Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Bayou Black and Blue

It's been hard to get news of what's going on in Houma and Montegut, but the little bit I've gleaned is that the doors to Terrebonne Parish are closed to evacuees until Friday. The power grids are down and no electricity is expected for a couple of days. Streets need to be cleared of trees and debris before anyone will be let back in. I've called my cousin who evacuated to her brother's house in Georgia but haven't heard back yet. I don't know what's going on down there, not as bad as expected but still damaged. Everyone seems to think that since New Orleans was by-passed the drama in Southern Louisiana is over. But it's not.

In listening to NPR coverage, I heard the fire chief of Montegut say that his "smoke signals" for help haven't reached any one and they are still waiting for water, communications equipment, and diesel fuel. In our media driven society, it's a shame that entire populations of people still manage to fall through the cracks.

Here's the NPR link: Storm Stricken Louisiana Town

*********************SEPTEMBER 4 UPDATE***************************
Heard back from Ms. Claire Louise. She's almost to Mississippi, returning to Houma from Georgia. Expects to sleep in her car tonight since she can't get to her house until sometime tomorrow. Still no electricity in the city.

5 comments:

K.C. Ball said...

FEMA is worthless; it needs to be dismantled and the pieces sold for scrap.

When Wilma hit the Keys, our car wound up under six feet of water for two hours. It was a total loss; paid for, of course, and so we only had collision coverage. Stupid us. FEMA said they couldn't help us, even though it was our only transportation.

As the topper, we had to sign it over to the state for destruction (Florida will not license a flooded car) AND had to pay to have it towed to the state impound yard.

Gay Degani said...

Good grief, KC!

Jane said...

Baton Rouge has been told it will be two WEEKS before they have power. They are running out of food. They are out of gas. One reason - the NO evacuees who used it to get back to the Blessedly Spared Big Easy. Alyssa called yesterday, since they only have battery operated radio (how quaint) to find out what the news was reporting on them - when was relief in site. I told her that, um, well, gee NEW ORLEANS WAS SPARED and who cares about the rest of the state! I mean, sheesh!

Anonymous said...

Getting a fair bit of news airtime for the american weather right now,You guys are getting bitchslapped by a lot of storms.


Also i think its amusing how different countries are built for different diasters. We are currently being hit by a big ol storm in england...its causing mass flooding and deaths...yet it is nowhere NEAR a hurricane.


Just hows you how bad those storms would be if you wasnt in a countr ywith preparations and specially built buildings.

Jane said...

I have to comment again - actually FEMA, the National Guard and the US government have been involved in clean up and doing what they can in Baton Rouge and such. It's the media that forced them to focus on New Orleans; its the New Orleans refugees who, returning to New Orleans filled up with gas and emptied the supermarket shelves per their instructions from the MEDIA before returning to New Orleans. A few have stayed to help those who helped them in their time of need. Neither FEMA, nor the US government are perfect, but responded very well in Iowa, where again, there has been no media focus despite many people sustaining serious losses. We Iowans are taking care of each other, but few outside Iowa realize the crisis exists here still. But it's next to impossible for the people of Louisiana to take care of themselves given the set of circumstances they have been handed. It is the Power of the American people, which the media is supposed to highlight, that is needed now.