My Heart Goes Out To those Who Have Been Hit By Katrina. I Know What It Is Like, We Went Through Charlie Last Year (we Live 10 Miles Form Punta Gorda). Is there Anyone Here who Knows Of Someone In That Area? Bless Them.

Yes, it is so sad....

I woke up this morning and turned on the news and New Orleans is under Water and officials can not figure out why water rose during the night and why it is still is rising

They are going to need more money then FEMA and Red Cross can provide, it is going to be a national fundraiser like the Tsunami or Sept 11th

Praying for them all

My cousin and his wife live in New Orleans. He called me in the middle of the night last night to let me know they were okay. I hadn't been able to get in touch with them all day yesterday. He said they had something like 155mph winds and that trees are down everywhere. I am just glad he and his wife are safe.

Incase any of you may not understand what happened in N.O. overnight... (please excuse my simple minded explanation)

Think of a bowl (like a salad bowl) - and the mighty Mississippi River on one side, the Gulf of Mexico on another and a huge lake on another - inside the bowl is the city of N.O. The Water does not spill into the bowl, due to levee's built up around the city. Well, from Katrina's high winds and excess rain, the levee's broke (2, I think) causing the water to start spilling/flooding into the "bowl". Something that was not predicted, but feared would happen. Thats why N.O. is now under water. The levee's broke!

Here in Lake Charles, there is a major shelter set up for refugee's. Many more are expected to arrive here from those that fled to Texas and much farther away places. Most of those that are arriving now have stayed in hotels - but money is running short! And the thought of staying in a paid hotel for 2 weeks or more could make anyone cringe.

I didnt think much about any of this until around noon time when I saw a long convoy of utility trucks getting on the interstate heading over there.

The sights we are seeing/hearing about are unbelievable. Everyone around here has a relative or friend that lived in the N.O. area. Its such a popular place.

And Biloxi, Mississippi - My God in heaven!

That place is demolished.

I hope this thread stays up. We all need to pray for everyone in the area. I wish I didn't live so far away so I could help.

Don't forget to give blood if you can.

Don't we have someone on this site who is suposed to have her band in a few days?

I've been watching the news al lday, glued to FOX news and it is absolutely heartbreaking, I cry everytime I see the interview with the man who lost his wife because he could not hold onto her hand any longer. It's devastating...I feel helpless.

I'm going to cordinate a fundraiser this Holiday weekend at my restaraunt to donate as much money as possible to the victims, and we spoke at dinner tonight as a family that my husband and brother & 18yr old son will all donate blood since they all have the universal blood type

I can't keep watching the news, I am heartbroken. This is just to sad. I am going to donate blood tomorrow and hope that anyone that can will. There is a critical need for blood right now.

My daughter Gina drove all night from Biloxi to West Memphis, Arkansas to get out of the way of that storm. She is stationed at Keesler AFB and is just so afraid of the future. She has friends that did not leave and doesn't know the fate of anyone. She is wondering if the base will be closed instead of rebuilding in the path of such danger. Somebody should get smart and keep open one of the bases that were scheduled to close and move everybody to that area. I can't imagine the need for Keesler to be right there near the water. Just because the congressmen or women have 'political capital' the base will be rebuilt right there.

God bless the entire area for their terrible ordeal that will take so long to make right.

I agree, we need to stay in constant prayer for the ravaged areas. So many people are displaced and have absolutly nothing. The superdome was evacuated of at least 10,000 people, where did they go. The prison was evacuated and prisoners were left on a bridge. The jail had more prisoners and they were rioting the last I heard last night, they also had taken hostages. This is just a horrible time for New Orleans and the surrounding areas. These people are poor, they have nothing.

Donate clothes, matter of fact anything to your local church's because they normally can get the items to the areas needed. Remember those people have been displaced so they have gone to hotels and other family members homes, maybe in your own neighborhood. Yor local church can help them.

PRAY

We Are Currently Putting Together Relief Efforts Here. My Husband Works At The Sheriff's Office So We Have A Lot Of Contact With The Community. I Feel A Great Need To Do This Especially Since Last Year We Received So Much Help. Anything At That Time Was So Precious, From Small Toys For The Kids To Clean Clothing. If You Are Able, Please Contact A Local Church, Police Dept, Etc So That You Can Donate Clothing, Food, Diapers, Etc. Even A Little Helps So Very Much! God Bless!

I just saw the news last night and it, is heartbreaking. I had planned on going through my closets and drawers and if I can contact one of the Churches around here I will be sending my stuff plus get my co-workers to donate what they can..

My prayers too all Katrina has affected.

wow, so many things are happening on our area...

All of this is so unbelievable.

Here is just one of the many stories Ive heard and want to share...

Our mayor, a priest, and a couple of other leaders in our area, put funds together and went to Walmart during the night to purchase items for our local refugee's. Whats even more impressive is that Walmart MATCHED the items. So they were given double of what they had purchased. These things were brought to the Civic Center where 2500 refugee's are staying.

Mike told me that yesterday he talked to a good friend of ours/member of our church that was housing 25 relatives from the N.O. area - all of them had word that they had NOTHING left to return to!

After the storm hit, SW Louisiana breathed a huge sigh of relief and went on its daily life...

but now, everyone is seeing these poor homeless folks filling our area. We are seeing this with our own eyes - not through tv!

My dad - who is sort of a toot - called our local Red Cross to volunteer his services.

I just had to share that with all of you. Thats something I will remember forever!

They are evacuating the Superdome and moving them to the Astrodome in Houston!!

This is horrible. I live right on the border of Texas and Louisiana and the area attractions here are letting the people that have evacuated get in for free....if we could only get the hotels to knock to price down to nothing for them. And they are raising the gas prices, they should be lowering them so people can evacuate.

Kelly,

Mike just called and said that they are now getting the school age evacuee's (children) enrolled in our local school system.

This is a really good idea. Officials are saying these poor people will be calling LC home for weeks! So why not get the kids in school!

I was a bit disheartened at the reaction to the looting going on. These poor people had nowhere to go, no way to get there, and while I'm sure some could have left and didn't, most simply couldn't. So the NO "bowl" is filling with Water and the police are worried about looters.

Okay, I know stealing is wrong, and I'm sure some were getting TV and electronics that they were hoping to be able to sell for profit. But think about it. Their homes are destroyed, they don't know where they are going, how they will get there, and no way of staying in touch with others. How 'bout a dadgum TV! It will all be ruined in the flooding anyway! The police were forcing the looters to drop the clothing and other items to the ground where they stayed, I guess. What a waste! If all you have are the clothes on your back and there is a store full of clothing and shoes that is filling with water...very very dirty water...I would personally consider it a donation, ya know?

It was so sad, watching people exist in such desperation. Looting isn't right, but under the circumstances, well, it's hard not to justify it.

I, too, saw the interview of the man who lost his wife holding her hand...she slipped away and he hasn't seen her since. The reporter lost it. I do too, just thinking of it.

I'm sending a donation to the Red Cross. Anyone else?