The Sunday Update

File Under: Katrina's Aftermath

Here's what happened on Sunday, September 4, 2005, as it relates to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina:

- 4 looters were killed after they opened fire on New Orleans police, who returned fire. A 5th looter remained in critical condition.
- Another gunman opened fire on US Army Corps of Engineer contractors working on the levee, but thankfully, no one was hurt.
- Entergy Corp., the energy company down south, began to assess damage, and was able to restore power to small parts of the city.
- Rescuers continued to evacuate residents. Helicopters keep making rooftop rescues, and in the city, search-and-rescue teams are going door-to-door, getting people out of the city. But some are refusing to leave!!! It's an incredible sight.
- Louisiana's official death toll is at 59, but officials warn that it will rise dramatically. Possibly, into the thousands. 10 of the 59 deaths occured at the Superdome.
- New Orlean's Audubon Zoo only lost 3 of the 1,400 animals in their park. Evidentially, the zoo's disastear planners should have been on city council!!
- President Bush said that the relief efforts were not enough, and that 7,200 additional active-duty troops will be sent to the disaster scenes.
- Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Defense, said that "we are going to uncover people who died, maybe hiding in houses, got caught by the flooding," referring to what they'll find when the city is drained. "It is going to be about as ugly of a scene as I think you can imagine."
- A civilian helicopter crashed near the Danziger Bridge, but the two people on board walked away with only cuts and scrapes.
- 2 Police Officers took their lives recently. "I've got some firefighters and police officers that have been pretty much traumatized," Mayor Ray Nagin said. "And we've already had a couple of suicides, so I am cycling them out as we speak. ... They need physical and psychological evaluations."

There's alot of political and racial stuff happening with this story today, but TDI is leaving that alone. "Wait for the congressional hearings and independant commissions", we say. There's too much to deal with right now to have to worry about all of that!