US counts cost of Hurricane Rita

CAMERON PRAIRIE, Louisiana – US army helicopters and emergency response teams scoured Louisiana and Texas for survivors of Hurricane Rita yesterday as people returned to their homes to count the cost of the second massive storm to hit the region in a month.

Swathes of territory along the US Gulf Coast, still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, were flooded anew or cut off by debris tossed by Rita which slammed ashore early Saturday. More than a million people were without electricity and hundreds who ignored evacuation orders and tried to ride out the ferocious storm were plucked to safety by boats and helicopters, some from alligator-infested swamps.But state officials spoke of “miracles” after category-three Rita failed to match the devastating force of Katrina, a category-four storm which killed more than 1 000 people and inundated New Orleans with floodwaters.Rita ripped off roofs, sent trees flying into cars, fanned fires through historic wooden buildings and flooded low-lying towns, but the region’s vital oil infrastructure was relatively unscathed and there were few apparent casualties.Authorities in central Mississippi reported one death from a tornado which spun off the remnants of Rita, but Louisiana officials reported no casualties even as rescue teams continued to scour abandoned homes and remote marshland.”The good news is it appears that there’s been no loss of life.I mean, that’s almost a miracle, a blessing,” Texas Governor Rick Perry told the Fox News Sunday programme.”Please, please wait for the all-clear,” said Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, noting that roads remained closed and bridges could be unsafe.US President George W.Bush, already under heavy fire for the bungled response to Katrina, also warned “the situation is still dangerous” in many areas and urged evacuees not to rush home.Almost three million people, much of the population of Houston, Texas, and almost all the residents of a string of smaller towns along the coast, fled inland as the storm approached Friday, causing mayhem on the roads and raising new questions about federal disaster management.Bush praised the work of state and federal emergency agencies but suggested that the military might have to take over disaster response efforts in the future.”That’s going to be a very important consideration for Congress to think about,” he said after hearing a briefing from the joint task force running the reaction to Rita at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas.- Nampa-AFPMore than a million people were without electricity and hundreds who ignored evacuation orders and tried to ride out the ferocious storm were plucked to safety by boats and helicopters, some from alligator-infested swamps.But state officials spoke of “miracles” after category-three Rita failed to match the devastating force of Katrina, a category-four storm which killed more than 1 000 people and inundated New Orleans with floodwaters.Rita ripped off roofs, sent trees flying into cars, fanned fires through historic wooden buildings and flooded low-lying towns, but the region’s vital oil infrastructure was relatively unscathed and there were few apparent casualties.Authorities in central Mississippi reported one death from a tornado which spun off the remnants of Rita, but Louisiana officials reported no casualties even as rescue teams continued to scour abandoned homes and remote marshland.”The good news is it appears that there’s been no loss of life.I mean, that’s almost a miracle, a blessing,” Texas Governor Rick Perry told the Fox News Sunday programme.”Please, please wait for the all-clear,” said Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, noting that roads remained closed and bridges could be unsafe.US President George W.Bush, already under heavy fire for the bungled response to Katrina, also warned “the situation is still dangerous” in many areas and urged evacuees not to rush home.Almost three million people, much of the population of Houston, Texas, and almost all the residents of a string of smaller towns along the coast, fled inland as the storm approached Friday, causing mayhem on the roads and raising new questions about federal disaster management.Bush praised the work of state and federal emergency agencies but suggested that the military might have to take over disaster response efforts in the future.”That’s going to be a very important consideration for Congress to think about,” he said after hearing a briefing from the joint task force running the reaction to Rita at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas.- Nampa-AFP

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