Thought we may have dodged a bullet after initial reports of lighter than expected damage from Hurricane Katrina. What a difference a day makes, spent most of the day watching the TV seeing people being rescued from rooftops. The City of New Orleans flooding and extensive damage of most of the gulf coast. It seems as help may not arrive until the roads become passable, which may take quite some time. Our fellow countrymen need our help ...so, if you have the ability please join me in helping out by giving to one of many good disaster relief charities. The folks in these areas are really going to need our help.

A partial list of Hurricane Katrina and disaster relief information available on the Web:

National Hurricane Center

National Weather Service

Hydrologic Information Center (river flooding)

Federal Emergency Management Agency: 1-800-621-FEMA

Louisiana Homeland Security

City of New Orleans

Louisiana Governor's Office

Relief Organizations

Red Cross 1-800-HELP-NOW

Episcopal Relief & Development 1-800-334-7626

United Methodist Committee on Relief 1-800-554-8583

Salvation Army 1-800-SAL-ARMY

Catholic Charities 1-800-919-9338

FEMA Charity tips

National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals