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Chris, Your post definitely stirred up some more emotion in me. Sounds like you're handling it as best as you can. My prayers are with you and every one else.

-Chris

Also, this is the most detailed and articulate report I've heard.

You and your family are in the hearts and thoughts of many, many people.

Glad your OK, I hope it turns out well

My husband's an Army MP with the NC National Guard and his unit was activated yesterday, so he's on his way down to help for a minimum of 21 days. They flew out at midnight lastnight. He doesn't know exactly where/what they'll be doing, but that's around 300 men from my area that're going down to help keep the peace and get everything organized.

I am active duty fort drum and we have been put on a 48 hour recall from our holiday weekened. So will see what happens we probably will be going down as well.

Guys I have just heard from my sister, she and my 1yr old niece are safe and with family in southwest Louisiana. When the bus they were on stopped for gas in Lake Charles, she told them to let her off, and she called relatives to pick her up. I still don't know what the deal is with some other relatives, but we are praying they to are ok. My sister says they have yet to even touch the dead because there are so many rescue efforts going on. She said, the bodies are starting to rot and the smell all over the city is horrendous. She said when the storm was coming she met people in the dome that worked at the local charity hospital, and the nurse she was talking to said, they begged officials to evacuate them and the patients from the hospital, and that when they refused to evac them to proper shelter or out of the city, she said almost all the hospital employees, prayed for the patients in a big group prayer, made them as comfortable as possible, changed bed pans, and set up fresh IV's and other supplies, and went to the morgue and tied the bodies down and together so they didn't float away in the predicted floods, and she said atleast 90% of the hospital staff, walked out to either leave NO or seek shelter. She said last she heard of talk around the dome, that there were 2 full floors of dead who were patients at the hospital that died, not including what was in the morgue. She said people had died from water moccasins, alligators, and there was even a shark that authorities tried to capture to no avail swimming in the downtown area. She also said that the talk from some officials who were around the dome was that just based on the number of bodies they see floating around and laying around, their best estimates are 2-3,000 people in NO alone are dead, and the worst part is that people are dying rapidly everyday from after effects. It is absolutely humbling to see these kinds of numbers being thrown around about a natural disaster in this day and age.

I just read what I wrote, I meant the death toll is estimated at 12-13,000 (and rising by hundreds everyday) not 2-3,000. I guess its just as hard to type it as it is to say it.

Chris, I have always had a belief that I don't need to watch the news (I do on occasion but not religiously) because someone will always tell me if there is something that I need to know.

Today you taught me that what people tell me is a more important and more human picture than what you see on the news. I wish you and your entire family the best of luck, I forwarded your posts to some close friends of mine who's hearts also go out to you, your family, and everyone else affected.

I'm also sure that my dog pulling all the bedsheets off my bed just now and barking at me is his way of saying he cares too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Chris, I'm relieved to hear you and your family are OK. You've been in my thoughts and prayers. God Bless.

We were here discussing this nightmare and all I could think of is adding sharks (shudder) To bad this came true. I am glad your family is out. Hopefully our Government can get off it's butt and at least get food there. And possibly a big net to keep the sharks out.(shudder) I really don't like sharks.

Chris-

God bless you and I hope your efforts to find all of your family are successful. My thoughts and prayers are with you.