Thanks so much for everyone checking in on me.  We are slowly getting internet back up here and it’s wonderful.  However, now I get to see the horrific photos from all of the devastation.  It’s so heartbreaking.  For those of you who asked, I live about 5 hours northwest of New Orleans.  If you look at a Louisiana map, you should be able to find Monroe in north-central Louisiana.  That is where I work, I live about 45 miles southwest of Monroe in a little town called Jonesboro (may or may not be on the map).  Here’s how things are looking here:

There are 2 very large shelters in Monroe, which are currently at capacity.  They each currently have 1,600 people staying there.  There is also a dog shelter in an attached building to one of the shelters housing nearly 300 pets (I guess they have cats too).  There is also a HUGE livestock pavilion and convention center like thing that is housing people and their livestock.  As I said, these shelters are operating at capacity, and the governor has directed the current evacuees (from the Superdome and people who have been rescued) to come to Monroe because of our shelters.  So, in response local towns and communities are opening smaller shelters to take in the extras.  In Jonesboro alone (remember, really small town), there are currently 6 or 7 places offering shelter.  A nearby church camp will be receiving over 100 cots from the Red Cross to house people in their encampment facilities as well. 

I don’t know what the national news is reporting, but things that people don’t realize are that when these people fled, they thought they would be here for 3 to 4 days max.  However, it’s looking more like a month.  They don’t have the food or clothing for this type of stay.  Also, the ones who were fortunate enough to find hotels that were vacant, now can’t afford them anymore.  Their money is running out and they are having to ration money because they have no idea how long they will be here.  There have been people found sleeping in their cars in the Wal Mart parking lot.  Fortunately, this area is big on helping.  People are taking complete strangers into their homes and putting them up indefinitely.  Honestly, if I came across someone in need, I would do the same. 

Yesterday after lunch, my brother, Scuba Steve, was called to go with a group of police officers from North Louisiana and help out.  At first I thought that it was awesome that he’d be able to be down there helping, but the more news coverage I see, I’m scared to death for him.  There are reports of looting, gun fights on the streets and in the Superdome.  There is even a prison guard and his family being held hostage in a prison by inmates demanding food and water for the family’s lives.  The sad part is that their cries go unanswered because no one can get to them.  We are unable to talk with SS because there are no land or cell phone lines to call home.  My mom will also be going down there on Monday for 72 hour duty at a special needs shelter in Baton Rouge. 

What really hit home as to how dire this situation is was when I saw that they are planning to build refugee camps for these people.  I’m talking tents and stuff like you see in third world countries.  One soldier who had spent 1 year in Afganistan (sp?) called into the radio after being in New Orleans for 2 days and said that this was exponentially worse than anything he saw in his one year overseas. 

These people need prayers, donations of money and blood to the Red Cross, and anything else that the public can do.  They have lost homes, family, jobs….basically everything.  Keep everyone in your prayers!

Melissa