By: E&P Staff Exactly two years ago, E&P chose a blog-like approach to monitor the disaster unfolding in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast -- one of the few news outlets early on to draw on reader forums and blogs at local newspaper sites. This helped carry the details of the gathering tragedy to a wider, national audience.
Here are selections from the first 24 hours after the storm struck, mainly contributed by E&P Editor Greg Mitchell.
Note: We added items with newest reports at the top. It would only get worse, much worse.
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August 30, 2005:
12:10 PM ET. Dreaded news -- 'Times-Picayune' announces it is abandoning its downtown New Orleans building as water continues to rise. Here is their Web announcement:
"Water continues to rise around our building, as it is throughout the region. We want to evaucate our employees and families while we are still able to safely leave our building. Our plan is to head across the Mississippi River on the Pontchartrain Expressway to the west bank of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. From there, we'll try to head to Houma.
"Our plan, obviously, is to resume providing news to our readers ASAP. Please refer back to this site for continuing information as soon as we are able to provide it."
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11:30 AM ET. The Sun Herald (Biloxi) reporter Margaret Baker writes on their site:
"Maj. Rodney McGilverry of Biloxi PD said early Tuesday that between 35 and 40 people are believed to have died in that city, with the number expected to rise as search efforts continue. He said the real search and rescue efforts started today because there wasn't much sunlight left after the storm subsided Monday afternoon.
"The east end of the city has suffered massive damage, with almost total devastation reported primarily south of the railroad tracks near Lee Street, Point Cadet and Casino Row."
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10:45 AM ET. The Times-Picayune managed to published a Web-only edition of 28 pages today, with the banner head, "CATASTROPHIC." The final eight pages are made up of a typical Living section (leading off with a major restaurant article, of cource).
The edition also includes, on page 3, a full-page ad from State Farm, which reads, "State Farm Is Here to Help," along with phone numbers to initiate insurance claims. Page 9 holds another full-page ad, "The Allstate Catastrophe Team is Here to Help."
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10:25 AM ET. From The Mobile (Ala.) Register's 'Storm Central' blog:
Statewide, Alabama Power reports almost 635,000 customers without service. Those numbers do not include any rural co-op customers who may be powerless this morning.
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10:05 AM ET. The Sun Herald of Biloxi reportedly printed an edition in Columbus, Georgia, with help of Knight Ridder staffers elsewhere, for distribution at shelters and some others sites but with no home delivery. Its blog and Web site, however, have remained very active despite no power. It's main page is a true chronicle of disaster. The top head reads: 'Our tsunami,' a quote from the city's major.
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7:55 AM ET (Tuesday). The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reports massive flooding increasing and fears rising as waters surge through a broken levee.
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August 29, 2005
11:15 PM ET. From The Times-Picayune:
"What About My Neighborhood? We're receiving hundreds of requests like this from evacuees, people with families and others concerned about their particular suburb or neighborhood or parish.
"The short answer is that it's too soon to know, except in the dribbles and bits beginning to come in from The Times-Picayune's reporting/photo teams and from residents calling or writing in info. Much of the area is impassible . . . huge swaths are under water, and the storm has only recently died down enough to safely get out.
"We urge everyone with questions about their area of concern to post in the appropriate local forum . . . a bulletin board where others in your area can see your questions and share information. The community itself is the best set of eyes to report what's going on in local areas. As we begin getting information about your local area in, you'll be able to see it directly on these forums, and later in specific weblogs for your geographical area."
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7:45 PM ET: The Times-Picayune blog starts printing letters from readers. Here's one:
"Today at 3:45 p.m. Louisiana time, my husband called from a hospital in South Louisiana to let me know that he was OK. However, the apartment that he was using as shelter is no longer there. He also let me know that he and his friends were rescued by local boatmen and taken to the nearest hospital for shelter. His words to me were, 'Sherry, everything is gone. Everything is gone.' I could hear the fear and disbelief in his voice and all I could think was thank the Good Lord he made it!
"So thank you everyone in world who sent prayers for the people in the path of this horrific storm. I can now sleep peacefully tonight knowing that my five-year-old daughter will still have her father!"
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5:30 PM ET. The Sun Herald in Biloxi reports that it has survived the storm, and has a lot of help on hand:
"Operations Director Marlene Kler reported, 'The worst is over. Water didn't get anywhere near the building.' The plant is located less than a mile from the Gulf of Mexico.
The building is without power and phone service, and cell phone service is out.
"She said, 'We have many, many leaks, however. No power, and the roof blew off the generator switch. When the rain subsides we'll try to get it started. We lost a vent in the print storage area, but I think we can salvage most of the newsprint. "
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4:40 PM ET. The Times-Picayune spots looting near its offices:
"Returning from a fact-finding expedition from the newspaper's Howard Avenue headquarters, a group of reporters and photographers stumbled on a parade of looters streaming from Coleman's Retail Store, located at 4001 Earhart Blvd., about two blocks away from The Times-Picayune offices.
"The looters, who were men and women who appeared to be in their early teens to mid-40s, braved a steady rain and infrequent tropical storm wind gusts to tote boxes of "clothing and shoes from the store. Some had garbage bags stuffed with goods. Others lugged wardrobe-sized boxes or carried them on their heads.
"The line going to and from the store along Earhart Boulevard numbered into the dozens and appeared to be growing.
"Some looters were seen smiling and greeting each other with pleasantries as they passed. Another group was seen riding in the back of a pickup truck, honking the horn and cheering. The scene also attracted a handful of curious bystanders, who left the safety of their homes to watch the heist.
"No police were present in the area, which is flooded heavily with standing water two to four feet deep on all sides of Earhart Blvd."
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4:25 PM ET: The Sun Herald of Biloxi has had by far the most interactive blog, with readers submitting queries about conditions in their areas, or areas they have abandoned, and reporters responding as best they can. Here is the latest dispatch, directed at nearly everyone:
"This from staff writer Geoff Pender, who is calling in reports from Hattiesburg: If you are thinking about getting in the car and coming back to South Mississippi, don't. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is telling people who have evacuated to stay away until the roads have been cleared and the National Guard is in place. If we get word when that happens, we'll pass it along.
"On a different note, we have a report that portions of U.S. 90 are under seven feet of water."
A few minutes earlier, two reporters had blogged a kind of summary:
"Hurricane Katrina brought catastrophic damage from the Coast to Hattiesburg. Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said downtown buildings were 'imploding' or collapsing, particularly in the 19th street area.
"Coastwide there were reports of homes and buildings knocked off their foundations by storm surges as high as 28 feet. As of Monday afternoon, no fatalities had been reported in Mississippi, but even emergency communications were sporadic at best. Harrison County Civil Defense's command post lost power and communications early Monday, and emergency operations centers in Hancock and Jackson counties had to be evacuated and moved to higher ground.
"There were numerous reports of people stranded in attics or on roofs as the tidal surge and floowaters rose. At times, emergency crews were unable to go out in the heavy winds. Hospitals in the three Coast counties reported damage and problems in operations. Memorial Hospital at Gulfport reported major damage."
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3:05 PM ET. A classic dispatch from The Times-Picayune blog:
"Don't fear, New Orleans evacuees . . . all is not lost. Just finished lunch from Chez Picayune . . . huddled on the second-floor landing watching the trees whip outside the big atrium window.
"Red beans and rice. Comfort food in the middle of the hurricane. How you gonna get more sassy Yat than that?"
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