typical in Outlook. More detailed damage assessments should be forthcoming over the next several weeks, which should clarify our forecast. For the September Outlook, EIA established three basic scenarios to represent a range of plausible outcomes for oil and natural gas supply over the next several months and through 2006: (1) Fast Recovery, which assumes a very favorable set of circumstances for getting supplies back to normal; (2) Slow Recovery, which assumes that significant outages in oil and natural gas production and delivery from the Gulf area continue at least into November; and (3) Medium Recovery, which assumes a path in between Slow and Fast Recovery. In all cases, return to normal operations, in terms of oil and natural gas production and distribution, is achieved or nearly achieved by December. By the end of September all but about 0.9 million barrels per day of crude oil refining capacity is expected to be back at full rates under the Medium Recovery case.

Petroleum
As of the close of trading on Wednesday, September 7, crude oil prices and petroleum product futures prices were down significantly from closing prices as of Tuesday, September 6. The gasoline near-month futures price was down by 3.3 cents per gallon from Tuesday, settling at 202.2 cents per gallon, while the heating oil near-month futures price was down 9.2 cents per gallon, settling at 196.2 cents per gallon. The NYMEX West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures price was down $1.59 per barrel from Tuesday, settling at $64.37.

Two refineries are expected to be back up to full production by the end of Wednesday, September 7 (the Marathon refinery in Garyville, LA and the Motiva refinery in Convent). The Motiva refinery in Norco, LA is still expected to be restarting sometime later this week.

On September 6, DOE released the weekly Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. As of September 5, the average weekly retail gasoline price increased to $3.07 (up 45.9 cents from the previous week). Diesel fuel prices increase 30.8 cents to $2.90.

The next Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR), with information on petroleum markets for the week ending September 2, will be published on Thursday, September 8. This will be the first WPSR to reflect post-Katrina data.

Ports and Pipelines
While Colonial and Plantation pipelines are back up and able to run at 100 percent of capacity, supplying the pipelines with products may become an issue as long as some of the refineries that supply product into these pipeline remain shutdown or running at reduced rates. Latest reports indicate that the Dixie pipeline, which supplies propane into the Southeastern portion of the country, may be running as high as 75 percent of its capacity. The Capline, a major crude oil pipeline that supplies crude oil from the Gulf Coast to some Midwest refineries, continues to operate at about 80 percent of its capacity.

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) was operating with two of its three berths open as of September 7, allowing it to run at about 75 percent of its capacity. More than 10 percent of the nation's imported crude oil typically enters at the LOOP.

Natural Gas
The natural gas futures price for October delivery was down $0.46, to reach $11.20 per million Btu as of the close of trading today, Wednesday, September 7. In trading on the Intercontinental Exchange, the Henry Hub spot price was $11.03 per MMBtu, down $0.53 from yesterday (Tuesday, September 6) but still about $1.16 per MMBtu more than the price on Friday, August 26, before the storm. At market locations across the Gulf region, price decreases today ranged up to $0.88 per MMBtu with an average decline of $0.54 per MMBtu. The overall average decrease in price was $0.55 per MMBtu.

Hurricane Katrina has damaged seven known natural gas processing facilities on the Gulf Coast with a combined capacity of more than 5 Bcf per day, which is the equivalent of at least 9 percent of total national production. Two gas plants operated by Dynegy may be down for three to six months, according to the company. The Yscloskey plant and the Venice plants, together able to process about 3.15 Bcf per day, are reported to have suffered flooding resulting from the hurricane. Enterprise Products Partners says that its Toca plant, which can process up to 1.1 Bcf per day, may be down for a few weeks. It has been reported that gas-processing facilities in the region were not heavily utilized prior to the storm. Although the loss of capacity could delay a recovery of natural gas production in the area later, production so far apparently has been able to be directed to available processing units. In 2003 (the latest year with complete data), almost three-fourths of total U.S. marketed gas production was processed prior to delivery to market.

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OFFICE OF ELECTRICITY DELIVERY AND ENERGY RELIABILITY (OE)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Hurricane Katrina Situation Report #20
Excerpts Below
September 4, 2005 (12:00 PM EDT)
HIGHLIGHTS
Approximately 1.3 million customers remain without electric power due to Hurricane
Katrina in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, or 26 percent of customers. (See table
below).
Secretary Bodman announced late Friday (9/2/05) that President Bush has authorized the
Department of Energy to draw down and offer for sale petroleum from the Strategic
Petroleum Reserve. The initial offer will be for about 30 million barrels of oil. However,
the President's finding does not limit the drawdown and sale to only 30 million barrels, or
limit the drawdown to any particular time period. The public sale process will begin on
Tuesday (September 6). The Secretary emphasized: “While we are taking steps in the
right direction, Americans should continue to be prudent in their energy usage during the
course of the next few weeks.”
The Department of Energy has already entered into six separate agreements to loan oil
from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The crude oil will be loaned from the SPR under
short-term contractual agreements and returned to the Reserve once supply conditions
return to normal.
ExxonMobil Corp. -- 3 million barrels of “sweet” crude and 3 million barrels of
“sour” crude.
Placid Refining -- one million barrels of sweet crude.
Valero -- 1.5 million barrels of sweet crude.
BP -- 2 million barrels of sweet crude
Marathon -- one million sweet and 0.5 million sour barrels.
Total Petroleum – 0.15 million barrels of sweet and 0.45 million barrels sour
crude.

A group of 26 countries, including the United States, yesterday agreed to release oil,
gasoline or other petroleum products from their emergency reserves in an attempt to
bring down soaring prices and avert domestic shortages. This could eventually stabilize
retail prices and help alleviate scattered shortages in some parts of the U.S. International
Energy Agency members countries unanimously agreed to sell on the market a total of 2
million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products per day to make up for disruptions
caused by Hurricane Katrina. Sales may last for 30 days but could be extended if needed.
The Louisiana Offshore Oil Platform (LOOP) is now operational at the Clovelly terminal.
Entergy energized a line to Clovelly last evening and the terminal is now capable of
operating at approximately 75 percent of capacity. Fourchon terminal remains shut
down. General Electric has donated a large generator to the terminal and will help
installation and operations, and the connection of a new, separate power line to Fourchon
is expected to take up to two weeks.
Colonial Pipeline continues to add capacity to both its gasoline and distillate Main Lines,
which are now operating at approximately 73% of normal capacity. Distributed
generating equipment is now being brought on line, and additional power generation will
continue to be brought on line over the next 24 hours. Colonial is to achieve 86% of
normal capacity by midnight tonight (9/4/05.)
ESF-12 was activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support
multiple locations. OE staff are now at the National Response Coordination Center
(NRCC) at FEMA HQ, FEMA Regions IV and VI, and the State Emergency Operation
Centers (EOC) in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. OE has issued a call to secure
additional staff to supplement and/or replace current, on-site personnel in certain areas
with special emphasis on electrical engineers within the Power Marketing
Administrations.
Ten refineries (in tables below) have increased runs over the past 24 hours due to SPR
loans and the receipt of crude oil from the Capline pipeline. Entergy reports that power
has been restored to all refineries in the southern Louisiana region with the exception of
Chalmette, ConocoPhillips Lake Charles, and Murphy’s Meraux.
DOE provided assistance to a large electricity pole maker in Alabama to obtain fuel so
the company could continue to manufacture poles needed for electricity recovery efforts
throughout the Gulf Coast region.
UPETROLEUM AND GAS INFORMATION
According to Saturday’s MMS reports, 30 percent of 819 manned platforms and 29
percent of 137 rigs are currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).
Saturday’s shut-in oil production is 1,184,747 BOPD. The shut-in oil production is
equivalent to 78.98% of the daily oil production in the GOM, which is currently
approximately 1.5 million BOPD.
Saturday’s shut-in gas production is 5.779 BCFPD. This shut-in gas production is
equivalent to 57.80% of the daily gas production in the GOM, which is currently
approximately 10 BCFPD. This represents a 21 percent improvement from yesterday’s
figures. MMS will issue its next report on Monday, September 5, 2005 at 1:00 pm CDT.
The Department of Energy assisted in making arrangements to distribute 1.2 million
gallons of diesel to first responders at 7 sites in Louisiana.
The Mississippi River is now open for traffic all the way to Baton Rouge but with
“daylight only” limitations. Below mile marker 69, almost 80 percent of navigation aids
are gone. Above mile marker 69, 93 percent of navigation aids are on station with no
lights. Thirteen vessels are in queue to transit up river, including two crude tankers (one
to Marathon in Garyville, LA; the other to ExxonMobil in Baton Rouge). Over 70
vessels are in port (no word on how many have requested outbound transit). Tugs are
coming on line; no statistics yet on how many. Ferries are working up and down river
evacuating people.
Mobile Bay Alabama’s Marine Bulk Liquid Terminal reopened to traffic on Thursday as
power was restored. On Saturday, an obstruction was identified in the channel, which
has stopped cargoes of petroleum products. Movement of ships has been limited to drafts
of 27 feet or less until the obstruction has been identified and removed. The Intra Coastal
Waterway around Mobile is closed due to destruction of navigation markers. The
waterway is being surveyed to place new markers.

ELECTRICITY INFORMATION
STATE OUTAGE DATA
Utility Customers w/o Power
% Customers w/o Power
from Katrina
Alabama 74,002 3%
Louisiana 639,392 59%
Mississippi 550,773 47%
Total 1,264,167 26%
*Louisiana data is reported by the Louisiana Public Service Commission and their percentage outage numbers are used in the table and in calculating the percentage of total outage.

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Hurricane Katrina Situation Report #15
September 1, 2005 (6:00 PM EDT)
UHIGHLIGHTS
Approximately 1.8 million customers remain without electric power due to Hurricane
Katrina. These are primarily in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama -- 30 percent of
customers in the three states are without power (see table below).
Region IV RRCC priorities are fuel, food and communications. Requests have been
made to provide flood impact graphics for Region IV.
Inaccessibility as well as extensive damage from flooding and saltwater are major issues
impacting electricity restoration. Well over 10,000 outside crews have arrived to provide
assistance; however, availability of line crews remains an issue. As Florida utilities
finish their restoration work their crews have begun to move to other states. Entergy
reports that its single biggest problem to restoring power in the Greater New Orleans area
is the lack of food and water for its repair crews who are literally sleeping in their trucks.
Earlier today, OE staff on site in Louisiana provided GIS coordinates to FEMA so that
shipments can begin to these workers.

ESF-12 has been activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support
multiple locations. OE staff are now at the National Response Coordination Center
(NRCC) at FEMA HQ, FEMA Regions IV and VI, and the State Emergency Operation
Centers (EOC) in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Tomorrow, OE will issue a call
to the broader deployment list to secure additional staff to supplement and/or replace
current, on-site personnel in certain areas with special emphasis on electrical engineers
within the Power Marketing Administrations.
Electricity outages are impeding full restoration of the Colonial Pipeline, the LOOP and
the Plantation Pipeline. More detail about the status of these pipelines are available
below (see Petroleum and Gas section).
PETROLEUM AND GAS INFORMATION
MMS reports on 9/1/05 that evacuations of 52% of the 819 manned platforms and 48% of
the 137 rigs currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Shut-in oil production is
1,356,498 BOPD. This shut-in oil production is equivalent to 90.4% of the daily oil
production in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), which is currently approximately 1.5 million
BOPD. Shut-in gas production is 7.866 BCFPD. This shut-in gas production is
equivalent to 78.66% of the daily gas production in the GOM, which is currently
approximately 10 BCFPD. The cumulative shut-in oil production for the period 8/26/05-
9/1/05 is 7,441,566 bbls, which is equivalent to 1.359% of the yearly production of oil in
the GOM (547.5 million barrels). HTUwww.mms.govUTH
The LOOP is operational from St. James Terminal and by the evening of 9/2/05 they will
have power to move crude from the LOOP to Clovelly and out to St. James Terminal.
Limited electricity supplies are restricting flow.
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve at New Orleans Elmwood office complex remains shut
down. Bayou Choctaw, Bryan Mound, Big Hill and West Hackberry storage sites,
however, are operational and will be able to provide crude oil in the loan program noted
above.
Colonial Pipeline is now operating at 40% of normal operating capacity. Once additional
generators are activated at inactive pump stations, production will increase to 1.2 to 1.3
million barrels per day. Both gasoline and distillates are currently being transported and
delivered. The line was full when it went down, so deliveries were possible within hours
– not days – of restart. The company anticipates that it may be able to achieve
approximately 74% of normal operating capacity by Sunday and 75% to 86% by early or
mid-next week if additional electricity can be supplied to critical pump stations. Further
increases cannot be made until normal power is restored. The capacity of Colonial is
about 2.4 million barrels per day. Solutions for power restoration are being actively
pursued.
Plantation has partially started its system as is operating at 25% of capacity and hopes to
be up to 50% of normal operations by Friday.
Capline, a crude oil pipeline serving the Midwest, was restarted yesterday at a rate of
720,000 barrels a day and can operate at reduced rates until the LOOP is fully
operational.
The Seaway Interstate Pipeline to Cushing, OK, is operating at full capacity (350,000
barrels a day). From Cushing, the Enbridge (Ozark) pipeline to Wood River and the BP
pipeline to Chicago are operating at full capacity.

LA/MS/AL – Gulf Coast Refiner Impacts
Refinery Location State Capacity
(bbl/day) Impact
ExxonMobil* Baton Rouge LA 493,500 Reduced Runs
Valero Krotz Springs LA 80,000 Reduced Runs
Placid Oil* Port Allen LA 48,500 Reduced Runs
ConocoPhillips* Belle Chasse LA 247,000 Shutdown major damage
Marathon Garyville LA 245,000 Shutdown – minor damage
Motiva (Shell) Convent LA 235,000 Shutdown – no assessment yet
Motiva (Shell) Norco LA 226,500 Shutdown – no assessment yet
Shell Chemical St Rose LA 55,000 Shutdown
Chalmette Chalmette LA 187,200 Shutdown – water damage
Valero St. Charles LA 185,000 Shutdown; 1 or 2 weeks; water damage
Murphy Meraux LA 120,000 Shutdown – water damage
ChevronTexaco* Pascagoula MS 325,000 Shutdown major damage
Shell Chemical Saraland AL 80,000 Shutdown; have power and should be up relatively soon

Port Arthur/Lake Charles Refiner Impacts
Refinery Location State Capacity
(bbl/day) Impact
ExxonMobil* Beaumont TX 348,500 OK
Motiva (Shell)* Port Arthur TX 285,000 OK
Premcor Port Arthur TX 247,000 OK
Koch* Corpus Christi TX 156,000 OK
Total* Port Arthur TX 211,500 Reduced Runs (Mars)
Citgo* Lake Charles LA 324,300 OK receiving crude
ConocoPhillips* Lake Charles LA 239,400 Reduced runs

Capline Pipeline – Midwest Refiner Impacts
Refinery Location State Capacity
(bbl/day) Impact
BP Whiting IN 410,000 Reduced Runs
BP Toledo OH 160,000 Reduced Runs
ExxonMobil* Joliet IL 238,000 OK
PDV Midwest Lemont IL 160,000 OK
Marathon Robinson IL 192,000 Reduced Runs
Marathon Catlettsburg KY 222,000 Reduced Runs
Marathon Detroit MI 74,000 OK
Marathon Canton OH 73,000 OK
ConocoPhillips Wood River IL 306,000 Reduced Runs
Premcor* Memphis TN 180,000 Reduced Runs
Premcor Lima OH 158,400 Reduced Runs
Sun Toledo OH 160,000 Not Available
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EPA
September 7, 2005 EPA Response Activity --

At a news conference with CDC on 9/7, Administrator Johnson released initial sampling results of New Orleans flood waters from six locations. Preliminary information indicates that counts for E. Coli in sampled areas greatly exceed EPA's recommended levels for contact. Also lead concentrations exceeded drinking water action levels, which would be a concern if the flood water was a child's source of drinking water. Given these preliminary results, emergency response personnel and the public should avoid direct contact with standing water when possible. Collection of flood water samples began 9/3 in downtown New Orleans . Samples were shipped to a Houston lab and a local lab in Lafayette , LA for analysis. Daily sampling is ongoing.

Recovery – EPA search and rescue operations continue. Food and water were distributed and an additional 5 people were rescued. Approximately, 775 rescues have been made by EPA in LA. Sixty EPA water craft are currently available for rescue efforts.

Public Advisories – On 9/6, EPA and HHS issued an advisory cautioning the public and all responders about the possible hazards of flood waters due to potentially elevated levels of contamination associated with raw sewage and other hazardous materials. On 9/4, EPA issued an advisory to the public urging caution when disposing of household hazardous waste and asbestos-containing debris from storm-damaged homes and other buildings.

Water Assessment – EPA estimates the number of water systems affected by the hurricane is now 73 in AL , 555 in MS and 469 in LA. In AL , many water systems were disabled or impaired by loss of electrical power. Five systems in AL currently have boil water advisories. EPA continues its assessment of damage to local drinking water systems in MS, and provides technical assistance to help restore safe drinking water to those systems. EPA sent two mobile laboratories to MS to assist the state Department of Public Health in drinking water analysis. The labs are expected to be operational on September 8, 2005 . Boil water notices have been issued to 404 water systems in MS. Samples from these systems will be analyzed for total fecal coliform bacteria before the systems restore service. EPA is assisting the LA Department of Health and Hospitals in assessing drinking water and will deploy 35 more EPA personnel to LA during this week. There are approximately 378 drinking water systems that are not in operation in LA with another 48 systems on a boil water notice. In LA, one EPA mobile lab is currently testing drinking water samples and providing analytical data. An additional mobile lab is expected to arrive this week in LA.

Wastewater Treatment Facilities – EPA continues to assess wastewater treatment facilities in LA, MS and AL. EPA estimates the number of wastewater treatment facilities affected is now 13 in AL , 114 in LA and 45 in MS.

Air Surveillance - EPA's environmental surveillance aircraft (ASPECT) is being used to assess spills and chemical releases. On 9/4, a large oil spill was surveyed in Chalmette , LA (Murphy Oil). A 250,000 barrel tank containing 85,000 barrels of oil released beyond secondary containment and extended into a residential area. The company and its contractors are working with EPA and the Coast Guard to repair the storage tank, contain the oil and begin cleanup. EPA and state officials continue to collect air quality information from daily aerial helicopter inspections of facilities. On-the-ground inspections of these facilities will provide additional information in the coming weeks. Air assessments of spills and chemicals releases in New Orleans and surrounding area continue.

Incident Management Team (IMT) – On 9/2 EPA deployed a 17 person Incident Management Team (IMT) to Baton Rouge to integrate with LA officials and manage EPA's field operations. On 9/6, EPA personnel staffing of a second full IMT began mobilization to LA.

Peer Support & Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team – EPA has deployed CISM team members to Baton Rouge , LA and will deploy two CISM Team members to Jackson , MS on 9/7 to consult with all EPA staff conducting field operations in areas impacted by the hurricane.

Hazardous Waste Disposal - EPA personnel continue to offer technical assistance in the disposal of hazardous waste and other debris left behind by the storm. Teams are working closely with the Coast Guard to conduct assessments of potential oil spills and chemical releases caused by the hurricane.

Technical Expertise – EPA will be assessing environmentally safe clearance standards for residences and commercial buildings. EPA has practical and scientific expertise in the environmental health hazards caused by flood waters, especially the effects of molds and mildew, and in the disposal of household hazardous waste and asbestos-containing materials from storm-damaged buildings.

Emergency Call Center – EPA expects to deploy 30-50 personnel from the Region 5 (Chicago) office to assist staffing of the FEMA Emergency Call Center that will register people who are applying for federal assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The call center is anticipated to be operational on September 8th.

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September 4, 2005

EPA Response Activity -- September 4

EPA today issued an advisory urging the public to exercise caution when re-entering hurricane-damaged buildings and take precautions if household hazardous waste or asbestos-containing building materials are present.

EPA search and rescue operations continue in the hurricane area. An additional 100 people were rescued by EPA yesterday. So far, EPA has rescued approximately 650 people in addition to distributing food and water.

EPA has mobilized 12 environmental emergency response teams to provide assistance with overall search and recovery efforts and is conducting initial assessments of the environmental impacts including potential impacts from chemical facilities, oil refineries, and water treatment plants. Rapid needs assessment is being done to identify damage in New Orleans . EPA and state officials are compiling a comprehensive database of potential pollution sources in preparation for additional overflights and on-ground inspections in the coming weeks.

EPA’s environmental surveillance aircraft is being used to assess spills and chemical releases. On Sept. 3, the aircraft surveyed the smoke plume of a large fire in the New Orleans warehouse district. The survey did not reveal any contaminants of undue concern in the smoke.

EPA has collected six flood water samples in downtown New Orleans . The samples have been shipped to labs in Houston and Lafayette, La. , for analysis. EPA has granted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a waiver from water discharge permits to aid the Corps in pumping out hurricane flood waters.

EPA is assisting the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals in assessing drinking water and will deploy 45 more EPA personnel to Louisiana during the week of Sept. 5. EPA is providing assistance on water assessment to Mississippi at its emergency operations center and expects to assist with site assessments. EPA estimates the number of water systems affected by the hurricane is now 72 in Alabama , 683 in Louisiana and 466 in Mississippi . Systems running on generators will need additional fuel to stay operational. Two EPA mobile laboratories are being deployed to Louisiana to provide analytical services as drinking water service is restored to communities.

EPA personnel continue to oversee and offer technical assistance in the disposal of hazardous waste and other debris left behind by the storm. Teams are working closely with the Coast Guard to conduct assessments of potential oil spills and chemical releases caused by the hurricane. EPA will be assessing environmentally safe clearance standards for residences and commercial buildings. EPA has practical and scientific expertise in the environmental health hazards caused by flood waters, especially the effects of molds and mildew, and in disposal of household hazardous waste and building debris from storm-damaged buildings.
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August 31, 2005 EPA Response to Hurricane Katrina
EPA emergency response personnel continue to help assess damage and prepare for cleanup in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. EPA is responsible for cleaning up releases of oil and other hazardous materials in the area. Currently our efforts continue to be focused on aiding the priority for 'search and rescue' efforts in affected areas. <>We are coordinating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the US Coast Guard, and other federal and state agencies. Our emergency operations centers are in operation and our staff is working in national and regional interagency response coordination centers. Response efforts are now underway 24 hours a day.

In Mississippi and Alabama:

EPA has staged 7 assessment teams in Alabama to assess affected areas in both Alabama and Mississippi and 3 assessment teams in Mississippi. We are coordinating closely with the Coast Guard to conduct assessments of potential spills and releases. A Water Division Assistance Team has been deployed to Mississippi to assess damage to local drinking water systems and help restore the systems to deliver safe drinking water in the affected areas.

We are planning to deploy Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) airplane over Mississippi to conduct over-flight assessments of spills and chemical releases.

In Louisiana:

EPA has mobilized 4 response teams to Louisiana and has provided boats to the affected areas to assist with search and rescue.

EPA is preparing to deploy personnel to assist the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Services to assist drinking water supply systems as they restore healthy water supplies to communities. EPA is evaluating the need for chlorine to restore systems in Louisiana. 'Boil Water' notices are likely to remain in effect even after supplies are restored, as many systems may face long-term repairs to their distribution systems. EPA is currently working on waivers for the treatment and discharge of flood waters.

Our Baton Rouge team is coordinating with local federal/state response planning entities, the State of Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to prepare plans for future removal of debris and disposal.

Yesterday, EPA deployed our ASPECT airplane over Baton Rouge and New Orleans to conduct over-flight assessments of spills as well as possible airborne chemical releases. The aircraft was scheduled to conduct assessments of 4 areas beginning near Baton Rouge and continuing south and east past the New Orleans area. Details of the assessment are pending.

EPA staff is standing by around the country to travel where needed to aid the overall federal effort. We are evaluating our laboratory capacity for analyzing floodwaters and are considering how to remove polluted floodwaters.
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Joint Agency Press Conference

United States Government Response to the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

August 31, 2005

Press Conference on the United States Government Response to Hurricane Katrina

The federal government is continuing to support state and local authorities in leading one of the largest disaster response mobilizations in United States history to respond to Hurricane Katrina.

"At this time, we are directing the full range of federal resources and capabilities to assist and protect those who have born the brunt of this catastrophe," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "We will ensure that citizens in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina have the sustained support and aid necessary to recover and reclaim their homes and communities."

Hurricane Katrina has proven to be one of the most dangerous storms in U.S. history. Hazards from weakened and damaged trees, downed power lines, high water, and other dangers remain. We urge citizens to be mindful of instructions from state and local officials who have asked that individuals remain in shelters, homes or safe places until given further notice. Individuals in declared counties can register online for disaster assistance at www.fema.gov or call FEMA’s toll free registration line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362); for the hearing impaired TTY 800-462-7585.

President George W. Bush declared major disasters for impacted areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and Alabama. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is actively managing federal assistance to these affected communities to expedite response efforts and save lives. With these disaster declarations the federal government is able to bring its full resources to bear in helping residents in the impacted states with emergency needs and recovery support.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Under Secretary Michael Brown is currently in the region directing efforts under the National Response Plan. The primary activities remain focused on life saving and life-sustaining efforts. FEMA is currently coordinating with a number of their state and voluntary organization partners to help meet basic shelter and emergency needs.

Highlights of the federal response as of 11 a.m. include:

FEMA FEMA deployed 39 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams from all across the U.S. to staging areas in Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, and Louisiana and is now moving them into impacted areas.

Eighteen Urban Search and Rescue task forces and two Incident Support Teams have been deployed and prepositioned in Shreveport, La., and Jackson, Miss., including teams from Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. An additional eight swift water rescue teams have been deployed.

FEMA is moving supplies and equipment into the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible, especially water, ice, meals, medical supplies, generators, tents, and tarps. There are currently over 1,700 trucks which have been mobilized to move these supplies into position.

Coast Guard The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) worked through the night and has rescued or assisted more than 1,250 people.

Secretary Chertoff has authorized the recall to active duty of 550 Coast Guard Reservists to support response and recovery activities.

USCG ships, boats, and aircraft continue to support FEMA and state and local authorities with rescue and recovery efforts. USCG has also activated three national strike teams to help in removal of hazardous materials; ships and boats continue to support the national relief efforts.

National Guard The National Guard of the four most heavily impacted states are providing support to civil authorities. Guard units are also providing generators, medical assistance and shelters. Currently, more than 31,500 members from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida are engaged and providing assistance.

The National Guard is augmenting civilian law enforcement capacity, not acting in lieu of it.

Department of Defense As directed by the Secretary of Defense and in accordance with the National Response Plan, U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) is supporting the FEMA disaster relief efforts. NORTHCOM, the lead Department of Defense (DOD) organization for Hurricane Katrina response, is moving and/or mobilizing the following resources to support FEMA’s response and recovery efforts:

NORTHCOM established Joint Task Force (JTF) Katrina to act as the military’s on-scene command in support of FEMA. Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, commander of the First Army in Fort Gillem, Ga., is the JTF-Commander. JTF Katrina will be based out of Camp Shelby, Miss.

U.S. Transportation Command is flying eight swift water rescue teams from California to Lafayette, La. These teams will provide approximately 14 highly trained personnel with vehicles and small rigid-hulled boats capable of rescuing stranded citizens from flooded areas.

USS Bataan sailed to the waters off Louisiana to provide support. Currently, four helicopters from the Bataan are flying medical evacuation and search and rescue missions in Louisiana. Bataan’s hospital may also be used for medical support.

The Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG) is preparing to sail from Norfolk, VA loaded with disaster response equipment. The ARG consists of four amphibious ships, and will be off the coast of Louisiana in the next five days.

The hospital ship USNS Comfort is departing Baltimore to bring medical assistance capabilities to the Gulf region, and should arrive in seven days.

Department of Health and Human Services The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making available all of their capabilities to help state and local officials provide care and assistance to the victims of this storm. HHS efforts include:

The first 250 mobile hospital beds and associated equipment have arrived at the Louisiana State University (LSU) facility in Baton Rouge. Thirty eight public health service officers are at the facility and along with disaster medical assistance teams and State health care professionals. As of this morning, 50 of the beds are operational.

HHS has placed 415 Public Health Service officers on stand-by for deployment to support medical response in the affected states.

The HHS Secretary’s Operations Center mobile command post is en route to Baton Rouge and should arrive today. This bus provides office space along with computer and communications support for the HHS Secretary’s Emergency Response Team (SERT).

HHS is using the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) to identify available hospital beds, and working with DOD, Veteran’s Administration, and others to move patients to these facilities. At last count, there were 2,600 beds available in a 12 state area around the affected area. Nationwide, the NDMS has identified 40,000 available beds in participating hospitals.

Louisiana state officials have received 27 pallets of requested medical supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile. These pallets include basic first aid material (such as bandages, pads, ice packs, etc), blankets and patient clothing, suture kits, sterile gloves, stethoscopes, blood pressure measuring kits, and portable oxygen tanks. This equipment is being used to set up the mobile hospital at LSU in Baton Rouge.

Centers for Disease Control experts are now working with Louisiana state officials to implement a mosquito abatement program.

Department of Transportation The Department of Transportation (DOT) dispatched a team of 66 transportation experts to support state and local officials in the damage assessment of highways, railroads, airports, transit systems, ports, and pipelines. DOT is also supporting detour planning and critical transportation system repairs.

There are a number of key highways and important road bridges that have sustained significant damage, including the I-10 bridges between New Orleans and Slidell, La. I-10 is closed throughout much of Louisiana and all of Mississippi, while it is limited to one lane in each direction and around Mobile due to pump failure in one of the tunnels in Mobile. Other major highways, such as US 90, 98, and 49 in the affected areas are closed. I-59 is closed starting 20 miles south of Meridian to points further south.

Department of Agriculture The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sending experienced emergency response personnel. To date, the Forest Service has assigned 10 management and logistical teams and seven crews of 20 people each to the affected areas and host communities. These resources are intended to assist in setting up logistics staging areas, the distribution of food products, and debris removal.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is providing food at shelters and mass feeding sites, issuing emergency food stamps, infant formula, and food packages to households in need.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is providing information pertaining to keeping food safe. Consumers can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 24 hours a day at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854); for the hearing-impaired TTY 1-800-256-7072.

Department of Labor The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to coordinate with the interagency community in providing support as outlined in the National Response Plan.

Region VI has deployed its eight members Emergency Response Team to Baton Rouge to assess the situation and begin to provide technical assistance to recovery workers and utility employers engaged in power restoration. In addition, OSHA is contacting major power companies to the areas affected to provide safety briefings to employees at power restoration staging areas in affected communities.

OSHA is releasing public service announcements to inform workers about hazards related to restoration and cleanup.

Department of Treasury The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced special relief for taxpayers in the Presidential Disaster Areas struck by the hurricane. These taxpayers generally will have until October 31 to file tax returns and submit tax payments. The IRS will stop interest and any late filing or late payment penalties that would otherwise apply. This relief includes the September 15 due date for estimated taxes and for calendar-year corporate returns with automatic extensions.

Small Business Administration The Small Business Administration (SBA) will position loan officers in federal and state disaster recovery centers. SBA is also prepared to provide help in other states in the eastern half of the country where the storm may also lead to disaster area declarations.

American Red Cross The American Red Cross is providing a safe haven for nearly 46,000 evacuees in more than 230 Red Cross shelters, from the panhandle of Florida, across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas. The Red Cross is launching the largest mobilization of resources for a single natural disaster involving thousands of trained disaster relief workers, tons of supplies, and support. The American Red Cross is asking everyone in affected areas to remain safely in shelters until local officials have deemed it safe to leave.

The Red Cross relies on donations of the American people to do its work. Citizens can help by calling 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669) or by making an online contribution to the Disaster Relief Fund at www.redcross.org. Because of logistical issues, the Red Cross cannot accept donations of food or clothing.

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US Army Corps of Engineers
September 7, 2005
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Corps of Engineers’ update to Hurricane Katrina response
VICKSBURG, MISS. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ main priorities in responding to Hurricane Katrina continues to be saving lives, sustaining lives and beginning the recovery process.

Today, the agency continues the process of un-watering the city of New Orleans and is providing essential services to the citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi.

In New Orleans, on the morning of Sept. 7, approximately 60 percent of the city is still under water. Three pumps are now operating at the 17th Street Canal and are discharging water at around 2,250 cubic feet per second, or cfs.
Pump station 19 at the Industrial Canal, just north of Florida Avenue, is currently pumping 1,300 cfs. An additional generator is to arrive today that will allow the Corps to activate another pump at this location and remove an additional 1,000 cfs. Pump station 8, located in St. Bernard Parish in the vicinity of St. Mary, is running at full capacity at 837 cfs.

Several small pumps throughout the city are also now online, and the Corps anticipates bringing more online as the week progresses.
Blackhawk helicopters continue to deliver 7,000 pound sandbags to London Avenue. Sandbagging operations continue 24 hours a day.

Corps’ personnel are also supporting the recovery efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Their missions include providing water, ice, emergency power and temporary roofing and housing, as well as removing debris and providing technical assistance.

In Louisiana, the Corps has delivered more than 724 trucks of ice and 1,083 trucks of water. The agency is currently clearing US-90 to allow emergency vehicles better access into the area. Operation Blue Roof, which includes providing temporary roofing for homeowners, will begin today in Slidell, La.

In Mississippi, the Corps has delivered more than 669 trucks of ice and 349 trucks of water. Debris removal began earlier this week. Operation Blue Roof began yesterday in Harrison and Pearl River counties. Generators have been delivered to hospitals and other emergency response facilities.

Specially-trained Corps’ disaster teams from all over the country are assisting in the planning effort to build temporary housing sites for up to 50,000 hurricane evacuees from both states.
The Mississippi River is now open during daylight hours to shallow draft traffic and deep draft vessels less than 39 feet. A contractor is currently removing obstacles in the Southwest Pass, which is restricting deep draft navigation.

The Army Corps of Engineers, in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, provides disaster response assistance to the nation, working in concert with 30 federal departments, as well as, state and local governments.
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September 6, 2005
Phone Check In Information for Corps New Orleans Employees

There are still many Corps employees unaccounted for after hurricane Katrina. Please advise us of your safety and whereabouts as soon as possible by calling either:

1-800-522-5672. This an automated number; at the prompt enter 1-5335 to reach the New Orleans District Human Resources Office.
1-800-295-3200. This is the St. Louis District Logistics Office. They will relay your information to New Orleans District officials.

<>Volunteers
To volunteer or provide financial or other support to the recovery effort, please contact one of the Hurricane Response/Recovery Hotlines at http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/hurricane/hotlinks.htm. (back to the top of the page)
September 4, 2005

Corps update on the New Orleans Recovery Efforts and Flood Fight.

At the 17th Street Canal, the Corps of Engineers first attempt to stop water from entering through the breach was to fill in the breach itself and keep the canal mouth open for access and drainage. When breach repairs were first attempted, Lake Pontchartrain was still several feet above normal level. Rapidly sealing the mouth of the canal would have trapped elevated flood water inside the city.

It was not possible to immediately get floating equipment or land vehicles in place to seal the breach so coordination immediately began for air operations to drop fill material bags into the breach. Marine based equipment was simultaneously located and moved to plug the breach and cut off the canal from the lake.

During detailed survey of the damaged levee, engineers discovered other still intact but potentially weakened sections. During this period, the lake fell to normal levels so no further gravity drainage back out of the city was possible. Because of this, and the relatively slow process of filling the large levee breach, engineers decided to change strategies and use marine equipment to drive sheet piling at the mouth of the 17th Street canal to seal off the entire canal from the lake.

Both operations were executed in parallel through yesterday when we achieved final closure of the canal mouth with sheet piling. The final piling was not driven until the Corps was confident that the lake had fallen to a normal level and water was not trapped inside the city that would otherwise drain out by gravity.

With the mouth of the canal sealed, the sheet piling prevents lake water from getting to the levee breach. Since no additional water can get through the breach it is no longer necessary to seal the breach itself. The next step is to get existing pumps working, and to bring in additional pumps to drain the surrounding city and the canal. Once the canal is drained permanent repairs will be made to the levee.

With the 17th street canal sealed against further flooding, the priority effort is to seal the London Street canal and other areas where gravity drainage is no longer possible.

Five pumps ordered yesterday are being delivered piecemeal to a staging area in St. Rose, where they will be partially assembled and deployed to the 17th Street Canal and London Avenue Canal for final assembly and startup. The first of the deliveries was yesterday afternoon, and the remainder were expected throughout the night and into today.

Four more pumps are being loaned to the Corps by St. Charles Parish and have been deployed to the 17th Street Canal for final assembly.

Arrangements have also been made to acquire two large mobile generators to power the pumps at Pump Stations #6 on the 17th Street Canal and Pump Station #7 on the Orleans Avenue Canal.

Navigation Status

The Corps of Engineers is working to arrange the salvage of two objects found in the bar channel at the mouth of Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River. Southwest Pass is the channel used by ocean-going ships. The bar channel is a navigation passage dredged in open water of otherwise insufficient depth.

The obstructions have not been identified. Fortunately they are more than 40 feet beneath the surface. This depth means that river traffic may continue at the current restrictions, which permit only vessels drawing 35 feet of water or less.

The obstructions were found by a survey vessel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The obstructions are located a little more than one-half mile from the end of the Southwest Pass jetty.
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August 31, 2005
USACE RESPONDS TO HURRICANE KATRINA Posted August, 31, 2005 @ 12:30pm EST
Contractors interested in Hurricane Katrina Recovery Efforts such as Debris Removal should call: For Louisiana and Mississippi
(601) 631-5814
(601) 631-7262

Vicksburg, Miss. - The US Army Corps of Engineers is working in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on the scene in New Orleans assessing the levee situation and inspecting locations in the New Orleans vicinity. Working with local, state and federal authorities, the Corps is providing direct assistance to stabilize the levees and water flow in the city.

August 31, 2005

Corps Response to Katrina Recovery Efforts

VICKSBURG , MS — Although the category four winds, rains and storm surge have dissipated, residents of the City of New Orleans are struggling to begin the long journey to take back their city from Mother Nature.

Major flooding continues to be a great problem in the city and surrounding parishes. One source of flooding has been the August 30 overtopping and subsequent breaching of the London Avenue Canal floodwall at 6100 Pratt Drive . Corps personnel are continuing to evaluate information on the breaching and are developing plans to seal it off. One element of this plan is to use up-to-3,000-pound sand bags on the 17 Street Canal. Army National Guard Chinook helicopters are expected to begin assisting in the operation Aug. 31.

Access to breach sites continues to hamper efforts to close them. Barges and cranes cannot be moved through the Industrial Canal due to motor vessels and other large debris blocking the canal. Vessels must go around and through the Gulf Inner-Coastal Waterway (GIWW) or the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. The Mississippi River is closed to vessel traffic from Southwest Pass to Natchez , MS . The Army National Guard, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, other federal and state authorities, and private contractors are all working alongside the Corps to bring in necessary materials, supplies and equipment to begin making inroads to the damage.

The Corps is working with two major contractors to determine the scope of unwatering services available to inundated areas.

The Corps of Engineers Motor Vessel Kirby Responder is surveying the GIWW from Pascagoula , MS , towards News Orleans with U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation (ATON) personnel on board. They will survey Baptiste Collette Aug. 31, weather permitting. The survey vessel LaFourche is currently surveying the condition of the navigation channel from Baton Rouge to Southwest Pass.

Corps of Engineers motor vessels are delivering barges with cranes and excavating equipment and critical recovery materials.

The Port Allen Lock reopened Aug. 30 and remains on auxiliary power. Algiers Lock and Harvey Lock are operating. The Industrial Canal Lock (IHNC) is operating on emergency generator and the lock is expected to be operational in the near future. The canal is blocked with vessels, loose barges and boats. All other Corps of Engineers waterway facilities are open for normal operations.

The Port Allen Lock has been designated as a staging area for Federal Emergency Management Activities (FEMA) and Corps of Engineers activities. In support of FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is contracting for:

emergency clearance of debris to enable reconnaissance and movement of emergency personnel and equipment
temporary construction of emergency access routes, including damaged streets, roads, bridges, ports, waterways, airfields, and any other facilities necessary for passage of rescue personnel
emergency restoration of critical public services and facilities including supplying adequate amounts of drinking water, temporary restoration of water supply systems and providing water for fire fighting
emergency demolition or stabilization of damaged structures and facilities as designated by state or local governments immediate emergency supplies including ice and water emergency power generation at critical sites (hospitals, shelters, etc.) temporary roofing and temporary housing
technical assistance and damage assessment, including structural inspection of structures
unwatering (assist the State of Louisiana by performing and or contracting for the un-watering of the City of New Orleans and the greater metropolitan area)
While the Corps is coordinating public works and engineering activities under FEMA, it will also provide direct assistance under Flood Control and Coastal Emergency authorities.

Aerial reconnaissance of the region has been conducted. Corps ground reconnaissance teams have observed that most houses have major damage to their roofs and expect roofing to be a huge mission. Communications also continues to be a major issue.

Corps teams forward in the area have been unable to contact all parish emergency officials and determine pump station conditions. They are currently contacting Levee Boards to determine local capabilities for assistance in filling breeches, evaluating the extent of damage, etc., and are coordinating with the Louisiana Emergency Operations Center .

The Corps has also maintained close communication with US Geological Service regarding water stage data in Louisiana . Gage data for Lake Pontchartrain indicates that Lake Pontchartrain is slowly draining. Based on the present rate of fall observed for the last eight hours, the lake level should return to normal level in about 36 hours.

As recovery efforts continue to gather momentum, numerous U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel from across the nation are arriving in the region to add their efforts and skills to the daunting mission ahead. The nationwide effort is involving several federal government agencies under FEMA and numerous contractors as the city and region take their first steps toward the future.

For more information, contact the New Orleans District Public Affairs Office at the crisis action center (601) 631-5328.

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Statement of the President
August 31, 2005 - 5:11 P.M. EDT
Federal Relief for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina
THE PRESIDENT: I've just received an update from Secretary Chertoff and other Cabinet Secretaries involved on the latest developments in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. As we flew here today, I also asked the pilot to fly over the Gulf Coast region so I could see firsthand the scope and magnitude of the devastation.
The vast majority of New Orleans, Louisiana is under water. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses are beyond repair. A lot of the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been completely destroyed. Mobile is flooded. We are dealing with one of the worst natural disasters in our nation's history.
And that's why I've called the Cabinet together. The people in the affected regions expect the federal government to work with the state government and local government with an effective response. I have directed Secretary of Homeland Security Mike Chertoff to chair a Cabinet-level task force to coordinate all our assistance from Washington. FEMA Director Mike Brown is in charge of all federal response and recovery efforts in the field. I've instructed them to work closely with state and local officials, as well as with the private sector, to ensure that we're helping, not hindering, recovery efforts. This recovery will take a long time. This recovery will take years.
Our efforts are now focused on three priorities: Our first priority is to save lives. We're assisting local officials in New Orleans in evacuating any remaining citizens from the affected area. I want to thank the state of Texas, and particularly Harris County and the city of Houston and officials with the Houston Astrodome, for providing shelter to those citizens who found refuge in the Super Dome in Louisiana. Buses are on the way to take those people from New Orleans to Houston.
FEMA has deployed more than 50 disaster medical assistance teams from all across the country to help the affected -- to help those in the affected areas. FEMA has deployed more than 25 urban search and rescue teams with more than a thousand personnel to help save as many lives as possible. The United States Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue missions. They're working alongside local officials, local assets. The Coast Guard has rescued nearly 2,000 people to date.
The Department of Defense is deploying major assets to the region. These include the USS Bataan to conduct search and rescue missions; eight swift water rescue teams; the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group to help with disaster response equipment; and the hospital ship USNS Comfort to help provide medical care.
The National Guard has nearly 11,000 Guardsmen on state active duty to assist governors and local officials with security and disaster response efforts. FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers are working around the clock with Louisiana officials to repair the breaches in the levees so we can stop the flooding in New Orleans.
Our second priority is to sustain lives by ensuring adequate food, water, shelter and medical supplies for survivors and dedicated citizens -- dislocated citizens. FEMA is moving supplies and equipment into the hardest hit areas. The Department of Transportation has provided more than 400 trucks to move 1,000 truckloads containing 5.4 million Meals Ready to Eat -- or MREs, 13.4 million liters of water, 10,400 tarps, 3.4 million pounds of ice, 144 generators, 20 containers of pre-positioned disaster supplies, 135,000 blankets and 11,000 cots. And we're just starting.
There are more than 78,000 people now in shelters. HHS and CDC are working with local officials to identify operating hospital facilities so we can help them, help the nurses and doctors provide necessary medical care. They're distributing medical supplies, and they're executing a public health plan to control disease and other health-related issues that might arise.
Our third priority is executing a comprehensive recovery effort. We're focusing on restoring power and lines of communication that have been knocked out during the storm. We'll be repairing major roads and bridges and other essential means of transportation as quickly as possible.
There's a lot of work we're going to have to do. In my flyover, I saw a lot of destruction on major infrastructure. Repairing the infrastructure, of course, is going to be a key priority.
The Department of Energy is approving loans from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to limit disruptions in crude supplies for refineries. A lot of crude production has been shut down because of the storm. I instructed Secretary Bodman to work with refiners, people who need crude oil, to alleviate any shortage through loans. The Environmental Protection Agency has granted a nationwide waiver for fuel blends to make more gasoline and diesel fuel available throughout the country. This will help take some pressure off of gas price. But our citizens must understand this storm has disrupted the capacity to make gasoline and distribute gasoline.
We're also developing a comprehensive plan to immediately help displaced citizens. This will include housing and education and health care and other essential needs. I've directed the folks in my Cabinet to work with local folks, local officials, to develop a comprehensive strategy to rebuild the communities affected. And there's going to be a lot of rebuilding done. I can't tell you how devastating the sights were.
I want to thank the communities in surrounding states that have welcomed their neighbors during an hour of need. A lot of folks left the affected areas and found refuge with a relative or a friend, and I appreciate you doing that. I also want to thank the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army and the Catholic Charities, and all other members of the armies of compassion. I think the folks in the affected areas are going to be overwhelmed when they realize how many Americans want to help them.
At this stage in the recovery efforts, it's important for those who want to contribute, to contribute cash. You can contribute cash to a charity of your choice, but make sure you designate that gift for hurricane relief. You can call 1-800-HELPNOW, or you can get on the Red Cross web page, RedCross.org. The Red Cross needs our help. I urge our fellow citizens to contribute.
The folks on the Gulf Coast are going to need the help of this country for a long time. This is going to be a difficult road. The challenges that we face on the ground are unprecedented. But there's no doubt in my mind we're going to succeed. Right now the days seem awfully dark for those affected -- I understand that. But I'm confident that, with time, you can get your life back in order, new communities will flourish, the great city of New Orleans will be back on its feet, and America will be a stronger place for it.
The country stands with you. We'll do all in our power to help you. May God bless you.
Thank you.
END 5:20 P.M. EDT
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US Coast Guard

August 31, 2005 Coast Guard Continues to Respond to Hurricane Katrina

ST. LOUIS -- The Coast Guard’s current emphasis is the safety and security of people in the areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina, and is working closely with federal, state and local partners on that goal. Coast Guard air and boat crews have assisted in the rescue of 1,259 people, and they are continuing to respond to distress calls.

The Coast Guard is working with FEMA, and is delivering relief supplies aboard its C-130 cargo planes.

There are approximately 4,000 Coast Guardsmen currently in the area working on response and recovery, as well as 15 cutters, 37 airplanes and rescue helicopters, 63 small boats, three maritime safety and security teams, three oil and hazardous material response teams and five aid to navigation teams.

This hurricane caused catastrophic devastation, and the Coast Guard anticipates that there will be prolonged waterways management and environmental cleanup operations. Currently, five oil rigs from West Delta Platform are missing, one submersible rig is grounded at south pass, two mobile offshore drilling units are adrift, two semi-submersibles are listing, and the MARS facility is severely damaged.

A high priority is reopening ports and waterways and Outer Continental Shelf reconstitution. The Coast Guard anticipates prolonged waterways management issues and environmental cleanup operations. Currently, all Gulf ports remain closed. The Coast Guard is beginning to conduct port surveys and is moving assets into the area to reconstitute the aids-to-navigation system on the Mississippi River and other waterways.

Four Coast Guard personnel from Coast Guard Sector Mobile have not been accounted for. Coast Guard facilities have experienced varying degrees of damage. Early reports indicate Coast Guard Station Gulfport, Miss., was destroyed. Station Venice, La., is partially submerged. Station Grand Isle, Ala., sustained slight damage to the group building and Coast Guard housing. Station New Orleans appears to have sustained little damage, but remains inaccessible by car.

"As part of a commited team, we have been working tirelessly to help those in need and to begin work on the ports and waterways," said Rear Adm. Robert Duncan, the Coast Guard incident commander. "Some of our own people are missing. Many of the Coast Guard personnel responding to this disaster have likely lost their properties. We will be here helping these communities as long as it takes."

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US Fire Administration
August 31, 2005 Hurricane Katrina:

USFA Request to Mobilize Fire Service Members

Our Nation is faced with the most catastrophic natural disaster in modern times, and we are calling upon the Nation’s fire service to aid the affected citizens and communities. This is the United States Fire Administration’s initial request to mobilize members of the fire service within Federal guidelines.

The current need is for 1,000 two-person teams. A department may offer more than one two-person team. These people will be deployed as a team, and we prefer that they know one another prior to deployment.

This initial request is for full-time career firefighters that are employed by municipal government and sponsored by that municipality because of the way that salaries and expenses will be reimbursed. We will include the volunteer fire service in the next phase. They must be:

Physically capable of performing manual tasks under severe conditions;

Experienced in working with minimum supervision;

Capable of living in austere, severe living conditions with minimal or no creature comforts for a period of at least 30 days;

Free of medical condition(s) that would prevent them from working in these conditions for this period of time; and,

Able to work within the ICS, provide basic first aid, and follow orders.

The work is non-operational community relations focused activities that consist of direct outreach to persons in the affected areas. They will assist victims in understanding how they will go about the process of getting Federal assistance, distributing information, providing minimal first-aid, and taking reports. The work will be outside, exposed to the elements and will require significant walking.

FEMA will notify the Chief of Department, and selected applicants will be notified by their Chief of Department that they have been selected. NO ONE SHOULD DEPLOY WITHOUT NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE FROM FEMA. Selected applicants will report to a central location in the Atlanta, Georgia area for training and further deployment. Travel to the Atlanta, Georgia area will be per government authorization in a manner specified upon acceptance. Acceptance information will also cover lodging and other related expense reimbursement information.

Download Application/Related Information PDF (78 Kb)

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Red Cross

WASHINGTON, Sunday, September 04, 2005 — The American Red Cross has launched an immense emergency relief effort to meet unprecedented humanitarian needs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

In times of disaster, the American Red Cross immediately mobilizes workers and supplies to address the urgent, critical needs of disaster victims, which include providing emergency shelter, food, water, counseling and other assistance. The Red Cross response to Hurricane Katrina is the largest response to a single, natural disaster in the 125-year history of the organization.

Fast Facts
(As of 5:00 p.m., Sept 3)

Red Cross Mass Care:

Shelters – 356 American Red Cross shelters are open in 9 states: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri and Georgia, with many more on standby.
Evacuees – More than 107,400 evacuees are being sheltered.
Emergency Vehicles – 249 Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs) are now in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, with additional ERVs en route to the affected area. The Red Cross is working to engage additional vehicles for food distribution to survivors.
Relief Workers – Thousands of Red Cross staff and volunteers across the country and from every part of the organization are working around the clock to serve the public need. More than 4,200 Red Crossers have left their families to serve in affected areas already, and the Red Cross is moving more than 600 additional workers into affected areas every day.
Feeding – The Red Cross is working closely with several partners, including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Adventists and Second Harvest to provide emergency food to survivors and responders. In coordination with the Southern Baptists, preparations are underway to serve nearly 500,000 hot meals each day.

Nearly 137,600 meals have been served in the last 24 hours.
Houston Astrodome Shelter – The Red Cross is supporting government officials in the relocation and sheltering of more than 23,000 hurricane survivors traveling over 300 miles from New Orleans to Houston.

In Dallas-Ft. Worth and San Antonio, the Red Cross and local partners are working to find dozens of facilities in which thousands of evacuees will find a safe, clean and comfortable environment.
Health & Preventative Care – The Red Cross is working with government and health services partners to develop health strategies and preventative measures to help the public and relief workers cope with the serious public health emergency.

Reuniting Families:
The Red Cross, with support of the worldwide Red Cross Movement, has launched a Web site and hotline to help reunite loved ones.

Online – Persons looking for loved ones can go to www.redcross.org and click on "Family Links Registry" to register yourself, a missing relative or view the existing list of registrants. Within the first 24 hours, more than 20,000 people had registered on the "Family Links" Web site.
Hotline – Those who do not have Internet access should call toll-free 1-877-LOVED-1S (1-877-568-3317).

How to Help:

Funds Received to Date – The American Red Cross estimates that, as of September 3, 2005, it has received $302 million in gifts and pledges for the hurricane relief effort.

To Donate – Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.

Donate Now!
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SBA August 30, 2005
WASHINGTON - Following the announcement of Presidential disaster declarations in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi as a result of Hurricane Katrina, SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto issued the following statement:

"Our hearts go out to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. Small Business Administration is ready to assist those hurt by this powerful storm. As a result of President Bush's declaration of a federal disaster we will be swift in our efforts, along with our partners at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to help people rebuild their lives. SBA officials will be in the affected cities and communities very soon to begin offering our assistance.

"SBA has always had a strong commitment to disaster victims. To show our continued commitment to hurricane victims, SBA will have loan officers in every federal/state disaster recovery center that is opened. SBA is also prepared to provide help in other states in the eastern half of the country where this powerful storm may also lead to disaster area declarations. We've been there before, and we're ready to provide recovery aid again," Barreto said.

After an unprecedented four hurricanes struck Florida and 13 other states last summer, the SBA approved more than $2.1 billion in disaster loans to about 64,500 residents and business owners in the disaster areas.

SBA offers loans up to $200,000 to repair disaster damaged primary residences. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to replace personal property such as furniture and clothing. Loans to businesses of all sizes and non-profit organizations are available up to $1.5 million to repair damage to real estate, machinery, equipment and inventory. Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are also available to small businesses unable to pay bills or meet operating expenses.

Interest rates can be as low as 2.68 percent for homeowners and renters and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based upon each applicant's financial condition.

Residents and business owners in the affected areas can begin the disaster application process by registering online with FEMA at www.fema.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free numbers will operate 24 hours daily until further notice. Details on the location of recovery centers and loan application deadlines will be provided as the information becomes available. For more information, visit SBA's Web site at
www.sba.gov/disaster.
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National Park Service
September 3, 2005
Excerpts From Daily Report
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Recovery

Director Orders Escalation of NPS Response

Due to the rapidly evolving National Park Service and federal response to Hurricane Katrina recovery operations and the need to disseminate important information as promptly and broadly as possible, the Morning Report will be transmitted each day through the holiday weekend. It will be posted around noon daily. The following long report includes:

The order from the Director’s Office to upgrade the response level in the NPS National Response Plan from Level III to Level IV.
Reports from the affected parks.
A current list of missing employees who are still being sought.
Information on immunizations for those participating in recovery operations.
The announcement of an employee relief fund for those affected by the hurricane.
A memorandum on waiving campgrounds fees for hurricane refugees.
A note on park’s providing housing for displaced employees.

September 1, 2005
Hurricane Recovery Response Escalates
The National Park Service continues to steadily increase its support to parks hit by Hurricane Katrina. Two incident management teams (IMTs) have so far been committed to Hurricane Katrina recovery operations and a third is on standby. As previously noted, one Eastern IMT (Gordon Wissinger, IC) is now at Everglades NP, assisting the park staff with damage to Flamingo and to Dry Tortugas NP. A second Eastern IMT (Rick Brown, IC) is currently en route to Gulf Islands NS to work with that park on recovery operations in the Mississippi District. And the national IMT (JD Swed, IC) is on standby for possible deployment to the New Orleans area to assist the staffs at Jean Lafitte NHP&P, New Orleans Jazz NHP and any other areas that might need assistance. One critical incident stress management (CISM) team has been committed to Everglades and another will likely soon be dispatched to Gulf Islands. Other teams of specialists are on standby and will be committed when the necessary ground work has been laid to accommodate them. Numerous NPS employees have also been called out to support FEMA, DOI or other agencies in recovery operations. Here’s a wrap-up of what was known about affected parks as of yesterday evening:

Everglades NP/Dry Tortugas NP

Work is progressing in the Flamingo area of the park. Park employees who live in Flamingo employee housing will be returning to their homes today. Although the majority of restoration work has been done by the park maintenance staff to make the units habitable, they will continue ongoing minor repairs to the facilities. Sprint and Bell South will begin restoring phone service to Flamingo as well. Working under the IMT, park employees concentrated their efforts yesterday to remove floating and stationary debris from the Flamingo boat basin maintenance area and also the public marina.

A Type II hand crew and technical specialists — plumbers, electricians, carpenters — will start arriving tomorrow to assist in the recovery efforts. These new arrivals will relieve park employees who have been making repairs since the storm hit.

Members of the IMT will be transported by aircraft to Fort Jefferson/Dry Tortugas to begin assessment of damages and restoration efforts.

While the focus remains on employee health and welfare and reopening the park to the public, park management recognizes that this storm event is of significant scientific interest. The park and the IMT are working with researchers to accommodate access to research areas critical to monitoring efforts.

The critical incident stress management team began meeting yesterday with park employees in the Flamingo area. Meetings are scheduled at park headquarters tomorrow and other meetings will be scheduled throughout Everglades and Dry Tortugas in the future to reach as many employees as possible.

Gulf Islands NS

The park is still trying to get a handle on the full scope of the damage caused by the hurricane. An overflight of both districts was conducted yesterday morning with that objective in mind. As noted previously, the majority of known damage is in the Mississippi District. All buildings there are extensively damaged, except for some in the maintenance complex. Park staff yesterday worked at clearing many trees from the access road to that complex from Highway 90 so that an incident command post can be established there. A Forest Service crew is en route to the area and will probably arrive today; they will help clear the roadway from the maintenance area further on down to the visitor center. On Tuesday and again on Wednesday, staff in the Florida District got together shipments of ice, water, fans, generators, fuel and other emergency materials and transported them to the Mississippi District. Rick Brown’s Eastern IMT should arrive on site today to begin assisting with recovery efforts.

Some areas in the Florida District also remain closed – Perdido Key, Okalosa and Fort Barrancas have joined Fort Pickens and Santa Rosa, still closed due to road damage suffered from Hurricane Ivan a year ago. The main reason for closure is sand and water covering surfaces throughout the three areas. The Naval Live Oaks Visitor Center and Headquarters complex remains open.

Jean Lafitte NHP&P/New Orleans Jazz NHP

Not much information is yet available due to the lack of communications and the staff’s inability to return to the downtown portions of either site. Almost all employees from both parks have been accounted for; efforts continue to contact those who’ve not been heard from.

Natchez Trace Parkway

About 200 miles of the parkway remain closed due to downed trees and power lines. The road may be opened sometime today. The park has no internet or email communications and outgoing long distance phone service is also out. Incoming calls can be received. The park’s 800 emergency line is fortunately still in service for both incoming and outgoing calls, thereby making it possible for employees from other parks to check in. A current concern is the lack of propane fuel for generators and other types of fuel as well.

Natchez NHP
Power was restored on Tuesday night and the park has reopened. At present, however, both internet and email services are down. [Submitted by Nancy Gray, IO, EVER; Nina Kelson, GUIS; Keith Whisenant, NATC; Charles Cuvelier, NATR ]
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August 31, 2005 Recovery Efforts Begin Following Katrina’s Passage

The National Park Service is in the process of mobilizing people and resources to aid those parks that suffered damage from Hurricane Katrina. The following report is based on two sources of information – a report submitted yesterday evening by Nancy Gray, information officer for the incident management team (IMT) at Everglades, and a Tuesday morning conference call that included representatives from affected parks, members of incident management teams, Southeast Regional Office senior staff, Washington Office staff, and others. This summary is brief and by no means definitive. Additional reports will appear in these pages as they arrive:
Everglades NP/Dry Tortugas NP
The Service’s Eastern IMT (Gordon Wissinger, IC) arrived at the park on Monday evening. The Type II team met with park officials on Tuesday and spent the day touring impacted areas, particularly the Flamingo area of the Park, 40 miles southwest of the Headquarters/Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. Currently, most of the park remains closed, with the exception of the Coe Visitor Center and the Gulf Coast Visitor Center at Everglades City near Naples. Backcountry camping along the inland wilderness water route which runs between Flamingo and Everglades City is also closed at this time. Facilities will remain closed to the public until detailed assessments of building, property and resource damage can be made. Preliminary assessments of storm damage to the Flamingo area show severe damage to concessions facilities, including concessioner employee housing. Park employees living in park housing in Flamingo were temporarily displaced because of high water which inundated the lower level of the structures. Heavy debris is strewn throughout the area from this flooding episode. In addition, over ten government vehicles and five personal vehicles were destroyed by the storm surge, estimated to have been over five feet.

Initial damage assessments of Dry Tortugas National Park, a cluster of islands 70 miles west of Key West, are also indicating varying levels of structural damage to the fortress, housing units, docks, a maintenance boat, utilities and loss of the communications tower. Team members are expected to tour the island in the near future. Priority will be given to restoring reliable communications to the island and supporting staff to provide necessary resources to reopen the area to public use.

Park staff has been working consistently since the storm to clear debris and take immediate remedial action as appropriate. The IMT will continue working with park employees, and a hand crew is being ordered and assigned to Flamingo to help clear the grounds of debris and downed trees and make repairs to the sewer system and employee housing units. A critical incident stress management team will arrive in the park today to provide employee assistance.

The park will continue to identify the necessary cultural and natural resource damage assessments that are needed to understand the impacts of the storm to the resources.

Gulf Islands NS
The Mississippi District was reported to have been “devastated” by the hurricane. Ship and Horn Islands suffered extensive damage. The access road to headquarters is covered with hundreds of trees. Damage to the headquarters visitor center is extensive. Power and phones are out. Park staff are working hard to contact all employees. At the time of the report, about half had been contacted.

Jean Lafitte NHP&P/New Orleans Jazz NHP
Outlying areas of Jean Lafitte were largely undamaged by the storm, but there are concerns about the impacts to historic structures and other facilities in downtown New Orleans. As of yesterday morning, no one had been able to get back into the city to assess the hurricane’s impacts. As with other parks, the primary effort at present is on contacting employees and assuring that they are okay.

Natchez Trace Parkway
The park is dealing with widespread power and phone outages. Incoming phone calls can be received, but outgoing calls can’t be made. The park’s radio system is intact, however, so internal communications have been unimpeded. All employees are accounted for. The section of the parkway from MP 105 to MP 208 remains closed.

Cane River Creole NHP
No significant damage was reported. A few limbs fell in the park.

Natchez NHP
Power was reported out, but generators were being used to fill most needs. Only minor damage occurred.

Staff in the Southeast Regional Office are currently involved in an intensive effort to complete a comprehensive assessment of damage throughout the region in order to determine which areas need what resources. Three incident management teams – a second Eastern IMT (Rick Brown, IC), the Pacific West IMT (Denny Ziemann, IC), and the national IMT (J.D. Swed, IC) – are all on standby in case one or more teams are needed.
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Katrina Raises Health Concerns
PAHO Director Offers Help to U.S. Health Secretary Mike Leavitt
Washington, D.C., Sept. 1, 2005 (PAHO)—Public health experts are evaluating the health impact of hurricane Katrina and its aftermath among survivors in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

The director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Mirta Roses, today conveyed her condolences for the loss of human life to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt and offered PAHO's experience and assistance in dealing with the disaster's aftermath.

"I would like to place at your disposal the staff of PAHO's Area on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief, and indeed our entire public health staff, to provide any cooperation you might require to help restore health services in the wake of this disaster," she wrote.

On top of the physical devastation brought by this unprecedented U.S. natural disaster, there is growing concern about the health of thousands of survivors.

The magnitude of potential health problems that can result from widespread flooding in extensive areas with high population density has been documented by disaster experts at PAHO and other national and international agencies. PAHO has a program dedicated to protecting and assisting populations affected by natural disasters, such as those along the U.S. Gulf Coast now suffering the effects of Katrina.

One of the more tragic aspects of Katrina is the growing number of casualties. Survivors and news reports tell of bodies floating in the floodwaters of New Orleans and in other affected areas.

However, contrary to some media reports, the bodies of natural disaster victims do not themselves pose a risk of epidemics.

An article in the current issue of the Pan American Journal of Public Health debunks the common misconception that cadavers in disaster zones constitute a health risk. In the article, Claude de Ville de Goyet, former head of PAHO's disaster program, and Oliver Morgan, of the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, note that for many years, fear of disease outbreaks has led disaster-affected communities, local authorities, and governments to rapidly dispose of bodies without identifying them.

PAHO has published a manual titled Management of Dead Bodies in Disaster Situations, which describes in detail appropriate procedures in this area, taking into account ethical, cultural and human rights concerns.

According to PAHO disaster experts, officials in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi are likely carrying out detailed damage assessments to help them estimate the collateral health effects of Katrina on the affected population now and in the coming days and weeks. Careful damage assessment also helps officials with more effective mobilization and distribution of resources according to health priorities.

PAHO documents available at www.paho.org/disasters (see Publications Catalog) note that, in general, it is easy to underestimate the impact of a disaster on wastewater and sewage systems, "since much of the damage may be hidden in the course of the preliminary assessments, only becoming apparent once all the systems are working at full pressure."

Other impacts that are difficult to quantify, but which are of utmost importance, are those on the mental health of the affected population. Depression, anxiety, and grief are among the mental health problems that may affect thousands of victims in New Orleans and other areas hit by the hurricane and subsequent flooding.

Experts estimate that the effects of hurricane Katrina on public health will be enormous and long-term. Authorities in affected parts of the Gulf coast have declared that public health systems face huge problems caused by the difficulty of access to the area, lack of water, lack of electric power, telephone service, and other basic services essential to modern medicine.

The federal government declared a public health emergency in the Gulf Coast, promising medical centers and thousands of doctors and nurses for the affected area. Patients requiring treatment beyond what the medical shelters can provide will be transported to hospitals out of the immediate area.

"We've identified 2,600 beds in hospitals in the 12-state area. In addition to that, we've identified 40,000 beds nationwide, should they be needed," said Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt.

In New Orleans, a city of 500,000 people, there are estimated to be some 5000 patients who require kidney dialysis at least twice a week. Local officials estimate it could take weeks for drinking water service to be restored in the city, as well as electricity.

The chief of PAHO's Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief area, Dr. Jean Luc Poncelet, noted that "to organize humanitarian assistance during a disaster situation we created a Supply Management System (SUMA), a tool for local coordination in the management of humanitarian supplies."

PAHO works continually to mitigate vulnerability in case of disaster, distributing informative material to the public and health professionals and providing technical cooperation to affected countries.

"We also organize some 40 courses every year in the Caribbean along the paths of hurricanes that cover essential subjects such as management of stress, management of victims and coordination of human and financial resources," said Poncelet.

PAHO, established in 1902, is the oldest public health organization in the world. It is the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization and works with the countries in order to improve the health and the quality of life of its inhabitants.
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To see previous articles see our - Katrina Diary

Day 1 Forecast Precipitation Day 2 Forecast Precipitation

Residential Code Guides and Misc. Code Books

Southern Building Code Congress International -- Code Books

International Conference of Building Officials -- Code Books

Building Officials and Code Administrators International -- Code Books

Concrete Masonry And Steel Building Codes

The National Electrical Code Books

ICBO BOCA SBCI Mechanical Code -- Code Books

ResCross is a non-profit resource, offered by two research scientists, which acts as a central internet hub to assist in coordinating the support efforts initiated by several governmental and organizational groups.

Preparedness
US Fire Administration -- Hurricane and Tornado Fire Safety Factsheet HSUS and FEMA -- Animals and Emergencies
FEMA Agaist the Wind: Protecting Your Home from Hurricane and Wind Damage -- PDF
FEMA After a Flood: The First Steps
Standard Family Disaster Plan.
Why Talk About Hurricanes?
Community Hurricane Preparedness.
National Hurricane Center
Hurricane Tracking Chart
Color Hurricane Tracking Chart
Map Hurricane Risk in United States
The Hurricane FAQ
Hurricane Damage to Residential Structures: Risk and Mitigation
Designing for wind speed map
The Saffir-Simpson Scale Insurance Q and A
Education Hurricanes - CotF
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The Expert's Guide to Disaster Recovery Service Providers
Hurricane Katrina

Florida Real-Time Water Data
Make an Online Hazard Map for Your Location
National Weather Service
Mobile AL Jacksonville FL Key West FL Melbourne FL Miami FL Tallahassee FL Tampa FL

NASA - Hurricane 2005: A Hurricane Resource Site
Links will be added in as Katrina Progresses.

If you have any Questions, Comments or suggestions please send an email to:
Host@disastercenter.com

nowCOAST: GIS Mapping Portal to Real-Time Environmental Observations and NOAA Forecasts
National Data Buoy Center
NOS WATER LEVEL OBSERVATION NETWORK Flood Predictions
NWS River Forecast Information
NWS Flash Flood Guidance
NWS Significant River Flood Outlook USGS Current Water Resources Conditions
Satellites
NESDIS Atlantic and Caribbean Tropical Satellite Imagery
NOAA GOES Satellite Imagery for Tropical Sectors
NOAA Multi-Dimensional Imagery from Polar Orbiting and Geostationary Satellites
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Monterey Marine Meteorology Division Tropical Cyclone Information
NASA MODIS Rapid Response System
Local Radar
NWS National Doppler Radar Sites
Track Analysis/Best Track
National Hurricane Center/Tropical Predictions Center Archive of Past Hurricane Seasons
Historical Hurricane Tracks
Shoreline Change
United States Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program Internet Map Server
USGS Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies
USGS Mapping Coastal Change Hazards
High-Resolution Topography
USGS Hurricane and Extreme Storm Impact Studies
NOAA Coastal Services Center Topographic Data
Environmental Affects
NOAA Office of Response and Restoration
Health Affects
CDC - Safety Precautions When Returning Home
CDC - Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
CDC - Cleaning Up Flood Waters
CDC - Key Facts About Hurricane Recovery
CDC - Hurricane Public Service Announcements
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports
For the CDC index on hurricane information (including fact sheets in English and other languages), please see:
CDC"s Hurricane Index
For CDC information specific to healthcare professionals
Precipitation and Flood Analysis
National Weather Service Precipitation Analysis
National Weather Service (NWS) River Forecast Centers
Damage Assessment and Post-Storm Impact Data
National Hurricane Center/Tropical Predictions Center Tropical Cyclone Reports
NWS Service Assessments
NWS Storm Prediction Center Storm Reports
Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network

DURING A HURRICANE WATCH
(A Hurricane Watch is issued when there is a threat of hurricane conditions within 24-36 hours.)
1. Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for hurricane progress reports.
2. Check emergency supply kit.
3. Fuel car.
4. Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys, and garden tools and anchor objects that cannot be brought inside.
5. Secure buildings by closing and boarding up windows. Remove outside antennas.
6. Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest settings. Open only when absolutely necessary and close quickly.
7. Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs, bottles, and cooking utensils.
8. Store valuables and personal papers in a waterproof container on the highest level of your home. 9. Review evacuation plan.
10. Moor boat securely or move it to a designated safe place. Use rope or chain to secure boat to trailer. Use tiedowns to anchor trailer to the ground or house.
Source: floridadisaster.org/ Florida's Division of Emergency Management

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