Reports coming in are not good. The initial Overhead Team (group that sets up the systems necessary for emergency responses), many of whom have worked all disasters since Hurricane Andrew, indicate that the situation is the worst they have ever faced. That is especially significant considering some of the events these people have worked.

Looting in NO is starting to get out of control. Police are too busy to deal with the looters - remember they are still in search and rescue operations, plus dealing with their own situations (lost homes, family members, etc.).

Tomorrow the DMORT's (Disaster Mortuary Operatonal Response Teams) will move into the area. Locations of known bodies are being marked, but they have nowhere currently to take the bodies. The DMORT units will set that up tomorrow. I am afraid that the total toll of this terrible storm will not be known for many days.

USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) Teams are being brought in from all over the country.

The support necessary to sustain these operations will be incredible. Teams going in now are taking what they need to survive for a minimum of five days. After Andrew, the Army set up feeding stations for emergency workers, which will probably occur in this situation. Many teams have mobile canteens to support their teams and can get resupplied to keep operations going.

One big issue always is, and will certainly be in this situation, the availability of fuel for the equipment.

Michael