Friday, July 21, 2006

Death toll nears 550 in Indonesian tsunami; president pledges sped-up warning

Death toll nears 550 in Indonesian tsunami; president pledges sped-up warning: "PANGANDARAN, Indonesia (AP) - The death toll from the Indonesian tsunami rose to nearly 550 on Friday as the president vowed to speed up the installation of a nationwide system capable of warning coastal communities of killer waves by mid-2008."

N.O. reclaims 16 trucks it was given after Katrina

N.O. reclaims 16 trucks it was given after Katrina: "ixteen trucks donated to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and that City Council members controlled or assigned to private nonprofits have been returned to the city, the city said Thursday in a report spurred by recent revelations that former Councilwoman Renee Gill Pratt steered four of the vehicles to a pair of favored groups, including one that now employs her.

In a six-page memo presented Thursday to the council, City Attorney Penya Moses-Fields said the vehicles, which were donated in mid-September by DaimlerChrysler AG, were turned over to the city's equipment maintenance division between July 5 and Monday, some with more than 20,000 miles on the odometer."

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Feds need La. help for hurricane plans - Yahoo! News

Feds need La. help for hurricane plans - Yahoo! News: "he Bush administration said Monday it needs specific lists of Louisiana's shelters, immobile hospital patients and transportation pickup points before it can promise reliable evacuation help during a major hurricane.


In a letter to Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made clear what responsibilities the federal government will shoulder the next time a huge storm strikes."

Travel Video Television News-A Letter from Indonesia

Travel Video Television News: "
A Letter from Indonesia
Jul 20, 06 | 8:51 am


On behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, please find the following are some brief facts with regard to the tsunami that hit Pangandaran Beach (350 KM from Bandung, the Capital City of West Java Province) on Monday 17 July 2006, at 15.19.

The rate of the tremor was 6.8 on Richter Scale. The earthquake sent a 1-2 meter tsunami crashing into beach resort in Pangandaran, Cilacap and Kebumen that lashed Java Coast.

The most affected area is Pangandaran Beach which is the main resort for domestic tourists. It is indicated by the casualties rates due to the tsunami waive, which has left at least 500 people death and more than 600 missing in Beach Resort and Fishing Communities. The data of victims is gradually changing. However, there have been reported foreign tourists casualties."

Habitat for Humanity to receive $600,000 for hurricane rebuilding from Bank of America campaign -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

Habitat for Humanity to receive $600,000 for hurricane rebuilding from Bank of America campaign -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l: "Habitat for Humanity to receive $600,000 for hurricane rebuilding from Bank of America campaign

Keep the Change™ savings program Money to help rebuild homes in Gulf States

Habitat for Humanity International will receive more than $600,000 from an innovative Bank of America campaign to help victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, officials of the organizations announced today.

AMERICUS, Ga.(Jan. 12, 2006) – Habitat for Humanity International will receive more than $600,000 from an innovative Bank of America campaign to help victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, officials of the organizations announced today.

The money will be used for Operation Home Delivery, which is building homes in Mobile County, Ala.; Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, Slidell and Thibodaux, La.; and soon in the New Orleans metropolitan area, with plans to expand into coastal Mississippi. "

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Macleans.ca | Top Stories | Politics | Red Cross officials urge Canadians to give money to help people in Lebanon

Macleans.ca | Top Stories | Politics | Red Cross officials urge Canadians to give money to help people in Lebanon: "Red Cross officials urge Canadians to give money to help people in Lebanon

MONTREAL (CP) - Red Cross officials and Lebanese-Canadians are urging Canadians to give money to help people in the war-torn country.

The Canadian Red Cross says it supports an appeal issued today by the International Committee of the Red Cross which is seeking $9 million to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon."

Tsunami generates charity cash hike - Business - Business - theage.com.au

Tsunami generates charity cash hike - Business - Business - theage.com.au: "THE 2004 Boxing Day tsunami has left Australian charities flush with funds.

Analysis by Givewell, the Australian researcher of charities, found that the tsunami created a huge spike in fund-raising, with income last year up by a massive 44 per cent, compared with 8 per cent in 2004. Sustained income growth was up 11 per cent."

Star-Telegram | 07/19/2006 | Indonesia pledges to build a national tsunami alert system

Star-Telegram | 07/19/2006 | Indonesia pledges to build a national tsunami alert system: "Indonesia pledges to build a national tsunami alert system
By IRWAN FIRDAUS
The Associated Press

PANGANDARAN, Indonesia -- Indonesia pledged to build a nationwide tsunami alert system as soldiers pulled bodies from ravaged beaches, homes and hotels here Tuesday, a day after a wall of water swept ashore with no warning. The death toll hit at least 463, with nearly 280 people missing."

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

No tsunami alert system in place to guard Indonesia

No tsunami alert system in place to guard Indonesia: "No tsunami alert system in place to guard Indonesia
By Achmad Sukarsono

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Lack of funds has crippled the creation of a tsunami warning system, leaving earthquake-prone Indonesia without a single working detection buoy, an official said on Tuesday, a day after a tsunami killed over 270 people.

No sirens alerted residents in Pangandaran beach, the worst-hit area of Monday's tsunami, after a 7.7 magnitude quake struck 180 km (112 miles) offshore in the Indian Ocean. "

Monday, July 17, 2006

eircom net Ireland-International / Irish news headlines from leading Irish newspapers-Tsunami kills up to 50 - Red Cross

eircom net Ireland-International / Irish news headlines from leading Irish newspapers: "Tsunami kills up to 50 - Red Cross
From:Reuters
Monday, 17 July, 2006


By Achmad Sukarsono

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A tsunami triggered by a strong undersea earthquake off the southern coast of Java island swept away buildings at an Indonesian beach resort on Monday and killed between 40 and 50 people, a Red Cross official said.

News of the disaster spread panic across a region still recovering from a tsunami less than two years ago that left nearly 230,000 people killed or missing, mostly in Indonesia. But there were no reports of casualties or damage in any other country from Monday's tsunami."

Flood pulls people together to rebuild

Flood pulls people together to rebuild: "Flood pulls people together to rebuild

By Heather Yakin
Times Herald-Record
hyakin@th-record.com

Callicoon - Floodwaters don't care that people volunteered their time and effort trying to help others.

Tess McBeath is tired, and she and the rest of the Delaware Youth Center board are trying to figure out how to come up with $250,000 to repair flood damage, to fix up the hall and pavilion and the caretaker's cottage, to replace playground equipment.

They're nonprofit, all-volunteer and completely dependent on donations.

It's not just that she's the youth center's president and the Delaware town clerk, so she's dealing with disaster from all directions. It's also the strain of figuring out what comes next."

Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund Director Quits

Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund Director Quits: "Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund Director Quits

By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI
The Associated Press
Friday, July 14, 2006; 9:58 PM

NEW ORLEANS -- The head of a Katrina charity established by former Presidents Bush and Clinton resigned Friday under duress following the exodus of seven members of one of its committees.

In a statement, the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund announced that 'in the best interests of the mission of The Fund,' its executive director, Mary Ann Wyrsch agreed to step down."

Hard Work In the Big Easy

Hard Work In the Big Easy:
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"Yes, the Big Easy has become a lot harder to visit, especially if, like a growing number of travelers, you're looking to volunteer in a city severely damaged and surprisingly unhealed since Hurricane Katrina's devastation last August. It's a city that even has its own version of refugee camps. Within hours of touching down, I found myself ladling out scrambled eggs to a long line of residents at a makeshift 'cafe' under a tent set up by aging hippies to feed homeless locals."

Private money steered to storm victims

Private money steered to storm victims: "Private money steered to storm victims
Many opened hearts, wallets after Katrina
Thursday, July 13, 2006
By Bruce Nolan

A private agency Gov. Kathleen Blanco created last year to disburse millions of unsolicited dollars that Americans sent directly to Baton Rouge for hurricane relief has begun distributing part of about $40 million to nonprofit groups for housing, legal aid and other services to residents affected by Katrina or Rita."