Desperate Situation in New Orleans Worsens

As the floodwaters continue to rise, the situation in New Orleans has reach catastrophic proportions. By all estimates, 80 percent of the 'Big Easy' is now under water, and people who are stranded have virtually no place to go. People are still stuck in their homes, unable to communicate with the outside world, and certainly, many have died either from drowning or natural causes.

There is no food, water, or sanitary facilities and rescue workers are unable to get to the city due to blocked highways and no airport capability. Wednesday morning, four U.S. Navy ships were dispatched to the area, bringing food, water and medical supplies. But they are not expected to reach New Orleans for several days, and every day lost means the situation becomes more desperate.

Doctors are warning of the health risks that are eminent. Large bodies of contaminated standing water will breed mosquitoes resulting in outbreaks of West Nile virus. Drinking the tap water will cause illness, and walking around in the contaminated water can cause infections in open wounds. Hospital facilities are unable to treat the sick and injured, and with no electricity, telephone or cell phone service, there is no way for people to call 911 in the event of heart attack or other life-threatening illness.

Without electricity, there is no air conditioning, and with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, people with sensitivity to heat will certain suffer further. Dialysis patients and those on oxygen will also be affected. The stress of the situation can only exacerbate the situation.

On Sunday, thousands of people sought refuge in the Superdome, expecting only to spend the night there in safety. It now appears that these people might be there for another week, and conditions in this facility have deteriorated miserably. But, because there is no place else that rescuers can bring people, the population of the Superdome continues to rise, and by some estimates, there are nearly 25,000 people inside.

The situation that is developing in New Orleans is already being called the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Add to that the complete devastation of coastal cities in Mississippi, and the entire event becomes almost unfathomable. Millions of people are without routine services, and undoubtedly, the death toll will be far higher than originally estimated.

The ripple effects are far-reaching. With the port of New Orleans closed indefinitely, there will be an almost immediate impact on the country’s import/export flow. Coffee cannot be imported, and mid-west corn cannot be exported. With 16 percent of the nation’s oil refineries in the region, the prices at the gas pump, which are already at record highs, will also be impacted. This will raise the cost of trucking product and raise grocery store prices.

The end result is that nearly everyone in the U.S. will be impacted in some way. As a nation, it is important that everyone who can help in any way, no matter how small, get involved in the relief effort. We opened our hearts and wallets to help in the aftermath of 9/11, and donated millions of dollars to help victims of last December’s tsunami in southern Asia. Now disaster has struck again, on our shores, and hundreds of thousands of our own are homeless and desperate. For more information on how to help, contact your local branch of the American Red Cross, or visit their website at www.RedCross.org .