MSNBC : Federal officials declare public health emergency for entire Gulf

[sabra]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9063708/

Health emergency declared, evacuees to move

New Orleans refugees to go to Houston; Mississippi coastline ‘obliterated’


NBC, MSNBC and news services
Updated: 2:17 p.m. ET Aug. 31, 2005

NEW ORLEANS - The Bush administration declared a public health emergency across the Gulf Coast Wednesday, as debris and flooding in New Orleans delayed rescues and forced authorities to lay plans to evacuate 25,000 Hurricane Katrina refugees to Houston's Astrodome.

In announcing the public health emergency in Washington, Health Secretary Michael Leavitt said his agency is concerned about potential disease outbreaks and was sending medical experts to monitor conditions.

Meanwhile, officials said it was too early to estimate a death toll from Hurricane Katrina, but suggested it would be in the hundreds.

In New Orleans, officials plan to evacuate those in shelters using buses. But f loodwaters surround the Superdome, so getting buses to the ramps will be difficult, if not impossible. That could mean using boats to ferry evacuees to the buses.

[shraby]

1. The army is very quick at making

pontoon bridges. Maybe they could make one to the highway from the dome.

[saigon68]

2. Sorry they are in Iraq-Nam protecting Negroponte and his friends

The corporate looters

[lebkuchen]

3. CNNI was reporting sunny skies just 48 hours ago

I don't get it.