by Laura Olson

The scariest thing on "Sesame Street" may be the wrath of Oscar the Grouch, but the show's creators know there are real dangers that kids are forced to deal with in their own neighborhoods.

Teaching children about emergency preparedness -- in the wake of hurricanes, flooding and tornadoes -- is an important but also difficult task. The Sesame Workshop, along with the Department of Homeland Security, believes that Big Bird can help kids understand how to react to an emergency so they're prepared for the real deal.

The organizations have teamed up to launch a program called "Let's Get Ready! Planning Together for Emergencies," which will provide books and DVDs to help parents talk to their kids about natural disasters and other emergencies.

Topics include the importance of creating a family plan, and helping kids learn their phone number and other personal information.

The Sesame Workshop will deliver 150,000 free resource kits to parents during September, and some materials are available online.

by Frank James

Earlier, I posted on the Federal Emergency Management Agency getting flak from state and local officials in Texas for not getting food, water and other critical supplies to the Hurricane Ike evacuees and even first responders.

FEMA, for its part, blamed local and state officials for fumbling on the distribution.

Given all that, a FEMA press release e-mailed this afternoon caught my eye announcing some video footage the agency was making available to the broadcast media.

B-ROLL OF COMMODITY DISTRIBUTION IN RESPONSE TO HURRICANE IKE

Satellite: AMC-16 (at 85 deg West)
Transponder 23-A
Downlink 12146.5 Vertical
Symbol Rate: 6.1113
FEC: 3/4

Just a coincidence, I'm sure.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff talks with reporters about the federal response to Hurricane Ike at FEMA headquarters Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008. From left: FEMA Administrator David Paulison, Chertoff, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joseph Castillo, and Energy Department Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Kevin Kolevar. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

by Frank James

It's starting to sound like federal, state and local officials didn't have all their plans and responsibilities ironed out before Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf Coast.

Government officials are evidently blaming each other for snafus in the delivery of food, water and other supplies to evacuees and even rescue officials themselves.

This is from the Houston Chronicle:

It didn't take long for the finger-pointing to begin.

State officials said that was a local responsibility, which came as a surprise to Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.

A flooded street after Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, in Galveston, Texas. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

by Frank James

Not many details from the 2:30 pm federal press conference on Hurricane Ike held by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Federal Emergency Management Agency Dave Paulison.

Chertoff said he didn't have any numbers for casualties, that it probably will be a day for two before he has some numbers.

Same with the condition of the Gulf Coast refineries. It may take a day to get information on how much damage those facilities sustained.

Because the storm surge wasn't as great as the worst-case scenarios forecast, Chertoff said, hopes are that damage to critical infrastructure won't be severe.

Chertoff said the first responders have 52 helicopters available to them, between federal and state aircraft. "We're getting a lot of 911 calls" Chertoff said. He urged those waiting for help to "be patient" and "sit tight" since the rescuers have their hands full.

The areas that appear to have the highest priority for search and rescue are the cities of Galveston and Orange in Texas and Cameron Parrish in Louisiana. All those areas were covered by surge waters.

Paulison urged people in the affected area to stay put and indoors, saying that sometimes the most dangerous time is after a hurricane is when people start to move about outside where they can encounter downed power lines and other dangers.

Texas authorities held a press conference hard on the heels of the federal press conference. Gov. Rick Perry said no one would be allowed to return to onto Galveston Island for the time being.

Among today's rescues were four patients at the University of Texas Medical Branch hospital in Galveston, Perry said.

by Frank James

Federal officials plan a 2:30 pm ET Hurricane Ike briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. That should give us some of the best information yet, at least when it comes to preliminary reports, on casualties and damage in the Gulf Coast area, particularly along the Texas coast.

From monitoring the cable news channels, including the Weather Channel, it's clear there was a lot of damage with widespread power outages, downed trees, damaged buildings and flooding.

It appears, however, that the surge in the Galveston area was lower than had been feared because the storm's track veered somewhat from the projected track.

It's also clear that no one has any idea at present how many people were killed or injured or need rescue. No doubt we'll see images reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina with Coast Guard crews rescuing the stranded throughout the day.

A good information source is the Houston Chronicle's website, including blogs that are being constantly updated.

We'll be keeping an eye on how all this unfolds. This is obviously a major story with broad implications far beyond the Gulf Coast since there are major concerns about the nation's gas and diesel supplies, with a quarter of the nation's refining capacity in the Gulf Coast, and the cleanup costs, which promise to be sizable.

by Frank James

The Feds have issued a press release outlining the preparations they've made for Hurricane Ike. The release has some useful information. For instance, there are more than 1,000 high-water vehicles at the ready to conduct search-and-rescue once the storm passes.

But it appears the Coast Guard only has 17 helicopters in position and 10 more it can get its hands to conduct rescues. That doesn't seem like nearly enough since the area that is being hit by Hurricane Ike is vast. And what if some of the helicopters develop mechanical problems?

Here's the release:

News Release

Federal assets are standing by to support search and rescue missions and other critical life-saving and life-preserving efforts. People outside the storm's path can help, too. Make a donation to a charity supporting our effort, such as the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org. FEMA has also partnered with the Aidmatrix Foundation to help companies and individuals offer their support online. This portal is designed to make it as easy to offer financial support, product donations, or to donate skills and time to nonprofit organizations active in disaster relief. To make a contribution or to volunteer, visit www.aidmatrixnetwork.org.

Bill Murphy, right, stands with his wife, Barbara, as two others who were stranded with them wait to be rescued from flood waters by a Coast Guard helicopter in High Island, Texas Friday, Sept. 12, 2008 (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Guy Reynolds)

by Frank James

3:59 pm -- Chertoff is asked how bad the situation is, is this the nightmare scenario he worried about?

"This is a very, very bad scenario. A worst-case scenario," says Chertoff. "Going to take a while to get people back because of the flooding."

There's the chance of environmental spills like those seen in past storms, he said.

Another question. Any concerns about shortage of supplies especially with all the storms this year?

"More than adequate supplies even in a worse case scenario," says Chertoff. He added even though he thinks there are enough supplies, he'd like to get power up ASAP after the storm so stores can reopen which would take some pressure of FEMA and other responders.

Paulison says there will be plenty of food between FEMA and the Red Cross. And since FEMA was doubled in size after Hurricane Katrina, there will be plenty of personnel.

Red Cross guy says the organization is in the hole, that Gustav took $40 million to $70 million. "We need Americans to see the need in the Gulf and to help. We need people to go to RedCross.org" and make a contribution.

Chertoff ends by saying he briefed President Bush earlier in the day. "The whole federal government is focused on backing the states and doing all that's possible."

He said he plans to go to the Gulf tomorrow, that he and other officials will wait to see where the storm goes so they don't fly right into it.

"I look forward to being on the ground as close to the affected area as possible," he said. (Here's a verbatim transcript of the press conference.)

by Frank James

Some commentators have noted that the National Weather Service's warning to the Texas Gulf Coast on Hurricane Ike are enough to curdle the blood. It is truly a breathtaking alarm:

LIFE THREATENING INUNDATION LIKELY!

ALL NEIGHBORHOODS...AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES... WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE. PERSONS NOT HEEDING EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORY HOMES MAY FACE CERTAIN DEATH. MANY RESIDENCES OF AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ON THE COAST WILL BE DESTROYED. WIDESPREAD AND DEVASTATING PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE IS LIKELY ELSEWHERE. VEHICLES LEFT BEHIND WILL LIKELY BE SWEPT AWAY. NUMEROUS ROADS WILL BE SWAMPED...SOME MAY BE WASHED AWAY BY THE WATER. ENTIRE FLOOD PRONE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CUTOFF. WATER LEVELS MAY EXCEED 9 FEET FOR MORE THAN A MILE INLAND. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN MULTI-STORY FACILITIES RISK BEING CUTOFF. CONDITIONS WILL BE WORSENED BY BATTERING WAVES CLOSER TO THE COAST. SUCH WAVES WILL EXACERBATE PROPERTY DAMAGE...WITH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES...INCLUDING THOSE OF BLOCK CONSTRUCTION. DAMAGE FROM BEACH EROSION COULD TAKE YEARS TO REPAIR.

Ike clearly looks to be a fearsome storm. Anyone along the coast who decides to try to ride this storm out should probably say their final goodbyes to friends and family today.

We haven't seen a warning like this one since just before Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Here's what the NWS issued then:

HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

by Frank James

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Democratic National Committee is suspending its counter-programming efforts in St, Paul in response to the Republican National Committee's decision to significantly scale back the GOP convention on Monday and to take the rest of the week's schedule day by day because of the Hurricane Gustav.

Here's the DNC's press release.

DNC Response to Revised Republican Convention Plans

St. Paul, MN - In light of the situation in the Gulf Coast, the Democratic National Committee announced that is has canceled its daily media briefing at the More of the Same Media Center on Monday, September 1. Additional scheduling updates will be provided when available.

(Our comment boards are broken so please send any comments by e-mail to theswamp@tribune.com and we'll get them up as soon as we can.)

by Frank James

The Homeland Security Department is giving us a sense of Secretary Michael Chertoff's itinerary today. Suffice it to say that he is going to be showing the DHS flag a lot in Louisiana in the next few hours.

He'll be making at least three stops, in Houma, New Orleans and Baton Rouge to look at Hurricane Gustav preparations.

Compare this to what he did three years ago before Hurricane Katrina. The closest he got to New Orleans before that storm was Atlanta.

Then FEMA director Michael "Brownie" Brown also faulted Chertoff after the fact for ordering him to stay in Baton Rouge instead of letting him go into New Orleans to see first-hand the destruction.

Obviously, Chertoff isn't making the same mistake twice. He's going beforehand to the city directly in the path of imminent storm. Here's a press release from the Homeland Security Department.

STATEMENT BY HOMELAND SECURITY PRESS SECRETARY LAURA KEEHNER

We continue to remind Gulf Coast residents about the importance of taking precautionary measures to prepare for an emergency situation or evacuation as Gustav approaches our shores. The department's Ready Campaign encourages citizens to get an emergency supply kit, make an emergency plan, and stay informed of instructions from local authorities. Please visit www.ready.gov for resources and information on personal and business emergency preparedness.

(Our comment boards are currently broken so please send any comments by e-mail to theswamp@tribune.com and we'll get them up as soon as we can.)

by Frank James

I just watched Homeland Security Sec. Michael Chertoff's brief press conference at Andrews Air Force base just before he got on a plane to head to the Gulf Coast region to check in on preparations for Hurricane Gustav.

The secretary, a very nice man, said the levees are stronger than they were before Hurricane Katrina. Chertoff should doublecheck that information.

The reporting I've read indicates that the levees are not generally and absolutely stronger. True, some levees have been strengthened and rebuilt after they failed.

But there've been questions about the rebuilding efforts that reconstructed levees that failed after Katrina.

There's also been seepage under a few of the levees that has confounded the Army Corps of Engineers.

Some of the levees that held up under Katrina are among those that experts are most worried about.

Here's a story from New Orleans's Times-Picayune newspaper from April 17, 2008.

Despite withstanding Hurricane Katrina and being poised to become the area's first levee to reach the vaunted 100-year storm elevation, the East Jefferson lakefront levee might not be adequate and may need to be totally rebuilt or substantially enlarged.

"Our new method of analysis has given us (data) that we don't intend to ignore," said Lt. Col. Murray Starkel, deputy commander of the corps' New Orleans District.

by Bay Fang

During a visit to earthquake-stricken Sichuan province in China, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited a project run by Samaritan's Purse, Franklin Graham's evangelical aid organization.

She made the point that it is the relationship between people that makes the difference in relations between countries, and invoked the experience of Hurricane Katrina, saying that even the US needed international assistance during times of disaster.

"I remember very well during Katrina in the United States," she said. "People think of the United States as a developed, wealthy country with its own resources. But we so much appreciated the outreach from countries around the world to help the people in need."

by Katie Fretland

With his sleeves rolled up, President Bush visited Iowa's flood zones, where he made a pledge to small town residents that the government would not forget them.

"I know a lot of farmers and cattlemen are hurting right now, along with the city people... We also got to worry about the little towns," the president said while meeting with emergency management and government officials. "A lot of folks are wondering whether or not the government hears about them, too, and I can assure you that I know the governor cares deeply about it, and so do we."

He also suggested ways the public can help -- by visiting volunteer.gov or donating to the Red Cross.

About 600 FEMA personnel are traveling throughout the state to provide aid and Congress plans to approve additional money to handle the disaster recovery, Bush said.

Storms tore through six states last week causing flooding that forced thousands of people to evacuate. Twenty-four people were killed in flooding and tornadoes. Heavy rains damaged millions of acres of farmland.

The president's trip brought back memories of the government's failures following Hurricane Katrina.

"I really don't have much of an opinion of his coming," Lashawn Baker, 33, a Cedar Rapids resident told The Associated Press. "It took him a long time to get to New Orleans and he didn't help any of those people, so I don't think he's going to do anything to help Cedar Rapids now that he's here."

FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison, who traveled with Bush, praised the cooperation of his agency with the Army Corps of Engineers in getting supplies such as food, water and sandbags to the people who need them.

They have distributed more than 3.3 million liters of fresh drinking water, 200,000 meals and 4,000 rolls of plastic sheeting.

"Another lesson learned from Katrina," he said.