Panic And Fear Evident On Biloxi 911 Tapes (Calls for help during Katrina)

[merh]

Some audio of 911 calls included in the story aired on local news this evening. :cry:

Panic And Fear Evident On Biloxi 911 Tapes Video Included

Over a 12 hour period, rain, powerful winds, and an unrelenting storm surge tore apart Biloxi homes. Trapped neighbors crawled into attics. And "if" their phones worked, they called 911 and begged for help. Brad Kessie obtained a copy of those frantic, often emotional pleas that went unanswered because, as a safety precaution, rescue crews were ordered off city streets.

Ling: http://www.wlox.com/ (click on Video Included)

[Bluebear]

1. But, but, this hurricane worked out "very well" for people.

Barbara said so.

[merh]

Can you imagine the nightmares of both the survivors and the

dispatchers. :cry:

Barbara Bush is insane, it is just that damned simple. The evil has eaten her brain and she is insane. :argh:

[HeeBGBz]

6. The one with the woman who had water going over her head was haunting.

That would be a bad job to have in this storm. I feel for the dispatchers trauma. Saddened from wondering how many of those calls survived the storm.

[merh]

8. Law enforcement, first responders and public works folks are

working nonstop. They had their homes destroyed and they experienced their own traumas. Now they are the ones recovering bodies. I do feel so sorry for them. :hug: They are brave and determined. God love them. :loveya:

[tnlefty]

2. I'm glad that you're fairly okay!

It's hard to read this.

[merh]

3. Watch the video of the local news story and listen to the audio

of the 911 tapes. :cry: We had to call to let them know of the natural gas leak, there was nothing they could do, we were hoping the gas company had some main valve they could turn off to the area.

:scared:

[tnlefty]

5. The video won't play for me - some error message is popping up

and to be honest, I don't know that I can watch it tonight. I'll try again tomorrow. So much suffering and misery. My husband dispatched 2 line crews to MS prior to Katrina making landfall so I really want to know where the hell were Bush**, Brown, Chertoff and FEMA???!!! Power restoration crews left TN a couple of days before this storm hit (travel time before they could even begin work) so what didn't the jerks in Washington not know??!!!

[merh]

7. Most of the locals here on the MS Gulf Coast will tell you that

the folks in charge of restoring power to the disaster areas should be the ones in charge of FEMA and the Red Cross. We are so grateful to the power crews and their efforts and responses were definitely well organized. If only the other disaster recovery crews were as organized and competent!

We are in awe of the power company workers and administrators. :toast: :beer:

[tnlefty]

9. Co-operatives are good about 'sharing' line crews.

I hope that you understand that the first thing that had to happen was the co-op that we're involved in had to release all but 1 (I think) of the contracted crews and to cover things here 2 'regular' crews were all that were available to send. Some were already in FL. There are many crews from TN and surrounding areas trying to help. The original crews left loaded with water and when they were changed out (after 2 weeks) the next ones left loaded with water. They will be changed out every 2 weeks until the worst of the damage is repaired. My husband was a lineman for years, and it was tough when he would go to work on storms in other areas, but it's great when others come in to help when things get kinda rough around here.

[merh]

12. Let your husband know that we are grateful for their help and are

impressed with their coordination and determination. If the other emergency/disaster relief groups had their level of organization, we wouldn't have the problems we have now.

:grouphug:

[merh]

4. Oh, and thank you for the good wishes.

I am doing better than most, all my family survived.
Just keep sending out those positive energies. Thanks for caring. :hug:

[intheflow]

10. Nominated.

That one made me cry, merh. :cry:

Nominated because I don't want the suffering forgotten in the rush to rebuild. If there was a mandatory evacuation order, what made most of these people stay? I'm sure it had to do with economics.

[merh]

11. IMHO, there were 3 reasons folks didn't evacuate.

One, the storm was never fore casted to be as bad as or worse than Camille. Many folks, including a great deal of elderly residents, knew their homes survived Camille and felt safe in them. They didn't feel like they were at risk. The house I was in was 2 miles north of the marsh adjacent to Biloxi Bay and was at 14 foot elevation. The water rose 9 feet in the house. No one was prepared for the massive storm surge. This was not flooding, this was a tidal wave, our tsunami.

Second, the false alert of Hurricane Dennis and the extreme measures taken then by the Interim Director of Emergency Services. Folks left in July, evacuated and boarded up and stayed in hotels out of the area, they entailed the expenses of evacuation only to have Dennis hit in Pensacola. When the evac notices came here, folks were just recovering from the evac a month before. They either were skeptical or couldn't afford the trip.

Third, the economics, evacuations are costly, many could not afford the gas and/or the hotel stays. Many of the northern counties that normally do set up shelters to house the coastal evacuees were bracing for Katrina and had their own residents in shelters. There was no place for many to go. It's one thing to be told evacuate, its another to evacuate and just drive to nowhere.


Thanks for the nomination, don't let folks forget about us - we have a long way to go. :hug:

[mogster]

13. Heartbreaking...

Has the info of their destiny been revealed now afterwards, you think?

All those kids..

At least I'm glad you're OK, merh :-)

Today's hug: :hug:

[merh]

14. Thanks for the hug, sweet friend.

Here's one back at ya :hug:

I don't know if their fate has been revealed. I do think the "official death toll" is too low, too many stories of family members being trapped in collapsing buildings or pulled away by the tidal wave that was Katrina.

:cry: Too much of too much. :cry: :hug:

[merh]

15. Look for the story entitled "Brad Kessie Reports On 911 Cries For Help"

:cry:

http://www.wlox.com/global/video/WorldNowASX.asp?playerType=native&ClipID1=529066&h1=Brad%20Kessie%20Reports%20On%20911%20Cries%20For%20Help&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=194400&LaunchPageAdTag=Homepage&activePane=info&playerVersion=6