CALIFORNIA YANKEE

New Orleans Police Fire 51

The Associated Press reports 45 officers and six civilian employees of the New Orleans Police Department were fired for abandoning their posts before or after Hurricane Katrina:

“They were terminated due to them abandoning the department prior to the storm,” acting superintendent Warren Riley said. “They either left before the hurricane or 10 to 12 days after the storm, and we have never heard from them.”

According to the Associated Press, fifteen other officers resigned when placed under investigation for abandonment and another 45 officers resigned for reasons ranging from relocation to new employment.

Earthquake Toll Over 79,000

The Associated Press reports figures released Wednesday put the death toll in South Asia’s earthquake to more than 79,000.

Bloomberg reports more than 500,000 victims of the earthquake in northern Pakistan, haven't been reached and are in danger of dying from hypothermia. Worse, the earthquake left as many as 3.3 million people homeless.

The Earthquake survivors need help desperately. Relief agencies are concerned that donations for the earthquake relief have been slower than for the tsunami or hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Please help by giving to the charity of your choice, or consider one of these.

Hurricane Wilma Now Category 5

The Associated Press reports Hurricane Wilma grew into a Category 5 monster storm early Wednesday with 175 mph winds. Forecasters said the storm's pressure, 884 millibars, was the lowest ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.

The hurricane is expected to threaten Florida's Gulf coast this weekend.

How We Can Help Quake Victims

UPDATE: Last updated October 11, 2005. Originally posted Octber 10, 2005.

UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt posts:

The near silence in the blogopshere when it comes to appeals for aid to South Asia tells me that post tsunami, Katrina and Rita, the wilingness or ability of Americans to dig deep, again, is limited.

Let's try to prove Hugh wrong, at least about Americans' willingness to help those in need. Many thanks to those that help by doing what they can. I will post links at the end of this post to the blogs that join California Yankee in breaking the silence and let people know how to help.

Once again we are being called upon to help those in need. This time for the victims of Saturday's killer earthquake.

The death toll is in the tens of thousands and the United Nations says more than 2.5 million people were left homeless by Saturday’s monster 7.6-magnitude quake.

A number of charities have already launched appeals to help with the earthquake relief efforts in south Asia. As always in a natural disaster, the immeadiate need is for cash.

Give to the charity of your choice, or consider one of these and while you have the checkbook or charge card out consider giving even more to the US hurricane victims.

Action by Churches Together (ACT)

AmeriCares

Caritas

Direct Relief
In the US, 805 964-4767

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
In the US, 800-HELPNOW

Mercy Corps International
In the US: 503-796-6827

Muslim Aid

Oxfam

Relief International
In the US, 800 573-3332 or 310 478-1200

Salvation Army's South Asia Relief Fund

UNICEF
In the US, 800-367-5437

World Vision
In the US, 888-56-CHILD

California Yankee gives a sincere and hearty thanks to the following blogs for linking to this post and helping to spread the word on how to help the victims of the South Asia earthquake:

A Chequer-Board of Nights and Days
Cold Spring Shops
Daniel W. Drezner
Instantpundit
Peaktalk
Project Nothing!
ResurrectionSong
Secular Blasphemy
Speed of Thought
Zacht Ei

Other Blogs spreading the word on how to help the victims of the South Asia earthquake:
A Lady's Ruminations
Blogs4God
Gateway Pundit
Michelle Malkin
Stuck On Stupid
The Moderate Voice
The Zero Point

Flooding Paralyzes Western New Hampshire

It's not anything like the Gulf coast, but after more than a day and a half of drenching rain, rivers and streams overflowed, flooding homes, washing out roads, threatening bridges and dams and prompting evacuations:

"This is classic river flooding," said Jim Van Dongen, spokesman for the state Emergency Management office. "It's been raining since Friday night and there is nowhere for the water to go."

[. . .]

The most severe flooding was in Keene, where some major roads were under water. Officials were directing residents on high ground to stay in their homes. Fire officials reported four to six feet of water on some streets.

[. . .]

A dam on Warren Lake in Alstead breached early Sunday, sending an "4 or 5 foot wall of water" downstream, damaging at least a half dozen bridges on Route 123. Murray said by early evening inspectors had not been able to check all the damage but "what we have seen is not good."

Governor John Lynch declared a state of emergency and called up about 500 National Guard members.

[Flooding paralyzes western region of N.H.]

Too Much To Ask

The Associated Press reminds us yesterday's tragic earthquake struck where the world's most wanted terrorist avoids justice, but maybe not mother nature's wrath:

No evidence suggests that the deadly earthquake that rocked Pakistan on Saturday injured or killed the world's top terror leader, Osama bin Laden.

The quake shook the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where bin Laden is believed to be hiding. However, authorities at this point have no information indicating he's been injured or killed, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the information's sensitivity.

Thanks to Betsy for the tip.

[S. Asia Quake Hits Area Where Osama Hides]

Quake kills More Than 18,000

The Associated Press reports more than 18,000 were killed in South Asia earthquake:

Village after village was reduced to rubble, and landslides flattened an apartment building after an earthquake shook the Pakistan-India border Saturday. More than 18,000 people were killed, a Pakistani official said.

Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, Pakistan's chief army spokesman, told Pakistan's Geo TV network early Sunday that the magnitude 7.6 quake had killed more than 18,000 people and injured about 41,000. The toll included 250 girls who died when their school in northwestern Pakistan collapsed, as well as 200 soldiers on duty in the Himalayas.

What can you say about such devastation?

[More Than 18,000 Killed in Earthquake Near Pakistan-India Border]

Strong Quake Hits South Asia

Agence France-Presse reports a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck across Pakistan, India and Afghanistan:

The quake struck early in the morning almost directly on the dividing line between the Indian and Pakistani controlled zones of Kashmir, triggering landslides and sending terrified residents fleeing into the streets.

[. . .]

The US Geological Survey and the Pakistan Meteorological Department said the quake measured 7.6 on the Richter Scale, while the Japanese Meteorological Agency put the temblor even higher at 7.8.

The epicenter was around 100 kilometres (62 miles) northeast of Islamabad, according to most agencies, although the Earth Sciences Observatory in the French city of Strasbourg said the epicenter was just inside Indian Kashmir.

[. . .]

Witnesses in Islamabad said the ground shook for over 30 seconds, rocking buildings and causing widespread panic. A second, less severe jolt lasted about five seconds.

Reuters reports more than 1,000 people might have been killed in the earthquake.

The Associated Press reports Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the Pakistani army's chief spokesman, called the quake a national tragedy:

"The damage and casualties could be massive and it is a national tragedy," said Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the Pakistani army's chief spokesman. "The is the worst earthquake in recent times."

More as it becomes available.

Navy Equipment Made A Difference

Austin Bay posts about "the best use of military assets in responding to domestic natural disaster:

Within 24 hours of the call, a 30-man team from the Naval Surface Warfare Center moved the multimillion-dollar communications facility from the base to Naval Air Station New Orleans, where it was up and running Sept. 11. It is currently being used to manage the massive relief and recovery effort that spans from the Mississippi River delta to South Alabama.

[. . .]

DJC2 was designed to give the major regional military commanders a robust, rapidly deployable “system of systems” to enable different military commands and services to function as a seamless joint task force team during major military crises, officials say. Fully fielded, DJC2 includes an independent power supply, shelters and a wide array of voice and digital communications gear ranging from top secret secure Internet and tactical satellite communications to radio transmitters capable of interfacing with civilian communications networks.

It is amazing that such a system, still under development, could moved so quickly. Even more amazing is the fact that different military commands and services still have need to have such a system "under development." I thought that would have been addressed long ago. The need to do so was made more than abundantly clear during the 1979 Grenada invasion.

Required Reading

Those who can't seem to understand why convoys with everything needed by Katrina victims didn't arrive as soon the storm passed should really read "Eight Pounds: A USMC loggie weighs in" posted at Countercolumn. The writer, who has "a couple of decades doing logistics in the Marine Corp.," explains some of what it takes to move military forces.

Thanks to Rantingprofs for the tip.