"People Have Learned Their Lesson From..."
You may ask what one such as myself, gone to the Orleans area, has to do with Mobile. According to some people, Mobile is in Alabama. This is true. It's so far Alabama it is almost in Florida! And I was there today, since another volunteer was leaving today, from the Mobile Municipal Airport. It is a long drive. However, due to the wonderful benefits of technology, I'm quite capable of multitasking while driving. Why should I be content to simply steer and gas, when I could be restoring lives with maps? So, as I drove, I was downloading fresh data from the internet onto my laptop (broadband wireless cards are amazing!), converting finished maps into low-resolution images that could be downloaded by people with dial-up internet, keeping up on email, making a great connection with a professor at the University of New Orleans, and, brainstorming with Oscar, and chatting with Hilary. Oh, and I even said hi to my mom. Surprisingly, my mom was the only one that didn't immediately tell me to never sue the internet and drive at the same time. All together, today was unfortunately not a day of direct action. Yes, it is past 3am and I just finished working, but it’s been more a day of prep work for the next few days. That and driving to Mobile took all day. Most of today's work has been reanalyzing the research and mapping strategy. I've got some ideas on streamlining the process, and tying in some simple digital solutions that can help automate the workload. My last bunch of hours was spent creating a database, which will be utilized with an influx of student volunteers we are hoping to get through the local universities. Additionally, I've been hashing out some ideas to recreate Global MapAid's internet presence, in order to heavily feature the maps we're producing and the data we're collecting in a way that will be accessible by affected persons within the disaster area, and by aid workers. On top of this, I've been working with Rupert, the head of the organization, on some funding opportunities. As of now, the organization is supported almost entirely by volunteer donations of time, energy, and money. Vodaphone has given some financial support, and maybe a small handful of other companies, but not nearly enough to take Global Map Aid to the level of becoming self-sus …
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Around 3:30am, on Saturday, I’d finished writing my blog. I reread it a few times, looking for typos and what not. I then decided, that I wrote a really good piece. It had bee a long day and I’d seen a lot. I got my first glimpses of the hardest hit areas in Mississippi. Stood in a bank like with a woman who had her home flooded with 4 feet of water, most of which came out through her pipes, and who had been told earlier in the day that her insurance was not going to cover her damages, and another older man whose wife was slowly dying in a hospital which he did not have the resources to move her from. I also wrote on the place we’ve been staying, in Covington, LA. Then the power went out. The wind had been picking up all night long, and a few pieces of the roof had come undone. It wasn’t much really. I’d taken a break to walk around outside, and it was quite comfortable. The outcome of it all was the power went out before I could save the file, so I lost it all.
My intentions were to rewrite everything, but I’m not going to do that. See, I’m pretty pissed off right now. I’ve had two long days, and I’ve seen some important things. Perhaps life changing things. Most of it were things I think you folks should hear about. Stuff you need to know, about how things work down here. My language might get foul in a spot or two, but bear with me, because if you were there, you’d be angry too.
With that said, if you aren’t angry after this installment, you should go read someone else’s blog. I don’t mean to sound so harsh, but its high time things start changing. If anger is good for one thing, it’s for change. Apathy doesn’t do humanity any good.
Here’s what happened.
On Saturday, we finally had heo opportunity to head towards one of the areas where hurricane Katrina did the most damage. Not New Orleans, but the Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport & Waveland area of Mississippi. These cities are right on the coast, and had the eastern wall of the hurricane eye pass right over. The eastern part of the hurricane is what hurts the most – more rain, in addition to the wind and storm surge. We spent the afternoon in Waveland. Turning off I-10, we headed south on Highway 603. Immediately, the devastation was evident. The road wasn’t flooded, but all along the road it was. I lost count of the abandoned cars, partially submerged in the water. Many of quite beaten look. I saw an old Astrovan, which I recognized only by the bumper and grill, because that’s all I could see.
Everywhere was debris, trees snapped in half, trash and busted out windows. Highway 603 intersects and dies at Highway 90, which parallels the coast and crosses the bay, continuing over to Gulfport. That bridge which crosses the bay isn’t there anymore. The downtown, which is on the waterfront, is just walls. Empty shells. No broken glass anywhere. The coastal road, obliterated.
Highway 90 is where most of the aid distribution areas are, or PODs (Point Of Distribution). That’s were you go to get clothing, cooked food, food to take home (usually MRE and pork and beans), ice, water, brooms, bleach, medical treatment, whatever. Sometimes these PODs are small, others are large. Highway 90 had 3 large PODs, bigger than I’ve seen elsewhere. We stopped at them to collect information for our maps. One of these had a group of folks I hadn’t seen elsewhere. Burnt out hippies and your dreadloch kids. Not that I mean this in any derogatory way, because these guys were great. Their whole thing was to cook fresh, good meals and provide basic first aid. They did both quite well and even made sure I had lunch before handing me a cellphone. Surprisingly, I was being interviewed by a radio station, http://www.indybay.org/. I’ll try to find the link to the interview but I haven’t found it yet. Unfortunately, it was early in the day when that happened.
After going to these major camps, we went to another one we’d heard about, just down the road. This POD had about 8 refrigerator trucks, with FEMA and Red Cross logos on the side. There were also some Southern Baptist Convention trailers, and more Red Cross vehicles. Palettes of the usual items. We walked up to ask someone some questions, but had a hard time figuring out who that would be – there didn’t seem to be any volunteers around. Most distribution centers are crawling with workers, but this one had two. The woman came over to us, anxious to talk. She and her friend had been there for five days. Four days ago, all the FEMA, Red Cross, and Southern Baptists left. Didn’t say when they were coming back. They kept giving away items though, because people needed them. A FEMA representative came by one day and taped off the entire parking lot, so cars couldn’t get in. There were still palettes of items, so cars just drove through the tape. The police did too. Other than aid seekers, we were the first people she’d spoken to in days. She needed to know what was going on. They’d run out of food to give away, but she also knew what was in those trailers parked right next to her: food and ice. Each day FEMA and the Red Cross pay the fuel tanks to be topped off, so the items inside could be kept cold. These trailers are locked. The day we showed up there, these volunteers convinced a FEMA representative with a key to open one of the trailers, so ice could be distributed. I’m talking about large trailers here, 52 feet long. The trailer was full of ice. The volunteer was only allowed to take only four palettes of ice – a small fraction of what was inside. There were two bags of ice left when we were there. That food? It is still locked inside those trailers.
FEMA, Red Cross, what the hell do you think you are doing? People in that area are in need of food, and you are NOT giving it to them. Get your head out of your asses and start helping.
When we were there talking to the woman, someone near the palettes asked if she had any food.
She could only say “No.”
I’m quickly starting to realize the competitive nature of aid work. Aid organizations manipulate the disasters to better their situations, through statistics, turf pissing, or the denial of goods. Aid organizations like FEMA and the Red Cross depend on large funding sources, and they will do whatever it takes to obtain that funding, so that they can distribute it through their massive bureaucracy. I’m going to do my best to demonstrate how often this is done in a manner which has a very negative impact on the lives that have been devastated by disasters such as hurricane Katrina.
It puts aid workers in a very difficult position, no matter who they work for. I firmly believe that 99.9% of people in this world, if allowed to operate independently and in a near vacuum would strive to better the situation of their fellows. This manifests itself in other ways too, such as the minimal communication which often takes place within and between aid organizations. Example 1: This woman we were speaking with had no idea if anyone was coming to replace her. She was leaving in two days, and the people who had the answers, had left 4 days ago. She wasn’t told where they were going or if they were coming back. Example 2: I’m housed with a contingent of Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle (or, ERV) drivers. ERVs drive around neighborhoods announcing that they have free food to give away. People come up, and they are handed a hot meal. Almost every single one of the ERV drivers here is pissed. The Red Cross is mandating that they drive in specific neighborhoods…which no longer need their assistance. These neighborhoods have gas, electricity, and are taking care of themselves. These drivers have asked to service other communities which either need more help, or have no help. The Red Cross powers that be have told these drivers:”No. You will drive where we tell you to drive.”
To continue, we eventually made it down to the waterfront area, which was nailed with a 30 foot storm surge. A storm surge is caused by the extreme low pressure within the eye of a hurricane, which lifts the water out of ocean, driving it along with it. Think of a glass in a sink that is upside down in the water. If you lift that glass upwards you’ll see water move with it, being lifted out of the surrounding water by a suction effect. It’s practically the same thing with a storm surge. This water was carried on land, thrown against the building with the 150+ winds, devastating everything.
From there, we went to the county Emergency Operating Center and a few more assistance points, before deciding to check out the final location we’d learned of, 45 minutes north of Waveland: Dedeaux School.
When we got there the parking lot was full. Cars double and triple parked, people hustling everywhere, getting shirts and items from boxes on palettes. We asked to speak to the person in charge, and were told to wait inside, in a makeshift medical room. We spent the rest of the evening hearing the community’s story…
The surrounding area also had the eastern wall of the hurricane’s eye pass over. This community was inland, and on higher ground, so minimal flooding occurred. Instead, significant wind damage took its place. Giant oaks were downed, and other trees smashed just the same. Trees blocked roads, driveways, fell on houses and cars, boats, power lines, telephone lines. Everywhere were downed trees. All the homes lost power, and many people were stranded. The community did what they could. They cut the trees out of the way, and brought as many people as possible under their own roofs. Some started feeding dozens of people out of their own pocket. They did what they could, by themselves, but no one else came along to help. No FEMA, no Red Cross, no National Guard…no one.
Until two guys from out of down showed up one had a medical background, but wasn’t a doctor or nurse. The other lost everything he had when Katrina hit Florida. They both decided to go help the Gulf States recover, and their paths crossed, and then they began traveling together, form community to community, helped them receive what they needed.
They’d been at the Dedeaux School for 22 days. In that time, they set up a pharmaceutical courier service, in which they went into the community found the people who were running out of medications, and then went and got those prescriptions filled, and brought back the pills. They also setup a triage center back at the school, and spread the word that it was there. Locals began pouring in with infections, broken legs, burns, etc. They’d do what they could to stabilize each one and then send them to the appropriate professional.
In 22 days, they received no outside help, other than the doctors and pharmacists who worked with them, often bending the laws to help the community. No FEMA, no Red Cross.
On Saturday, when we rolled into that parking lot, something big had happened. Earlier in the day, a Red Cross truck driver, with a 52’ tractor trailer offered his services. Not as part of Red Cross. In fact, if Red Cross knew, he might lose his job. However, this man was better than that. The leaders in the community drew up a list of items needed: food, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, clothing, etc. Then they went down to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the county, which controls the flow of aid throughout the county. At the EOC, there are warehouses and stockyards, full of aid products. They drove the truck down there to pick up supplies, and were told they couldn’t. It was Saturday, and the place was closed – no aid pickups. No wasn’t an appropriate answer, and they eventually got that point across. I believe it had something to do with handing the guy a copy of the invoice, and finding a forklift with a key in the ignition. They loaded that trailer up with everything they had come for, as the warehouse worker spoke with his supervisor on the phone trying to determine what to do. Didn’t matter, because they loaded the trailer up as quickly as they could, and left just as fast.
They drove the trailer back to the school, and unloaded it around 3pm. When I arrived, at around 6pm, there were only 5 palettes of items left- everything else was in the hands of the community.
That was the first aid shipment the area had received.
It wasn’t the responsibility of FEMA or the Red Cross. The only way that happened, was because that community was fed up and needed help which no one was bringing. So they took it upon themselves.
Isn’t government setup to provide for their citizens? To protect? To shelter in times of needs? Where the hell are our taxes going? Where the hell are the people that we’ve voted for, or not voted for? Can they truly stand up and say that they are helping enough?
I challenge anyone out there to tell me again that the government, our aid organizations, and even we as a common people have learned jack shit from this disaster. Say it, and I swear I hope you too can begin to rot someplace, stuck with no help, until I can come and show you how things are really working down here. Because you know what? I wouldn’t come. I would leave you there. I would let you listen to the radio, and hear over and over how help was coming, and the problem was being solved.
You’d probably die like many people did in the Dedeaux community of something quite simple. Something that could have been resolved, but wasn’t.
As you may have guessed, I’m angry right now. Most aid workers are. The longer they stay, the angrier they get. There is not enough help here. There is no comprehensive strategy. There is no indication of a change for the better.
I’m going back to Dedeaux tomorrow for a meeting, and to begin making maps which will be used to get this community, the aid they desperately need. As opposed to a returnee map, in which we try to educate as many people as possible on where to obtain aid, this map will be sent to officials aid organizations, emergency coordinators…to show them they need to make a change in their aid distribution methods. It’s not working. It is failing.
I’m not even going to reread or proof this one.
ps. Amongst all that, here's a list of things you should be angry at that I've presented:
Your government and social relief structures have failed big.
Down here, no one knows what is going on
Aid is being sent to communities that have an abundance of aid already, while ignoring other communities
The situation is getting better for a few but not for most
Residents are angry with the combination of the above
The relief effort is dominated by large bureaucratic structures who are most concerned with their status, and not of those they are here to help
Officials and aid organizations are failing to communicate external, internally, and to eachother
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Around 3:30am, on Saturday, I’d finished writing my blog. I reread it a few times, looking for typos and what not. I then decided, that I wrote a really good piece. It had bee a long day and I’d seen a lot. I got my first glimpses of the hardest hit areas in Mississippi. Stood in a bank like with a woman who had her home flooded with 4 feet of water, most of which came out through her pipes, and who had been told earlier in the day that her insurance was not going to cover her damages, and another older man whose wife was slowly dying in a hospital which he did not have the resources to move her from. I also wrote on the place we’ve been staying, in Covington, LA. Then the power went out. The wind had been picking up all night long, and a few pieces of the roof had come undone. It wasn’t much really. I’d taken a break to walk around outside, and it was quite comfortable. The outcome of it all was the power went out before I could save the file, so I lost it all.
My intentions were to rewrite everything, but I’m not going to do that. See, I’m pretty pissed off right now. I’ve had two long days, and I’ve seen some important things. Perhaps life changing things. Most of it were things I think you folks should hear about. Stuff you need to know, about how things work down here. My language might get foul in a spot or two, but bear with me, because if you were there, you’d be angry too.
With that said, if you aren’t angry after this installment, you should go read someone else’s blog. I don’t mean to sound so harsh, but its high time things start changing. If anger is good for one thing, it’s for change. Apathy doesn’t do humanity any good.
Here’s what happened.
On Saturday, we finally had heo opportunity to head towards one of the areas where hurricane Katrina did the most damage. Not New Orleans, but the Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport & Waveland area of Mississippi. These cities are right on the coast, and had the eastern wall of the hurricane eye pass right over. The eastern part of the hurricane is what hurts the most – more rain, in addition to the wind and storm surge. We spent the afternoon in Waveland. Turning off I-10, we headed south on Highway 603. Immediately, the devastation was evident. The road wasn’t flooded, but all along the road it was. I lost count of the abandoned cars, partially submerged in the water. Many of quite beaten look. I saw an old Astrovan, which I recognized only by the bumper and grill, because that’s all I could see.
Everywhere was debris, trees snapped in half, trash and busted out windows. Highway 603 intersects and dies at Highway 90, which parallels the coast and crosses the bay, continuing over to Gulfport. That bridge which crosses the bay isn’t there anymore. The downtown, which is on the waterfront, is just walls. Empty shells. No broken glass anywhere. The coastal road, obliterated.
Highway 90 is where most of the aid distribution areas are, or PODs (Point Of Distribution). That’s were you go to get clothing, cooked food, food to take home (usually MRE and pork and beans), ice, water, brooms, bleach, medical treatment, whatever. Sometimes these PODs are small, others are large. Highway 90 had 3 large PODs, bigger than I’ve seen elsewhere. We stopped at them to collect information for our maps. One of these had a group of folks I hadn’t seen elsewhere. Burnt out hippies and your dreadloch kids. Not that I mean this in any derogatory way, because these guys were great. Their whole thing was to cook fresh, good meals and provide basic first aid. They did both quite well and even made sure I had lunch before handing me a cellphone. Surprisingly, I was being interviewed by a radio station, http://www.indybay.org/. I’ll try to find the link to the interview but I haven’t found it yet. Unfortunately, it was early in the day when that happened.
After going to these major camps, we went to another one we’d heard about, just down the road. This POD had about 8 refrigerator trucks, with FEMA and Red Cross logos on the side. There were also some Southern Baptist Convention trailers, and more Red Cross vehicles. Palettes of the usual items. We walked up to ask someone some questions, but had a hard time figuring out who that would be – there didn’t seem to be any volunteers around. Most distribution centers are crawling with workers, but this one had two. The woman came over to us, anxious to talk. She and her friend had been there for five days. Four days ago, all the FEMA, Red Cross, and Southern Baptists left. Didn’t say when they were coming back. They kept giving away items though, because people needed them. A FEMA representative came by one day and taped off the entire parking lot, so cars couldn’t get in. There were still palettes of items, so cars just drove through the tape. The police did too. Other than aid seekers, we were the first people she’d spoken to in days. She needed to know what was going on. They’d run out of food to give away, but she also knew what was in those trailers parked right next to her: food and ice. Each day FEMA and the Red Cross pay the fuel tanks to be topped off, so the items inside could be kept cold. These trailers are locked. The day we showed up there, these volunteers convinced a FEMA representative with a key to open one of the trailers, so ice could be distributed. I’m talking about large trailers here, 52 feet long. The trailer was full of ice. The volunteer was only allowed to take only four palettes of ice – a small fraction of what was inside. There were two bags of ice left when we were there. That food? It is still locked inside those trailers.
FEMA, Red Cross, what the hell do you think you are doing? People in that area are in need of food, and you are NOT giving it to them. Get your head out of your asses and start helping.
When we were there talking to the woman, someone near the palettes asked if she had any food.
She could only say “No.”
I’m quickly starting to realize the competitive nature of aid work. Aid organizations manipulate the disasters to better their situations, through statistics, turf pissing, or the denial of goods. Aid organizations like FEMA and the Red Cross depend on large funding sources, and they will do whatever it takes to obtain that funding, so that they can distribute it through their massive bureaucracy. I’m going to do my best to demonstrate how often this is done in a manner which has a very negative impact on the lives that have been devastated by disasters such as hurricane Katrina.
It puts aid workers in a very difficult position, no matter who they work for. I firmly believe that 99.9% of people in this world, if allowed to operate independently and in a near vacuum would strive to better the situation of their fellows. This manifests itself in other ways too, such as the minimal communication which often takes place within and between aid organizations. Example 1: This woman we were speaking with had no idea if anyone was coming to replace her. She was leaving in two days, and the people who had the answers, had left 4 days ago. She wasn’t told where they were going or if they were coming back. Example 2: I’m housed with a contingent of Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle (or, ERV) drivers. ERVs drive around neighborhoods announcing that they have free food to give away. People come up, and they are handed a hot meal. Almost every single one of the ERV drivers here is pissed. The Red Cross is mandating that they drive in specific neighborhoods…which no longer need their assistance. These neighborhoods have gas, electricity, and are taking care of themselves. These drivers have asked to service other communities which either need more help, or have no help. The Red Cross powers that be have told these drivers:”No. You will drive where we tell you to drive.”
To continue, we eventually made it down to the waterfront area, which was nailed with a 30 foot storm surge. A storm surge is caused by the extreme low pressure within the eye of a hurricane, which lifts the water out of ocean, driving it along with it. Think of a glass in a sink that is upside down in the water. If you lift that glass upwards you’ll see water move with it, being lifted out of the surrounding water by a suction effect. It’s practically the same thing with a storm surge. This water was carried on land, thrown against the building with the 150+ winds, devastating everything.
From there, we went to the county Emergency Operating Center and a few more assistance points, before deciding to check out the final location we’d learned of, 45 minutes north of Waveland: Dedeaux School.
When we got there the parking lot was full. Cars double and triple parked, people hustling everywhere, getting shirts and items from boxes on palettes. We asked to speak to the person in charge, and were told to wait inside, in a makeshift medical room. We spent the rest of the evening hearing the community’s story…
The surrounding area also had the eastern wall of the hurricane’s eye pass over. This community was inland, and on higher ground, so minimal flooding occurred. Instead, significant wind damage took its place. Giant oaks were downed, and other trees smashed just the same. Trees blocked roads, driveways, fell on houses and cars, boats, power lines, telephone lines. Everywhere were downed trees. All the homes lost power, and many people were stranded. The community did what they could. They cut the trees out of the way, and brought as many people as possible under their own roofs. Some started feeding dozens of people out of their own pocket. They did what they could, by themselves, but no one else came along to help. No FEMA, no Red Cross, no National Guard…no one.
Until two guys from out of down showed up one had a medical background, but wasn’t a doctor or nurse. The other lost everything he had when Katrina hit Florida. They both decided to go help the Gulf States recover, and their paths crossed, and then they began traveling together, form community to community, helped them receive what they needed.
They’d been at the Dedeaux School for 22 days. In that time, they set up a pharmaceutical courier service, in which they went into the community found the people who were running out of medications, and then went and got those prescriptions filled, and brought back the pills. They also setup a triage center back at the school, and spread the word that it was there. Locals began pouring in with infections, broken legs, burns, etc. They’d do what they could to stabilize each one and then send them to the appropriate professional.
In 22 days, they received no outside help, other than the doctors and pharmacists who worked with them, often bending the laws to help the community. No FEMA, no Red Cross.
On Saturday, when we rolled into that parking lot, something big had happened. Earlier in the day, a Red Cross truck driver, with a 52’ tractor trailer offered his services. Not as part of Red Cross. In fact, if Red Cross knew, he might lose his job. However, this man was better than that. The leaders in the community drew up a list of items needed: food, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, clothing, etc. Then they went down to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the county, which controls the flow of aid throughout the county. At the EOC, there are warehouses and stockyards, full of aid products. They drove the truck down there to pick up supplies, and were told they couldn’t. It was Saturday, and the place was closed – no aid pickups. No wasn’t an appropriate answer, and they eventually got that point across. I believe it had something to do with handing the guy a copy of the invoice, and finding a forklift with a key in the ignition. They loaded that trailer up with everything they had come for, as the warehouse worker spoke with his supervisor on the phone trying to determine what to do. Didn’t matter, because they loaded the trailer up as quickly as they could, and left just as fast.
They drove the trailer back to the school, and unloaded it around 3pm. When I arrived, at around 6pm, there were only 5 palettes of items left- everything else was in the hands of the community.
That was the first aid shipment the area had received.
It wasn’t the responsibility of FEMA or the Red Cross. The only way that happened, was because that community was fed up and needed help which no one was bringing. So they took it upon themselves.
Isn’t government setup to provide for their citizens? To protect? To shelter in times of needs? Where the hell are our taxes going? Where the hell are the people that we’ve voted for, or not voted for? Can they truly stand up and say that they are helping enough?
I challenge anyone out there to tell me again that the government, our aid organizations, and even we as a common people have learned jack shit from this disaster. Say it, and I swear I hope you too can begin to rot someplace, stuck with no help, until I can come and show you how things are really working down here. Because you know what? I wouldn’t come. I would leave you there. I would let you listen to the radio, and hear over and over how help was coming, and the problem was being solved.
You’d probably die like many people did in the Dedeaux community of something quite simple. Something that could have been resolved, but wasn’t.
As you may have guessed, I’m angry right now. Most aid workers are. The longer they stay, the angrier they get. There is not enough help here. There is no comprehensive strategy. There is no indication of a change for the better.
I’m going back to Dedeaux tomorrow for a meeting, and to begin making maps which will be used to get this community, the aid they desperately need. As opposed to a returnee map, in which we try to educate as many people as possible on where to obtain aid, this map will be sent to officials aid organizations, emergency coordinators…to show them they need to make a change in their aid distribution methods. It’s not working. It is failing.
I’m not even going to reread or proof this one.
ps. Amongst all that, here's a list of things you should be angry at that I've presented:
Your government and social relief structures have failed big.
Down here, no one knows what is going on
Aid is being sent to communities that have an abundance of aid already, while ignoring other communities
The situation is getting better for a few but not for most
Residents are angry with the combination of the above
The relief effort is dominated by large bureaucratic structures who are most concerned with their status, and not of those they are here to help
Officials and aid organizations are failing to communicate external, internally, and to eachother
posted by B at
3:56 AM
