The Command Post - Global Recon

How We Can Help Quake Victims

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.

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

UNICEF
In the US, 800-367-5437

World Vision
In the US, 888-56-CHILD

From California Yankee.

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.

Congress to Reconvene to Address Hurricane

Bloomberg reports Congress will return early from its summer recess to address damage caused by Hurricane Katrina:

Both the House and Senate will be back at work by tomorrow to begin work on a package of federal disaster aid for areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Western Florida affected by Hurricane Katrina, the aide said. Lawmakers were initially slated to return to work next week from an August break.

According to Bloomberg, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the federal government has spent $2 billion on Katrina emergency aid so far.

From California Yankee.

Airborne Troops Alerted For Katrina Duty

Reuters reports 3,000 regular Army soldiers may be sent to help end lawlessness in New Orleans:

The Army has put on alert roughly 3,000 active-duty ground troops from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to be prepared to deploy to New Orleans to help bring security to the flooded city amid looting and lawlessness, said an Army official, who asked not to be named.

The brigade-sized force, likely to be from the 82nd Airborne Division, would engage in crowd control and site-protection activities, the official said.

U.S. law bars active-duty military troops from engaging in domestic law enforcement, but the Army official said crowd control and site-protection were not defined as law enforcement activities.

The official said another 240 troops from the Army’s 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, also were going to the region.

From California Yankee.

USS Truman To Join Relief Effort

The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) to join the Katrina relief effort.

Reuters reports the number of National Guard troops under the command of state governors would reach 21,000 by the end of Friday and top 30,000 in the next few days:

The crew of up to 5,000 on the carrier would bring to nearly 35,000 the number of National Guard and active duty military troops committed to the biggest domestic relief effort ever mounted by federal agencies in the United States.

There also are nearly 8,000 sailors and other active duty troops committed to the effort, most of them aboard ships or flying air support missions.

The Truman will provide a major naval command post in the Gulf of Mexico, helping coordinate the actions of nearly a dozen other warships and supply vessels, including two Navy helicopter assault ships.

The Navy dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island will also join the relief effort. Whidbey Island will provide the capability to employ a movable causeway to help where bridges were destroyed.

The hospital ship Comfort will soon join the relief effort, providing an offshore floating medical center with 12 operating rooms and up to 1,000 beds.

From California Yankee.

Help Hurricane Katrina Victims

Update: I and other bloggers are matching reader donations dollar for dollar over at Strengthen the Good. Double your money! Make us pay!! Visit STG and donate now …

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Government agencies and private relief organizations are mounting what the Washington Times reports is the largest mobilization ever for a natural disaster after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

You can help the victims of Hurricane Katrina by making a financial donation to any of the following charities:

For a complete list of charitable agencies recommended by FEMA, visit http://www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm.

The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is launching the largest mobilization of resources in its history for a single natural disaster. More than two hundred Red Cross shelters are housing thousands of residents who fled Katrina’s wrath. More than 200 emergency response vehicles and countless other Red Cross resources are en route or on the scene to provide hot meals, snacks, bottled water and distribute other much-needed relief supplies.

You can help the victims of Hurricane Katrina by making a financial donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.

You can make a secure online contribution by visiting the Red Cross Online Donation Page.

You can also donate by phone:

1-800-HELP-NOW
(1-800-435-7669)
English speaking

1-800-257-7575
Spanish Speaking

Catholic Charities USA

1-800-919-9338, or online at http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/

Salvation Army

1-800-SAL-ARMY, or online at http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

United Methodist Committee on Relief

1-800-554-8583, or online at http://gbgm-umc.org/

UPDATE:

Episcopal Relief & Development:

1-800-334-7626 or http://www.er-d.org/

Archdiocese of Miami-Dade

Monetary donations are being accepted by the Archdiocese of Miami, Catholic Charities, Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, 9401 Biscayne Blvd., Miami Shores, FL 33138.

The Greater Miami Jewish Federation

Monetary donations are being accepted by The Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 4200 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FL 33179.

Or visit www.jewishmiami.org/pledge.cfm and make a notation in the comment box for Hurricane Katrina Relief. For more information, call 305-576-4000.

Operation Helping Hand

The Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald and the United Way of Miami-Dade have activated Operation Helping Hands to help hurricane victims:

Operation Helping Hands c/o United Way of Miami-Dade, P.O. Box 459007, Miami, Florida 33245-9007.

Operation Blessing

(800) 436-6348 or online at https://www.cbn.com/giving/ob/option.asp?m=alertbar&so=3

America’s Second Harvest

(800) 344-8070 or online at http://www.secondharvest.org/default2.asp

Adventist Community Services

(800) 381-7171 or online at http://www.adventist.communityservices.org/index.html

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee

(800) 848-5818 or online at http://www.crwrc.org/donate/online.html

Checks be made out to “CRWRC,” earmarked “Hurricanes 2005,” and sent to 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49560 or PO Box 5070, STN LCD 1, Burlington, ON, L7R 3Y8.

Church World Service

(800) 297-1516 or online at https://secure.churchworldservice.org/catalog/display.php?product_id=177

Convoy of Hope

(417) 823-8998 or online at http://www.convoyofhope.org/

Lutheran Disaster Response

(800) 638-3522 or online at http://www.elca.org/disaster/

Mennonite Disaster Service

(717) 859-2210 or online at http://www.mds.mennonite.net/

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

(800) 872-3283 or online at http://www.pcusa.org/pda/

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is accepting donations at its 3,800 stores and Web site, www.walmart.com.

From California Yankee.

President Bush Declares Disasters In Louisiana and Mississippi

President Bush on approved major disaster declarations for Louisiana and Mississippi The declarations will allow federal funds to start being used to deploy resources to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in those two states.

The Associated Press reports Hurricane Katrina weakened overnight to a Category 4 storm and made a slight turn to the right before making landfall at 6:10 a.m. CDT near the bayou town of Buras. Katrina passed just to the east of New Orleans as it moved inland. Although New Orleans avoided the worse case scenario, the hurricane caused lots damage:

Elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, the storm flung boats onto land in Mississippi, lashed street lamps and flooded roads in Alabama, and swamped highway bridges in the Florida Panhandle. At least a half-million people were without power from Louisiana to Florida’s Panhandle, including 370,000 in southeastern Louisiana and 116,400 in Alabama, mostly in the Mobile area.

At New Orleans’ Superdome, home to 9,000 storm refugees, the wind peeled pieces of metal from the golden roof, leaving two holes that let water drip in. People inside were moved out of the way. Others stayed and watched as sheets of metal flapped and rumbled loudly 19 stories above the floor.

Building manager Doug Thornton said the larger hole was 15 to 20 feet long and four to five feet wide. Outside, one of the 10-foot, concrete clock pylons set up around the Superdome blew over.

Elsewhere in the city, the storm shattered scores of windows in high-rise office buildings and on five floors of the Charity Hospital, forcing patients to be moved to lower levels. At the Windsor Court Hotel, guests were told to go into the interior hallways with blankets and pillows and to keep the doors to the rooms closed to avoid flying glass.

From California Yankee.

Tsunami Alert

CNN is now reporting that a tsunami alert has been issued throughout the Indian Ocean basin follwing a 7+ magnitude earthquake centered near the Nicobar Islands.

“In an hour or less, a tsunami could hit all coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India and, in Indonesia, the Indian Ocean coast and Malacca coast of Sumatra.”

(CNN)

6.8 Earthquake in Sumatra

A strong earthquake hit Sunday near the Indonesian island of Sumatra), Hong Kong seismologists said.

The 6.8-magnitude tremor’s epicenter was about 74 miles southwest of Padang, a city in western Sumatra, the Hong Kong Observatory said. The quake was recorded at 6:35 a.m. EDT, it said.

Just breaking, more as it comes in.

Second Quake Rocks Area

A magnitude 5.8 temblor hit off Indonesia’s coast Tuesday, the latest in a series of aftershocks following the powerful earthquake that hit the region the day before, Hong Kong seismologists said.

The temblor was recorded in Hong Kong at 1:22 p.m. and was centered 217 miles south-southeast of Banda Aceh.

Earlier in the day, the observatory recorded a 5.7-magnitude quake centered about 380 miles south-southeast of Banda Aceh.

AP

Quake Toll Will Be "Less Than Feared"/Conflicting Reports

Initial assessments by U.N. and Red Cross teams from two islands off the western coast of Indonesia indicate Monday’s quake will not be nearly as devastating as the December 26 quake.

Indonesia’s National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Management and Refugees put the official death toll at 301. No breakdown on what parts of the country the deaths came from was given.

Earlier, some government officials had suggested the toll could climb as high as several thousand.

[…]

“The latest word that we have is that there are 200 (deaths) — approximately 500 injured — and structural damage seems to be limited.”

There was lighter damage on nearby Simeulue Island. Officials put the death toll at about 10, with another 25 to 30 hospitalized. Lipner said overall structural damage does not appear to be serious.

No explanation was given for the discrepancy with government figures.

Read more…

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AP is reporting that the toll could still rise as high as 2,000.

Sumatra Earthquake Updates (As of 9:06 PM EST)

A tsunami warning has been issued

A USGS spokeswoman said the quake struck 125 miles west northwest off Sibolga, Sumatra or 880 miles northwest of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, close to where a 9.0 quake triggered a devastating tsunami in Asia in December 2004.

“Certainly evacuations should be occuring. I hope they are,” spokesman Don Blakeman said, saying of the earthquake that “it could also cause some local tsunami activity.”

Blakeman added that “even if we do see tsunami activity it won’t be as widespread” as December’s quake.

MSNBC reports that “No reports of injury or damage had been received from the region” so far.

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The quake lasted for about two minutes - far longer than most of the daily aftershocks that have rocked Aceh since Dec. 26.

“People are still traumatized, still scared, they are running for higher ground,” said Feri, a 24-year-old recovery volunteer who goes by one name.

“It was felt in most of the cities in Sumatra,” said Budi Waluyo, an agency official. Indonesia’s state news agency, Antara, said there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake was felt as far away as Malaysia, about 300 miles from the epicenter, sending panicked residents fleeing their apartments and hotels in Kuala Lumpur and Penang after authorities activated fire alarms.

…

The quake occurred at 11:09 p.m. local time (11:09 a.m. EST) at a depth of 18.6 miles, and was centered 125 west-northwest of Sibolga, Sumatra, and 150 miles southwest of Medan, Sumatra, the USGS said.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the quake registered 8.5.

—-

And now India is denying that there have been tsunami warnings issued.

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2 PM EST Update:

• Indian news source New Kerala reports that the Indian coastal state of Tamil Nadu has ordered the evacuation of people living within 500 metres of the coastline.

• A US expert notes the quake “is likely to have directed any tsunami waves toward the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, a U.S. expert said.” This is to the south of the epicenter, whereas the Dec. 26 quake directed much of it’s energy north.

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Update 2:26 EST

Dozens Reported Dead in Indonesia

A massive earthquake killed dozens of people and destroyed hundreds of homes in the main town on Indonesia’s Nias island Monday evening, a local government official told Metro TV.

“I can guarantee that dozens have died,” Agus Mendrofa, the deputy mayor of Gunungsitoli town, said.

———
A live report from an MSNBC blogger

The quake has been “upgraded” to an 8.7.

New reports coming in say close to 300 have been confirmed dead.

Toll expected to reach 2,000.

“It is predicted - and it’s still a rough estimate - that the number the victim of dead may be between 1,000 and 2,000, Vice President Jusuf Kalla told the el-Shinta radio station. He said the estimate was based on an assessment of damage to buildings, not bodies counted.

Jeff Jarvis has more links

Northern Sumatra Earthquake

The US Geological Survey is now reporting an 8.2 magnitude earthquake within the past hour, thirty kilometers deep nearly nine hundred miles northwest of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Powerful Earthquake in Japan

A powerful magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of southern Japan on Sunday, killing an elderly woman and injuring at least 381 people, damaging buildings and leaving residents shaken by aftershocks. Authorities issued a tsunami warning, but it was later canceled.

The temblor, which hit west of Kyushu Island at 10:53 a.m. (0153 GMT), was centered at an “extremely shallow” depth of 5.5 miles below the ocean floor, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said. Nearly 80 aftershocks followed — at least one a magnitude-4.2 quake.

Read more…

Mount St Helens Erupting ?

No details yet. Photo from Clancore Forums


Live Images as they happen are available.

UPDATE : From MSNBC :

The ash explosion happened around 5:25 p.m. [Tuesday], about an hour after a 2.0 magnitude quake rumbled on the east side of the mountain, said Bill Steele, coordinator of the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network at the University of Washington.

Steele said he did not believe the explosion had increased the risk of a significant eruption and noted that recent flights over the volcano’s crater did not reveal high levels of gases.

“We don’t expect another explosion” said Peggy Johnson, a university seismologist.

Steele said the ash burst may have been triggered by the partial collapse of a lava dome in the crater, which has been growing steadily over the last several months.

“Until we get a better view in the crater we won’t know,” Steele said.

Earthquake Kills At Least 231 in Iran [Updated]

A powerful earthquake toppled mud-built homes and flattened villages in central Iran on Tuesday, killing at least 231 people and injuring more than 1,000, state-run television reported. A senior official said the death toll could top 350.

TV footage showed residents frantically digging through piles of debris looking for loved ones following the 6.4-magnitude earthquake, which struck at 5:55 a.m., burying some as they slept. However, buildings made of cement didn’t sustain heavy damage.

Live broadcasts also showed victims in a local hospital wrapped in bloodied bandages or with broken legs and hands. Survivors pleaded for help finding the buried: “What a catastrophe. Please help us,” one said.

The quake’s epicenter was on the outskirts of Zarand, a town 35 miles northwest of Kerman, the capital of Kerman province, said the seismological unit of Tehran University’s Geophysics Institute .

More…

Update: The death toll is up to 3070 now.

Earthquake Rattles Indonesia

The Associated Press reports that a powerful earthquake rocked eastern Indonesia on Saturday. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage:

The U.S. Geological Survey (search) said the quake measured magnitude 6.5 and was not related to the massive magnitude-9.0 quake that hit western Indonesia on Dec. 26, triggering a tsunami that killed tens of thousands across southern Asian and eastern Africa.

Jakarta’s El-Shinta radio reported that residents fled their homes Saturday in panic in Bau Bau, fearing another tsunami. However, officials told the radio station that there was no possibility of a tsunami from Saturday’s quake.

Earthquake Shakes Tokyo

A 5.4 quake struck 80 miles northeast of Tokyo.

The quake registered at 4:46 am (1946 GMT) with the epicenter in Ibaraki prefecture about 130 kilometers (80 miles) northeast of Tokyo with a focus 40 kilometers (25 miles) underground, the meteorological agency said.

The report also notes that there is no threat of tsunami waves.

Those Stingy Americans

I think not.

• Pfizer: $35 million
• Coca Cola: $10 million
• Exxon Mobil Corp: $5 million
• Citigroup Inc.: $3 million
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: $3 million

• Merck & Co. Inc. is giving $3 million in cash while Johnson & Johnson and Abbott Laboratories Inc. are each donating $2 million; each of the three are also sending drugs and other health care supplies to the region. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. is donating $1 million in cash and $4 million in antibiotics and antifungal drugs. Roche Group and GlaxoSmithKline PLC were also planning to donate supplies and/or cash. Nike Inc., American Express Co., General Electric Co. and First Data Corp. are each giving $1 million.

• Amazon.com had collected about 87,000 donations totaling more than $5.4 million for the American Red Cross as of Thursday afternoon. [Now $6,286,000]

• Wal-Mart Inc. is setting up collection containers at all of its stores, in addition to a $2 million donation from its foundation.

• AOL members donated more than $1 million in less than 48 hours, according to spokesman Nicholas Graham.

Catholic Relief Services is pledging $25 million

LINK

By my count, that right there is $107,000,000 U.S. dollars. From private sources. Don’t forget, the people of the United States are the most generous people in the world. We don’t expect our Government to spend our money for us. We take care of that ourselves.

More:

• U.S. rap/rock quartet Linkin Park: $100,000
• American Red Cross and CARE:

  The American Red Cross reported $18 million in donations over the past three days while CARE USA has taken in $6.5 million

• Times Daily:

  Wells Fargo & Co. donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross, as did Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Kaiser also pledged to send doctors to needed areas.[snip]

  Cisco Systems and its employees have pledged $2.5 million and will also provide communications equipment in disaster areas.[snip]

  San Mateo-based tech company SuccessFactors said it would match donations made by its 100 workers, which so far amounted to $10,000.

  San Jose-based software company Realization Technologies Inc. has donated $10,000 so far and said one of its consultants in India will be committed to the relief effort for six months while donating use of its business software for 18 months.

The list goes on and on. We don’t need the Government of the United States to take our money and give it away. We are perfectly capable of taking care of our charitable choices ourselves.

So as Americans give from their hearts, in the hundreds of millions of dollars, don’t call us stingy. We are not. And don’t tell us we don’t care. We do.

The total, in this compilation alone is over $127 million dollars U.S.