Katrina

I have decided to take
Amy's suggestion on board and let folks in on what Australia is doing to help it's American cousins in crisis. I admit, i have been avoiding blogging on Katrina as every second blogger has already done so. I am also very weak, and pathetic when it comes to human tragedy, preferring to hide and ignore, it hurts too much to deal with. But since requested i shall let you all in on Oz efforts and what the media is portraying here.

Firstly let me say that we in "Cyclone" prone States are just in shock. Personally, i have been through a number of cyclones, none of which have been a "direct hit" and the largest being a Category 3. Even at a 3, the power of that wind was enough to force me backwards, and not let me stand up right, and this was all underneath a verandah! We lost power for a week, could not get in or out of our little community here and took months to clean up the mess. Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin 30 years ago, she was a Category 4, she flattened Darwin to the ground, many lives were lost, and yes, even Oz has filthy looters.........they were there. All of this is NOTHING compared to what those in LA, NO and Alabama are going through. No one could ever begin to understand what it's like to lose your family....your home.....your job......your whole lifes work....gone before your very eyes!

Ok....Aussie efforts to help..................this is the report in one of our newspapers today........


THE AUSTRALIAN Government will donate $10 million to assist relief operations in the wake of hurricane Katrina in the United States.Prime Minister John Howard said the money would be given to the American Red Cross and used for emergency relief carried out by the organisation.
"Given the extraordinary generosity of the United States when other countries are in need, and given the very close relationship between Australia and the United States, and given also the scale of the disaster, we believe it is a very valuable gesture and a mark of our concern for the scale of the human misery that has come from this disaster," Mr Howard saidin Hobart.
He said he had already offered to send a team of emergency specialists to the disaster area but the US was yet to accept the offer.
Mr Howard said the money would be used to provide blankets, food parcels and "all the sorts of things that are provided to people all around the world when they're suddenly rendered destitute".
He said it would benefit tens of thousands of people, many of them quite poor.
"The Red Cross is the best body for the money to be sent to," he said.
"It has a fine international reputation and I'm sure (the donation) will be properly and well spent."
Mr Howard said he had not yet spoken to US President George W Bush but confirmed he had sent a personal note of sympathy.
"He knows from the note and from our friendship that we would be concerned but he's got plenty on his plate and frankly I'll probably talk to him at a later time," he said.
Mr Howard said he had received a briefing on Australians involved in the disaster but said it could be some time before all of them were "fully cared for".
"As of now I've not heard of any Australian casualties or any Australians are missing," he said.
"Obviously (those stranded are) in some discomfort and inconvenience, as indeed are thousands of Americans and in the difficult situation of evacuating people from New Orleans and the scale of the disaster being greater than originally thought, it could be a little time before all of them are fully cared for, but we're confident that will happen."
Mr Howard said the Australian embassy and consular staff in Washington were making "every effort" to assist Australians involved in the disaster.
He also warned the disaster would have a significant impact on the price of oil in the short term.
"We must be prepared for that," he said.

I hope President Bush accepts Australia's offer of help. I also have heard Australia has offered assistance in the way of aircraft and soldiers to help rescue those stranded in the LA areas, again President Bush has not decided whether the US needs our help.
In many of our newspapers, there are stories of offers of assistance, donations......food...water...bedding etc. Makes me glad that we're offering some type of assistance, and i hope for all of those poor poor people who have lost everything in the world Bush flicks the green light and goes ahead with our help.

Of course our newspapers are full of devastating photos and images. Interviews with stranded Aussies, a story of an Australian woman who paid a cab driver $900AU to drive her to Memphis!
Australia has a choir of 40 children who were staying the French Quater, i think they are reported as safe. Still, there are others missing and the Aust embassy is waiting to get word.

So my friends, that's the impression we're getting down under. To any blog friends who are waiting on word, have friends or family involved, my prayers are with you....god bless.

till next time, Michelle.