From Handson Disaster Response

From HandsonDisasterResponse:

Indonesia Earthquake Relief Project
We are closely watching the reports come out of Indonesia and are reaching out to our contacts in the area to evaluate the level of our response to this event.

If you are interested in volunteering with us if we deploy to Indonesia, please send us an email at info@hodr.org and put Indonesia Volunteer in the subject line.

Why not make it your summer vacation?

I just heard from Bill Driscoll (Jr) who is back in MS (Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis). He reports that while the area is getting much cleaner (less debris etc), there is still tons of work to do and virtually no rebuilding has taken place for miles.

You can help! Of course the best way is to go down and volunteer. Make it your summer vacation. Sure it is warm, but it will be something you never forget. But if you can't, consider donating to PersevereVolunteers. They are in the middle of trying to get a truck, bull dozer, and otehr heavy equipment down to help rebuild. Round-trip cost? About $8000. But it will be there for the year, so it will more than pay for itself. You can donate here to help.

93% and rising!

Army Corps of Engineers reports Levees are "93% ready

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the bracket system that flooded much of New Orleans after Katrina is now 93 percent repaired. That's up from 87 percent just last week!

I'll refrain from any weakest link mention.

Are the levies ready?

From NPR's Talk of the Nation:

"A report out this week finds that the levees in New Orleans failed during Hurricane Katrina not because the storm was so big, but because of problems in the way they were designed, built, and maintained. Ira Flatow leads a discussion on whether New Orleans is ready for a new storm season."

Note: at time of posting the audio is not yet online. Be patient and check back, it's worth it!

New "elevations for flood zones in Biloxi

The Daily Comet from Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana:

The Biloxi City Council has voted to require property owners in flood zones to build at least 17 feet above sea level, or 4 feet higher than previously required.

The new elevations, approved Tuesday, will take effect in 30 days

Read the article. It brings up the good point that, while we'd all like to have higher elevations, they come at a cost. And the cost may be too much for some to handle.

Cool idea from Hawaii

From KITV:

"Pushed by a new law, civil defense planners are working with the Humane Society to provide shelters that will welcome both people and pets next time a hurricane threatens Hawaii, KITV 4 News reported."

Also: "For $500,000, the Blaisdell Center parking structure could be prepared for a thick emergency curtain designed to withstand 200 mph winds, city officials said.

People with pets would be able to drive right in, with one parking space for their car and a second to set up housekeeping."

More on pet evacuations

From Yahoo News (AP):

""...Rep. Tom Lantos (news) D-Calif., sponsor of the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act....The House was to vote late Monday on the bill, which requires that state and local preparedness offices take into account pet owners, household pets and service animals when drawing up evacuation plans. Offices that fail to do so would not qualify for grants from the FEMA."