Hey guys, I'm alive. I actually live in Kenner, outside of NO. I am CURRENTLY living in my office as my house is still flooded. Working as part of the government through this lends a different perspective of what's going on. For the record, then National Guard WAS deployed before the storm hit. I have become friends with our contingent here as is bound to happen to people when they are living under these conditions. Unfortunately, the NG was intended to be here on a humanitarian effort only. They were not planning on needing ANYTHING like they need now. Despite what is being reported, I have seen massive federal aid coming in. For a long while it was more than our airport could handle. Our government is not holding out on us, it as just caught ith its pants down.
Also, communications here are a complete nightmare. We cannot make phone calls out from here. We can only recieve some phone calls. This will vastly slow response time.
One thing I am grateful for is that I have no access to TV. I don't think I could handle atching hat is going on. 2 police officers here commited suicide last night as a result of the stress. I know of 5 other people personally who did the same because they couldn't take it.
Yesterday I was assigned to escort our media person to the media trucks. I had to see first hand the destruction in Orleans Parish. The pictures you are seeing are still likely current. As of last night, the water is still past the rooflines of all the homes I saw. I also had to go to the airport. I can't describe the suffering I've seen. Ya'll, please, we need your support. Forget about placing blame for now, please. We need your efforts to be used in a better manner. Understand, we have FEMA and police and firefighters being fired upon while they're trying to help save people. I just recieved word that the police chief of NO committed suicide. Still a rumor at this point, but unfortunately a believeable one.

As to the numbers of people dying, the initial estimates are ranging from 15-20 thousand, but that number will surely rise as more people are found trapped in their attics and drowned and further still from the disease that is sure to come.

I'm trying but words fail to describe what horror I'm being witness to. My access is very spotty, but I'll try and give updates when I can.