OUR LOG KATRINA Wednesday August 24, 2005 Fort Myers FL Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com .. Betty returned to Dee Light after spending a couple of weeks up North on a ‘Road Trip’ to visit some of her family .. just in time for our next Tropical ‘Deelight’ .. earlier today Tropical Depression was just upgraded to Tropical Storm KATRINA .. YUP .. another Tropical Storm is heading for Florida and NOAA’s proposed track is heading just South of Dee Light .. UFFFDA !! .. HEADLINES Tropical Storm Strengthens as It Moves Toward Florida's East Coast Hurricane Watch Issued For South Florida By National Hurricane Center FORT MYERS FL - Tropical Storm Katrina’s forward speed has slowed from 8 mph to 6 mph, which should give it time to feed on warm Atlantic waters and become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall, probably on Florida's East Coast at 2 am Friday .. Katrina will probably weaken to a Tropical Storm as soon as it reaches shore .. Tropical Storm Katrina threatened to dump more than a foot of rain in parts of water-logged Florida ... Thursday August 25, 2005 Fort Myers FL Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com .. the Marina ‘buzzed’ all day with Boats moving to ‘safer’ locations in the Marina and with Boats from other Marinas moving into our Marina to wait out the Storm here .. I spent the day putting our Hurricane Lines back on Dee Light .. Betty headed out to her place to get it ready for the predicted rains and winds .. by 02:00 pm the sunny skies became very cloudy and our first rains started .. 04:00 pm – Tropical Storm KATRINA became Hurricane KATRINA at it winds had increased to 75 mph .. UFFFDA !! .. it appears at this time that the ‘Eye’ of KATRINA should make ‘landfall’ in the Fort Lauderdale area .. that is right where LONG GONE went when FRANKLIN moved thru .. it could still be there .. HEADLINES Katrina Grows Into A Hurricane MIAMI FL - Now, it's South Florida's turn -- and Hurricane Katrina arrived with growing power this afternoon. Reaching minimal hurricane strength just before 4 p.m., Katrina's bands of rain and gusty wind slashed through a region spared direct hits by last year's historic and deadly quartet of Florida hurricanes. A dismal gray sky and wind-blown rain swept South Florida, with conditions deteriorating sharply between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Gusts of 60 mph were reported between Pompano Beach and Delray Beach. Gusts of 50 mph were reported elsewhere in the region. Some palm fronds began falling in Broward County, but no real damage was reported as of 4:30 pm   Friday August 26th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.comran Hurricane KATRINA made Landfall Thursday about 06:30 pm in the Fort Lauderdale area .. after Landfall instead of taking the Track that NOAA had projected KATRINA headed Southwest .. this was due in part to a High located above the proposed Track .. Hurricane KATRINA entered the Gulf just below Naples Florida .. for us in Fort Myers Florida this was GREAT news to wake up to .. now we will have rains but much less than had been forecasted and the ‘Surge’ from KATRINA should be much lower than we originally thought .. 11:00 am – Hurricane KATRINA is in the Gulf and has just been upgraded to a Category Two Hurricane with winds over 100 mph .. KATRINA is now heading Northwest towards Florida’s Panhandle area .. HEADLINES 02:00 pm - FORT MYERS FL - 5,000 on Marco Without Power; Roads Clear About 5,000 people on Marco Island are without power as Hurricane Katrina regains power over the Gulf of Mexico near Everglades City. Power is down for about a quarter of the island, said John Torre, spokesman for the Collier County Emergency Operations Center. There is no flooding in Collier County and road traffic is moving as usual in Collier and Lee counties as the eye of Hurricane Katrina now spins 85 miles south of Fort Myers. Six Dead Widespread Damage as Katrina Leaves 03:00 pm - MIAMI FL - The death toll in South Florida rose to six and South Floridians coped with widespread flooding and significant other damage Friday as Hurricane Katrina -- the storm that refuses to die -- moved into the Gulf of Mexico. There, it strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane and took aim at the Florida Panhandle, with arrival expected Monday morning. The region was hit by Hurricane Ivan last year and Hurricane Dennis in early July 04:00 pm - Missing Cape family rescued – GREAT NEWS FORT MYERS FL - The Coast Guard rescued a missing Cape Coral family this afternoon, plucking them from a sandy area outside their boat, which was stuck in some mangroves just off Everglades City. The family was brought by helicoper to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and was being debriefed by Coast Guard personnel at Private Sky Aviation at the airport. The family was in good health and Coast Guard officials thought they were going to leave the airport and go to their Cape Coral home .. what a GREAT way to end the day .. Saturday August 27th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com KATRINA is still heading West across the Gulf and this is great news for Southwest Florida .. 10:00 am - KATRINA was upgraded to a Category Three Hurricane with winds in excess of 115 mph .. KATRINA is still heading West and a little North across the Gulf .. with KATRINA moving so slow all of the people in the proposed projected Cone have plenty of time to put their Hurricane Plans into affect .. TODAY - Hurricane Warnings were issued late Saturday for the entire Southeastern Louisiana area from Morgan City eastward .. Sunday August 28th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com 05:00 am - KATRINA was upgraded to a Category Four Hurricane with winds in excess of 145 mph .. KATRINA is still heading North and a little Northwest up the Gulf towards Louisiana .. 07:00 am - KATRINA was upgraded to a Category FIVE Hurricane with winds in excess of 160 mph .. KATRINA is still heading North towards New Orleans AL .. 08:00 am - HEADLINES Region braces for Cat 5 Hurricane Katrina - Bush declares state of emergency - Nagin says 'this is not a test' NEW ORLEANS AL - Katrina strengthens to Category 5 with 160 mph winds. Hurricane warnings were issued late Saturday for the entire Southeastern Louisiana area from Morgan City eastward - including metro New Orleans and Lake Ponchartrain - and extending eastward to the Alabama/Florida border. With most of Southeastern Louisiana under evacuation orders - voluntary or mandatory - federal forecasts and computer models early Sunday continued to show deadly Hurricane Katrina on a course that would take it directly over metro New Orleans on Monday. With winds up to 160 mph and Katrina is now a Category 5 storm. Landfall is expected early Monday morning. Hurricane watches extended from Intracoastal City, LA, to east as Destin, Fla., but for almost 24 hours, the center of the projected path has bobbled only slightly between the New Orleans/Metairie line and Slidell. 10:00 am - Katrina A Top-Strength Hurricane Aims For U.S NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (Reuters) - Shopkeepers sandbagged galleries and stores in the French Quarter of the vulnerable Gulf Coast city of New Orleans and workers boarded up city hall as Hurricane Katrina strengthened dangerously on Sunday into a top-ranked storm. Officials in the low-lying city famed for its Mardi Gras parades urged residents to evacuate and stranded tourists to shelter on at least the third floor of their hotels as Katrina threatened to make a second and possibly more deadly assault on the U.S. coast after killing seven people in Florida. "This hurricane has the potential to cause extreme damage and large loss of lives if they don't take action very soon," Max Mayfield, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Centre, told WSVN television in Miami. Katrina grew into a Category 5 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale by 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT), with winds of 160 mph (260 kph) capable of causing catastrophic damage. The storm was around 250 miles (405 km) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The hurricane centre warned it could come ashore with a storm surge of up to 25 feet (7.6 metres), and douse the Gulf coast with up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain in some area. Residents had to get away from the coast immediately, Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the hurricane centre, told CNN. 12:00 pm - Katrina may be strongest hurricane ever seen in Gulf Hurricane Katrina gathered force in the warm turbulence of the Gulf of Mexico yesterday after wreaking devastation across southern Florida, and was expected to rebound on the battered state possibly as soon as tomorrow. The hurricane was upgraded to a category three "major hurricane" yesterday, meaning it carried winds of more than 120mph. There are fears it could bounce back tomorrow as a category four - a hurricane of potentially catastrophic intensity with winds of 130mph, capable of causing widespread damage, US authorities warned. Alarmed residents who have had barely time to clear up damage inflicted by Hurricane Dennis last month, or Hurricane Ivan last September, were braced this weekend for further destructive tornados, deluges and fierce winds. At least seven people were killed when Katrina ripped across Florida's southern tip on Friday, four of them struck by flying trees. Fifty homes were flooded, and thousands of trees uprooted. 01:00 pm - KATRINA is in the midst of a truly historic rapid deepening phase--the pressure has dropped 34 mb in the 11 hours ending at 07:00 am EDT, and now stands at 908 mb. Katrina is now the sixth strongest hurricane ever measured in the Atlantic. At the rate Katrina is deepening, she could easily be the third or fourth most intense hurricane ever, later today. The list of strongest hurricanes of all time includes .. 03:00 pm - Hurricane Katrina is now as strong as Hurricane Camille in 1969 - but this storm is larger, and will cause more extensive damage, and if it strikes New Orleans at 'just the right angle' - will no doubt MAY lead to the greatest loss of life from a land falling hurricane in nearly 100 years .. TODAY – everyone was told to get out of the Gulf Coastal areas NOW .. many decided to stay .. Monday August 29th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com 04:00 am – KATRINA is still a Category Five Hurricane as it heads towards New Orleans .. 05:30 am – just before Landfall Hurricane KATRINA is downgraded to a Catorgy Four .. 06:30 am – Hurricane KATRINA makes Landfall just East of New Orleans AL .. for the first time since record-keeping began in the 1850s, four Atlantic storms reached tropical storm status this year by July, with Hurricane Dennis being the earliest Category FOUR Storm .. this week, Hurricane KATRINA pounded South Florida before gathering strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico .. 08:00 am – HEADLINES Katrina's fury hits the Gulf shore From Staff and Wire reports GULFPORT Miss - Hurricane Katrina pushed water ashore and played with power lines as the storm made landfall. As people began waking up to the storm, calls came in to television and emergency management officials. National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield said at midmorning the worst flooding from storm surge was on the Mississippi coast, east of the eye, with the highest storm surge recorded so far at 22 feet in Bay St. Louis. Along U.S. 90, the major coastal route that is home to the state's glitzy casinos, sailboats were washed onto the four-lane highway, which was deserted and flooded in areas. "This is a devastating hit - we've got boats that have gone into buildings," Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said as he maneuvered around downed trees in the city. "What you're looking at is Camille II." As of 7 a.m., the television station's rain gauge had measured 4 inches. An emergency transmission tower at Gulf Coast Community Hospital in Biloxi fell over and arced, giving off a big orange glow that looked like a fire. Power outages were 10,000 customers as of 5 a.m., but no updated numbers are available. Gov. Haley Barbour said in a telephone call that good news for Missisisippians was that the storm weakened a bit before making landfall, but it's still a very powerful storm. 09:00 am – KATRINA is now downgraded to a Category Three Hurricane with winds of 125 mph .. 01:00 pm - KATRINA is now downgraded to a Category Two Hurricane with winds of 100 mph .. 03:25 pm - KATRINA is now downgraded to a Category One Hurricane with winds of 80 mph .. 05:00 pm - HEADLINES Katrina's Effects State-by-State (AP) -- Here is a glance at the states most affected by Hurricane Katrina: LOUISIANA:  After hitting Florida last week, Katrina strengthened to a Category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico but weakened slightly and came ashore early Monday as a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph.  Forecasters said the potential 15-foot storm surge, down from a feared 28 feet, was still substantial enough to cause extensive flooding. Near Lake Ponchartrain, entire neighborhoods of one-story homes were flooded up to the rooflines. (Look at Katrina's aftermath in New Orleans)  Evacuations: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered the entire city of 485,000 to evacuate. For those who couldn't, the city opened 10 shelters, including the Superdome, urging people to bring three to five days worth of supplies. The mayor estimated that 80 percent of the city's residents had left.  Some 370,000 customers in southeast Louisiana were estimated to be without power.  About 9,000 spent the night at the Superdome. Power failed at around 5 a.m. Monday, and three hours later the wind tore away metal and left two holes in the roof, one 15 to 20 feet long. Officials said the holes were not dangerous. MISSISSIPPI:  Winds hit 135 mph, as the storm pounded the Mississippi coast. Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan called it "a devastating hit." A 22-foot storm surge recorded in Bay St. Louis. The Wolf River in Harrison County poured out of its banks. Gulfport Memorial Hospital in Biloxi experienced major damage.  The storm's winds dropped to 125 mph -- a Category 3 storm -- as it pushed inland near the Louisiana-Mississippi line.  Evacuations: Residents all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast headed inland Sunday. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said Monday that about 8,500 people were in 79 shelters. American Red Cross shelters were filled to capacity. (CNN's Rob Marciano describes being in Biloxi, when the storm hit)  Gov. Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency. ALABAMA:  Gov. Bob Riley declared a state of emergency.  The storm hammered Alabama's coast Monday with huge waves and tree-bending winds. Water swirled in the streets of Gulf Shores, where an all-day curfew was declared. In downtown Mobile floodwaters covered an interstate ramp and swirled toward the sandbagged Mobile Register building. (CNN's Kathleen Koch reports flooding has made streets in Mobile impassible)  Power outages: Alabama Power Co. reported about 150,000 customers without power, mostly in the Mobile area.  Evacuations: All coastal and low-lying areas of south Mobile County and the beachfront and flood-prone areas of Baldwin County were told to leave.  Flooding reported on Dauphin Island.  Gulf Shores under curfew all day Monday. FLORIDA:  Katrina hit the southern tip of Florida on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane.  Deaths: 11, according to state tally in South Florida.  When the storm made landfall Monday in Louisiana, its fringes flooded streets in the Florida Panhandle and eroded beaches. Gusts of up to 56 mph were reported.  Power outages: Some 28,000 homes and businesses were without power in the Panhandle. About 314,000 residential and business customers in South Florida remained without power from the earlier strike.  With Florida dodging the worst of the second hit, Gov. Jeb Bush said "everything we got here that we don't need" would be made available to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.  Evacuations: As the storm aimed at the Gulf Coast, people on Navarre Beach, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key were urged to evacuate.  Damage: Initial computer modeling estimates pegged the insured wind damage from the first strike at $600 million to $2 billion. TEXAS: Evacuees from Louisiana took shelter in churches and hotels along Interstate 10 in Southeast Texas. Most of Houston's 58,000 hotel rooms were booked. OUTLOOK: The National Hurricane Center projected Katrina would head north and turn toward the northeast, carrying its center through Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Ontario and possibly western New York state. In Tennessee the entire middle third of the state was under either an inland tropical storm warning or watch. Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher put the National Guard on alert for relief missions. GULF OF MEXICO: Crude oil futures spiked to more than $70 a barrel for the first time Monday. Wholesale gasoline prices in the New York and Gulf Coast markets soared by 25-35 cents a gallon. Oil companies shut down 1 million barrels of refining capacity in the Gulf, but that amount could be far higher because not every producer reports data, said Peter Beutel, an oil analyst with Cameron Hanover. (Full story) QUOTE: "Closed due to Katrina. Katrina Go Away." -- A flashing sign at The Treasure Bay Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. 08:00 pm – KATRINA was downgraded to a Tropical Storm again .. it is continuing its way Northeast .. TODAY – Hurricane KATRINA makes Landfall just East of New Orleans .. the people that decided to stay came out to the Streets knowing that they ‘dodged another bullet’ .. Tuesday August 30th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com Photos are worth many words .. 'Click' on above 'Link' to view many KATRINA Photos 04:00 am – KATRINA is still a Category Five Hurricane as it heads towards New Orleans .. 05:30 am – just before Landfall Hurricane KATRINA is downgraded to a Catorgy Four .. 06:30 am – Hurricane KATRINA makes Landfall just East of New Orleans AL .. for the first time since record-keeping began in the 1850s, four Atlantic storms reached tropical storm status this year by July, with Hurricane Dennis being the earliest Category FOUR Storm .. this week, Hurricane KATRINA pounded South Florida before gathering strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico .. 08:00 am – HEADLINES Katrina's fury hits the Gulf shore From Staff and Wire reports GULFPORT Miss - Hurricane Katrina pushed water ashore and played with power lines as the storm made landfall. As people began waking up to the storm, calls came in to television and emergency management officials. National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield said at midmorning the worst flooding from storm surge was on the Mississippi coast, east of the eye, with the highest storm surge recorded so far at 22 feet in Bay St. Louis. Along U.S. 90, the major coastal route that is home to the state's glitzy casinos, sailboats were washed onto the four-lane highway, which was deserted and flooded in areas. "This is a devastating hit - we've got boats that have gone into buildings," Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said as he maneuvered around downed trees in the city. "What you're looking at is Camille II." As of 7 a.m., the television station's rain gauge had measured 4 inches. An emergency transmission tower at Gulf Coast Community Hospital in Biloxi fell over and arced, giving off a big orange glow that looked like a fire. Power outages were 10,000 customers as of 5 a.m., but no updated numbers are available. Gov. Haley Barbour said in a telephone call that good news for Missisisippians was that the storm weakened a bit before making landfall, but it's still a very powerful storm. 09:00 am – KATRINA is now downgraded to a Category Three Hurricane with winds of 125 mph .. 01:00 pm - KATRINA is now downgraded to a Category Two Hurricane with winds of 100 mph .. 03:25 pm - KATRINA is now downgraded to a Category One Hurricane with winds of 80 mph .. 05:00 pm - HEADLINES Katrina's Effects State-by-State (AP) -- Here is a glance at the states most affected by Hurricane Katrina: LOUISIANA:  After hitting Florida last week, Katrina strengthened to a Category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico but weakened slightly and came ashore early Monday as a Category 4 storm with winds of 145 mph.  Forecasters said the potential 15-foot storm surge, down from a feared 28 feet, was still substantial enough to cause extensive flooding. Near Lake Ponchartrain, entire neighborhoods of one-story homes were flooded up to the rooflines. (Look at Katrina's aftermath in New Orleans)  Evacuations: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered the entire city of 485,000 to evacuate. For those who couldn't, the city opened 10 shelters, including the Superdome, urging people to bring three to five days worth of supplies. The mayor estimated that 80 percent of the city's residents had left.  Some 370,000 customers in southeast Louisiana were estimated to be without power.  About 9,000 spent the night at the Superdome. Power failed at around 5 a.m. Monday, and three hours later the wind tore away metal and left two holes in the roof, one 15 to 20 feet long. Officials said the holes were not dangerous. MISSISSIPPI:  Winds hit 135 mph, as the storm pounded the Mississippi coast. Gulfport Fire Chief Pat Sullivan called it "a devastating hit." A 22-foot storm surge recorded in Bay St. Louis. The Wolf River in Harrison County poured out of its banks. Gulfport Memorial Hospital in Biloxi experienced major damage.  The storm's winds dropped to 125 mph -- a Category 3 storm -- as it pushed inland near the Louisiana-Mississippi line.  Evacuations: Residents all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast headed inland Sunday. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said Monday that about 8,500 people were in 79 shelters. American Red Cross shelters were filled to capacity. (CNN's Rob Marciano describes being in Biloxi, when the storm hit)  Gov. Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency. ALABAMA:  Gov. Bob Riley declared a state of emergency.  The storm hammered Alabama's coast Monday with huge waves and tree-bending winds. Water swirled in the streets of Gulf Shores, where an all-day curfew was declared. In downtown Mobile floodwaters covered an interstate ramp and swirled toward the sandbagged Mobile Register building. (CNN's Kathleen Koch reports flooding has made streets in Mobile impassible)  Power outages: Alabama Power Co. reported about 150,000 customers without power, mostly in the Mobile area.  Evacuations: All coastal and low-lying areas of south Mobile County and the beachfront and flood-prone areas of Baldwin County were told to leave.  Flooding reported on Dauphin Island.  Gulf Shores under curfew all day Monday. FLORIDA:  Katrina hit the southern tip of Florida on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane.  Deaths: 11, according to state tally in South Florida.  When the storm made landfall Monday in Louisiana, its fringes flooded streets in the Florida Panhandle and eroded beaches. Gusts of up to 56 mph were reported.  Power outages: Some 28,000 homes and businesses were without power in the Panhandle. About 314,000 residential and business customers in South Florida remained without power from the earlier strike.  With Florida dodging the worst of the second hit, Gov. Jeb Bush said "everything we got here that we don't need" would be made available to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.  Evacuations: As the storm aimed at the Gulf Coast, people on Navarre Beach, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key were urged to evacuate.  Damage: Initial computer modeling estimates pegged the insured wind damage from the first strike at $600 million to $2 billion. TEXAS: Evacuees from Louisiana took shelter in churches and hotels along Interstate 10 in Southeast Texas. Most of Houston's 58,000 hotel rooms were booked. OUTLOOK: The National Hurricane Center projected Katrina would head north and turn toward the northeast, carrying its center through Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Ontario and possibly western New York state. In Tennessee the entire middle third of the state was under either an inland tropical storm warning or watch. Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher put the National Guard on alert for relief missions. GULF OF MEXICO: Crude oil futures spiked to more than $70 a barrel for the first time Monday. Wholesale gasoline prices in the New York and Gulf Coast markets soared by 25-35 cents a gallon. Oil companies shut down 1 million barrels of refining capacity in the Gulf, but that amount could be far higher because not every producer reports data, said Peter Beutel, an oil analyst with Cameron Hanover. (Full story) QUOTE: "Closed due to Katrina. Katrina Go Away." -- A flashing sign at The Treasure Bay Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. 08:00 pm – KATRINA was downgraded to a Tropical Storm again .. it is continuing its way Northeast .. TODAY – Hurricane KATRINA makes Landfall just East of New Orleans .. the people that decided to stay came out to the Streets knowing that they ‘dodged another bullet’ .. Wednesday August 31st 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com .. Hurricane KATRINA had headed well North but it has left a path of destruction in its path that will take years to recover from .. in many of the areas that KATRINA hit have been hit a second time by flood waters .. and then were hit again by the Looters and Gang members causing even more damage .. HEADLINES – (( these are just a few of the HEADLINES that have been generated throughout our Nation )) 09:00 am - Governor: Worse than Camille - Thousands of homes destroyed; Katrina's death toll likely to rise BILOXI, Mississippi (CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina has inflicted more damage to Mississippi's beach towns than Hurricane Camille did, and its death toll is likely to be higher, the state's governor said Tuesday. Camille killed 143 people when it struck the state's coastal counties in 1969 and left a total of 256 dead after it swept inland. "There are structures after structures that survived Camille with minor damage that are not there any more," said Gov. Haley Barbour, after touring the affected areas of his state by helicopter. 10:00 am - New Orleans faces double 'nightmare' - City tries to plug levees, evacuate Superdome NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- New Orleans faced two crises Wednesday that Louisiana's governor called nightmares: stopping rising floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and evacuating survivors of the deadly storm. "We've got an engineering nightmare trying to fill the breach of the levee where the waters are pouring into the city," said Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco on Wednesday. "I think they've been working on it all night, and they'll continue to work on it all day today." The rising flood waters overwhelmed pumping stations that would normally keep the city dry. About 80 percent of the city was flooded with water up to 20 feet deep after the two levees collapsed 03:00 pm - Massive federal relief effort under way - FEMA sends rescue teams, Pentagon sends ships, helicopters WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Victims of Hurricane Katrina -- some of whom escaped with only their lives -- soon will get help from a massive federal relief effort led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pentagon. The FEMA effort includes search teams to find victims trapped in the attics of their homes and rescuers specialized in searching collapsed buildings. Other teams will set up field hospitals, provide mortuary services and treat injured animals. The Pentagon effort includes the Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, whose helicopters have been flying relief missions from off the Louisiana coast. The ship, which resembles a small aircraft carrier, can produce large quantities of fresh water and is equipped with 600 hospital beds. TODAY .. a massive rescue effort is put into effect .. many people that stayed back are being pulled off Roofs by Helicopters .. much looting and ‘Gang’ activities throughout New Orleans .. Thursday September 01st 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com .. when we watch the TV coverage of what is hapining in KATRIAN’s wake is much like viewing news media coverage of what is going on in a Third World Country .. words, Headlines, etc cannot begin to describe what is going on in the Gulf areas where KATRINA made Landfall on Monday .. in addition to all of what Mother Nature has thrown their way now the ‘Survivors’ of KATRINA are being tormented by local New Orleans Gangs that have armed themselves with wepons that they have looted from the Streets .. the media is filled with rapes in the Superdome and on the Streets, gun shots at Helicopters attempting to assist the Survivors, massive looting, etc .. HEADLINES 02:00 pm – Relief workers confront 'urban warfare' Violence disrupts evacuation, rescue efforts in New Orleans NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Violence disrupted relief efforts Thursday in New Orleans as authorities rescued desperate residents still trapped in the flooded city and tried to evacuate thousands of others living among corpses and human waste. Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown said his agency was attempting to work "under conditions of urban warfare." Police snipers were stationed on the roof of their precinct, trying to protect it from armed miscreants roaming seemingly at will. Officers warned a CNN crew to stay off the streets because of escalating danger, and cautioned others about attempted shootings and rapes by groups of young men. "This is a desperate SOS," New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said in a statement Thursday afternoon, with thousands of people stranded at the city's convention center with no food, water or electricity -- and fading hope TODAY .. local Gangs have caused much destruction, fires, looting, rapes, etc in New Orleans and has resulted in slowing rescue efforts .. the local PD personal feared for their lives when they were directed to go into their home areas .. Friday September 02nd 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com .. this morning I headed out to fuel up my Car .. I passed six Gas Stations before I found one that still had a supply of Gas .. the Attendant told me that she had 257 gallons of Super Premium Gas left .. after I filled my Tank ( along with a number of others ) she had 153 gallons left and did not expect to get any more until next Tuesday sometime .. I am sure that many people will be changing their Labor Day plans this weekend .. yesterday President Bush said that he was disappointed with what was being accomplished and that the ‘results are not acceptable' .. today he flew to Mobile Alabama and appeared to be taking personal control of our Government’s assistance to the Gulf area .. President Bush toured much of the devastated areas .. HEADLINES 04:00 pm - Bush Meets With New Orleans Mayor - Convoy brings relief supplies to convention center evacuees KENNER, Louisiana (CNN) -- President Bush met on Friday afternoon with Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who blasted federal relief efforts in an expletive-laced diatribe earlier in the day. Blanco and Nagin met Bush at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where a field hospital and staging center have been set up. In one expletive-laced radio interview Thursday night, Nagin said the government was "feeding the people a line of bull" and called on government officials to "get off your asses." 04:00 pm – Betty went to our local Red Cross Office and started the paperwork to volunteer her services .. TODAY .. the Federal Government moved into the Gulf areas ( New Orleans ) and attempted to retake over the City .. President Bush visited the Gulf areas .. by the end of the day all of the people that were temporarily sent to the Superdome were evacuated to other locations .. Saturday September 03rd 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com .. with the presents of the Federal Government there were fewer fires and ‘Gang’ activities in the New Orleans area .. 06:30 am .. at first light the Skies were again filled with Military Helicopters evacuating people from the New Orleans Convention Center as well as other locations .. HEADLINES 12:00 pm - Fires burn along river; thousands wait to leave - Military efforts begin amid suffering at convention center, hospitals NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- While thousands of people waited to be evacuated from the squalor of flood-stricken New Orleans, two major fires raged along the waterfront on Saturday. Without water, firefighters were helpless. They were forced to abandon efforts to fight a blaze that threatened to consume an upscale riverfront mall, where looters had been seen earlier. Fifty-foot flames also engulfed an industrial district along the Mississippi River and threatened to spread from warehouse to warehouse. (Watch the fires sweep along waterfront) Black smoke covered the skyline of a city where firefighting resources are stretched thin. Although much of the city is covered with fouled waters, the hydrants are dry. Firefighters told CNN the mall fire started about 9:30 a.m. "under suspicious circumstances." Police watched the Shops at Canal Place building, attached to the Wyndham Hotel, as it burned. Earlier, a CNN crew saw looters leave the shops carrying filled Gucci and Brooks Brothers bags TODAY – the Federal Government continued their evacuation efforts removing people from the Convention Center, the Roofs of buildings, off of Streets, etc .. the Military has retaken New Orleans from the Gangs and Looters .. Sunday September 04th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com HEADLINES 06:00 pm - House-to-house rescues under way in New Orleans NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- U.S. Coast Guard and Army helicopters circled over New Orleans on Sunday to drop supplies and rescue people trapped for a sixth day in the nearly deserted city. The Coast Guard asked anyone still stranded in New Orleans "to hang brightly colored or white sheets, towels or anything else" to help rescuers locate them. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that authorities would be conducting house-to-house searches to look for pockets of survivors. Authorities were able to clear out tens of thousands who took refuge at the Louisiana Superdome and Ernest Morial Convention Center, suffering for days in intense heat with little food or water .. 07:00 pm – New Orleans begins counting its dead NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- New Orleans turned much of its attention Sunday to gathering up and counting the dead across a ghastly landscape awash in perhaps thousands of corpses. "It is going to be about as ugly of a scene as I think you can imagine," the nation's homeland security chief warned. As authorities struggled to keep order, police shot and killed at least five people Sunday after gunmen opened fire on a group of contractors traveling across a bridge on their way to make repairs, Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley said. Fourteen contractors were traveling across the Danziger Bridge under police escort when they came under fire, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers. None of the contractors was killed, Hall said. The bridge spans a canal connecting Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. .. many residents did NOT want to leave their Homes .. rescue Workers had to plea with them to leave their Homes and go to a Shelter .. the first signs of people coming down with diseases caused by what they have been going thru started to appear .. TODAY .. the rescue efforts continue today .. much ‘door by door’ rescues of the elderly, handicapped, etc .. work continued on the repair of the Levees .. the last of the people in the New Orleans Convention Center area were brought out by the Helicopters .. Monday September 05th 2005 Labor Day Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com .. we can be so thankful that this Monster missed you us .. we had our share last year and again this year with a couple of near misses .. the blame game has begun .. the fact is that the City should have assured evacuation and is trying to pass off blame for its own incompetence .. and at a time when unfortunately when more Storms are on the way .. UFFDA !! .. 07:00 am – HEADLINES - French Quarter Holdouts Create 'Tribes' to Survive NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 4) - In the absence of information and outside assistance, groups of rich and poor banded together in the French Quarter, forming "tribes'' and dividing up the labor. As some went down to the river to do the wash, others remained behind to protect property. In a bar, a bartender put near-perfect stitches into the torn ear of a robbery victim. While mold and contagion grew in the muck that engulfed most of the city, something else sprouted in this most decadent of American neighborhoods - humanity. "Some people became animals,'' Vasilioas Tryphonas said Sunday morning as he sipped a hot beer in Johnny White's Sports Bar on Bourbon Street. "We became more civilized.'' While hundreds of thousands fled the below-sea-level city before the storm, many refused to leave the Vieux Carre, or old quarter. Built on some of the highest ground around and equipped with underground power lines, residents considered it about the safest place to be. Katrina blew off roof slates and knocked down some already-unstable buildings but otherwise left the 18th and 19th century homes with their trademark iron balconies intact. Even without water and power, most preferred it to the squalor and death in the emergency shelters set up at the Superdome and Convention Center. 05:00 pm .. my Son Jon from Cape Coral heard of a new 165 Boat that was in the New Orleans .. the Boat was under construction and it was just completed before KATRINA arrived .. the Owner ( from Fort Myers ) along with his Crew went to get the Boat after KATRINA and they were unable to find the Boat .... ?? .. unreal .... UFFFFDA !! .. 06:00 pm – HEADLINES - Small signs of progress in New Orleans - Levee patched, pumps begin removing water NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Even as rooftop rescues continue and the grim task of collecting the dead begins in earnest, small signs of progress are being seen in flood-ravaged New Orleans. On Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said repair crews had patched the ruptured levee along the 17th Street Canal and have begun pumping out water. Helicopters closed the approximately 300-foot breach by filling it with more than 200 3,000-pound sandbags. Trucks also poured loads of fill dirt into the damaged section. (Full story) The failures of the levee system after Hurricane Katrina's onslaught left about 80 percent of the city flooded with water up to 20 feet deep. Full drainage will take nearly three months in some neighborhoods, said John Rickey, a spokesman for the Corps TODAY – as people were still being rescued it was a ‘Media’ Day .. with many big names visiting the Hurricane damaged areas .. it was also a ‘Blame Game’ Day .. UGH !! .. the best news of the days was that the Levees were ‘patched’ and waters started to get pumped ‘the other way’ .... Tuesday September 06th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com HEADLINES 07:00 am - Pumping-Out of New Orleans Under Way NEW ORLEANS — The floodwaters that caused so much misery and death in New Orleans were being pumped back into Lake Pontchartrain (search) and authorities braced for what the receding deluge would reveal. "It's going to wake the nation up again," Mayor Ray Nagin said Tuesday. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (search) began pumping water out the flooded city after closing a major gap in a key levee that burst during Hurricane Katrina, flooding 80 percent of the bowl-shaped city. Nagin said it would take three weeks to clear the water and another few weeks to clear debris. It could also take up to eight weeks to get electricity back on. "I've gone from anger to despair to seeing us turn the corner," Nagin said Tuesday on NBC's "Today." Still, he warned that what awaits authorities below the toxic muck would be gruesome. "It's going to be awful and it's going to wake the nation up again." Efforts to evacuate holdouts were stepping up Monday, with boat rescue crews and a caravan of law enforcement vehicles from around the country searching for people to rescue. "In some cases, it's real easy. They're sitting on the porch with their bags packed," said Joe Youdell of the Kentucky Air National Guard (search). "But some don't want to leave and we can't force them." 11:00 am .. last week Betty had contacted the Red Cross to volunteer to help out where she could as a RN .. she completed the paperwork but she has not heard back from them .. soooo today she drove to their local Office here in Fort Myers .. they put her right to work helping out families that were there from New Orleans .. before she left the Red Cross said that they could use her again on Wednesday to work at a local Church where there are a number of ‘relocated people’ from the Gulf .. they said that there are about 100 families in Fort Myers from the Gulf .. so Betty will be volentering at the Church on Wednesday .. 06:00 pm – HEADLINES - Elder Bush, Clinton team up again for relief effort - Former presidents create fund for hard-hit states HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Former Presidents Bush and Clinton have established a fund to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Clinton said Monday that "we need to have a fund where we can fill in the blanks and help people who otherwise would be totally overlooked." Bush said the money raised will be given to the governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, who will decide how best to use it. Those three states were hit hard by Katrina, which came ashore August 29 as a Category 4 hurricane. Among the companies and groups that have announced pledges are Nike, Microsoft, the Trump Group, nine presidential libraries or centers, the Clinton Foundation and George H.W. and Barbara Bush. Wal-Mart and the Walton Family Foundation have pledged more than $20 million. President Bush asked his father and Clinton to lead the effort to raise private funds and reprise their roles from the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami in December. When asked about criticism of the federal government's response to the disaster, the elder Bush said he is focusing on moving forward. As far as blunt remarks directed at his son, he said, "The president can take it." Clinton said Congress, which returns Tuesday from its five-week summer recess, needs to focus immediately on employment, housing and cash-assistance issues for storm victims. He said there should be analysis of how the relief efforts were handled but said such an evaluation can wait until the future. "We're still finding bodies," Clinton said. Wednesday September 07th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com 07:30 am .. Betty headed out to work as a volunteer at a local Church .. the Red Cross has over 100 families from the Gulf that they are taking care of .. 11:00 am - HEADLINES - New Orleans mayor orders holdouts removed - General says military won't evict anyone NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- The mayor of New Orleans has ordered law enforcement agencies to remove from the city everyone who is not involved in cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina, whether they want to go or not. But U.S. active duty troops will not be involved, the general in charge of military relief efforts said on Wednesday. Lt. Gen. Russel Honore told CNN the task of removing people against their will was a law enforcement job and that the military would continue to deliver food and water to the survivors still in the city. Many residents have refused to leave New Orleans despite a mandatory evacuation and warnings from government officials that staying in the flooded city represents a health risk. Some said they were concerned about their property being looted, while others were unaware of disaster's full extent, worried about their pets or concerned that conditions would be even worse in shelters. Mayor Ray Nagin issued the evacuation order late Tuesday after warning residents that it was not safe to stay because of the risk from fire as well as disease from the floodwaters that still cover about 60 percent of the city. Centers for Disease Control 05:00 pm - Authorities tighten grip on city - New Orleans mayor orders mandatory evacuation NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Authorities tightened their grip on the city of New Orleans on Wednesday where thousands of people were still stranded in squalid conditions. Police Superintendent Eddie Compass said Wednesday that police and troops were moving into new areas of the city as floodwaters receded. He said his department was beginning to operate like a normal police force, with a jail and a quartermaster operation to supply his officers. "We only made three arrests last night," Compass said. "It was a very quite night, a very peaceful night." On Tuesday, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued a mandatory evacuation order, authorizing police to remove people whether they wanted to leave or not. Compass said that there were still thousands of people waiting to be rescued and that authorities would not begin the forced evacuations until everyone who wanted to leave was out. September 08th thru 11th 2005 Fort Myers Florida Centennial Harbour Marina – Fort Myers Florida - 239-461-0775 – Website - www.marina33901.com .. as the water levels are going on down, the Media is do their finger pointing, etc .. the American Red Cross and other agencies are doing there job taking care of the Hurricane Survivors .. this week Betty has been working for the Fort Myers Red Cross at their temporary Relief Center that has been set up in a Church just down First Street from the Marina .. the Red Cross in Fort Myers has had a steady stream of survivors from the Gulf every day .. on Friday the local Red Cross Office was asked to deploy 150 Volunteers on Sunday .. the Volunteers will be flown out on Sunday to a location that that has not been set yet .. on Friday Betty spent her last day at the Relief Center .. and on Saturday her went thru her last traing session .. we also put together all the supplies that she was asked to take along with her on Sunday .. .. Saturday night at 11:00 pm Betty received a call from the Lee County Chapter of the American Red Cross .. she was told to be at the ‘new’ Fort Myers Airport at 08:30 am Sunday morning ready to head out .. on Sunday when we were at the Airport Betty was told that they were going to be heading to Pensacola Florida where the American Red Cross has set up a Regional Center for Hurricane KATRINA .. Betty was among the first of Lee Counties Red Cross Volunteers to be deployed .. this is the largest deployment that the Lee County Chapter has ever undertaken … HEADLINES - 'I Had No Intention of Ever Leaving This Boat' BILOXI, Miss. — Harvey Shows tried to flee Katrina by moving his 55-foot steel-hulled boat, Luna Sea, from Pass Christian, west of Biloxi, east to Mobile, Ala. He never made it past Biloxi. Instead, he and his boat wound up perched atop rubble about a quarter-mile from the nearest waterway, the Mississippi Sound. "Some people are survivors," the 79-year-old Mississippi native said Tuesday as he rested on a mattress on the floor of the boat, his toy poodle, Cocoa, stretched out beside him. Lady, a black labrador mix, survived the voyage, too. During Shows' flight from Katrina, the boat's steering mechanism failed, leaving him at the mercy of bullet-like rainfall and winds in excess of 100 mph during the storm, which dislodged casino barges and razed entire neighborhoods from one end of the Mississippi Gulf Coast to the other. After losing his anchor during the storm, already unable to steer the boat, Shows was helpless during Mother Nature's wrath. Shows said the 30-foot storm surge propelled his boat through an arch in the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi and pushed him hundreds of yards north to where the boat now sits. "The water shot it through there like a funnel," Shows said. Purple and red bruises covered his arms as he sipped juice from a foam cup in the sweltering afternoon heat. Lady rested on the bow of the boat. Inside, debris from the storm littered the soaking-wet cockpit. A life preserver bearing the boat's name rested on deck, still lashed to a cleat. Shows said he thinks his home in nearby Waveland, Miss., was destroyed by Katrina. He was unsure whether his van, which he had moved to higher ground, had weathered the storm. He said he plans to remain on his boat until he can strip it of anything valuable and secure it until shipyards reopen and it can be moved and repaired. The owners of what remains of the decimated properties surrounding him dubbed him the region's unofficial guard, he said. Shows also said he traveled with a 9mm pistol for protection. Despite his harrowing tale, Shows said he doesn't consider himself fortunate to be alive. "I had no intention of ever leaving this boat because I knew my survival was dependent on it. I knew what I was doing. I've been a seaman all my life. I've been a captain on ships and tugboats. I was on aircraft carriers. I was a pilot on the Mississippi." He paused and placed an arm over his forehead. "But this has taken a lot out of me." Shows said he went to sea during World War II as a 15-year-old. He also served in Korea and Vietnam. Getting aboard the grounded Luna Sea is an adventure in itself. Shows climbs up two teetering concrete blocks, places one foot in a loop knotted into a rope hanging over the side of the boat and swings the other leg over. An incredulous passerby stopped to examine the Luna Sea, curious about how it got there. "He's on there now and didn't drown?" Tony Gibson said, shaking his head. Shows said he walks to the nearby hospital for his meals and walked about a mile and a half to his sister's home, which was no longer there. He has been unable to contact either his sister or his niece, who lives in the vicinity. One of his three children lives in Jackson, Miss., another lives in New Orleans and the third is at sea, he said. At times visibly shaken, Shows said he was "annoyed" with his situation. "When you get old, you get emotional. And I hate it. And I'll straighten up." This is the end of this 'Log' .. but it is not the end of the Hurricane KATRINA story .. see our next Log for the next Phase of Hurricane KATRINA .. 'CLICK" on KATRINA to left to go to the second part of our Log ..