Tropical Depression 12 has formed

[SafetyPro2]

I'm watching it closely too. Katrina is now a Cat 5, and our DMAT team (CA-1) got an Alert notice about 0800 today to be prepared to deploy today or tomorrow. As of yet, we haven't been given a specific location...I think they're waiting to see where landfall will be. At this point, I don't think its a matter of if we're going, but rather when and where.

Since I found out after our last Alert that I'm the only "official" Safety Officer on the team, if we deploy, I'll be going. I'll let you all know what I hear.

 

[Chimpie]

It's nice to see a gov't agency telling how it is.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

HURRICANE KATRINA
A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED
STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE!

 

[Chimpie]

Originally posted by SafetyPro@Aug 28 2005, 02:48 PM
I'm watching it closely too. Katrina is now a Cat 5, and our DMAT team (CA-1) got an Alert notice about 0800 today to be prepared to deploy today or tomorrow. As of yet, we haven't been given a specific location...I think they're waiting to see where landfall will be. At this point, I don't think its a matter of if we're going, but rather when and where.

Since I found out after our last Alert that I'm the only "official" Safety Officer on the team, if we deploy, I'll be going. I'll let you all know what I hear.

Be careful Chris! And keep us informed.

 

[Chimpie]

The eye is now on radar.

Radar Image

 

[Wingnut]

Be Careful to all of you within range, and any going there to help. I'm keeping ya'll in my thoughts.

 

[Cap'nPanic]

I am seriously thinking about going down and joining the relief effort, and I made a post about it here:

http://www.emtlife.com/index.php?showtopic...t=0&#entry17678

I would like to help those in need and this is opportunity to do so.

-Cap'nPanic

 

[SafetyPro2]

We just got Activated about a half hour ago. I leave for Memphis tomorrow morning. No details yet...I should be getting a call from FEMA with my travel arrangements sometime this evening.

I'll be sure to post an "after action" report when I get back.

Take care all.

 

[ffemt8978]

Chris,

Stay safe and drop us a line if you get the chace. Photos would be good, also.

 

[Cap'nPanic]

Be careful out there! I might be joining up at a later date once I go through the proper procedure once the ARC gets a better idea of what their needs are.

-Cap'nPanic

 

[rescuejew]

Totally supposed to vacation down in new orleans this weekend...guess I'm not going now

hope all that are going stay safe and all the people that live there are doing okay...

 

[Jon]

the EMS conf. just ended there...

One of our local squads has 2 members stuck in town, another had several members make it out on the last plane out of the airport...

I'm sure many of our brothers were stuck in town after the confrence, and we should all keep them in our prayers.

Also, on a slightly lighter note, I bet that a bunch of the presenters, some of the foremost minds in Prehospital Care, were stuck in town as well... perhaps that isn't a totally bad thing, if New Orleans is aware of their presence...

Jon