Alsabagh and Engelman revisit the aftermath and recovery efforts of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast States
It is now two years later and the city of New Orleans is still not fully recovered. The Lower 9th Ward just blocks away from where the levies broke is still a wasteland. There are blocks and blocks of empty lots; some of the debris has been removed but the homes are still not rebuilt and in fact about only 10% of the people that lived there are now able to return.
The Lower 9th Ward is not the only city that was heavily impacted. St. Bernard Parish, Lakeview, and other Coastal Cities such as Biloxi, Mississippi and a few others were also devastated by the storm. As of September 2007 about only 60% of New Orleans residents have returned, more than 14% of families still live in FEMA trailers, housing shortages remains; rent has escalated by 20-30%, many still not reimbursed from their insurance, murder rate has risen-highest in the nation and crime is spiraling out of control. In Kiln, Mississippi 27,000 families remain displaced. Additionally, over 1 billion dollars have been spent on fixing the levies yet New Orleans is still under serious risk.
The FEMA trailers that residents continue to live in are making them sick due to an industrial chemical used in manufacture- Formaldehyde. Some of the complaints include eye, nose, and throat irritation, nausea and breathing difficulties. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, formaldehyde has been found to cause cancer in rats and may cause cancer in humans. FEMA trailers are not meant to be used as a permanent housing-two to three weeks and perhaps months but not years.
Dr. Oz, a heart surgeon who appeared on the Oprah show recalls that during Katrina the airports were used as triage areas and as emergency medical centers. He recently returned to New Orleans and reported that morgue’s still have hundreds of bodies that remain unclaimed. He also reported that there’s lack of healthcare and in fact during Katrina about 4,500 medical services were displaced and today about 50% have still not returned. The Director of the New Orleans Health Department reported that there are no beds, no clinics, hospitals and nurse shortages. Even employees that are insured have to wait for hours and even days for healthcare. Prior to hurricane Katrina there were 7 hospitals that served the uninsured; today there’s only 3- there are 98,000 people in New Orleans that are uninsured. In Mississippi, some are not seeking treatment at all. The Director of Health Department also reported that the death rate is 50% higher before the hurricane.
So you may wonder with all these challenges that still remain what is the psychological impact. Anderson Cooper, a CNN reporter noted that people are reporting thoughts of suicide, depression, anxiety, drug use and an increase in divorces. There’s been an alarming increase of 20% suffering from delayed PTSD and feelings of isolation remain. The storm may have ended but the trauma continues. There are daily struggles of poor memory, sleep disturbances and domestic abuse. Prior to Katrina there were about 196 Psychiatrists in New Orleans; today about 22. Psychiatric beds went from about 200 to less than 50 today. According to statistics suicide calls are now nine times higher post Katrina. Further, young children are self mutilating while two out of three are struggling with depression and chronic fear. One Pediatrician reported that there are no counselors in schools. The Healthcare system as a whole in New Orleans is on life support. There’s been about 47% increase in deaths today from heart disease, other diseases, and mental health. Physicians are having to turn to the local newspapers for real time numbers of mortality rates even Medical Examiners are unable to obtain these numbers from the state.
Government failed in the response to hurricane Katrina and Rita. Fortunately, individuals, churches and charities have stood up to the occasion and assisted in numerous ways. One example of this is the St. Bernard Project– a non profit organization founded in March 2006 by four volunteers who had went to St. Bernard Parish to do relief work. During their initial month of service, they were inspired by the residents of New Orleans collective spirit, openness and desire to rebuild their lives and community. The purpose was to create vital resources and support to families in a seamless and timely manner. The St. Bernard Project’s programs and goals are directly driven by the needs expressed by the community members. Amazingly, the folks who established this project found a way to rebuild homes for $10,000; this is about $40,000 less than what FEMA pays for mobile homes. Since this project, about 69 families have moved back to their homes. For more information on this project please log onto the website: http://www.stbernardproject.org/index.html
While there is no stopping catastrophic events whether it is a natural disasters or man made there are measures you can take to prepare yourself and your family. Keep in mind that communications WILL BE down for at least 3-5 days and local assistance may not be able to reach you right away. Below is a list of things you can do:
- Have a family plan and be sure to make certain considerations for children the elderly, those with physical disabilities and mental illness and don't forget your pets
- Have an out of State contact
- Carry with you a list of essential phone numbers
- Prepare a disaster backpack to include 1 gallon of water per person for at least 3-5 days, imperishable foods, flash lights, extra batteries, battery operated radios-for more info on this log on to the American Red Cross website: http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_217_,00.html
- Have a financial plan in place
- Have several copies of essential records such as house insurance documents, copies of passports, birth certificates, etc and store them in safe places. Also back everything up on USB (memory sticks) or CD's
- If you have small children be sure to familiarize yourself with their schools disaster plan, talk to your children about where to meet, what to do, who to call and equip them with essential phone numbers or have them memorize essential phone numbers
- These are just a few ways you can begin to prepare yourself and loved ones. Be proactive in your safety and don't wait for the government to assist you because resources will be exhausted. For more information on how to prepare I am recommending to websites:
- The American Red Cross:
http://www.redcross.org/services/prepare/0,1082,0_239_,00.html
The Governments' website:
http://www.ready.gov/
Source: Oprah Show, and CNN
There was no plan in place-hope is not a plan.
http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/08/08/formaldehyde-in-fema-travel-trailers-making-people-sick/
By Lorraine Viade, Psy. D.
This is a teen movie that adults who can still identify with the inner nerd inside will appreciate. Three youth in transition from High School have one mission in mind—to attend a party and well you know, be the one night stand for the unapproachable girls that they have crushes on.
Superbad pokes fun at adults in the form of some inept cops who bust one of our superheroes trying to buy liquor with a fake ID. The comedy is slapstick but the message is that even nerds need love and that underneath the surface, there is a lot more to our youth than just raging hormones. There is friendship and loyalty and honor. There are lessons to be learned and a good time to be had by watching Superbad.
If you are easily offended by sexual organ gags or the thought of the under aged having sex, get over it and check out Superbad. Take the older kids and see if you laugh at the same parts and then have a conversation about some of the themes such as safer sex, loyalty to friends, the consequences of alcohol abuse and ask them if their lives are anything like those kids. Their answers might surprise you. Then buy a copy to save for when the younger kids reach that transitional age of just graduating from high school.
I was not offended by the innuendo or the juvenile humor. Superbad is in the genre of Animal House and Revenge of the Nerds. These are the Boys to Men that are frequently overlooked in our society. We tend to focus on the rebels without causes at the expense of the regular kids who are just trying to get through the normal developmental stages of adolescence relatively unscathed. Superbad does a good job in making the ridiculous entertaining.
We tend to think that all of today's youth are more mature than they should be. The ones in this movie talked and acted like regular kids, kids with real concerns about their social desirability and what the future holds. Superbad was Super good. I give it 3 and a 1/2 couches.
For more go to www.onthecouch.biz
AMERICAN INDIAN COUNSELING CENTER TO CELEBRATE CALIFORNIA AMERICAN INDIAN DAY AT RIO HONDO MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
Each calendar year the Compliance Program Office (CPO) provides mandatory training to ensure that employees of the Department of Mental Health (DMH) are informed of the need to comply with various laws, policies and procedures.