Algiers update Sep 23, 2005

After closely monitoring the news and the forecasted track of Hurricane Rita we decided to stay put in Algiers and so far so good. The max winds we got last night were about 40mph from the east and we also got a few good rain squals but no flooding. We needed the water due to so much tree debri that had dried out and was just waiting to catch fire.

We lost power last night for about 8 hours but this morning it was back on and has remained. We expect some moderate southeasterlies today and tonight but it appears we have been spared the worse of Rita. Unfortunatetly the induxtrial canal levee patches have breached again so the 9th ward will get flooded again but they are saying that once the main storm clears they are pre-positioned to pump the water out.

Hopefully one Rita clears they will restart the re-entry of New Orleans in the dry zip codes and we can get back to cleanign up and also have a bit of freedom to drive around. We have ben stuck in Algiers due to road closures for most of this week.

Winn Dixie in Algiers is open with about 50% stock and probably half the gas stations are open again. Little by little things are coming back to a semblance of normalcy.

Check out these pics of the car ferries and the barges on the river.







Main powerlines down on river road near Algiers side of Chalmette ferry landing.










Barge on levee. My uncle who stayed behind in Algiers during Katrina said that the water in the river was 18" from the top of the levee and the barges were pounding the levee. There are hundreds of barges along the levee all along the river on both sides.









Chalmette Ferry on the levee just south of the Algiers locks on the westbank side.











Second Chalmette ferry on the levee on the westbank side of the ferry landing.

Update 9.20.05

Sorry for the lack of updates but the only phone line we had working went down and only now came back up.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. We are all ok and my dad is doing fine.

Our area of Algiers was opened again on Monday only to be closed up again due to the threat of Hurricane Rita. As a result my mom, sister and niece have postponed their return for another week and will return next Tuesday Sep 27.

We are stuck in Algiers again since the latest manditory evacuation because once you exit you can no longer get back in through the checkpoint. We will monitor this new Hurricane and if it looks like it will threaten us we will have to leave again. At this point we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will pass to the south of us.

The area is till a ghost town. I'd say only about 10% of people in Algiers came back befor ethey shut down the re-entry. Businesses are trying to clean up and open and we do have some stores upen. The west bank of Jeff Parish is doing well with many stores openign up in Grenta, Harvey and Marrerro.

Hopefully once Hurricane Rita passes, we can get back into the rebuilding effort. Algiers did really well and will be a good foothold to assist the rest of New Orleans in coming back.

Last week Dave and I managed to get into the city and drove around where we could. There are large areas of the city that will take a long time to clean up and restore. Where the water has dried out, it smells like the bayou. Where the water still remains it smells really bad. The good side if there is any, is that the economic center of the city, French Quarter, CBD, was not that bad and should recover quickly once power and safe water are restored.

We have to start somewhere and there are a few small islands scattered through the city that survived and can act as the beggining of the rebuilding effort.

I still find it amazing that a major American City has been over 60 to 70 % destroyed and most of the people are gone.

I'll try to update as best I can.

Algiers, Sep 10, 2005

Anyone interested in any info on Algiers please go to http://www.polimom.com/ This has become the official site for info on Algiers and I am sendign photos and reporting directly to them.





Local grovery store, Breaux Mart, totally looted.













Entergy and Tree Clearing crews workign hard to restore power and phone lines.

Geroge and I having canned spaghetti and vienna sausage for lunch mmm mmm good.




Today we got our vaccinations at West Jefferson Hospital. The line was long but moved well.

We are busy cutting and clearing trees that are blocking roads

Algiers in Good Hands

Algiers now has regular National Guard patrols. The neighborhood grid has been divided up and there are platoons patrolling the various grids. In this manner, you have the same soldiers in the same neighborhood so they are beginning to know who belongs and who doesn't. They are still allowing us to remain armed while we travel for supplies.

Back in Algiers

We are all ok. My dad, Demetrios Spetsiotis is OK.

Monday Sep 5th Evening – After loading up with food, gas, water and other critical provisions Myself, George, Dave and John departed Memphis drove all night to Baton Rouge. At Kris’ house in Baton Rouge we left one of the cars and we started for New Orleans on Tues morning Sep 6th.

Tuesday Sep 6th Am - After a very long drive with lots of traffic and scarce gas, we managed to get through the road blocks and into Algiers. The area looks devastated but I think once the debris and trees are cleared, most homes and businesses came through ok.

Upon arrival I went to look for my dad. He was not at home but there were singes of him being there. While driving around looking for my dad, we came across him walking my sister’s dog. He was fine and in good spirits. He was not aware of the level of devastation that had hit the city across the river. There were a few neighbors back patrolling the streets. We all armed ourselves and contributed to the task. We came across police officers from Chicago and asked about the protocol of arming ourselves. They said if they were in our situation they would be armed.

Wednesday Sep 7th – After surveying the area and identifying the main military and police sub stations, we managed to get into a temp military facility to get ice, water and MRE’s( Meals Ready to Eat). We made contact with Derek Hoffman and Mark Avery (Good friends and neighbors that had gotten in the day before.

Much greater presence of military patrolling the streets today. Also much greater presence of mosquitoes. Trash is also starting to smell pretty bad.

We got busy cutting the tree that fell on my house. All of the other homes (my parents, my sister, John’s, Derek.s, Mark’s), came through ok. Pat Lytle also got a tree on his roof. Tree removal will be an enormous task.

Thursday Sep 8th – George’s phone at his house is working intermittently and I am preparing this e-mail for the blog if I can connect through dial up.

Today we started cutting down and pulling away trees that blocked main roads in our neighborhood. The military checked on us several times. Took our information and told us to continue doing what we were doing.

We found and ice, water and MRE distribution center today and stocked up.

John Juul packed all of his equipment , cat and birds and headed for Pensacola today.

It’s now George, Dave and myself at my house. Nights are pretty good. We run the genny and have fans to keep the air as cool as possible but it is still hot.

We are in good spirits and keeping busy with clean up. Our primary tasks at this point are tree removal and trash pick up. We are collecting trash and bringing it to pick up centers to prevent it from rotting and causing disease. In addition we are always son the look out for gas, food and water.

For anyone thinking of coming back…DON’T. Firstly, this is no place for a family. If you are an able bodied person, preferably the outdoors type, and you are resourceful and self sufficient you can make do and assist in the clean up. But it is no place for kids, elderly or anyone that is not used to roughing it. There are minimal medical facilities so you have to be very careful not to get hurt or have a cut infected.

ALGIERS SUMMARY
Entergy ois working hard on restoring power, It may be a while as there are thousands of trees to pick up and many fallen power line poles. We are constantly having to drive over them.

Military is in place with good patrols

Some distribution centers starting up with ice, food and waer but minimal supply.

Home Dept on Westbank Expressway to open soon.

Wallmart gas station on Lapalco and Barrataria selling limited gas.

Trying to get back to Algiers

Hi All,

Myself, George Williams, Dave Rodrigue and John Juul will try to get into Algiers tomorrow. We will leave Memphis tonight (Mon, Sep 5th) and drive to Baron Rouge. We will arrive there early Tuesday morning. We will leave our cars in Baton Rouge at my friend Kris' house. From there we will get into my truck with supplies and join the long line of cars to try to get into Jefferson Parish and then Algiers. We know that if they check our identification and see that we do not live in Jefferson Parish they will turn us around but we are willing to take that chance. We have to do something.

I will probably be out of communications for the next several days.

If we are successfull in getting into Algiers, we will probably be out of communication until they restore phone lines and/or internet and cell phones. We will make every effort to make contact and give everyone our status.

Wish us luck.

Spetsiotis Family Friends

Dave Rodrigue - With us here in Memphis. His dad Mr. Bob Rodrigue is also ok.

John Juul - With us here in Memphis. All of his family is ok. They are trying to get access to their house in Algiers to save their cat.

Spetsiotis Family Status

Demetrios Spetsiotis - Made it ok through the storm but no word since Tuesday August 30th.

Ioanna Spetsiotis, Despina Williams, Nicole Williams - In Boston with my uncle Costa.

Nick Spetsiotis & George Williams - In Memphis monitoring the situation in New Orleans and preparing to go back as soon as authorities allow it.

Status on Our Homes

Nick Spetsiotis house - OK - No flooding and no major damage.

Despina Spetsiotis & Geroge Williams house - OK - No flooding no major damage. Several pine trees next to the house have fallen but they fell onto the street.

Demetrios & Ioanna Spetsiotis house - OK - No flooding and no major damage.

Demetrios Spetsiotis Status

My cousin Mike saw my dad the day after the storm. We know he was ok and cleaning the yard. He probably has no idea what has happened as he has no news and his English is nto so good. We had stocked up with water and food before the storm so he should have supplies for a week.