Hurricane Katrina

[Amerist]

HURRICANE KATRINA has wreaked havoc all across the Gulf cost, displaced millions from homes, taken lives, destroyed property, and obliterated livelihoods. The situation in New Orleans and cities in the affected region continue to be horrible and the human suffering is terrible. I would like to urge anyone who happens to read my writing and articles to donate to the American Red Cross. Even a small amount in this time of crisis holds a world of benefit.

Few may be aware of what I do for a day job (being a writer these days isn’t that lucrative) but I am the lead programmer for PETS 911, a hotline and web page dedicated to the welfare of pets and animals in the United States. If the human toll in New Orleans and the Gulf is any indication the toll on animals is no less considerable. Families have been torn apart, people have lost and left their pets behind; the situation is bad for everyone.

The Humane Society of the United States and The American Humane Association have joined the action, with support and disaster teams in the affected areas trying to affect their own rescue operations to come to the aid of animals that have been caught in the wake of the storm. Boing Boing has also carried a small article on the involvement of these operations. They are seeking money and materials to help support their relief crews. These organizations both are wonderful resources for the entire country and could also use your aid, should you have a fuzzy place in your heart for your own pet.

“HSUS animal response units are in Jackson, Mississippi, and on the western edge of the impact area, coordinating with other rescue efforts and ready to move into the worst-hit regions to respond to the hundreds of pleas for help from pet owners. The HSUS disaster teams are recommending that people with stranded pets continue trying to contact their local authorities.”

Thousands were forced to leave behind beloved pets and animals when the call for a full evacuation of New Orleans went out. HSUS Disaster Teams are already preparing to go in now that the wrath of the storm has died down. At this time the area is still under quarantine due to environmental issues, massive flooding, and widespread disarray. As the human rescue efforts continue soon it will be time for the animal efforts and others to begin. The American Humane Association has also deployed recently into the fringes of the affected areas waiting for the chance to safely move in and begin rescue operations.

Although I am currently high and dry in the wetlands of Michigan, my heart goes out to everyone affected by this horrible devastation. I urge anyone who has extra supplies to give to the human and animal relief efforts post Hurricane Katrina to give a little something.

For those with a grim stomach, and a lot of patience to listen, there is a Shoutcast station currently patched into a police scanner in NOLA.

Even after the hurricane hit them, New Orleans’ Internet presence is not giving up easily. “With buildings reduced to soggy ruin just a few blocks away, Zipa's data center … still operates, powered by a 750-kilowatt diesel generator and connected to the rest of the world by a fiber optic connection buried deep underneath New Orleans' flooded streets.” And finally, for people who want to see what the monster looked like via satellite, there is an article available for that too.

For everyone in the affected areas: be strong, stay safe, keep hope.

[Brenda Starrr]

:tear

[Amerist]

:tear

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The monster...Katrina...has generated a lot of work for me. Of course, the last few hurricanes did as well but just not on the same order of severity. Mostly we end up setting up web pages to help humane organizations keep track of where animals are, licenses, and possibly help people reunite with pets...

We haven't had much "presence" on this one, mostly we're putting banners up for the major US organizations (and they can always use extra advertising in this world where marketing is king...)

Felt like I had to write something about the animal situation; the human situation is going to be all over the news, and rightly so.

[Amerist]

THIS IS AWESOME; ASU is the college that I'm from:

Arizona State offers dorms, classes to Katrina refugees Kade BP Hutchinson says,

This page states that in a directive from our university president, Arizona State University has opened its dormitories and classes to (college) student victims of Katrina. This includes all of ASU's Schools, including Law. An expedited registration has been instituted. Private community individuals also are taking in some of these students. For more information, please see the website above, call (480)965-312, fax (480)965-7722, email registrar@asu.edu (or myself, kade@asu.edu).

As posted on Boing Boing.

I'm sure that people have noticed that Arizona State University (ASU) is the majority of the setting of Mill Avenue Vexations. I thought that I would put this out there with the rest of the stuff that I have been discovering on the subject of Katrina, especially because this one basically brings it all closer to home for me. Of course, it's funny, ASU is in the middle of a desert -- so people who just got soaked and waterlogged by a hurricane can certainly enjoy themselves in the blistering heat and sun, far, far away from any water.

[The_Dark]

No offense.. but I think your time would be better spent finding people that need help.

[Amerist]

No offense.. but I think your time would be better spent finding people that need help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unfortunately, I cannot hope to do that.

So we take what we do as a job and turn it toward the best possible use for the situation.

[Paint it Black]

I know animals are people, too, but shouldn't all available efforts be focused on the human beings who are starving, dehydrated, dying?

No offense intended.

[Amerist]

I know animals are people, too, but shouldn't all available efforts be focused on the human beings who are starving, dehydrated, dying?

No offense intended.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The human element is supposedly rather solidly handled by the people we all pay to do it with our taxes. There are people out there who are trained to search for people in wreckage, pull them out, and treat them; and they are mobilized by the governments that retain their services for these purposes. They are not just experts in their fields but they are actually capable of these jobs due to training, experience, and endurance.

The above listed organizations are none of these people and probably would not be capable of the same things; but they do have their own expertise and worthwhile applications that they can provide for relief efforts. And I suspect that they won't be going in (if they're not crazy--and I hope they're not) until they are able to without getting in the way of human rescue operations.

These organizations are also made up of people who donate their time and energy to the human efforts where they can, and chances are good that there are members of these disaster teams who are currently doing human rescue right now. They are civilian organizations who want to make sure that in the face of any disaster we are not forgetting the whole and total magnitude of who is affected. For the most part they are also experts in how to deal with the animal situation, nursing rescues, veterinary medicine, and the whole husbandry affected to our furry friends.

From a very cynical and heartless point of view animal rescue operations are more akin to disaster cleanup than rescue; the heartening part of it is that there's a living critter that might be saved on the other end of doing so. And reuniting people who have been forced to be separated from their pets during the crisis.

The presence of animals in disaster areas actually adds to the general chaos and moving them out can help reduce the number of disease vectors and other civil dangers posed by them.

While it is noble sounding to shout "think of the people," I submit that they are not in any danger of any way being forgotten. In fact, they are the forefront and most present issue that is being dealt with, but this does not diminish nor make worthless the ability of people who have dedicated their lives to animals to actually do a part when it comes to helping make right what once went wrong.

Setting aside just a little time or a little money will not suck away from the human efforts; but what it can do is perhaps lend a little more hope to the long healing after the disaster.

[Marblez]

I applaud the effort. It is true, we all have our talents and should use them appropriately.

Music/Movie celebrities could be out there picking up a few people in life rafts...or they can do a telethon and raise millions of dollars of support.

Funding issues are a concern, however, how many people donate to the Humane Society year after year even though we still need to fund things like research for cancer , muscular distrophy, AIDS, battered womans shelters? Yes, people should come first but just imagine if the family that just lost everything they own can at the least be reunited with "Scruffy".

I am by no means an animal person, but I applaud your efforts.

[Paint it Black]

Point taken.

[DarkVampire]

I know animals are people, too, but shouldn't all available efforts be focused on the human beings who are starving, dehydrated, dying?

No offense intended.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

An animal (pet) life is just as valid and important as a humans.

[The_Dark]

Not everyone beleives that though. Many people value people more than animals.

[Homicidalheathen]

Yup. I am a member of peta and all but when a child is dying....you'd rather help a dog? Please.

And do you think God spared the fags? Ha. I bet that pissed the christians off....the french quarter wasn't hit hard.

No offense.. but I think your time would be better spent finding people that need help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[The_Dark]

I'm not sure why you equate "Fags" with the french quarter...

[phee]

Yup.  I am a member of peta and all but when a child is dying....you'd rather help a dog?  Please.

And do you think God spared the fags?  Ha.  I bet that pissed the christians off....the french quarter wasn't hit hard.

Can you clarify the meaning of this?

[Brenda Starrr]

Yes, please. I would like to understand what the meaning behind "fags" would be. I'm really getting tired of the use of this term, as it appears to be derogatory.

This thread is supposed to be about Katrina and its animal victims. NOT about "fags". Please keep the thread at its original subject. Thanks.

[Onyx]

I applaud the effort.  It is true, we all have our talents and should use them appropriately. 

Music/Movie celebrities could be out there picking up a few people in life rafts...or they can do a telethon and raise millions of dollars of support.

Funding issues are a concern, however, how many people donate to the Humane Society year after year even though we still need to fund things like research for cancer , muscular distrophy, AIDS, battered womans shelters? Yes, people should come first but just imagine if the family that just lost everything they own can at the least be reunited with "Scruffy".

I am by no means an animal person, but I applaud your efforts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Those are excellent points Marblez.

Also if you look just strictly at the human toll it could take with many roaming neglected domestic animals - that in itself could spread disease.

[Jarodaka]

Sorry if this thread is dead, but here are my two cents:

God hates fags, don't you know? See, God had Katrina rip through NOLA to punish it for holding the Southern Decadence festivities. However, the French Quarter -- where the parade is held -- was largely spared. (In fact, a contingent of about 12 homosexuals who survived the storm held the parade anyway.) Hence, the irony of HH's post. I think, anyway.

[phee]

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