A few thoughts on the aftermath of hurricanes from my experience being in New Orleans and Wayside, Mississippi the day after Katrina.

The federal and state response was a joke. Decisions and action has to be immediate and it's not the movies. FEMA is nowhere to be seen on the ground. They might be in a tent somewhere talking and pretending to be doing something, but lol.

Followed the walmart convoy in.

Walmart?

Yes, that company was more impressive than anything or anyone in that first 24 hours.

So much so, that many people were calling for Walmart to replace fema and call it wema.

The convoy was stationed just east of Beaumont, TX on Interstate I-10 on the shoulder before Katrina hit. Mile after mile of tractor trailers with Walmart emblazoned and many hired third party without.

Their goal was get 3 stores up and running. They had huge generators, circus tents, fuel truck, store merch and heavy equipment.

Trees blocking road?

No problem.

Pretty sure they had 2 Walmart in NO and 1 in Wayside operating their tent stores within 24 hours.

After that, I believe the first 24 hours of operation was dedicated to first responders, much of which Walmart gave away.

One of the biggest items was chainsaws and fuel.

Forgive me if my memory is faulty. Maybe someone that was also there can correct.

Anyway, the scariest most awful sight?

Was in Wayside and was turning around to go back to New Orleans and was not far from the ocean. Started doing the Uturn at a Texaco station that had been wiped out and noticed this mountain of debris at the base of a treeline

Got out of my truck to investigate and saw the bark had been stripped from the trees about 40 to 50 feet in the air and it dawned on me. That was the storm surge and the trees had their bark removed by the debris the surge was carrying.

Said a prayer for anyone that got caught in that and took off. Did take some pics, but not sure where they reside.

Wildest thing I saw and felt?

Driving around New Orleans with absolutely zero other cars or people. Felt like Charlton Heston in Omega Man and yes, once night fell, I was out of there! During the whole day, I saw maybe 2 National Guard humvees. They just blew by me.

Also heard some gun fire from time to time. Nothing too crazy.

There was a checkpoint manned by the military to get into the city within a couple of days.

I was given a gubmit issued piece of paper by a company that had me checking whether the roof over their data centers was intact.

My experience was never underestimate a hurricane and if in it's path, get out of its way.

Finally, the gubmit reacts poorly, even the military. Just too much needs to be done too fast.

Churches and Walmart were impressive, though. By the time churches were already handing out water, Red Cross advance field teams were just arriving to do assessment, lol.

What a clown show Red Cross was.

Anyway, just some thoughts I thought to share. Do not mind being corrected or given differing thoughts by others that were there in those first days.

Pretty sure I posted a story some years back about a Red Cross team I asked to help me unstuck an elderly couples car.

Long story, but the end result was 3 young early 20's Red Cross kids and they would not render assistance because they were "office admin and not field operators", lol.

Often think about those 3 yahoo's. 2 girls and 1 guy. In their forties now and probably have kids. Soon they will be the age of that elderly couple I got unstuck. Night was about to fall, but those kids had zero sense of care nor urgency.

I wasn't much older, but damn, had a great sense of urgency.

Sorry for typos. On cell phone with fat fingers.

A few thoughts on the aftermath of hurricanes from my experience being in New Orleans and Wayside, Mississippi the day after.

The federal and state response was a joke. Decisions and action has to be immediate and it's not the movies. FEMA is nowhere to be seen on the ground. They might be in a tent somewhere talking and pretending to be doing something, but lol.

Followed the walmart convoy in.

Walmart?

Yes, that company was more impressive than anything or anyone in that first 24 hours.

So much so, that many people were calling for Walmart to replace fema and call it wema.

The convoy was stationed just east of Beaumont, TX on Interstate I-10 on the shoulder before Katrina hit. Mile after mile of tractor trailers with Walmart emblazoned and many hired third party without.

Their goal was get 3 stores up and running. They had huge generators, circus tents, fuel truck, store merch and heavy equipment.

Trees blocking road?

No problem.

Pretty sure they had 2 Walmart in NO and 1 in Wayside operating their tent stores within 24 hours.

After that, I believe the first 24 hours of operation was dedicated to first responders, much of which Walmart gave away.

One of the biggest items was chainsaws and fuel.

Forgive me if my memory is faulty. Maybe someone that was also there can correct.

Anyway, the scariest most awful sight?

Was in Wayside and was turning around to go back to New Orleans and was not far from the ocean. Started doing the Uturn at a Texaco station that had been wiped out and noticed this mountain of debris at the base of a treeline

Got out of my truck to investigate and saw the bark had been stripped from the trees about 40 to 50 feet in the air and it dawned on me. That was the storm surge and the trees had their bark removed by the debris the surge was carrying.

Said a prayer for anyone that got caught in that and took off. Did take some pics, but not sure where they reside.

Wildest thing I saw and felt?

Driving around New Orleans with absolutely zero other cars or people. Felt like Charlton Heston in Omega Man and yes, once night fell, I was out of there! During the whole day, I saw maybe 2 National Guard humvees. They just blew by me.

Also heard some gun fire from time to time. Nothing too crazy.

There was a checkpoint manned by the military to get into the city within a couple of days.

I was given a gubmit issued piece of paper by a company that had me checking whether the roof over their data centers was intact.

My experience was never underestimate a hurricane and if in it's path, get out of its way.

Finally, the gubmit reacts poorly, even the military. Just too much needs to be done too fast.

Churches and Walmart were impressive, though. By the time churches were already handing out water, Red Cross advance field teams were just arriving to do assessment, lol.

What a clown show Red Cross was.

Anyway, just some thoughts I thought to share. Do not mind being corrected or given differing thoughts by others that were there in those first days.

Pretty sure I posted a story some years back about a Red Cross team I asked to help me unstuck an elderly couples car.

Long story, but the end result was 3 young early 20's Red Cross kids and they would not render assistance because they were "office admin and not field operators", lol.

Often think about those 3 yahoo's. 2 girls and 1 guy. In their forties now and probably have kids. Soon they will be the age of that elderly couple I got unstuck. Night was about to fall, but those kids had zero sense of care nor urgency.

I wasn't much older, but damn, had a great sense of urgency.

Sorry for typos. On cell phone with fat fingers.

A few thoughts on the aftermath of hurricanes from my experience being in New Orleans and Wayside, Mississippi the day after.

The federal and state response was a joke. Decisions and action has to be immediate and it's not the movies. FEMA is nowhere to be seen on the ground. They might be in a tent somewhere talking and pretending to be doing something, but lol.

Followed the walmart convoy in.

Walmart?

Yes, that company was more impressive than anything or anyone in that first 24 hours.

So much so, that many people were calling for Walmart to replace fema and call it wema.

The convoy was stationed just east of Beaumont, TX on Interstate I-10 on the shoulder before Katrina hit. Mike after mile of tractor trailers with Walmart emblazoned and many hired third party without.

Their goal was get 3 stores up and running. They had huge generators, circus tents, fuel truck, store merch and heavy equipment.

Trees blocking road?

No problem.

Pretty sure they had 2 Walmart in NO and 1 in Wayside operating their tent stores within 24 hours.

After that, I believe the first 24 hours of operation was dedicated to first responders, much of which Walmart gave away.

One of the biggest items was chainsaws and fuel.

Forgive me if my memory is faulty. Maybe someone that was also there can correct.

Anyway, the scariest most awful sight?

Was in Wayside and was turning around to go back to New Orleans and was not far from the ocean. Started doing the Uturn at a Texaco station that had been wiped out and noticed this mountain of debris at the base of a treeline

Got out of my truck to investigate and saw the bark had been stripped from the trees about 40 to 50 feet in the air and it dawned on me. That was the storm surge and the trees had their bark removed by the debris the surge was carrying.

Said a prayer for anyone that got caught in that and took off. Did take some pics, but not sure where they reside.

Wildest thing I saw and felt?

Driving around New Orleans with absolutely zero other cars or people. Felt like Charlton Heston in Omega Man and yes, once night fell, I was out of there! During the whole day, I saw maybe 2 National Guard humvees. They just blew by me.

Also heard some gun fire from time to time. Nothing too crazy.

There was a checkpoint manned by the military to get into the city within a couple of days.

I was given a gubmit issued piece of paper by a company that had me checking whether the roof over their data centers was intact.

My experience was never underestimate a hurricane and if in it's path, get out of its way.

Finally, the gubmit reacts poorly, even the military. Just too much needs to be done too fast.

Churches and Walmart were impressive, though. By the time churches were already handing out water, Red Cross advance field teams were just arriving to do assessment, lol.

What a clown show Red Cross was.

Anyway, just some thoughts I thought to share. Do not mind being corrected or given differing thoughts by others that were there in those first days.

Pretty sure I posted a story some years back about a Red Cross team I asked to help me unstuck an elderly couples car.

Long story, but the end result was 3 young early 20's Red Cross kids and they would not render assistance because they were "office admin and not field operators", lol.

Often think about those 3 yahoo's. 2 girls and 1 guy. In their forties now and probably have kids. Soon they will be the age of that elderly couple I got unstuck. Night was about to fall, but those kids had zero sense of care nor urgency.

I wasn't much older, but damn, had a great sense of urgency.

Sorry for typos. On cell phone with fat fingers.

A few thoughts on the aftermath of hurricanes from my experience being in New Orleans and Wayside, Mississippi the day after.

The federal and state response was a joke. Decisions and action has to be immediate and it's not the movies. FEMA is nowhere to be seen on the ground. They might be in a tent somewhere talking and pretending to be doing something, but lol.

Followed the walmart convoy in.

Walmart?

Yes, that company was more impressive than anything or anyone in that first 24 hours.

So much so, that many people were calling for Walmart to replace fema and call it wema.

The convoy was stationed just east of Beaumont, TX on Interstate I-10 on the shoulder before Katrina hit. Mike after mile of tractor trailers with Walmart emblazoned and many hired third party without.

Their goal was get 3 stores up and running. They had huge generators, circus tents, fuel truck, store merch and heavy equipment.

Trees blocking road?

No problem.

Pretty sure they had 2 Walmart in NO and 1 in Wayside operating their tent stores within 24 hours.

After that, I believe the first 24 hours of operation was dedicated to first responders, much of which Walmart gave away.

One of the biggest items was chainsaws and fuel.

Forgive me if my memory is faulty. Maybe someone that was also there can correct.

Anyway, the scariest most awful sight? Was in Wayside and was turning around to go back to New Orleans and was not far from the ocean. Started doing the Uturn at a Texaco station that had been wiped out and noticed this mountain of debris at the base of a treeline

Got out of my truck to investigate and saw the back had been stripped from the trees about 40 to 50 feet in the air and it dawned on me. That was the storm surge and the trees had their bark removed by the debris the surge was carrying.

Said a prayer for anyone that git caught in that and took off. Did take some pics, but not sure where they reside.

Wildest thing I saw and felt?

Driving around New Orleans with absolutely zero other cars or people. Felt like Charlton Heston in Omega Man and yes, once night fell, I was out of there! During the whole day, I saw maybe 2 National Guard humvees. They just blew by me.

Also heard some gun fire from time to time. Nothing too crazy.

There was a checkpoint manned by the military to get into the city within a couple of days.

I was given a gubmit issued piece of paper by a company that had me checking whether the roof over their data centers was intact.

My experience was never underestimate a hurricane and if in it's path, get out of its way.

Finally, the gubmit reacts poorly, even the military. Just too much needs to be done too fast.

Churches and Walmart were impressive, though. By the time churches were already handing out water, Red Cross advance field teams were just arriving to do assessment, lol.

What a clown show Red Cross was.

Anyway, just some thoughts I thought to share. Do not mind being corrected or given differing thoughts by others that were there in those first days.

Pretty sure I posted a story some years back about a Red Cross team I asked to help me unstuck an elderly couples car.

Long story, but the end result was 3 young early 20's Red Cross kids and they would not render assistance because they were "office admin and not field operators", lol.

Often think about those 3 yahoo's. 2 girls and 1 guy. In thyahoo. Niw and probably have kids. Soon they will be the age of that elderly couple I got unstuck. Night was about to fall, but those kids had zero sense of care nor urgency.

I wasn't much older, but damn, had a great sense of urgency.

Sorry for typos. On cell phone with fat fingers.