Beyond Katrina

In Ike's wake, holdouts complicate rescues

HACKBERRY, La. - A convoy of National Guard trucks – flanked by Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife airboats and "Cajun special" flat-bottomed boats – pressed toward this small cattle town, fighting precarious winds, rough chop, and a snake-infested flood to reach hundreds of holdout farmers and roughnecks, many with no intention of getting rescued. Continue at the Christian Scientist Monitor

LDWF Continues Efforts In Ike Search And Recovery Operations

BATON ROUGE --The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) resumed search and rescue (SAR) operations on Saturday, September 13. As of 6:30 p.m. today, the SAR team had rescued 118 people in Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson, and Vermilion parishes. Fourteen airboats remained on standby at the forward command post in Jennings.

LDWF enforcement teams made attempts to check on residents in hurricane-affected areas and many individuals chose not to evacuate. LDWF will begin secondary searches to ensure the safety of residents who chose to remain in areas that were affected by Hurricane Ike. Federal Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams will also resume search and rescue efforts tomorrow, September 14, as needed.

Total SAR personnel on a state level are 623, with 334 watercraft vehicles. These numbers include resources from LDWF, the Louisiana National Guard (LANG), Federal USAR teams and fish and game state agencies from Arkansas, Ohio and Virginia. The LANG and U.S. Coast Guard will continue to provide aerial reconnaissance support for SAR missions as needed.

Governor Jindal Update on State Response Efforts for Hurricane Ike

BATON ROUGE – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal gave an update on state response efforts surrounding the impact of Hurricane Ike in Southwest Louisiana.

Governor Jindal said that the state is continuing its focus on saving lives and helping to rescue people who need to be helped to safety. In total, state agencies worked to rescue an estimated 411 people today, in addition to the 179 rescues reported by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries yesterday. The Governor visited Southwest Louisiana parishes throughout the day, and saw firsthand search and rescue resources working to transport people from flooded areas to higher ground. Governor Jindal surveyed the storm's impact on Delcambre, Erath, Abbeville, Pecan Island, and Lake Charles today, seeing many homes and businesses flooded throughout the southwest area.

Governor Jindal said, "Our people are working together to save lives and help each other to safety. Today, our Wildlife and Fisheries rescue teams rescued 118 people and National Guard teams rescued 293 people. I saw firsthand several homes that were flooded in Calcasieu and Vermillion Parishes, and we are working with parish leaders to begin recovery operations to get the people in these parishes, and all those affected by this storm all along our coastline, back on their feet as quickly as possible. Tomorrow, I will be meeting with local leaders in Terrebonne, Lafourche, and lower Jefferson parishes, in order to get a firsthand assessment of the damage and the recovery needs in those areas."

 NATIONAL GUARD OPERATIONS

((PLEASE NOTE – some of these details were from preliminary reports on the ground before the Governor's briefing at 7PM.))

Louisiana National Guard's high water vehicles responded to calls as early 2AM today for rescues throughout the storm-effected parishes.  In St. Mary Parish, 116 people were rescued from the Franklin Nursing Home, 99 people were evacuated by high water vehicles and parish buses, and 16 were evacuated by ambulance.

As soon as weather permitted, six Blackhawk helicopters began sweeping the coastal parishes moving west along the backside of Hurricane Ike, but reported no individuals on rooftops in need of assistance. National Guard Boat teams commenced operations with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes at daybreak.

 Total National Guard rescues to date: 293

National Guard Resources Involved in Search and Rescue:

       High Water Vehicles: 255                                             High Water Vehicle Rescues: 275

      Helicopters:  20                                                            Helicopter Rescues:      6

      Boats: 41                                                                      Boat Rescues:   12

In addition to Search and Rescue missions, National Guard personnel continue to provide security support to eleven Food Stamp Distribution Sites.

Currently, Commodity Distribution sites are up and running in Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Terrebonne and Plaquemines parish, and additional points will be added as needed. As of today, we have cleared over four thousand miles of roads and seventeen thousand cubic yards of debris from hurricane Gustav.

Acadia Parish

The National Guard has 152 guardsmen, 82 high water vehicles, 8 boats, and a National Guard Satellite Communication team (ASOS) located in parish.

Assumption Parish

The National Guard has 275 guardsmen in the parish and the 239^th Military Police Battalion performing security operations.

Calcasieu Parish

The National Guard has 538 guardsmen and 117 high water rescue vehicles, and two boats in the parish. The Guard established a search and rescue lillypad at Chennault Airfield, and Guard helicopters flew to Carlyss to confirm reports of people in need of evacuation. Upon arrival, the flight crew discovered around 100 people being assisted by local firemen and six of them were determined to be special needs individuals who were immediately air evacuated to Chennault Airport.

Using Boats and high water vehicles, LANG personnel rescued 40 people from neighborhoods throughout Lake Charles, 12 people from the Laberge Casino parking lot, three adults, a two-year-old child and 2 dogs were rescued by a civilian boat and then transferred to a National Guard High Water Vehicle to the evacuation to lillypad. 17 people were rescued from St. Patrick Hospital in Lake Charles, and National Guard boat teams continue to conduct deliberate searches of flooded areas. The National Guard also moved 18 generators from their facility at Gillis Long to Chennault Industrial Air Park.

Cameron Parish

The National Guard has 40 guardsmen in the parish and National Guard boats working with Wildlife and Fisheries rescued 3 adults, 1 toddler and 2 dogs from Choupique Bayou. The Louisiana National Guard Special Reaction Team (SRT) located in Lake Charles is prepared to deploy to Cameron.  SRT is a quick reaction team composed of military police and national guardsmen who hold law enforcement occupations in the civilian sector. National Guard Satellite Communication Team (ASOS) will be in place tomorrow, Sunday, 14 September.

Iberia Parish

The National Guard has 157 guardsmen and nine high water rescue vehicles in the parish, and they will be providing additional personnel to assist in patrolling the parish during their 24 hour curfew period.

Jefferson Parish

The National Guard has 141 guardsmen and 58 high water rescue vehicles in the parish.

National Guard aircraft airlifting emergency food and water from Houma to Grand Isle. National Guard resources are also conducting security missions and standing by to support the town of Lafitte.

Jefferson Davis Parish

The National Guard has 79 guardsmen and 31 boats in the parish. Additionally, there is a National Guard Satellite Communication team (ASOS) also located there.

Lafourche Parish

There are 128 guardsmen in the parish, and 25 soldiers are assisting in sandbagging a secondary levee in Larose. Lilly pads for search and rescue are located at Thibodeaux Airport, Nicholls State Soccer Field, Raceland Recreation Center and the Greater Lafourche Port Commission Heliport. Three dump trucks have been sent to Larose truck stop to be prepared to handle the West 2nd Street Floodgates.

Orleans Parish

The National Guard has 792 guardsmen and 26 high water rescue vehicles. The Guard continues to provide security in New Orleans and an Engineer Assessment Team has been dispatched to inspect various hot spots in levee system.

Plaquemines Parish

The National Guard has 253 guardsmen and eight high water rescue vehicles in the parish. The Guard completed sandbag operations in Braithwaite and Scarsdale areas. 

St. Mary Parish

The National Guard has 40 guardsmen and a high water rescue vehicle in the parish. Guardsmen conducted door-to-door searches looking for personnel in the Pecan Acres subdivision and 18 people were rescued. Also, the Guard assisted in the evacuation of Franklin Hospital, and 12 Military Police are assisting the local sheriff with security efforts.

Terrebonne Parish

The National Guard has 150 guardsmen and a high water rescue vehicle in the parish. 22 people were rescued from locations in Houma, Dulac and Theriot, and parts of Houma Airport have standing water.

Vermillion Parish

The National Guard has 151 guardsmen and 19 high water rescue vehicles in the parish.

Reports from guardsmen throughout the parish indicate several roads impassable due to water. The Guard is prepared to launch rescue operations from several locations throughout parish, and there is a National Guard Satellite Communication team (ASOS) located there.

SEARCH AND RESCUE – WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES

In total today, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reports that they rescued 118 people, 13 dogs, a cat, and four ducks. This is in addition to the 179 people they rescued yesterday before Hurricane Ike made landfall.

There are reports of 42 rescues in Cameron/Calcasieu/Vermillion Parishes, including one case in Calcasieu of a rescue of 8 people, 13 dogs and ducks. Search and rescue missions are actively ongoing in Hackberry where some individuals are now choosing to leave.

Units are working night security patrols by boat in Vermillion Parish, and 32 people have been rescued in Terrebonne, and 26 in Jefferson Parish, where a majority of the Lafitte area is underwater. Six people were rescued in Plaquemines parish, and many more were rescued by the sheriff.

HEALTH CARE

Governor Jindal reported that four nursing homes are on generators, down from six earlier in the day. There are 1,600 people are in special needs shelters, while all medical special needs patients have been returned to Orleans and Jefferson Parishes from the PMAC at LSU. DHH visited 10 nursing homes personally today and will continue to monitor others in storm-effected areas.

 ((More timely updates included in the Governor's briefing on levees is being released through the Governor's Office of Coastal Activities.)), T

President Declares Major Disaster For Louisiana

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of Louisiana to help people and communities recover from the area affected by Hurricane Ike beginning on September 11, 2008, and continuing.

FEMA Administrator David Paulison said the assistance was authorized under a major disaster declaration issued for the state by President Bush. The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Acadia, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Sabine, St. Mary, Vermilion, and Vernon Parishes.

The assistance, to be coordinated by FEMA, can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration also will be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organization on a cost-sharing basis in Acadia, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson Davis, Sabine, St. Mary, Vermilion, and Vernon parishes for debris removal, including direct federal assistance. In addition, federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all parishes and tribal nations statewide.

Paulison named Michael J. Hall as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Hall said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are complete.

The Agency said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online 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 telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) Monday through Sunday until further notice.

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Hurricane Gustav: US declares emergency in Louisiana, Texas

WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush on Friday declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and Texas in the face of killer Hurricane Gustav, freeing up aid from Washington three years after Hurricane Katrina. Continue>>>

Statement on Federal Disaster Assistance for Louisiana

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Gustav beginning on August 27, 2008, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all parishes within the State.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael J. Hall as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  FEMA (202) 646-4600.

New Orleans IT departments brace for Gustav

These four organizations survived Katrina and explain how they are more prepared this time

August 29, 2008  (Computerworld)  As tropical storm Gustav approaches hurricane strength and heads toward the Gulf Coast, the IT lessons learned from the devastating Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that smashed New Orleans and other areas in 2005 are on the minds of many worried IT managers. Continue at Computer World>>>

Bush to New Orleans ahead of Katrina anniversary

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — President Bush on Wednesday visits a city where some say one of the biggest failures of his administration occurred, a city in which the devastation of Hurricane Katrina can still be seen in decimated neighborhoods and heard in the angry voices of frustrated residents. Continue here.

FEMA coordinates federal response to Hurricane Dolly

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is coordinating operational and support activities by numerous federal agencies in response to the landfall of Hurricane Dolly in Texas.

FEMA and its federal partners are working closely with state and local governments as well as with the private sector to support those areas impacted by wind, rain and floods caused by the storm.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

- FEMA has resources pre-staged and response teams deployed to Texas.

• FEMA has activated the National Response Coordination Center in Washington and the Region Response Coordination Center in Denton, Texas. Two state liaison officers have been deployed to the Texas State Emergency Operations Center.

• An Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) has been deployed to Austin to support the state with coordination of federal assets.
     An IMAT is composed of 15 professionals, specially trained and designated to be the first federal responders    
     on the ground and to coordinate federal activities and provide initial situational awareness.

• FEMA Logistics has deployed to San Antonio and Ft. Sam Houston:

5 Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers (MDRC),
1 Urban Search & Rescue cache,
1 50-Pack of generators,
1 Logistics Support Vehicle,
2 trucks of tarps, and
2 trucks of blue roof materials/plastic sheeting.
• In addition, FEMA Logistics has on-hand in Ft. Worth, TX:

613,800 liters of water,
776,988 meals (MRE's),
232,004 tarps,
240,731 blankets,
62,509 cots, and
235 generators.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

- DHS' Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has 3,500 personnel in the region. Trained personnel and equipment are available to support search and rescue efforts and CBP aircraft are standing by to support operations.

- In anticipation of Hurricane Dolly's landfall, DHS' Ready Campaign reached out to local media across southern Texas to provide information on personal preparedness and basic activities that individuals can undertake to protect themselves and their families. Outreach continues in communities still in the path of the storm and facing potential flooding.

International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC)

- In coordination with the U.S. Department of State, the IBWC has primary responsibility for levies along the U.S.-Mexican border.

• IBWC staff have reviewed the levies and found no seepage.

• A review of the levy system and expected rainfall are all within design specifications and no over-topping is expected.

• Staff remain on duty 24/7 conducting additional evaluations and reviews.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)

- 29 Search & Rescue capable helicopters and crew have been pre-positioned and an Incident Management Team is standing by.

- USCG provided transportation to the region for FEMA's IMAT Team.

National Guard Bureau

- The Governor of Texas has called for up to 1,200 Texas National Guard members to support any response efforts.

• To date, 540 personnel are on the ground and 100 additional members are en route.

- The Texas National Guard has six UH-60 Black Hawks and one 0H-58 Kiowa crews on standby for possible search and rescue missions.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

- USACE is working closely with state and local emergency managers as well as federal agencies to advise and assist communities with professional engineering expertise and support.

- 39 USACE personnel had been pre-positioned to support FEMA with federal missions.

- Soldiers with USACE's 249th Engineering Battalion have been deployed to the region and are prepared to provide emergency electrical power to critical public infrastructure if needed.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

- HHS has contacted critical care facilities in the region to ensure hospitals, nursing homes and others have the necessary supplies and generators to support themselves for up to 72 hours.

• All necessary medical evacuations were completed prior to the storm's landfall.

- HHS has caches of health care materials available in Texas to support any additional needs.

-The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are coordinating with federal and state officials on the most likely health issues to arise during a Hurricane and subsequent flooding.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

- National Weather Service continues to track Hurricane Dolly and will issue watches and warnings to the affected areas.

- National Ocean Service Navigation Response Team has been dispatched to the Brownsville, Texas area to conduct hydrographic surveys to locate any potential seaport waterway obstructions in the aftermath of Hurricane Dolly.

- National Ocean Service Office of Response and Restoration is prepared to provide on site scientific support should any hazardous material or oil spill incidents occur.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

- DOE has 3 individuals staffing the RRCC in Denton, TX and 2 individuals staffing the NRCC to provide assistance related to energy systems and supplies.

U.S. Department of Interior (DOI)

- DOI's Minerals Management Service (MMS) reports 395 million cubic feet per day of the Gulf's natural gas production has been shut-in, equivalent to 5.1 percent of production. MMS reports 60,621 barrels per day of the Gulf's crude production has been shut-in, equivalent to 4.7 percent of the Gulf's crude production. A total of 49 production platforms, or about 6.8 percent of the Gulf's 717 manned platforms, have been evacuated. Personnel from six rigs, approximately 4.9 percent of those operating in the region, have been removed.

U.S. Department of Defense (DoD): Northern Command

- DoD deployed to San Antonio a Defense Coordinating Officer and Defense Coordinating Element to coordinate any requests for assistance.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

- USDA has distributed guidance on food safety during power outages and flooding.

The American Red Cross (ARC)

- The ARC has deployed to Texas:

• 250 personnel,
• 29 emergency response vehicles,
• 48,000 blankets,
• 22,000 cots,
• 45,000 heater meals,
• 48,000 comfort kits

- ARC is working with its partners in the non-profit and faith based communities to provide additional support.

• The Southern Baptist community has 13 kitchens available for deployment, capable of providing 187,000 meals per day.

• The Baptist Men's community has an additional 2 to 4 kitchens available, capable of providing up to 60,000 meals per day.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Thousands to be evacuated in Mexico as Hurricane Dolly approaches

MEXICO CITY, July 23 (RIA Novosti) - Authorities in northeast Mexico are preparing to evacuate around 22,000 people to shelters as Hurricane Dolly approaches the state of Tamaulipas, a local defense official said on Wednesday. Continue...