Sorry about not getting any updates posted yesterday. I think everyone is doing a combination of work, running around getting items and dealing with traffic. I ran home after work to run a bed to another relative’s house.
New Orleans - people are getting into the city. Many people have been able to get passes (legit) into Jefferson Parish. There are check point to get into New Orleans. The trick seems to be to be in an American SUV that is black or white. Put on a button down shirt, wear sunglasses and drive through the check point like you are supposed to be there. An occasional wave to the military helps. New Orleans looks like a war zone with all of the military. You won't be stopped if you drive around but you will be checked if you leave a house with any items. If it is your house, you won't have any problems. Many people only took one of their 2 cars out and are going in to get the other one. You almost certainly will be stopped if you drive a car (non-SUV) out. Again, if it is your car, you won't have any problems. River Road is the best road to get in. There is still much flooding. As of today, many trees have been cleared so other than flood water, you can get around.
A couple of friends went in yesterday to get a few items and do the fridge cleanout. Everyone mentions that driving around Jefferson is OK but when you get into Orleans Parish it feels like you shouldn't be there. They did spot one body lying face down - a reminder that there is still much cleanup to do. Both houses had little damage and had not been looted. The looting seems to be focused mainly on business but there were a few houses.
I have 2 accounts of businesses that were looted. One was a grocery store and one was a restaurant. The grocery store had everything missing, every fixture broken, all registers stolen and people had defecated all over the store. The restaurant manager witnessed the actual looting and stood by as people destroyed the bar and everything in the restaurant. There were police present but they could do nothing (the police were not participating). I understand steeling food, but please explain the destruction of property.
I forgot to mention in my earlier posts about Metairie and the dogs. Some neighborhoods have a few hungry dogs roaming around them. Since the water dried up there is not much to drink. When helping a relative, we took all the dog food out and put it in the next door neighbor’s back yard and filled every thing we could find with water. The owner was supposed to come by in the next few days (and did) so we figured they would be OK. I mention this because they mentioned this morning that workers being forced to stop at points because packs of dogs are attacking them.
Methodist Hospital Ordeal - One of Rochelle's Aunts worked at several of the hospitals and spent the hurricane at it. The hospital was surrounded by water. Not sure of the amount but it went over the top of pickup trucks. There were over 700 people there including staff and patients. Fortunately, they did not have any criminal problems reported at other hospitals. Starting late Monday people were evacuated out on a somewhat regular basis until late Friday. She finally was airlifted from the roof late Friday afternoon along with 12 other workers in one of the many Chinook's. In a weird twist, after the hospital was abandoned, two people shot each other. She was brought to the New Orleans Airport and left with the thousands of other people to get out. There was a long line that made any line at Disneyland in the height of summer seem short. Towards the end, everyone filed into a single row of people. She had no choice where to go and ended up at a military base in San Antonio. She took a cab to the commercial airport and got a flight to Shreveport. Once in Shreveport she made it to Monroe. Her family met her there and they are finally back in Baton Rouge and staying with Rochelle's brother Eric.
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