I've heard CNN refer to Jasper, Texas (my home town), where the storm is stalled, in passing several times today, yet, I haven't seen any coverage about actual damages. I spoke to my dear friend -- a Jasper native who evacuated to west Texas. Today my friend spoke to another friend who stayed in Jasper (phone service is out with the exception of a few cell phones). Things are very bad there -- flooding (much of it is on swampland), power out, trees down every where (it's in the middle of a major forest), travel within the town is pretty much impossible. Please report or let me know when emergency management personell will arrive in Jasper and where I can go to find out how my home town and loved ones are faring. Please respond via phone (972/248-9737) or email at any time.

Thank you.

Tammy Bell Hammond

Okay, I feel badly about those who left their homes only to get stranded when it was time to turn around and head home, but...I'm willing to bet that if FEMA had shown up with gasoline instead there would be hell to pay for not bringing food and water. People need to realize that it's FEMA's job to make sure that their basic survival needs are being met, not their car's. They're lucky they brought anything considering... Wake up and take care of yourselves!

What a very civilised demonstration. Hardly the full story, but doubtless pleasing to the Bush Administration.

No Gas! This is evidence that even people with means are equal to people without means. FEMA and State or Local Officials should ensure their is enough fuel prior to encouraging people to flee from the storm. We put our own children in peril rather than subject them to sitting on the side of the road without food, water, restrooms, or GAS!.

We hope Paxton keeps his promise, as these people need someone to look up to that does keep their word. Sounds like most people helped each other out here. It is heartwarming to know that there are good people that look after others. Hopefully the power and other repairs will be made to the gas stations or some other way to get gasoline to those that have a need for gas.

We hope that everyne gets to go home, or at least find out what is left of their homes and if their homes too damaged to live in that they are able to find accomodations somewhere while repairs/rebuilding goes on. Perhaps if they decide to leave the area they will find better lives elsewhere. Our prayers are with them.

Bob and Andrew be safe, as well as all of the rescuers, emergency personnel and survivors. Prayers with you all.

Why do people think it is the Federal Government's responsibility to look out for their every need?

Supplying food water and sanitary conditions are enough to get you by. Gas will come and if you have to spend an extra day or two out on hte road versus going back to a shell of a city, oh well!!!!

What,,OMG! They only brought food, water, clothing, money and medical supplies. Bet the Pizza is not stuffed, thick crust and bread is not Sumbeam! How can this happen? What horrible thing is going to happen next? Plain lable Peanut Butter? FEMA Don't owe you anything. The Government don't owe you anything. Maybe we can trade Gas for labor, in cleaning the mess up. Maybe if the Media got thier ratings from how many people they helped, not by thier bottom line. Hey, how much gas do those Media helicopters use flying over? I wasn't too surprise at the "Gimme" attitude of the some of the New Orleans refugees. But when the worthless, decieving, manipulating meda started the same lines about the Texas boys, I woke up. What did you, reporters? Scour thru million people to find a few who would let you slant the facts to your whim? Isn't there a law against misrepresenting the truth? Obviously, honesty in reporting the new, walked out the door with Mr. Cronkite. Well, I am sending some supplies to my kin that live in Texas, wrapped in worthless newspaper. From now on I just read the comics, they are more honest than the media!

this sucks

I just can't believe that people have such want of cheap gas and a car. For the folks in New Orleans, gas was the last thing on their minds. Unlike the folks who were stranded in New Orleans, they have food, water, and their basic needs met. They can wait a bit for the gas, they'll get over it eventually.

We pay taxes, we pay FEMA...They do owe us something."Emergency Management" is what they owe us. That is why they have a job, and that is why we pump billions of dollars into FEMA. They can take some of the $50 billion they just got from the $62 billion from Katrina and put it to good use, i.e. helping people. They couldn't have spent much on Katrina, they haven't done much.

I'm here is South Florida, Last year when we were hit 3 times in 2 months with Hurricanes there were several people that was stuck on the highway evacuating and had to ride out the hole storm on the road. I have not herd on the news if or how many people were stuck on the highway threw the storm??

FEMA was tunnel-visioned, and the only person who gave a damn was a volunteer.

Yes, people are ungreatful and yes food, water, and shelter should have sufficed but promises are promises and if FEMA promised gas then they should have made good on that promise. Who's to say that FEMA won't bring in gas, anyway? This should be a wake up call and like many have said, we can't always rely so heavily on the government.

Call me naive....I wasn't around during the gas shortages of the 60's. However, I will have you know that since Hurricane Ivan hit the Gulf Coast a year ago...I cannot count the times since then that I have had to search long and hard for gas. It's a weird feeling driving all over the city on E...only to find gas station after gas station with bags over pump nozzels. It's to the point now...that as soon as a storm enters the Gulf Coast...gas runs out...long LOOOONG lines...you're lucky if you can find anything. Lesson learned - I now watch the weather intently...lest I'm left spuddering around the "bad side of town" in the wee hours of the morning. Just a deep thought from someone who has seen a few hurricanes.

It sure gets old listen to folks moan, but FEMA has a job and mission. That mission is to provide basic needs when disaster strikes. Earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornados are just some of the events that FEMA responds to. It is why we pay taxes. To have this "insurance" if you will, to help us ALL in times of emergency need.

God Bless all those who have suffered in these storms.I hope nobody deems this inappropriate.This still is ONE NATION UNDER GOD right?

FEMA arrived without Gas. Is this really your complaint? 3 trucks arrive with water, food, and ice - the things needed for humans to STAY ALIVE - and people complain about no gas. How about a thank you to the personnel who loaded the trucks, drove them in after the storm, and delivered emergency supplies. These fine people accepted a responsibility and risked their own safety to help those in need. They are heroes! Heroes whose efforts are being marginalized by a few people whining about gas and a media that would sensationalize it. Rita passed the Florida Keys and headed into the Gulf 5 days ago. Gas was already expensive and in short supply after Katrina. Given these facts, if you lived on the Gulf Coast and didn't have a full tank of gas and / or weren't prepared to evacuate, then get mad at the person you see in the mirror...and stop blaming the federal government.

Man...I feel for you. I mean I lost everything in my house from the storm surge and I am staying with my inlaws. I feel so hopeless. I'll be praying for you all. I know how it is really. I am glad that people from MS are coming out to help you all. WE ARE NOT REFUGEES WE ARE AMERICANS!! God Bless you all.

I just want to say ...YOU GUYS ROCK! You know the goverment can please some of the people, some of the time. But, not ALL of the people ALL of the time. Keep of with the blogs.

It's been less than 24 hours since the rita blew thru and you already have food...the govt. is already there to help...and the last I saw, there was 1 death in Mississippi.
A FAR cry from what happened weeks ago to New Orleans! Count your blessings! An inconvinience is hardly a catastrophy!

Shame Shame on those that complained about NO GAS! You have food, water and a DRY place to stay. Drop to your knees and say a prayer of Thanks for your blessings!! or have you already forgot Katrina!!!!

Being from Michigan, I can't imagine the trials and tribulations people in the gulf coast are experiencing. I completely feel for them. I am elated to hear they are not starving and have water - the basic needs. Certainly, I want them out of harms way and would want to provide anything to get them out and away from danger. What happened in response to Katrina sounds criminal to me.

However, I fail to understand why our tax dollars should provide gasoline for them to return home when they are told not to or to leave the area when the danger is gone. Of course if they were or are in danger, it's different. But it sounds like the shelters have what they need to survive. They should be thankful for what they have and wait until it's safe to return.

My prayers are with them all.

You cannot believe anything the liberal, ratings grabbing, anti-God, media has to say! The actual National Guard Commanders and personnel that were on the ground during Katrina said that the goverment responded to Katrina faster than they responded to any other natural disaster(this National Guardsman had been ordered to almost every national disaster in the past 10-15 yrs.) including Hurricane Andrew which hit Homestead Fla. He stated that they(the national guard) did not have a significant presence in Homestead after Andrew for 4-5 days. And the goverment had National Guardsmen on the ground immediately after Katrina and a full presence within 2 days. It is the same with Rita, the media trys to make the goverment(mainly President Bush) look like the bad guys and like everything is their responsibility. A society where the goverment is responsible for all the peoples needs is a communist goverment, not a republic. And yes for all you people who keep calling America a democracy, you are wrong! This country was founded as a Republic not a democracy. No goverment can care for all the needs of their citizens. If you want and expect that, move to a communist country. There will always be mistakes in any large scale operation, especially one that takes place quickly and involves human beings.But overall I believe our goverment and the city of Houston did an incredible job getting 2.5 million people evacuated in a day or two. The people from Katrina would gladly spend an extra day or two in a shelter(though I sympathize because I know it is very trying)if they could only return home to their houses,lives, and towns and cities. Be grateful, and thank God because it was his mercy and the prayers of many praying saints and intecessors which spared millions of lives from hurricane Rita.And if you ask then why weren't the victims of hurricane Katrina spared? well God had already shown and told many of his prophets that he was going to send a cleansing wind and water to flood New Orleans, Mississippi, and many of their surrounding towns. It is for a divine reason that Katrina was allowed to wash over that area. There were very accurate prophecies as early as 1999 that New Orleans and the surrounding area would be flooded and virtually destroyed. If you would like to hear what God has to say about this situation log on the the Elijah Lists website and look for the Archived articles of the many prophecies about hurricane Katrina before it hit. We should all be turning to God to provide for and meet our needs not to the goverment. We each have a role to play in a disaster such as this. The church has a role and has played one of the most significant roles in helping victims. The goverment does also have a role to play but it cannot do everything. And we as fellow citizens of course should reach out and help however we can. But we should all stop listening to the slanted views of the secular media. They lie, lie, lie! And more than anything we should all repent and turn to the one true God Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. He is the only way to be saved, by no other name can we be saved and enter heaven. And everything that is happening(and it will get worse) has been fortold in the prophecies of the Bible. Log on to the Elijah List and you will be amazed at the accuracy of the prophecies about hurricane Katrina and Rita.And above all remember to pray and keep giving as much as you can to help cover the costs of meeting the immediate and future needs of the victims of these disasters. Their needs will still be there long after we quit talking about Hurricane Katrina and Rita. People(Especially we Americans) tend to have short attention spans and we forget that their(the victims) pain and suffering will continue for many months and possibly years to come while they try to rebuild their jobs,homes,and lives. God Bless America!

Here we are in Franklin and there is no news coverage letting eveyone know what is going on down here.We have streets that have flooded and homes that have been destroyed.There are people here in danger but still nobody has coverage on our home town.

we also need help down here but yet nobody seems to care.