LAT/AP: Commander (Honore): Southeast La. Still in Crisis

[DeepModem Mom]

Commander: Southeast La. Still in Crisis
By DAN SEWELL, Associated Press Writer


PORT SULPHUR, La. -- The commander of the military's hurricane-relief effort saw firsthand Saturday the double punishment dealt by Katrina and then Rita to the land running southeast of New Orleans down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico.

"To these people, the crisis is still going on," said Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, touring Plaquemines Parish by truck and helicopter. "They haven't gotten to the recovery part yet."

Parish President Benny Rousselle said about 16,000 of 28,000 residents remained displaced. The parish, a major seafood producer and home for oil refineries, took a direct hit Aug. 29 from Katrina, then suffered more flooding a week ago from Rita. About 30 to 40 percent remains flooded.

"This is critical terrain," Honore said. "It's critical to the nation."

Army and Coast Guard helicopters dropped sandbags as large as three tons to patch eight levee breaks in the southern half of the 80-mile-long parish. Honore said another six heavy-lift helicopters were on the way from Texas, after completing Rita-related missions there. Barges and airboats are also being used in the effort. The Corps of Engineers hopes to have the floodwaters out next week....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/ats-ap_top12oct02,0,7002335.story

[goclark]

1. kick nt

[grahamhgreen]

2. Link?

[DeepModem Mom]

3. SORRY ABOUT LINK, folks! LAT switched stories at this link....

Here is a link to the same story from the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/base/national-52/112826743771970.xml&storylist=national

Thanks, grahamhgreen, for pointing this out.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. NEW LINK for this story -- see post 3. nt