Wed, Aug 31, 2005
No Agency Workers Hurt, But There's A Lot Of Damage
(The following is a message from NASA Administrator Michael
Griffin, issued the day after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the
northern Gulf Coast. --ed.)
In the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, we fortunately have no reports of any injuries or deaths
among NASA employees, contractors or family members at our Stennis
Space Center and Michoud Assembly Facility. Based on early
assessments, both locations did suffer building damage from the
storm, with no immediate indications of damage to flight
hardware.
We also are grateful that the Stennis Space Center provided
shelter to 4,000 people -- NASA employees, contractors and family
members and stranded local residents -- as the hurricane moved
through. The Stennis Space Center is still being used as a shelter
location and the Center's parking lot is being used by Federal
Emergency Management Agency officials as a staging area for
recovery operations. The Stennis Space Center and Michoud Assembly
Facility will be closed for business while recovery efforts
continue.
Currently, Emergency Operations
Centers at the affected Centers and Headquarters are now open and
will remain open during business hours as needed. As emergency
crews begin the difficult work of clearing debris and restoring
power and other services to the facilities on site, we also are
assessing how resources across the entire agency can best be used
to offer support to the Stennis Space Center and Michoud Assembly
Facility.
The Marshall Space Flight Center is already helping tremendously
by serving as a hub for off-site emergency procurement activities.
Two helicopter flights from Marshall will deliver communication
equipment and other supplies to the facilities today (Tuesday).
In the coming days and weeks, we want to make certain our
colleagues and their families get the help they need. While there
is considerable federal and state assistance on the way, NASA
employees can get involved by contributing to the NASA Family
Assistance Fund at www.feea.org. The NASA
Family Assistance Fund will provide a grant of up to $400 and an
interest free loan of up to $600 for people living in declared
disaster areas.
My heart goes out to all the people affected by the hurricane. I
will be visiting the Stennis Space Center and Michoud Assembly
Facility as soon as possible.
Mike Griffin
NASA Administrator
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