at least 110 people were confirmed dead and over a million without power since Tuesday, August 30, after massive Hurricane Katrina roared ashore. Winds topping 140 mph (224 km) and torrential rainfall inflicted widespread damage and flooding along the US Gulf Coast, officials said.
Operation Blessing International (OBI), one of several Christian disaster relief teams, said it was readying "a large-scale response throughout the affected areas," the American ‘Christian Broadcasting Network’ (CBN) reported.
Six of OBI’s tractor trailer trucks have been dispatched to pick up food, cleaning kits and relief supplies for delivery to those impacted by the storm, CBN said.
STRATEGIC WAYS
OBI said it was working with local churches and other nonprofits "to determine strategic and effective ways to bring aid to those struggling to cope in the aftermath of the brutal hurricane."
The organization, as well as The Salvation Army and Southern Baptist disaster relief anticipate providing up to 310,000 meals a day to residents throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, CBN reported.
In addition Southern Baptists, as the third largest disaster relief organization in the nation, were traveling to the affected areas with mobile kitchens, shower units, cleanup and recovery units and communication equipment from more than 20 states, Baptist Press (BP) said.
THOUSANDS EVACUATED
It came as in the town of New Orleans Governor Kathleen Blanco announced that tens of thousands of people now huddled in the Superdome, an indoor stadium, and other rescue centers would have to be evacuated because of rising waters.
Some residents were rescued from the roof top of homes by United States Coast Guards, but for some help came to late.
Resident Harvey Jackson told reporters he fought hard to keep his grandchildren safe, but said the waters swept his wife away. "I held her hand as tightly as I could and she told me, ‘You can’t hold me, take care of the kids and the grandkids’," he said.
PLIGHT CHRISTIANS
There was also concern about the plight of Christians, including the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, which like all of urban New Orleans, was at the mercy of rising floodwater from levy failures August. 30, Baptist Press (BP) reported.
With much of New Orleans flooded by Hurricane Katrina, looters floated garbage cans filled with clothing and jewelry down the street in a dash to grab what they could, the American NBC network reported.
In some cases, looting took reportedly place in full view of police and National Guard troops. At a Walgreen’s drug store in the French Quarter, people were reportedly running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.
‘DOWNTOWN BAGHDAD’
Denise Bollinger, a tourist from Philadelphia, stood outside and snapped pictures in amazement." It’s downtown Baghdad," the housewife told NBC. "It’s insane. I’ve wanted to come here for 10 years. I thought this was a sophisticated city. I guess not."
No deaths were officially confirmed in Louisiana, but New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was quoted as saying that "many, many reports" were coming from rescuers of bodies floating in high waters that covered most of the city.
One Mississippi county alone said it had suffered at least 100 deaths, and officials are "very, very worried that this is going to go a lot higher," said Joe Spraggins, civil defense director for Harrison County, home to Biloxi and Gulfport, according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency. In neighboring Jackson County, officials said at least 10 deaths were blamed on the storm, AP added.
Mississippi’s Governor Haley Barbour told reporters earlier the death toll in one county in his state could be as high as 80.
United States President George W. Bush, who urged prayers for the victims, said he decided to cancel the rest of his vacation to concentrate on federal relief efforts. (With BosNewsLife Research, Stefan J. Bos at BosNewsLife News Center and reports from the United States)
