A short respite
I own a small nursing home in east Texas. On Monday, we gave refuge to a family of 27 coming out of Jefferson Parish. One of the vehicles in their seven car caravan experienced mechanical problems and they waited on the busy roadside for almost three hours. I contacted a local chicken franchise and with their help was able to feed this family. My staff and I were thankful to be able to offer them cool shelter, restrooms, and a short respite from their journey for a couple of hours. The seven children were given stuffed animals and time to move about freely. The adults were frayed and the short time we watched the children allowed them to rest. When they left us they were heading to a small hotel 20 miles away where they had reservations. They had already received word that they had lost everything!
-- Judy Stallone, R.N.; Carthage, Texas

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August 31: Citizen Journalist contributor Jason Newton, who is getting text messages from his fiancé in New Orleans, talked with Joe Scarborough about the conditions at Charity Hospital in New Orleans.
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Crisis at University Hospital
Through text messages and intermittent cell phone calls I have learned that 1,300 patients and staff remain trapped mere blocks from the SuperDome at the University Hospital on Gravier Street (in New Orleans). My fiancé, Dr. Jessica Lee, is a 3rd OB/GYN resident there. She volunteered to staff the ward and has been there since 6 a.m. Saturday.

They’ve got a bit of a web of communications going, handing off cell phones to different people – some messages come from Jes on other phones, other times I get calls from relayed messages. Last night, a message was relayed from a friend-of-a-friend in Chicago.

Here’s what they report: No power, sewage, food or water for 48+ hours, all exits are flooded, save one that leads to more water, no supplies have been delivered, 11 doctors shared 2 flashlights last night, many dead are reported in the hospital, the generator in the basement flooded, no helipad exists, no word from the outside world on a rescue or a plan, the stench is said to be unbearable and the collective mood and health standards are going downhill quickly.

I simply want to call attention to the fact that there is a much bigger catastrophe happening than we are being told -- there are much more emergent matters away from the bussing of the SuperDome to Houston - thousands are in dire straights at this moment in area hospitals without relief. Many lives are still in danger.
--Jason Newton

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'It could be worse'
'We have heard from several of our friends via the internet. Many many of them are just planting where they landed, registering their kids for school in locations scattered all over the country.'

— Christine McPherson
Mandeville, La.
We evacuated to Houston on Saturday. Three children, a husband, a dog, and two cars. I left my oldest daughter, her husband, and two children back in Folsom, La. with her in-laws. They have a three year old and a three month old. They thought they were far enough north of the city to be ok (about 90 miles, I think) I have been out of contact with them since the storm services, until this morning. I finally heard from my daughter just a few minutes ago. They are in a house with about 15 people with limited food and water, and limited gas in the vehicles to get anywhere. The roads are heavily blocked with trees up that way and they are not able to get out anyway. My husband, Brad, tried to get to them and could not. Of course, we are getting anxious over here, and the limited communication is not helping things at all.

My husband returned to check on the house and family, and he is also a property adjuster, so is standing by for "deployment".

We have heard from several of our friends via the internet. Many many of them are just planting where they landed, registering their kids for school in locations scattered all over the country: Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Penn. The reality of the situation is sinking in with my 13 and 14 year old. They are just devastated, understanding that life as they know it has now ended. I just hug them and tell them things could be worse. At least we still have each other.
--Christine McPherson, Mandeville, La.

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CONTINUED : More Hurricane Katrina reports

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