August 31st 2005

On Wednesday New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said Hurricane Katrina may have killed thousands of people in the city. "We know there is a significant number of dead bodies in the water," and other people dead in attics, Nagin told reporters. When asked how many, he said: "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands."

The mayor estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people had remained in the city during the Hurricane.  . Between 15,000 and 20,000 people sought refuge in the Superdome, where broken toilets and the humidity made life miserable. He said that 14,000 to 15,000 could be evacuated per day

The Pentagon is mounting one of the largest search-and-rescue operations in US history.  They have sent four Navy ships to the Gulf Coast with drinking water and other emergency supplies.  The hospital ship USNS Comfort has been dispatched along with helicopters and elite SEAL water-rescue teams. 

Since the disaster struck, we have been contacted by concerned family members.  There are a few places to turn to get info. You can call the Red Cross at 1-866-get-info (1-866-438-4636) or you can contact the Salvation Army online by clicking here.  Federal officials say the best way to help with the hurricane recovery efforts is by donating money to relief organizations. For donations you can also call the Red Cross directly at 1-800-Help Now (1-800-435-7669) or the Salvation Army at 1-800-Sal-Army (1-800-725-2769).  You can also check The Next Of Kin Registry is available at www.nokr.org .

This is likely to be the US Red Cross’s largest disaster relief operation ever.  The death toll has reached 110 people in Mississippi alone.  An unknown number have perished in Louisiana where they have not even begun to count the dead.   

Two levees broke and spilled water into the city of New Orleans Tuesday.  This swamped an estimated 80 percent of the bowl shaped city that is below sea level.  As the water rose, many residents sought refuge in their attics.  Some residents were able to climb onto their roof. 

New Orleans will be uninhabitable for weeks or maybe months. "We are looking at 12 to 16 weeks before people can come in," Nagin said on ABC's Good Morning America, "and the other issue that's concerning me is we have dead bodies in the water. At some point in time the dead bodies are going to start to create a serious disease issue."

Marshal Law was declared for the city as looters began robbing stores.  Many of the windows had already been broken by the Hurricane, and those that weren’t were broken by the lawbreakers. Hundreds of people have been wondering aimlessly up and down Interstate 10.  Parts of the Interstate have been washed out.    

Governor Kathleen Blanco said "The logistical problems are impossible and we have to evacuate people in shelters," the governor said. "It's becoming untenable. There's no power. It's getting more difficult to get food and water supplies in, just basic essentials."

The Army Corp of Engineers is already working on a 150 yard gap of the levee that separates Lake Pontchartrain from the city.   The top priority is to rescue the trapped residents first, and the city must be evacuated as quickly as possible. 

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By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication Staff Writer

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Keywords and misspellings:  Hurricane Huricane Katrina Catrina Path of expected track trak