Hello, I saw you quoted my update on the situation in New Orleans I am tracking and sharing analysis from Colorado, I have done relief work before but am not in this one, just care a lot and want to try to help.

update just now:

It is essential to clearly place the news coming from New Orleans and the region in the perspective of the events, not only for oursleves but to help understand the challenges that the officials and support on the scene face.

It is a natural unavoidable event. The Hurricane brought wind and water, both air borne and pushed by the force of the wind. These wrought great destruction on all fixed
items, buildings, trees, any constructions of any kind. These also impacted the people there, directly by force of the storm and now by the effects of the aftermath. These effects after will continue unabated untill their initial force is spent. This includes the flooding, in all forms and the results of that, and the effects on what is a very large
urban area with an incredibly complex infrastructure, communities in the city that are hundreds of years old, people from all walks of life and economic levels, the event cuts across all lines. In the city currently however, there is a large and complex blend of people. Many of them have no resources and great stress right now.

The officials have limited resources and very limited ways that they can apply them. The water in the streets is almost totally going to impede efforts to move machinery and people by ground. By air, there are severe limits to what the air units can achieve immeidatly.

The water will rise to the extent that the geography will allow. The levees can be repaired. Even though the first efforts may have not succeeded to say they have failed is not accurate. The Army Corps of Engineers said clearly that they would marshall their forces and get ready to solve the problem TOMORROW. It takes time to move major equipment
into place, and even if the pumps in place fail now, they can bring in even larger ones in mobile units.

It is essential in times of crisis to be calm internally and in how we speak and write about this situation. This means that we should not either repress or hide facts, nor should
we engender and encourage despair. We can as a nation and as people of that nation achieve miracles if we work together, and do not give in to hate or anger or fear or focus on the negative things like the looting. There is only so much any police force can do and they must prioritize the saving of lives, property while valuable, is tangible as was clearly and very well put by the Governor today in the presentation.

The priorities are:

1. Saving lives


2. Dealing with the most immediate natural forces: the flooding and and the inflow of water


3. Health hazzards and preservation of public health


4. Supplying food and shelter to the extent possible


5. Public Safety
   Planning for current and future measures. Upholding the hope and courage of all involved.


6. Human Needs, succour, counsel, encouragement, calming, stress release


7. Leadership and Highest Character by all, not just the leaders in charge
   

We can all make a difference.

This is not an impossible situation, it is a challenging one, and one that we can understand and help with in countless ways.

There will be and will continue to be loss of life, injury and loss of all kinds. But we know that we and all there will do all they can to help with this. The recovery and rebuilding will take months and years and offers chances for improvement and much good. But it will be very hard and take a lot of patience. No one can go back now, today, this week
or maybe for quite some time.

The entire New Orleans area is part of a huge hydraulic natural river delta, which is the release point for a huge watershed, an entire mid continental region. The fore and power of the water involved is huge and inexonerable. Immediate efforts to deal with this are a must and I am
sure are being done. Immediate success is not to be expected, for many measures must be developed and tried.

The Navy is sending help, in the form of amphibeous forces. The Coast Guard is already performing miracles. The Airforce is bringing in a C 130 with shallow draft craft to help with the rescue. The resources of a vast nation are being focused but take time, a day or two to begin to arrive in force.

So each of us can share and seek information and share thoughts and concerns but for the sake of all in peril and risk and trauma, let us do it with consideration, dignity and respect.