Area Churches Open New Relief Center in Seabrook

*AREA** **CHURCHES** **OPEN** **LOCAL** **HURRICANE** **RELIEF** **CENTER***

* *

* *

* *Through a combined effort of the First Baptist Church of
Seabrook, the Seabrook United Methodist Church, area churches and the
surrounding community, a Hurricane Relief Center will open Wednesday,
September 7^th at 2104 Seventh Street in Seabrook, Texas. The Center
will minister to those in need as a result of displacement by Hurricane
Katrina by providing immediate information on food, housing and utility
needs, medical and dental information, social services needs and school
information. Screeners will also have information on employment. A
children’s area will be available to occupy children while parents
obtain needed information. FEMA forms will be available.



You can call 281-474-2775 or go online at
www.seabrookrelief.org <http://www.seabrookrelief.org/>. The center
will be open from 9-5:30 daily. Information on cash and clothing
donations and needed volunteers may also be obtained at this number.
When the Relief Center is no longer needed, all remaining resources will
be donated to Interfaith Caring Ministries.





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*For Additional Information:*

*Sunya Fitz*

*sunny@clearlakearea.com* <mailto:sunny@clearlakearea.com>**

* *

True Story of New Orleans and Louisiana State Governments' Monumental & Deadly Failure Surfacing

From the City Of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan:
website of the City of New Orleans

" The safe evacuation of threatened populations when endangered by a major catastrophic event is one of the principle reasons for developing a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The thorough identification of at-risk populations, transportation and sheltering resources, evacuation routes and potential bottlenecks and choke points, and the establishment of the management team that will coordinate not only the evacuation but which will monitor and direct the sheltering and return of affected populations, are the primary tasks of evacuation planning. Due to the geography of New Orleans and the varying scales of potential disasters and their resulting emergency evacuations, different plans are in place for small-scale evacuations and for citywide relocations of whole populations.

Authority to issue evacuations of elements of the population is vested in the Mayor. By Executive Order, the chief elected official, the Mayor of the City of New Orleans, has the authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane. "

(Tip o' the Hat to Captain's Quarters)

As rescue workers bring thousands of NOLAns to safety and crews begin to pump out the floodwaters, more facts are surfacing concerning the complete break down and failure of the local and state government leadership in Louisiana ---- the deadliest example of such a breakdown in American history.

As we stated in our previous article, THE PRE-HURRICANE EVACUATION AS WELL AS THE SECURITY AND RESCUE OPERATIONS FOR THE FIRST 72-96 HOURS AFTER A HURRICANE DISASTER ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS!

As it turns out, New Orleans did have a pre-hurricane evacuation plan for the poor, they just did not follow it!

IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT THE MAYOR, THE GOVERNOR and now, U. S. SENATOR MARY LANDRIUEX OF LOUISIANA SHOULD BE TRYING TO POINT THE BLAME FOR THIER OWN MASSIVE & GROSSLY NEGLIGENT FAILURES AT THE PRESIDENT.

The following links will back up what we have been saying now since the beginning of this disaster when the city and state failed to call for the evacuation early enough and failed to take the steps necessary to evacuate the poor.


Katrina Time Line
From American Daughter blog

Washington Post: Governor Refused to Act
Little Green Footballs blog

Chrenkoff
Sins of (a) Commisson

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The Racists Who Cry "Racism":
Lack of Automobiles, Not Race, Determined Who Got Out of NOLA and Who Stayed
Vanishing Automobile Tip o' the Hat to BlogHouston & Houston's Clear Thinkers

Important Transit Lessons for Houston from New Orleans Disaster
Anne Lineham BlogHouston

One of the Effects of Mass Transit Choices in New Orleans
Tom Kirkendall Houston's Clear Thinkers

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The LOCAL Making of Disaster and Death:
Delusional Local Politics
Bryan Preston

Katrina: Why Didn't Nagin Follow His Own Plan?
The Captain's Quarters

Disastrous Response from Local and State Officials
Sister Toldjah

Brad DeLong Reports on the Now-Infamous Times-Picayune New Orleans Evacuation "Plan"
Tip o' the Hat to Instapundit

Austin Volunteers Report Pattern of "No First Responders" from NOLA Eyewitnesses
Richard Lawrence Cohen Blog Tip o' the Hat to The Brazosport News

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Three Observations from PowerLine:
New York Times Opposed Funding for NOLA Levee Project on "Environmental" Grounds
PowerLine

A Realm of Madness
PowerLine

The Limits of MSM Carping
PowerLine
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Gal County OEM Reports Efforts Going Well

COORDINATED RELIEF EFFORT
GOING STRONG IN GALVESTON COUNTY

LEAGUE CITY, Sept. 5, 2005 - Emergency management officials across Galveston County continue to focus their efforts on meeting the needs of Hurricane Katrina's evacuees.

Since powerful Katrina devastated portions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama Aug. 28-29, local emergency managers have been coordinating efforts to assist evacuees with food, clothing, shelter and medical needs. These efforts may continue for several months.

While officials estimated upwards of 2,000-3,000 Katrina evacuees had found their way to Galveston County by Sept. 1, an exact number is difficult to determine. Many evacuees may already have left the area, even as others are still arriving.

And as emergency officials work to meet the needs of this new population, they are assisting the Red Cross, United Way, Salvation Army, churches and other groups with an equally difficult task - managing the enormous outpouring of donations and volunteer assistance.

Officials are continuing to encourage monetary donations to the Red Cross (409-945-7200 Texas City/409-763-5971 Galveston) and United Way (409-948-4211 Texas City/409-762-4357 Galveston); and donations of all other items to the Salvation Army (409-935-1190Texas City/409-763-1691 Galveston) and other relief agencies.

As of Labor Day, three primary shelters were operating in Galveston County - Moody Methodist Church, 2803 53rd St. in Galveston; First Baptist Church, 1400 Ninth Ave. N. in Texas City; and Camp Good News, 6205 Delany Road in Hitchcock. The Moody and First Baptist shelters are operated by church leaders and volunteers with assistance from the American Red Cross, the state's designated shelter operator. The Red Cross has coordinated a portion of its response activities from the county's new Emergency Management Facility in League City.

Camp Good News is operated solely by area churches with some municipal assistance.

In addition to providing basic services, shelter operators are linking evacuees with other needs, including Social Security, unemployment, Food Stamps, counseling, health care, and temporary and permanent housing. Health care issues are being addressed at First Baptist Church and Moody Methodist Church jointly by the University of Texas Medical Branch, the Galveston County Health District, and Mainland Medical Center.

Local officials will continue to meet daily to manage the recovery effort and to address issues as they arise.

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Local Police Officers make Supply Run to LA. Officers

Texas police officers make supply run to Louisiana

09/05/2005

Associated Press


Twenty police officers from several Texas cities on Sunday drove a caravan of clothes, water and ammunition toward Louisiana police departments that have been sparse on supplies since Hurricane Katrina.

The seven trucks carrying about $5,000 in police equipment and necessities were headed for New Orleans. But the caravan was also going to drop supplies at other storm-stricken departments along the way, Galveston police Officer John Bertolino said.

Bertolino said the caravan was organized after a New Orleans police officer showed up in Beaumont asking where he could purchase bottled water in large quantities. Bertolino said Texas police stations had also been receiving e-mails and messages from supply-depleted departments in Louisiana.

"We kept getting (contacted) from battered areas," Bertolino said.

Among those in the caravan were officers from Galveston, Texas City and Cedar Park.

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Posted by Anonymous to Houston-Galveston Area Emergency Blogger Network at 9/05/2005 11:47:03 AM

Kemah Elks Launch Wed & Sat Lunches for Victims

Date: September 4, 2005

Subject: Clear Lake (Kemah) Elks Lodge Plan of Action for Hurricane Katrina Evacuee Relief.

623 Hanson Road

Kemah, Texas

Phone: 281-334-2322

President: Angel Dodson: 281-326-1301

281-253-0939

Vice President: Walter Adams: 281-642-3356

281-793-3101

Secretary: Debra Carlen: 281-382-4746

We at the Clear Lake (Kemah) Elks Lodge along with the community are opening up our facility to feed evacuees lunch on Wednesdays at 12:00 noon for as long as it is needed, and on Saturday, September 10^th at 12:00 noon.

Our facility is equipped to hold up to 200 people, with kitchen and bathroom facilities. We will have food at the Lodge ready to prepare as long as we have the volunteers and money available.

So far we have received some generous donations to help in these efforts.

We would need to know no later than 12:00 noon the day before we are cooking as to how many will be coming to eat so that we have time for shopping and getting the kitchen stocked.

We need cook teams to volunteer to serve and clean-up, as well as donations to help with these efforts. If you are interested in helping, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may get your names on the volunteer list. All help and donations are greatly appreciated.

Our motto is “Elks Care-Elks Share”, and along with your help this is possible in this time of need.

Honor Roll of Katrina Disaster Bloggers...