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New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has a lot on his hands.
Nagin said Hurricane Katrina probably killed thousands of people in and around the city. According to cnn.com, this estimate would make the hurricane the nation’s deadliest natural disaster since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Currently, an estimated 80 percent of New Orleans is under water, up to 20 feet deep in some places.
Nagin has now issued ‘a desperate SOS’ for the thousands of people stranded in and around the city’s convention center with no food or water and fading hope, according to cnn.com.
However, the effects of hurricane Katrina are more far reaching than the southern portion of the United States. Brendan Aucoin, a freshman at the University, calls Covington, La., home. His house lies just across Lake Pontchartrain, 30 miles north of New Orleans one of the hardest hit areas.
Unable to return to their home, Aucoin’s family is uncertain about the extent of damage. However, it has been confirmed that the house is flooded with at least a foot of water and a tree fell through two rooms.
‘They called for a mandatory evacuation about 12 hours before the storm hit. My family and most of my friends got out but there are still a couple of people we haven’t heard from yet,’ Aucoin said. ‘A few of my friends who live in the city or in Flidell, one of the areas hardest hit, are wondering if they have a house left at all. There’s a pretty good chance that their house is just completely gone.’
More, this is the largest relief effort that the American National Red Cross has ever undertaken during its 124 year history, according to Erin Hachtel, district office director for the Wood County Red Cross chapter. Currently the Red Cross has opened 275 shelters or evacuation centers that are housing over 76,000 people.
The Greater Toledo Red Cross chapter has sent seven people down to assist in any way possible.
‘They are doing either mass care which is providing hot meals for the people who have been affected, or we also sent three disaster mental health folks down to help out,’ said Kristin Cajka, communications manager of the Greater Toledo Red Cross chapter.
‘I spoke with one of the Toledo area workers today, she’s at a shelter in Baton Rouge that last night had 4,500 people and this morning had 6,000. She reported that the spirits were high considering everything the people had been through.’
Aucoin explained that his family was forced to leave their home with very short notice and were only able to grab a few essential items.
‘As far as I know they got most of my father’s legal documents, the dog, my sister and my grandfather’s World War II memorabilia,’ he said. ‘It just sucks watching all of this on the news; I would really like to be with my family right now but I’m not sure I have too much left in Louisiana.’
The people that were affected by this disaster are the same people who would help out others in a heartbeat, Aucoin said.
‘These are some of the nicest people in the world and now they have nothing,’ he said. ‘I just hope that everybody up here will be generous and help put these people because they would do anything for anyone up here.’
The American National Red Cross is accepting monetary donations only.
Individuals wishing to donate can visit the Wood County district office in Bowling Green, or call 1-800-HELP NOW or on the Web at www.RedCross.org.