My flight attendant brother just flew with a plane full of FEMA volunteers

[progmom]

...into Memphis. They're being dispatched in the morning...though they don't know where.

One of the docs told my brother that FEMA had called up every doctor, every RN, every nurse's assistant, every veterinarian, and every coroner on their list. She has been a FEMA volunteer for 25 years and has never seen anything like this.

[JVS]

1. It sounds serious

[Sannum]

2. this is going to be horrible

:cry:

I am so sick of death and destruction.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. They realize how big a disaster is coming....

And they are trying like mad to be as ready as possible for it...

Good for them!

:grouphug:

[Redstone]

4. Big Weather this time. I sure hope FEMA is less lame

than they've historically been.

And I hope they have enough CRF civilian transport airplanes, since ALL of our airlift capacity is currently busy with a stupid war on the other side of the world...ten C-17s would make a big difference in the next week, but they're just not here...

Redstone

[bridgit]

7. good point, Redstone...

sadly, the time is now to have been far smarter then

[merh]

5. Thanks for the information.

:hi: :hug:

[RevCheesehead]

11. Merh! Are you inland yet?

[merh]

13. I am safe inland - I am with my family and just hunkered down

waiting on this thing to do its thing. The winds are picking up now and the rain is steady, not heavy. It will be a long day tomorrow.

I am going to stay on line as long as the electricity and internet allow.

So good to see you PopeCheesy - please keep those blessings and prayers a coming! :hug:

:loveya:

[NoSheep]

15. Make lemonade?

:D you know the old saying: When you got lemons....
We're here with you merh.

[merh]

17. That is exactly what I will do!

I have plenty of water at my disposal. ;-)

I'm so glad that you guys are out there! Thanks so much :hug:

[RevCheesehead]

16. You got em.

Glad to see Swamp Rat got out.

The sister (& BIL) of one of my church members is part of the emergency team down in NO - and they have to stay. LOTS of prayers.

[merh]

18. I was so happy that SwampRat got out. I couldn't stand the

thought of him trying to cut his way out of the roof of his house. :scared:

SwampRat is a national treasure. :hug:

Again, I do appreciate the support and prayers. :hug:

:loveya:

[brokensymmetry]

6. Ouch.

It sounds like they know what's coming...and that it won't be good.

[xmas74]

8. I talked to a friend who has a masters in Emergency

Crisis and Disaster Management. She said that, w/o the total cooperation of the Guards(all the NG who should be in LA right now) that it will be a horrible situation. She also said that we need to ready a list of coroners and morticians if the situation gets as bad as suspected.
She says that we will get international aid and that there will be many offers. She said the real question is will the US govt. swallow their pride and accept it.
(fwiw-her job is to make the continguency plans for evac and things of that nature. She says that the previous evac plans could not have worked w/o a strong govt presence-ie.National Guard.)

[havocmom]

12. We need to make sure b*sh & Cheney are dogged everywhere they go

with the question: Where's our Guard?

Off to a war based on lies and only for profit of Cheney cronies.

Where's our Guard when disaster strikes at home?

[xmas74]

14. When plans of this nature are made

they include the services of public safety(police, fire, EMS, dispatch and volunteer services) along w/ groups like Civil Air Patrol and the National Guard(plus federal, such as military, FEMA, and various volunteer and charitable organizations).
My friend holds a masters in the subject. She has focused on damaged by floods(we both lived through the floods of '93 and '95 in MO and were both fascinated by the subject). I took a few classes in EC/DM and they teach you about planning. The first is to use resources locally, then statewide, then national, then finally international. With the National Guard and Reservists gone we have to skip a step. All plans had to be scrapped and replanned (unless the city had it in the budget for multiple plans but the more widescale you have to reach out for help, the more muddled the plans become and are less likely to be implemented properly).

[MildyRules]

20. Good question

How much of the LA NG is unavailable for disaster relief? Anyone know?

[havocmom]

21. There have been a couple of posts saying 3000 in Iraq from LA Guard

AND their equipment too.

[Fleshdancer]

9. Thank Goddess for the advances we have made in science and technology

We all know how serious Katrina is and I'm proud that we do. Over a million people evacuated the area and tens of thousands of people are in shelters because we now have the capability to know when and where a hurricane will hit. I like knowing that FEMA volunteers are already on a plane. I like that 300,000 MRE's have arrived at the super dome. I like knowing that many lives have already been saved because of the advancement of science and technology.

To all the scientists and all the researchers, thank-you for being the silver lining.

[In_The_Wind]

10. It IS great to know they are planning ahead ~ thanks progmom!

may the damage and loss be minimal

[tjwmason]

19. Golly gosh

As we don't tend to get any real extreme weather in the U.K. (a few flash flood which the military can cope with quite easily) it hadn't sunk in quite how extreme this gets.

Yikes, good vibes to all on the Gulf Coast, and :thumbsup: to your brother for doing his part.