Tonight I Cried

[KatDaddy]

No words can express what I and we feel. Just watching this disaster unfold hurts deeply. It puts life into perspective very quickly and makes us forget the day to day grind.

Watching tropical weather has always been interesting since day one for me. Now 35 and having a famly in the Houston-Galveston area thier is much more at stake. I remember studying the 1900 hurricane and Camille. For Gulf Coast storms they were the worst. I have always been interested in tropical cyclones but never ever wanted harm to come to anyone in the path. At Storm2k we all know what power hurricanes bring. We alson know what areas are at most risk along the Gulf and SE US Coasts. However when it happens we are still shocked and sadden by the destruction that is brought.

This is truley our generations worst natural disaster. This reminds me of past tropical cyclones that have changed us forever such as Camille, San Felipe - Okeechobee hurricane (1928), 1935 Hurricane and the infamous 1900 Hurricane. Lets all pray for everyone effected......the babies, elderly, and sick.....for their safety. Lets pray especially for the relief workers who have left their families to save hundreds if not thousnads of people.

Even though it hurts to see the destruction we all have strength to survive and the Gulf Coast will rise again.......Godspeed to all effected.

KatDaddy a.k.a Brian Flanakin

[scorpdream]

I hugged my mother inlaw for quite a while this AM when se got off work. She is an RN at Providence Hospital in Mobile (taking patients fom Biloxi & Gulfport). What she has seen and heard is mind boggling! We just hugged and cried. Then later I just broke down and prayed really hard and cried. It is so hard to contain your emotions at a time like this....there are not enough words to describe how everyone is feeling.

AND YES you do really get a new perspective on how truly blessed you really are. I thanked God for my leaking roof and no power, the ice in my cooler, that I had the ability to leave, etc. I have so much more than a lot of people on the coast do now. From a worldy standpoint, I am definitely not rich, but by other standards I will consider myself and my family truly blessed.

[CentralFlGal]

We are watching the news reports from the destroyed areas with the same awful feeling in the pit of our stomaches that we had watching the tsunami reports in December/January.

Very surreal. It's hard to mentally fix these horrific events in our 21st century.

[GalvestonDuck]

I had my moment yesterday, after wxcrazytwo posted the CNN article about the woman with her husband's corpse. I mean, jeez! All I did was was click open the article and barely even read the headline and see the picture. I was gone. I could barely even get through the article. Honestly, it was very cathartic and I needed to finally release that. But OMG! So heartbreaking!

[Miss Mary]

It is so heartbreaking. I've shed many tears since it started. I've watched the news for longer than I could take, had to turn it off and do something constructive (housework, baking). Things that we all just take for granted. Turning on the microwave, being able to do your laundry. Having air conditioning. Then you almost feel guilty, b/c you know how others are suffering.

The saddest thing to me is when NO began filling with water, one of my very first thoughts was - this isn't Iraq, the Middle East, this is one of OUR cities, this is OUR own people, in THIS country. We will take care of them and make sure the suffering is minimal.

Then the relief efforts dragged on, made more and more impossible b/c of rising water, no power, no communication, etc.

And now when I watch the looting scenes and out of control mobs/gangs roaming around, I'm telling you right now, this doesn't seem 1. real, 2. that is OUR own country, and 3. it's a sobering realization one group of so called human beings would resort to despicable behavior, while another group is suffering.

I have awakended every morning since Monday, with a heavy heart. I just think it will continue or get much worse, before this all gets better.

Mary

[alicia-w]

I went through my closets and my dressers last night and must have pulled out over a 100 pieces of clothings that I want to donate. My husband and son did the same thing. He is going to the store today to buy a bunch of stuff to make this hygiene kits that include a washcloth, soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, etc. All those little shampoos and soaps you get at the hotels? I didnt realize how much of that we had around. We plan to try to make at least 100 of those kits tonight and tomorrow and get them over to Mobile (Bayou La Batre) or maybe even further west. Also plan to buy several flats of water to take over that way.

I cried all night long. I feel so guilty for all that I have and take for granted. It could just as easily been us here, instead of those poor folks in MS and LA. Anderson Cooper said some things last night that gave me nightmares I'm not likely to forget for a long time.

[angler1986]

I went through my closets and my dressers last night and must have pulled out over a 100 pieces of clothings that I want to donate. My husband and son did the same thing. He is going to the store today to buy a bunch of stuff to make this hygiene kits that include a washcloth, soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, etc. All those little shampoos and soaps you get at the hotels? I didnt realize how much of that we had around. We plan to try to make at least 100 of those kits tonight and tomorrow and get them over to Mobile (Bayou La Batre) or maybe even further west. Also plan to buy several flats of water to take over that way.

I cried all night long. I feel so guilty for all that I have and take for granted. It could just as easily been us here, instead of those poor folks in MS and LA. Anderson Cooper said some things last night that gave me nightmares I'm not likely to forget for a long time.

beautiful.

i live in west mobile.. and we have been hearing the stories about bayou la batre... your donations will be accepted with much gratitude.

if at all possible.. include insect repellent.. mosquitos are beyond bad down there and i imagine people are getting torn up

[alicia-w]

i forgot to say that. i just bought several packages of those mosquito repellent towelettes. will stick them in there too. now we just need a place to drop the stuff off. any ideas?

[angler1986]

i forgot to say that. i just bought several packages of those mosquito repellent towelettes. will stick them in there too. now we just need a place to drop the stuff off. any ideas?

ahh i really don't know where you would go to donate those.

(251) 438-2571 is the number to american red cross in downtown mobile. i think they'd be able to give you that info.

what you are doing is so wonderful. i cant stress that enough. thank you!

[inotherwords]

It is a wonderful gesture, but the red cross will ask you to please not send "stuff" as there is no way to warehouse and distribute it. Watch the news and TV, they will be overwhelmed with this kind of generosity from everywhere and not know how to deal with it. They especially always ask people not to send clothes.

It's best at this point to send money. Save the kits for a little later when they have distribution set up.

I hope you will not misunderstand this post, please don't shoot the messenger. I am sure the red cross will tell you the same thing if you phone them up.

[alicia-w]

i dont plan to go to the red cross. Money is great but there are so many people back in the middle of nowhere that the red cross doesnt ever get to.

i think this disaster is different than some others in that there are SO many people that have nothing now. Clothes might be welcome to someone who has nothing. A clean pair of jeans and a clean shirt might be a nice change.

A hygiene kit with a washcloth and soap and a toothbrush and toothpaste is a welcome site. Wouldnt you like to be able to wash your face???

We're bringing water too. Maybe food. We'll see how our Sam's account holds out.

The only comparable disaster I've seen is the volcanic eruption in the Philippines.

[beachbum_al]

I have cried several times since Monday. It is sad. It was sad to see my hometown near the beach destroyed. It was sad to see people going through what they are going through right now. It also makes me realize how lucky I am right now.

[BayouVenteux]

I wish I could cry. My wife wishes she could cry. We can't. We have to tough it out and be strong for all the people now basically living with us both in our home and in our community who at present simply don't know what the future may hold.

Please keep everyone along the Gulf Coast who's been affected in your prayers and ask God to give us strength and guidance to see our way through this.

Brian

[alicia-w]

Okay, here's the scoop from here. Clothes can be taken to Goodwill and targeted for Katrina victims. There will be two Red Cross shelters opening up for evacuees; one in Crestview and one in Defuniak Springs. I have the phone numbers if folks need them.
They apparently have more food and water than they can store. However, they expressed great interest in receiving the hygiene kits I mentioned before. So our squadron is gonna build a ton of those (not literally a ton...)and take them up there this weekend.

I also talked to another friend over in the Daphne/Fairhope area of AL. Volunteer Mobile is calling for local folks to assist with delivering food and water to elderly shut-ins. The website for that is http://www.volunteermobile.org

The "Contact Us" button at the top has the contact information.

Gas is hard to come by now there. There either isnt any or there isnt any electricity to power the pumps.

[Swimdude]

I cried too.

And I didn't cry on 9/11.

[artist]

last night I heard the Red Cross is asking for socks and underwear.