Disaster Recovery: Personal and Up Close

What a great idea! It is from Doug Gale writing for Campus Technology. He writes on preparing for disasters and what we should all have learned from Katrina.

A look-in: (here is is talking about escaping a wild fire)

Disaster Recovery: Personal and Up Close:

"The good news is that if my family and I make it out alive, food isn't a problem. We can buy some at a grocery store. Water will be available in the rest room of our new shelter, probably a high school gymnasium. What will be a problem is the information--financial information, personal information, business information, and medical information--that we will need to rebuild our century lives.

That was the genesis of the 'Get And Go' bag--something we can grab on the way out the door. (Our bag is actually a small fire-proof box.) If we have the luxury of more time, then we can add stuff from the FEMA and Red Cross lists plus our computer backup hard disk. The contents of the 'Get and Go' bag is coordinated with the contents of our safety deposit box. One of the problems encountered by New Orleans residents was that in many cases they couldn't access critical documents located in safe-deposit boxes for several weeks or more."

GREAT IDEA!

Officials plan party for opening of Biloxi Bay Bridge - NBC 15 Online

Officials plan party for opening of Biloxi Bay Bridge - NBC 15 Online:

"The structure will replace the bridge that connected Biloxi and Ocean Springs that was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.

Two lanes of the new bridge are expected to open Nov. 13, said Kim Sloan, public information officer for Mississippi Department of Transportation.

All six lanes and a shared bike and pedestrian path are expected to be finished April 16. "

SunHerald.com : It may be a wrench in gears of recovery

SunHerald.com : It may be a wrench in gears of recovery:

"Insurance rates are the talk of the Mississippi Coast "

While bad, they can get insurance so it is better than the alternative.

toledoblade.com -- Reconnecting on the Gulf Coast

toledoblade.com -- Reconnecting on the Gulf Coast:

"...the residents of Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian breathed sighs of relief and celebrated recently when a new $267 million span was opened, closing a two-mile gap created by the storm's savage fury in August, 2005.

The bridge was constructed in only 10 months, half the expected schedule. In the meantime, commuters had to take a 45-minute detour north to Interstate 10 to get to the other side of St. Louis Bay. Businesses suffered from the isolation, as did the spirit of local residents.

The opening, which comes at the beginning of another hurricane season, is 'major, psychologically,' a restaurant owner told the New York Times. 'It just feels like we're moving, making progress, we're going forward.'"

Is killer storm still taking a toll? - Yahoo! News

Is killer storm still taking a toll? - Yahoo! News:

"The bodies are no longer being dragged from houses and buildings toppled by Hurricane Katrina, but nearly two years later many in the medical community think the storm is still killing....Storm survivors are dying from the effects of both psychological and physical stress, from the dust and mold still in dwellings to financial problems to fear of crime, health experts and officials say."

Crosslisted on BonaRespondsBlog.

Small towns hit by Katrina struggle to rebuild | U.S. | Reuters

Small towns hit by Katrina struggle to rebuild | U.S. | Reuters: "

When hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans it also ravaged a series of small towns. Nearly two years later they have faded from the spotlight but are still struggling to rebuild.

Katrina left a trail of damage from Mobile, Alabama, through the cities of Gulfport and Biloxi with their casinos all the way along the coast to the Louisiana-Texas state line.

Recovery has been 'at best, uneven' according to a recent report by the Rockefeller Foundation. Many towns, including Pass Christian, Mississippi, face a particular challenge because of their small tax base."