Marcus,
I don't know where Emily is, but I hope that she left New Orleans before the
storm, along with four-fifths of the population. I heard that her wonderful
Tertiary collection was transferred to the Florida Museum of Natural History
several years ago, so they, at least, are safe.
The news showed that some Tulane University students are being accommodated
by universities elsewhere, so their education will not be interrupted. But
so many children will be out of school as their parents wait and wonder what
to do next.
Doug Shelton, organizer of next year's COA convention, called on his
cellphone yesterday before the power came back on at his home in Mobile.
Trees are down on his property and no doubt he will have his work cut out
for him for a while. However, he and his family are safe, power has been
restored to his home, and he has phone service, though not Internet service
yet. He has already checked with the two proposed venues for the COA
meeting, and one, the beautiful Mobile Convention Center, survived with only
minor damage because it was purposefully built high above the river. The
show will go on!
http://www.mobileconventions.com/
Tuscaloosa: 400 trees down, including some on houses, and power has not been
fully restored yet, but basically we're back at work and school again.
Please do not attempt to visit the Alabama-Mississippi-Louisiana coastline
to collect shells, unless you are part of an authorized survey. Damage has
been extensive and some areas are under martial law. Looters msy be shot,
and landowners will be suspicious of people stooping to pick items off the
ground. Ordinarily this is relaxed and hospitable country, but these are no
ordinary times.
It's reminiscent of 'Dr. Zhivago': refugees and ruins. I went to high school
in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans that is also flooded, and more than
half of the alumni must have lost their homes and everything in them. And I
hope none have died. But as 'Dr. Zhivago' shows, things are not important
compared to people. We will have an opportunity to help Emily and other New
Orleanians. Money is needed first, to fuel the rescue effort for people now.
The Mayor of New Orleans said yesterday that only 15,000 people can be
rescued per day, but perhaps 50,000 to 100,000 remained in the city in
dreadful conditions. When we find Emily, we can help her personally, if she
permits. Till then, we should act as if everyone there is our lost cousin,
which is true enough.
Has anyone on the list dealt with the aftermath of flooding of libraries,
archives, or collections? Do you have any practical advice that we can have
ready? I think that the delay will be so long that most such collections
will have to be thrown out, but there will be some unique items, such as
type specimens of fossils, that may be both recoverable and worth the effort
of restoring. It’s also something that everyone should know, just in case.
I'll give this a start in another message.
Hope for the best!
Andy
Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama
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