On the day before Hurricane Katrina hit, my Disaster Team was sent to New Orleans. At that time New Orleans seemed well prepared. Now we know they weren't.
There is no power at all, no water, a 50 inch main having burst, no natural gas, it was shut off for safety, and over 75% of telephones are not working. The city is 90% flooded, the pumps that keep the city dry cannot function without electricity. Two levees have now failed and water pours into the city.
There is massive looting and general unlawful activity. They are now evacuating the super dome with 10,000 inside. The roof failed and there is no food.
My team is here with our disaster medical truck, we also have a rescue boat and that is also part of our job now. We evacuate personnel who are too ill, or too incapacitated for normal evacuation. On our first trip out with two other boats we evacuated 19 patients, of which ten were paraplegic. We will be working all night tonight. They have a long list for us.
The President, so far, will not activate an Army Field Kitchen and that is the only way to feed this place. This is surreal, it's like a bad dream. We were supposed to go to Mississippi today, but this took precedence.
It is not fun, it is not satisfying, it is in one word, Horrible. It looks bad, it smells bad, it is bad. The city of New Orleans felt there would never be a storm that would overcome the pumps, but when the levees failed, it was all over. The city is actually sinking.
One day at a time that's our motto.
Love Fiona
This went from my trusty, rusty laptop hooked to our satellite phone.
Katrina
