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Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi News - Eyewitness
Updated 09/08/2005, 12:45 pm (Eastern time)
This is where we will post reports from ICFA members regarding what they are seeing and needs as they arise.
Larry Jones of Cemetery Development Associates sent the following note:
Dear Friends and Business Associates:
This letter is to advise you of our current post-Katrina status relative to business operations. But first, my sincere gratitude to everyone who has called or tried to call to express concerns and best wishes. Your display of support is overwhelming.
Southeast Louisiana is devastated. Major flooding still exists in many areas. Power failure is the rule, not the exception. Communications are a hazard, at best.
However, we are blessed in many ways. Our business was spared flooding. Relief is pouring in from all over the national in the form of manpower, equipment and material. Power and communications are slowly returning to service. God bless all the workers who are working day and night under difficult conditions.
We are functional at Cemetery Development Associates, even though some of us cannot yet occupy our homes. We sincerely hope the interruption in our services does not create an untenable situation for anyone. Our sincere gratitude to those of you who can hang in there with us. We will never forget you.
As a parting note, my son (Heath) is a Chief in the Coast Guard at Station Little Creek in Norfolk, Virginia. He was selected to lead a thirty armed men with boats and supplies to convoy to New Orleans to mount a body recovery operation. He tells me the count will for exceed the early estimates, this based upon their earliest recovery efforts.
He also shared a "golf" story with me. Kelly Gibson, a PGA golf professional from the New Orleans area, showed up with a truck load of provisions and supplies. Tiger Woods has donated of provisions and supplies. Tiger Woods has donated a million dollars to the relief effort. Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Jim Furyh and countless other PGA tour professionals have told Kelly to let them know what we need - they are standing by to help in any way they can. Heath and I are huge Tiger Woods fans and big golfing buddies. I thought you all might enjoy this little vignette.
May God bless you all as He has us.
Stewart Enterprises has posted this message at the NOLA.com forum:
Stewart Enterprises, Inc. employees in the New Orleans area need to know that they will remain on the payroll during this most difficult time. We will notify you, as soon as we know, when and where you should report to work.
As we have posted before, we are trying to locate all of our New Orleans-area employees to be certain they receive regular communications about what's happening. If you are a Stewart employee from the New Orleans area (or can pass this along to someone who is), please call Restland at 1-800-749-7379 or 972-238-7111 and leave your name and contact information so we can reach you. We need a telephone number, address and if you have it, an email address (other than your Stewart address). (Please do not give us a 504, 985 or 225 area code number as we can not regularly reach these numbers at this time.) You can also email this contact information to reliefinfo@stei.com.
The Company is now organizing a work plan and finding locations for all of us to go back to work. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family members. Thanks!
Connie, Stewart's Communications Director
Updated 09/06/2005, 11:15 am (Eastern time)
Linus Shackelford of Brandon, MS reports:
I ask again that all members -please donate as much as they can donate to the Red Cross. There is so much to do and provide for all these thousands of people - it is going to cost more than imaginable.
In addition to what you are seeing on TV - it is worse in many areas, but finally getting better. This catastrophe was so huge that the government could not respond fast enough with what was required to evacuate so many people. The mayor of New Orleans blamed the President as so many others are doing. The chain of command is the mayor to the governor to the President. Thankfully the governor of Mississippi and our local mayors responded immediately and consistently. The mayor of New Orleans did not do his part and the Louisiana governor did not do her part and that is what caused the chaos. All those people in New Orleans were stranded and helpless because of the New Orleans mayor and the Louisiana governor and I hope that will be revealed in the media.
Gas lines in our area are up to three miles long in some places and some have waited 60 hours to get gas. The food and ice shortage is easing up. Semi trucks locate in strategic areas and give ice away until they are out and then another one comes in. The families that can are getting food out of their freezers bringing it to the shelters. One produce company here gave all of the food in their warehouse and provided refrigerated trucks to the shelters. A local helicopter business has 15 helicopters and is using all of them to get food and water to these remote areas in New Orleans and the coast. This water and food is provided by private citizens.
All of Mississippi is rushing to make room at the schools and colleges for students that have no school to go back to.
I was born and raised in Houma, Louisiana - 50 miles south - southwest of New Orleans. I lived there until I was 29 then moved to Mississippi. I have deep roots in Louisiana and love where I am from. My parents were from northeast (Booneville) so I had ties to Mississippi also. Now I have lived half my life in Mississippi and experiencing one of the most benevolent movements I could ever imagine. I knew Mississippi was a hospitality state, but I had no idea these people are so caring and generous.
The TV stations report what is needed at shelters and in no time it is there. People being interviewed in long gas lines with health problems or out of water and out of gas - get help immediately from other families. The city reported it is out of fuel to run generators at hospitals, etc. - farmers bring in 500 gallon fuel tanks full of diesel and give it to the needed places. I have never in my life seen anything like this - people helping people.
This is Mississippi and white families are taking in black families in their homes and providing for them - the way it should be and should have been all along. This humbles me more than anything I have ever experienced. When I was 26 I was diagnosed with cancer - the deadliest type of cancer known - and was given six months to live. Had two major surgeries in three weeks, took chemotherapy - which at that time was all experimental chemicals - not drugs, but chemicals. That humbled me very much. I turned to God and I now give God full credit for me being here after given 6 months to live. I have so much to be thankful for. But, seeing what I am seeing and experiencing what I am experiencing are the most powerful acts of love I could even imagine happening - and happening in Mississippi. It makes no difference who you are or what color you are - if you are in need help is on the way. Just seeing and experiencing this has changed my life more than being given 6 months to live because of cancer. After seeing what so many have lost and are now going through how can anyone not experiencing this possibly complain about something.
What these people are going through is the absolute toughest and most heartbreaking experience a family can go through. People are now getting snake bit in New Orleans. the places giving medical attention are getting 5 and 6 a day with snake bites and they expect to increase. the flood waters have brought in volumes of snakes and they are not saying the vacant homes, businesses, and buildings under water or with water in them could be infested with snakes. Stepping on nails in water is another health problem. At the New Orleans International Airport 8 to 10 are dying a day and that is just at the airport. They are not saying at this time how many a day are being found on the streets.
I feel that no one has the right to complain about anything until they have been through what these people are going through.
Will I ever complain again, I sure hope not and if I do I should be put where so many of my friends are right now. I have learned and feel we should be thankful in all things. Seeing the power of God's love in such a mighty and most powerful way says to me that even the most destructive of all disasters cannot compete with the power of love.
Again, this is Mississippi and things are happening here no one would or could have ever imagined - unless they saw it first hand. I love this state and the people here, I just did not know how much until now.
09/02/2005, 5:45 pm (Eastern time)
We have received word that Frank and Paulette Stewart made it safely out of the area on Sunday. Frank said 'Let everyone know we are ok.' He believes most Stewart employees from the area evacuated safely.
Aaron Shipper also made it out and for the time being the Mayflower National Life insurance operations will be relocated to Cincinnati.
08/31/2005, 3:30 pm (Eastern time)
Linus Shackelford of Brandon, MS, e-mailed ICFA several times since last night with the following reports. He also sent the link to the home page of WLBT television - if you have a broadband connection, watch the 'Skycopter on the Gulf Coast - Second Tour' video. The devastation in Mississippi is just unbelievable:
I am asking the ICFA to ask for donations from all members to give to the Red Cross. Help is needed in a very serious way. Word also needs to get to the NFDA and you can use my name for this request since I did not go on the network with it. My state and our sister state of LA need help in a very needed way.
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After I sent your emails last night I watched the news at the office and saw some families interviewed. This is the most traumatic event I have ever seen. Bodies are floating in the water in south MS and south LA - mostly New Orleans.
I have some very close friends in New Orleans and Houma and their belongings are gone - nothing left where their homes were. Gas $3.00 a gallon and going up. Electricity at our home here in Brandon at the Reservoir area will be out for a week or more. We had to go 30 miles to get gas and ice is impossible to get for the time being. MS is known for being a hospitality state and every shelter available is full and we are running out of food to feed them. The coliseum here in Jackson is overflowing with families from the coast and New Orleans and they are asking for meat that may be thawing out or has thawed out to feed the families.
Our governor broke down on TV and could not hold back from crying; he is a friend of our family and a very sincere man. He is heartbroken for all these families that have nothing to go back to.
I lived there half my life and I am thinking if I was one of my friends at this time. It is heartbreaking to say the least and as I write this email I can't help it either - tears just flow for these people. I thought I was a strong person. I realize now I am a person that cares so much for these families that are in such turmoil. I can't imagine standing in food lines to get food, water and necessities and my friends are doing just that as I write this.
This is terrible and as our Governor and our President says - this is the worst disaster that has ever touched our country - and it is in our back yard. My best friend in school took his family to Greenville, MS and has nothing to go back to. Cynthia's niece is a nurse at the Air Force hospital in Gulfport and owns a home in Gulfport. No one can get in touch with her, but the area she lives in was on TV and showed to be wiped out.
This is much more than I was aware of yesterday. We were so busy trying to prepare for ourselves we had no idea it was this traumatic.
South MS and south LA will never be the same again.
Long Beach and Bay St. Louis are both wiped off the map and they were tourist towns between Slidell, LA and Biloxi.
I never thought I would live to see something like this. This seems like something out of the Bible that could happen and it is happening now.
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There are no words to describe this catastrophe. The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words is so suited for this. Can you imagine bodies floating down the street or over your yard in three to four feet of water.
I talked to Randy Stricklin in California this morning. He has recently been promoted to president of corporate development and said he cannot get in touch with anyone. The only thing he was aware of was that the headquarters did receive water damage, but other than that the building is in good shape - from what he knows and told me.
Word now is our home may be without electricity until September 10th. Cynthia and I are bringing sleeping bags to the office to stay at night. Last night it was 85 and no wind was blowing and neither got any sleep.
All can say is this is very dark days in our times and the word from the ones that are supposed to know is that it will never be the same again - in so many directions.
All the jobs the casinos brought in are now gone and most of those people lost everything and are now going to other parts of the country and not coming back. They are talking abut it being a year before safe water is restored to the coast and the same for safe sewage facilities. Can you imagine.
I have that paper and will send in a few days. The local postal service is shut down. However, you may go on the internet to www.clarionledger.com and what ever the email address is for The Times Picayune in New Orleans and The Morning Advocate in Baton Rouge. I understand Fox news has some good internet coverage and footage.
Since I emailed you earlier the local TV showed people from New Orleans in line at all the Home Depots trying to get generators. Home Depot shipped in thousands of generators to Jackson. We are about the nearest town of any size to offer any help and our help is now spread thin. Gas is about gone and the price when some comes in will be a minimum of $3.00 a gallon. And, word is we cannot charge more than the rest of the country so gas in the rest of the country is going up because of this.
Can you imagine looking at those casinos on the water side of highway 90 and now most are on the north side of highway 90 - just picked up and moved over crushing anything in their path. I understand a church was demolished by one of these casino barges that was uplifted and moved across the highway.
I also understand now that nearly all of the bridges and overpasses along highway and some on I-10 have been totally destroyed. One was over a mile long and gone - only the concrete pilings sticking out of the water are left.
When we think we have it so bad, just think of all those families that have lost everything they own - that cannot ever be replaced - I mean thousands of families. And, their places of employment are gone so they have no income either.
Now for our personal predicament. Saturday and Sunday we moved vital records - contracts, etc., computers, etc. out of the office to what we thought was a safer place, but ended up leaving them in our Excursion. It just so happens we purchased a modular office building for temporary use for two to three years and it has two bath rooms and a bath tub and shower, kitchen with stove, frig and microwave. Now we are moving the office materials back in and some home belongings with sleeping bags. What an experience.
The only thing is food and gas is becoming so short. I guess when the stores have electricity they can open and will have food, but all food that has to be cooled or frozen has been lost and the news is saying it may be a while before we have fresh meat and vegetables for a while and the cost of that will also be up.
Our business has come to a complete halt. No activity at all. This major catastrophe has caused a domino effect on all businesses and families for hundreds of miles from the coast. We are 160 miles from the coast and do not have it near as bad as them, but it is rough so to speak. However, ours is short time compared to the families and businesses on the coast.
I think this will be all I can do for a while now, we have so much to do to get back in the groove and hopefully business will resume - pre-need that is.
I will keep you informed of anything new. Get on line with the address at top.
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Mausoleums on MS coast destroyed and caskets floating. Don't know how many or how much damage. Just released - orders issued to completely evacuate New Orleans and surrounding areas - especially Jefferson Parish. Canal Street becoming extremely dangerous. Charity Hospital and veteran's Hospital being evacuated and brought to Jackson. Jackson running out of room.
Families in Jackson and surrounding areas and towns bringing food, clothes, bedding, blankets, pillows, cots, recliners, toiletries, refrigerated trucks and cooks from restaurants are pitching in to cook for all these people coming here. I just can't believe what is happening. Greyhound and Trailway busses going in to NO and taking people now to Houston and Dallas.
President Bush coming on TV in a few minutes for state of emergency address on New Orleans and coast. This has become very emotional for many of us. Turn on a TV if you have one or the computer for the President's address.
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