September 9, 2005

Like so many of you in the United States and around the world we were not satisfied to only donate money for the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. As one person said, "I didn't want to be an armchair humanitarian." We really wanted to go there, be there and help these people in some way. We sent Jerry Self to Louisiana on Wednesday, September 7. His first day in the field was September 8, and this is a report of what he saw and what is still desperately needed.  Despite the enormous efforts and resources already provided, they are not even close to making a dent.

Jerry and his group (although not a member, he was traveling with a large convoy from St. John Neuman Catholic Church in Pensacola, FL) left Austin Wednesday morning; they were a group of approximately

70 people traveling in a convoy of 16 vehicles. His expertise as an amateur radio operator, a combat field surgeon in the Army, and a scuba diver, Jerry volunteered to assist with emergency communications in the area via amateur radio, as well as offering medical assistance, search and rescue, and anything else needed.

Jerry spent some time in horrific conditions in Vietnam where he saw cities bombed, villages destroyed and much death and destruction. Today Jerry and members of his team went to New Orleans (including the Superdome) and to Waveland, Mississippi. At the end of his first day in the disaster areas he reported that the horrific conditions he experienced in Vietnam pale in comparison to the sheer enormity of the utter devastation, horror, and hellish conditions and suffering in the Hurricane Katrina areas. There are still thousands of people stranded, lost, hungry, ill and living in inhuman conditions.

Jerry assisted with communications for part of the day, and by using the amateur radio was able to reunite one family who had been separated during their evacuation from New Orleans.  A young mother with two daughters was sent to the refugee center in San Antonio, Texas, thinking that her husband had died in the flooding.  Her husband thought his wife and two daughters had died, and he was sent to Phoenix, Arizona.  After coordinating with the American Red Cross, they were all reunited later that night in Phoenix.  Jerry also assisted with food distribution, and helped recover eight bodies.  The water and mud in the area are extremely toxic.  Two search and rescue dogs the group had taken with them died of toxic shock that day.

On September 9 there was more food, clothing and gasoline distribution as well as recovery of bodies in St. Tammany Parish.

When Jerry called the office on Friday he said, “Some of these people had so little to begin with; now they literally have nothing but the clothes they’re wearing.  It’s just heartbreaking!”

There are still many homeless, and many school-age children who are not in shelters and not in school.  What can we do about that?  We are working on it, and hope to hear your suggestions. 

Jerry is expecting to return to Austin late Sunday night, and we will be posting his observations and thoughts as soon as possible after his return.