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Houston Chronicle
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Sep 23, 08 4:05 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Texas officials told Congress today they might need up to $40 billion in aid to rebuild the state's hurricane-hit areas, the Houston Chronicle reports. The state's lieutenant governor sought at least $11.5 billion of aid and as many trailer homes as available to help the 770 communities damaged by Hurricane Ike. Houston's mayor requested an immediate $2.5 billion injection to help his metropolis.
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Christian Science Monitor
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Sep 8, 08 10:04 AM CDT
(Newser) -
With three big storms hitting the US within about a week, FEMA is attempting to stay a step ahead, planning emergency response strategies and deploying supplies. The agency's new "dynamic regrouping" plan represents a real-time collaboration between military, civilian, and volunteer personnel, the Christian Science Monitor reports. "The depth of resources nationally, it's not a deep bullpen there," says a Red Cross adviser.
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New York Times
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Sep 7, 08 4:06 PM CDT
(Newser) -
New Orleans residents may be celebrating Hurricane Gustav's near-miss this week, but that's no reason to get complacent, the New York Times reports. Officials admit that protective infrastructure still isn’t up to par, and there were several close calls when Gustav made landfall. “I want everybody to understand—we’re not there yet,” an Army Corps of Engineers colonel said.
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Christian Science Monitor
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Sep 4, 08 3:21 PM CDT
(Newser) -
As the thousands who rode out Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans boast about the hardy, and sometimes boozy, camaraderie to neighbors who paid in frustration for following evacuation orders, authorities are hoping those tales won’t keep residents from heeding warnings next time around, the Christian Science Monitor reports. “Some of those people will definitely say, ‘I'm not going to make that mistake again of leaving,’” one official said.
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Washington Post
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Sep 3, 08 6:25 PM CDT
(Newser) -
All Hurricane Gustav evacuees are being allowed back into New Orleans after Mayor Ray Nagin abandoned a more drawn-out reentry plan, the Washington Post reports. Those returning had trouble locating supplies, and officials warned power outages would add to difficulties. "We'd like to say welcome back, but it's not the way we'd like to do it," one local official said.
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Spiked
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Sep 3, 08 2:48 PM CDT
(Newser) -
The way media and the state reacted to Gustav wasn't responsible behavior, but rather "responsibility avoidance ... motivated by a desire to avoid blame," Frank Furedi writes in Spiked. He says official overreaction diminishes a sense of community and individual resilience, rendering people passive to the whims of politicians who tell them, “You need to be scared,” and “Get your butts moving out of New Orleans right now.”
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Associated Press
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Sep 3, 08 12:59 PM CDT
(AP) -
President Bush flew over flooded fields and downed trees today as he kept a close watch on the Hurricane Gustav recovery —in contrast to his administration's bungled response to Katrina 3 years ago. Aboard Air Force One, Bush received a briefing from FEMA director R. David Paulison, who said he believes the federal response to Gustav went "extremely well," but warned residents against returning to their homes before city services are up and running.
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Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
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Sep 3, 08 3:36 AM CDT
(Newser) -
People are returning to their southern Louisiana homes in the wake of a weaker-than-expected Hurricane Gustav, but New Orleans residents will need to wait until one minute before midnight, reports the Times-Picayune , running on an emergency generator. Mayor Ray Nagin warned the city is still "vulnerable" due to lack of power and medical personnel, but is allowing residents back in.
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Associated Press
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Sep 2, 08 4:02 PM CDT
(AP) -
President Bush will travel to Louisiana tomorrow to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Gustav. He met today with Dick Cheney, several Cabinet secretaries, and about 20 other advisers to assess the damage the hurricane caused to Gulf Coast oil drilling and refining operations. He said it's too early to assess the damage, but the storm should prompt Congress to OK more domestic oil production.
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USA Today
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Sep 2, 08 12:29 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hurricane Gustav is a tropical depression once more but it is still a “very serious storm,” Gov. Bobby Jindal said today. “We're not quite at halftime,” he cautioned, noting the massive power outages, tornadoes, and heavy rains plaguing the state. “There is a lot, lot more work ahead of us.” Evacuees will have to wait to return home, USA Today reports.
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Associated Press
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Sep 2, 08 2:50 AM CDT
(Newser) -
New Orleans' levee system withstood the power punch delivered yesterday by Hurricane Gustav, but also revealed its continuing vulnerabilities, reports AP. The Industrial Canal flood wall was swamped, flooding again an area devastated by Katrina. The Industrial Canal is considered the system's Achilles' heel. The Army Corps of Engineers is spending $700 million on a canal barrier, but it won't be in place until at least 2011.
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Dallas Morning News
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Sep 2, 08 2:05 AM CDT
(Newser) -
The GOP convention kicked off yesterday with the most subdued opening anybody can remember, Wayne Slater writes in the Dallas Morning News . The focus was firmly on Hurricane Gustav, Politico reports, and Cindy McCain and Laura Bush stepped in to appeal for aid for storm victims—in lieu of canceled appearances by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
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Associated Press
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Sep 1, 08 7:01 PM CDT
(AP) -
Hurricane Gustav left more than 1 million without power today as it tore roofs from homes, toppled trees, and flooded roads in the heart of Louisiana's fishing and oil industry, the AP reports. Many of the 2 million people who left coastal Louisiana watched TV coverage from shelters and hotel rooms. "They said it's bad, real bad," said a man who had called home to Chauvin, La. "There are roofs lying all over. It's all gone."
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Chicago Tribune
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Sep 1, 08 3:37 PM CDT
(Newser) -
With most Republican convention events postponed due to Gustav, Laura Bush and Cindy McCain made the case for the Republican ticket, the Chicago Tribune reports. At a breakfast meeting for the Louisiana delegation today, the first lady praised John McCain’s experience and engagement with foreign policy, and Cindy McCain said she was "extremely proud of his pick for vice president."
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Weather.com
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Sep 1, 08 3:14 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Hurricane Gustav has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm, Weather.com reports, with its top winds diminishing to 90 mph as it moves west across Louisiana. The storm was at Category 2 when it made landfall earlier today near Cocodrie, La. Gustav, with the potential for continued heavy rain and winds, is moving northwest at approximately 15 mph.
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Associated Press
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Sep 1, 08 2:35 PM CDT
(AP) -
The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Hanna to a hurricane as it brings waves, rain, and blustery winds to the Turks and Caicos islands, the AP reports. Hurricane warnings—meaning the storm is expected to arrive within 24 hours—were issued for the island chain and the central and southeastern Bahamas today, and forecasters warned that the storm could strike the US mainland.
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Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
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Sep 1, 08 12:45 PM CDT
(Newser) -
Six inches of water from Hurricane Gustav is flooding the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans, but the Army Corps of Engineers says the situation is not a major danger, the Times-Picayune reports. The Lower Ninth Ward’s levees, which were reinforced after Hurricane Katrina, have not given way. "There are no breaches," said a spokesman for Mayor Ray Nagin.
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Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
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Sep 1, 08 11:26 AM CDT