[ga] News from New York

[Joanna Lane <jo-uk@rcn.com>]

We are fine, but it does feel a little like a war zone here. New York State
has just been declared a disaster area. Another 47 story building has
collapsed and rescue services still cannot get into the area to pull people
out. I have watched a billow of smoke rising in the sky across the bay all
day, both white and black smoke. We are about 40 minutes east of the city by
train from Penn Station on Long Island. This morning, I went to the top of
the hill in a local park and from our vantage point, we could see the
skyline clearly against the cloudless blue sky, but not the same skyline we
know and love. 

As the sun sets here, our thoughts are with all those who are affected by
this tragedy, and in this community, no family will be left untouched in the
coming days.

The atmosphere is calm and very subdued, dead on the streets, save for
emergency service sirens from time time as they make their way into the city
on highways that are closed to all normal traffic. Two local schools have
also received bomb threats during the day, one assumes from copycats. Many
friends of our own children have parents who work in the city. By
mid-morning today, the school called for all children whose parents work in
the city to report to the main office, where they each tried to contact
their parents by phone.

All roads, highways, tunnels, bridges, airports and waterways around
Manhattan are closed.  There is no way in and out of the city from where we
are. Our friends have been evacuated by boat to New Jersey.  Wireless phones
are out, only landlines open, and long lines waiting to use those. My ISP is
in the NYC. Let's see if this bounces.

For those with friends in the WTO, it may reassure you to know that my
friend has spoken to one family member who was working on the 60th floor at
the time the first plane hit. He escaped and is now in a New Jersey hospital
with only minor injuries.

The roads are dead outside. They are evacuating from Manhattan by ferry to
New Jersey, using the tourist cruise boats and tugs, which then return to
the city with supplies which are now running short. There is a shortage of
food and water. They appealed about an hour ago for sandwiches and soda to
be taken to the New jersey ferry ports, as well as blood throughout the
area. Donations centres are being set up for tomorrow. Trains from Penn
station, have been coopted to bring the injured to Long Island Hospitals,
mainly the walking wounded, burn victims who can wait for treatment. The
first will arrive at about 9pm in our area, about 1 1/2 hours from now. JFK
Airport will be closed until at least 12 noon tomorrow.

My thoughts and sympathies are with all New Yorkers, and particularly those
in my own community, whose pain over coming days and months will be almost
unbearable. There is nobody in this community who will not be affected, but
if anybody can cope with such devastation, it is New Yorkers. They have
phenominal emergency resources and strength of mind. Rest assured, we will
survive and be a stronger people for it.

Friends in England report that they have evacuated the City of London and
that there is a news blackout in the UK of all but the most basic
information from the US. I am not inclined to believe there is a news
blackout. Our TV and radio stations here are broadcasting freely, and many
phone numbers for friends and families to call about loved ones. If anybody
needs them, let me know off-list.


Regards,

Joanna

The URLs for Best Practices: DNSO Citation:
http://www.dnso.org/dnso/gaindex.html
(Under "Other Information Documents"; "August 2001:
Proposal for Best Practices for the DNSO GA")
Part I: 
http://www.dnso.org/dnso/notes/20010813.GA-BestPractices.html
Part II: 
http://www.dnso.org/dnso/notes/20010813.GA-BP-flowchart.pdf
(Access to the .pdf file requires installing the Adobe Acrobat
Reader, which is available for free down load at
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.) 

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