A friend passed this along... completely gut-wrenching account of some of the stuff happening there. Some of the imagery is pretty gut-wrenching; consider yourself warned.
Terry and I just returned from New Orleans where we had planned to celebrate our anniversary. Unfortunately, our long weekend got even longer when we were forced to take shelter at the Louis Armstrong Airport in New Orleans for three days after United Airlines canceled our return flight. The stories and sights we witnessed have changed our lives forever.
Thankfully, American Airlines performed a rescue mission and brought us to Dallas, Texas on Tuesday evening. Even though the airport received substantial structural damage, has only one runway that is usable, no power, and is littered with debris, American performed a heroic act by risking their plane and crew to rescue nearly 240 stranded travelers. We left behind hundreds of injured and homeless people camping out in the airport terminal.
The first day, Acme Oyster Bar, an airport restaurant, fed us what little food and drink they had. After that, we had nothing. When we asked an airport official what their disaster strategy was, we were told they had none. There was water and cots available for airport personnel and security, and yet several elderly people in their eighties and nineties were sleeping on the cold tile floor or in chairs.
Another stranded traveler went across the street to the Airport Hilton after the storm. They had empty rooms available but she was told by a manager that Jefferson Parish had called them personally and stated that they would pay for their empty rooms. Therefore, no tourists were allowed to stay in the hotel.
My husband and I were staying in a small quaint hotel in the French Quarter. When United Airlines cancelled our flight, we tried to move to a larger hotel with stronger facilities before the storm hit. The lady I spoke with at the Sheraton told me that all hotels were closed, even though they were exempt from the mandatory evacuation. She said their hotel would be asking guests to leave because "they did not want to be responsible in case something happened."
We were told by an airport official that most airlines had cancelled their incoming flights early because people had dropped their flight reservations. The airlines did not want to deadhead into New Orleans, even though they would have had a full flight going back. Some passengers had already boarded the last remaining flights on Continental and Southwest. A woman told me that a Frontier clerk had promised her a seat on their last flight for $2000.
We shared the floor with many, many homeless and lost families. Those of us who had only suitcases, were sleeping on the floor on plastic garment bags from Southwest and cardboard from FedEx. Some took floor mats from the ticketing area as padding. The toilets overflowed when the water and power were lost. A temporary generator offered dim lighting for a day with a few scattered fans for ventilation. One man tried to sell the garment bags for $1 each to unsuspecting shelter victims. People gathered around those who had brought battery powered radios, straining for bits of news from the outside.
A woman arrived at the shelter after being airlifted from the roof of her house. She had two plastic bags of clothing and her dog. She was not allowed to bring either. She killed her dog before she left to save him from a death by drowning. She cried when telling us the story.
We were told of an elderly woman who could not leave her house. As another family was rescued from their roof, they told the crew of the woman. Minutes later, they approached her home, looked through the last remaining window that was visible above the rising waters and saw her face bobbing against the glass. Luckily, she was rescued alive.
A group of firefighter's wives and families were camped next to us. One of them was relieved to hear their house made it without much damage. The other lost everything. And still she offered support to others.
A frail woman in her eighties walked endlessly up and down the terminal pushing a wheelchair with her cat, Fritz, in his carrier. She worried that her pet was not eating and several people offered her their food that they had brought with them. Another stranded passenger loaned her a leash and collar so she could take him for a walk.
A Hispanic woman took shelter with her husband and eighteen year old son who had just had brain surgery. He was still under physician's care for a bronchial infection, and was running a fever. The air was stagnant and humid with little circulation in the airport confines, making his infection worse. His mother and father took him to their nearby home without authorization. They had no water, no power, and little food but they wanted to go home.
Rescuers in boats were forced to push floating corpses out of the way as they searched for survivors.
Gangs began to fight in the Superdome, forcing many people to leave after three incidents of stabbing. Looting was rampant.
The heat is oppressive, the humidity beyond endurance, and their hope is dwindling. There is no water, little food, and limited shelter. We walked over a mile to a small market that we heard was open. After waiting in line for over three hours, we were able to purchase some Gatorade and snacks. It cost us $26. They were selling bread the day before for $5 a loaf, a case of soda for $21. We bought a container of baby powder to help with chaffing from the sweat. It's original price had been $1.69. We paid $7. Money means nothing when your basic instinct is survival.
When we boarded the American Airlines rescue flight, there was personal hygiene care kits and snack boxes on each seat. I had a cola with ice after the plane took off. It was the best meal I can remember!
If you can donate to the Red Cross, please do so. These people will be rebuilding their city for months, and in some cases years![/QUOTE]
