Show Military mobilizes hurricane relief relief Elizabeth Williamson and Ann Scott Tyson The Washington Post Charities and the federal government government government gov gov- launched what aid agencies agencies agencies agen agen- cies predicted could be the longest and costliest relief effort in US U.S. history as workers began arriving Tuesday night in states devastated by Hurricane Katrina and as the US U.S. military organized an intensive intensive intensive sive response by already stretched National Guard and active duty forces The American Red Cross work work- 4 Y h. h Ya e ing in concert with the Federal Emergency Management Agency called its plan to house and feed tens of thousands of people its biggest response to a single natural al disaster in the organizations organization's year history With deep flooding flooding flooding flood flood- ing that may not recede for weeks in areas across three states charities charities charities chari chari- ties said thousands could remain homeless for more than a year and that the rebuilding would probably take even longer This disaster response is going to exceed our response to last years year's to back-to-back four hurricanes hurricanes hurricanes hurri hurri- canes in Florida said Red Cross spokeswoman Devorah Goldburg That effort included serving ng 6 5 million meals and providing the equivalent of nights of shelter Were anticipating that Katrina will exceed those num num- bers The needs were as immense as they were varied ranging from urgent search-and-rescue search requests to pressing demands for shelter and clean water and daunting range longer-range challenges that were barely coming into focus Tuesday night The Air Force Navy and Army began mobilizing troops and equipment to augment National Guard units including helicopters ee w with ith nig search night search ht-search gear arid and amphibious watercraft with civilian civilian civilian civil civil- ian teams for rescuing stranded citizens The Navy and US U.S. Merchant Marine readied five ships in Norfolk and Baltimore the hospital ship Comfort as well as helicopter-carrying helicopter vessels vessels vessels ves ves- sels and ships that can carry cant landing landing landing land land- ing craft construction equipment forklifts food fuel and water-purification water equipment For the first time the Pentagon Tuesday created a joint domestic Military Conton Page 5 Military Cont from front task headed force b ba by y a three-star three general an and d based in in Mississippi to o i coordinate emergency y oy operations by Guard Guar d and duty active-duty forces force ds s across four states Driving the US U.S. military military military mili mili- tary response was th the e realization of th the e sheer magnitude o othe of f the catastrophe once dawn broke sai said d Michael Kucharek spokesman for US U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs The Red Cross ha had d opened more than shelters Tuesday in concert concert con con- concert cert with FEMA which mobilized before the storm when President t Bush designated Louisiana and Mississippi disaster areas That allowed FEMA rescue workers t to bring in water ice and to ready-to-eat meals before Katrina hit While rescue units pulled stranded residents residents residents resi resi- dents from floodwater Tuesday a member 50 FEMA team was in Louisiana making plans to buy order and move hundreds of thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of mobile homes into the area FEMA will reimburse flood victims for rental housing housing housing hous hous- ing FEMA spokeswoman spokeswoman spokeswoman spokes spokes- woman Natalie Rule said The need I was made more urgent Tuesday when Louisiana officials decided to evacuate the a des city shelter damaged by wind and flooding and made miserable for its inhabitants by a lack of electricity and clean water We were very well- well prepared but its it's not going to be a breeze Rule said This is a avery avery avery very large large disaster ter ter and hd Its its it's g tb require a lot of tea tea- tean work and patience The Salvation Army said its Us relief costs for Katrina will probably exceed the 30 million spent on Florida hurricane hurricane hurricane hurri hurri- cane relief last year The nascent effort was hindered Tuesday because flooding rendered rendered rendered ren ren- dered so many storm- storm damaged areas sible Were getting phone calls asking for teams to rescue people still trapped in their homes especially in New Orleans and the Mississippi cities of Biloxi and Gulfport said Maj George Hood national community relations secretary for forthe the Salvation Army The c charity arity was feeding and housing storm victims on the perimeters of the disaster We have a team or people in Jackson Mississippi waiting for the green light but its it's the floodwaters floodwaters flood- flood floodwaters waters holding us back Hood said Accurate information about the disaster area was scarce because nothing is working he said The Southern Baptist Convention has sent 1100 volunteers from across the country to the region organized into 64 mobile units to clear fallen trees cook and serve meals and help repair damaged homes The church expected to deploy more than volunteers to the area in coming weeks But as of Tuesday evening only about 40 volunteers had reached the outskirts of the flooded area Roads and bridges were impassable impassable impassable able or closed and foras foras for foras as many as miles outside the disaster area gasoline supplies had been exhausted by motorists evacuating several days ago or had been damaged by the storm At one point the churchs church's North American headquarters in Alpharetta Ga was fielding mails e-mails requesting help by victims victims victims vic vic- tims with no other means of tion In one a doctor in Mandeville La begged for chain saws needed to clear trees and debris from a local hospital T A 1 to meet these peoples people's needs Military officials said the biggest short- short and term long-term obstacle to the relief effort is likely to be devastation of infrastructure including destroyed roads washed-out washed bridges and flooded and debris- debris laden airports where planes cannot land Such problems could require military assistance assistance assis assis- assistance tance to states for many months said Northern Command spokesperson Lt Sean Kelly noting that some Air Force bases are still supporting relief from destruction caused by last years year's hurricanes 1 U U L Ive I've never heard before cities of refuge said Jim Burton director of volunteer mobilization in the Southern Baptist Conventions Convention's Its just an indication indication indication indica indica- tion of the large number of homeless and the tremendous strain put on relief organizations |