Posted: 9/13/05
Caledonia man describes rescue work after Hurricane Katrina; local groups raise funds for hurricane victims
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Imagine a stretch of southern Minnesota 150 miles long, and 20 miles in from the Iowa state line, totally destroyed.
Thatís how Caledoniaís Randy Mell described the devastation from Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. ìItís just all gone,î he said in a telephone interview on September 8
Mell, the Houston County forester with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, is getting a very good picture of the mind-boggling destruction. He is working for 14 days in Marietta, Georgia, northwest of Atlanta, with the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center (MISC) in one of two mobilization units. The other one is in Texas.
The emergency response group usually responds to fires or people searches. In this case, it is helping with the horrific effects of the hurricane.
Mellís job started on September 1, but the mobilization unit was actually set up on August 27, two days before the hurricane hit. ìIt doesnít happen very often where a category 5 hits the gulf coast,î Mell explained.
His job as a situation unit leader is to provide rescue workers with proper mappage and directions on how to get to their assignments. He briefs people on weather patterns and other problems they might run into.
Itís a necessary job because many roads are closed because of debris, flooding, and safety hazards. Some areas have no fuel.
Randyís first four days were setting up base camps where emergency workers can do things like search and rescue, debris removal, getting power grids back up, bridge assessment.
Mell and other MISC workers are also supporting an Alaska crew that is assembling trailer courts, still on wheels. They were given four sites and were told their main mission is do what needs to be done to get site flattened and prepared. A contractor does the work to make sure the trailers are functional and streets are laid out properly. Mell told the crew where to go, he distributed highway maps, and passed on some give basic knowledge like where they will they have cell phone access.
Mell and his crew are stationed about 350 miles north of the edge of the hurricane next to an airport and freeway to accommodate all the people moving back and forth. While he hasnít seen the destruction first-hand, Mell has a very good feel for it from crews that are debriefed. He is given photos, and he helps prepare situation reports that news agencies like CNN use.
ìIíve been able to glean a lot of things from the teams that have been moved around,î Mell said. Truck drivers give him a lot of information too.
Most crews are working with people who have been evacuated. People are being helped, and the government has its feet on the ground now, Mell feels.
Mell said he has heard a lot about the government not being ready. ìThis whole incident is just so large,î he said, searching for word. ìWeíre just talking millions and millions of acres in a highly populated area.î
He said it was hard to describe the disaster. Imagine a city the size of Rochester utterly destroyed, he said, with high-rise buildings having all their windows blown out, and their basements and footings underwater.
He said that 202 of 249 displaced people checking into an airforce base in Atlanta had to be hospitalized. A 512 KV powerline had no wires for three miles. And now rescuers are starting to find many bodies.
As for the criticism of the government being slow to respond to the hurricane, Mell thinks the government tried to plan for the worst. ìWe havenít lived through something like this before,î he said ìThe worst possible scenario, thatís really whatís occurred here.î
For example, workers had to bring heavy equipment in just to get the roads cleared. It took a couple days just to get into the highly populated area, he said.
Mell said he is glad he went down to Georgia with the MISC team. He will return home on September 15.
UM collecting items for hurricane victims
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has issued an emergency appeal for health kits, flood buckets, water and blankets. For information on how to assemble and send these important items, visit the UMCORís web at gbgm-umc.org/umcor/kits.cfm.
Caledonia United Methodist Church will be sending completed flood buckets and health kits to UMCOR Sager Brown distribution Center in Baldwin, LA. You may also give a financial donation to UMCORís Material Resource Ministry to purchase cleaning supplies that the Depot staff and volunteers will use to assemble health kits and flood buckets.
Caledonia United Methodist Church has a limited supply of 5-gallon buckets in which the needed materials can be packed. Please contact the church at 725-2815 for a bucket and a list of the supplies that are packed in a flood bucket, or visit the UMCORís web at gbgm-umc.org/umcor/kits.cfm.
Kits to assist in recovery from disasters
Please follow the directions exactly. Include all items; do not add items. Extra gifts, though given with the best of intentions, render a kit unusable and must be removed. Note: All items sent must be new!
Flood Bucket:
o 5-gal. bucket with resealable lid
o Bleachó(2) 1-qt. or one 82 oz. bottle (Do not include bleach of you are shipping through the post office, UPS or FedEx)
o 5 scouring pads
o 7 pack sponges
o 1 scrub brush
o 18 cleaning towels (reusable)
o Liquid laundry detergent
(2) 25 oz. or (1) 50 oz. bottle
o 12-16oz. bottle
household cleaner
o 16-28 oz. bottle
disinfectant dish soap
o 50 clothes pins
o Clothes line (2) 50' or (1) 100'
o 5 dust masks
o 2 pair latex gloves
o 1 pair work gloves
o 24-bag roll of heavy-duty trash bags, 33-45 gal. (remove roll from box, then place in bucket)
o 1 Insect repellent spray, 6-14 oz. can (If aerosol, cans must have protective caps. See special requirements below.*)
o 1 Air freshener, 8 or 9 oz. can (If aerosol, cans must have protective caps. See special requirements below.*)
* Special requirements: Put all items in the plastic bucket and seal lid. Please ensure that all cleansing agents are liquids (not powder) and in plastic bottles. All aerosols or flammables: If aerosols are included, do not send the bucket by US mail or DHL/Airborne freight. Ship by UPS ground, FedEx ground, or truck. Pack inside the bucket or strong outer boxes. Put the ORM-D mark on the outside of any buckets or boxes containing these items. Get different sizes of the ORM-D mark at gbgm-umc.org/umcor/print/kits/orm-d.cfm or use the one on the next page. Copy and tape on each bucket or box. Boxes cannot exceed 66 lbs. each.
St. Johnís Lutheran school plans walk-a-thon to help hurricane victims
Students at St. Johnís Lutheran School wanted to help all those affected by the gulf coast hurricane. On Friday September 23, they will be participating in a walk-a-thon which they have entitled ìCross Training for Katrina Victimsî.
Students in grades Kindergarten through eight will ask others to pledge a donation and in return the students will walk laps around the 1/3 mile school block for one hour. They will also be able to purchase t-shirts for $8 in which 75 percent of the proceeds will also go to the hurricane victims. The t-shirts were designed by Riverland Expressions in Lansing, Iowa.
There are several ways community members can get involved:
ï Drop off donations at the St. Johnís school office
ï Collect pledges and walk in the walk-a-thon
ï Purchase a t-shirt
ï Support a student walker by pledging a donation
The walk-a-thon begins at l p.m. at St. Johnís Lutheran School in Caledonia. Refreshments will be served to all participants following the event at 2 p.m. If there are any questions or anyone wishes to purchase a t-shirt, please contact St. Johnís school office at 725-3412.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com