[CPProt.net] AAM: Hurricane Katrina - First Reports

[Ellie Bruggeman]

Hurricane Katrina - First Reports

This page will be updated as information becomes available. Thanks to 
everyone for keeping AAM and the field informed.

*Audubon Nature Institute* (as of 8-30). AZA reports that the staff of 
the Audubon Nature Institute is safe. The physical plants at both the 
Zoo and the Aquarium suffered little damage. The staff will continue to 
assess the impact on the animal collections at all Audubon facilities.

*Aquarium of Americas* (as of 8-31). The //Palladium-Item/ 
<javascript:HandleLink('cpe_8282_0','CPNEWWIN:child^toolbar=1,location=1,directory=0,status=1,menubar=1,scrollbars=1,resizable=1 at http://www.pal-item.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050831/NEWS01/508310303/1008');>/ 
reported that the Aquarium, located on Canal Street a few blocks from 
the New Orleans' French Quarter, lost only one fish and he had been sick 
before the hurricane hit.

*Beauvoir,* *Jefferson Davis's home* (as of 8-31). The //Clarion Ledger/ 
<javascript:HandleLink('cpe_8282_0','CPNEWWIN:child^toolbar=1,location=1,directory=0,status=1,menubar=1,scrollbars=1,resizable=1 at http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050830/NEWS0110/50830019');>/ 
reported that Beauvoir, located in Biloxi, was "virtually demolished." 
The house, constructed in 1854, was dedicated in 1998 as the Jefferson 
Davis Presidential Library and Museum. The Beauvoir Confederate 
Cemetery, located at the extreme northwest corner of the 
estate, contains over 750 graves; no reports on its condition are available.

*Birmingham Zoo* (as of 8-30). AZA reports that the Zoo is without 
electricity, has some trees down, but suffered no animal losses.

*BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo* (as of 8-30). AZA reports that the Zoo has no 
electricity, there are lots of trees down, but there were no animal 
losses. They are already working on clean up.

*Danzler House* (as of 8-31). Located in Biloxi, the house had just been 
remodeled to house a Mardi Gras museum. TheDay.com 
<javascript:HandleLink('cpe_8282_0','CPNEWWIN:child^toolbar=1,location=1,directory=0,status=1,menubar=1,scrollbars=1,resizable=1 at http://www.theday.com/eng/web/news/re.aspx?re=446A509E-094A-4E88-B224-7CD00B7CEFE7 
');> reported that it was destroyed.

*Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center* (as of 8-31). The //Mobile 
Register/ 
<javascript:HandleLink('cpe_8282_0','CPNEWWIN:child^toolbar=1,location=1,directory=0,status=1,menubar=1,scrollbars=1,resizable=1 at http://www.al.com/entertainment/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1125480019226390.xml&coll=3');>/ 
reported that an estimated 5 feet of water came into the through the 
front doors. The original exhibit gallery was flooded with about an inch 
of water, but was under renovation anyway. Tim Pula, Science 
Coordinator, confirmed that the exhibit gallery was in a tear down phase 
of a major rework, so the damage was minimal. The museum had planned to 
be closed for a week, after Labor Day, for maintenance and Tim expects 
the museum to be up and running fine after that.

*Jackson Zoo* (as of 8-30). AZA reports that the Zoo suffered very 
slight building damage and has about 35 trees down. There was no injury 
to any staff or animals. About half of the zoo has power. They will be 
closed for about a week while they clean up the trees.

*Louisiana State Museum* (as of 8-31). Tamra Carboni, Director of 
Curatorial Services, called to say that some museum staff have visited 
the Jackson Square area in the French Quarter where the Cabildo, the 
Presbytere, and the Old Mint are located. The buildings sustained some 
damage but the collections are in better shape than feared. Many of the 
New Orleans museum staff who evacuated don't know if they have homes to 
return to yet. Carolyn Harrington, director of the Louisiana State 
Museum's Old Court House Museum in Natchitoches, reported that the 
artifacts in New Orleans are safe except for some of the jazz collection 
in the Old Mint building. The staff is in the process of moving these 
collections now.

*Miami Museum of Science* (as of 8-31). ASTC Informs reported that the 
museum weathered the earlier landfall of the hurricane, sustaining 
damage to the Wildlife Center, but relatively little water penetration. 
President Gillian Thomas says the museum has already reopened, having 
been closed on Saturday and Sunday during power outages and clean up of 
fallen trees and damaged structures.

*Montgomery Zoo* (as of 8-30). AZA reports that the Zoo is without 
electricity, had some trees down, but suffered no animal losses.

*National Park Service sites* (as of 8-31). The NPS's ///Morning 
Report// 
<javascript:HandleLink('cpe_8282_0','CPNEWWIN:child^toolbar=1,location=1,directory=0,status=1,menubar=1,scrollbars=1,resizable=1 at http://data2.itc.nps.gov/morningreport/');>/ 
has updates on the recovery efforts in its parks and monuments, 
including the Everglades NP, Dry Tortugas NP, Gulf Islands NS, Jean 
Lafitte NHP, New Orleans Jazz NHP, Natchez Trace Parkway, Cane River 
Creole NHP, and Natchez NHP.

*New Orleans Museum of Art* (as of 8-31). The Association of Art Museum 
Directors (AAMD) staff talked with director John Bullard, who is at his 
summer home in Maine. The museum survived the hurricane, but he does not 
know the condition of the flooding. He has not been able to contact any 
of his staff to find out how they are doing and the status of the museum 
as phone lines are down in the area. Most of the staff evacuated the 
city prior to the hurricane. Seven museum personnel moved into the 
museum including some security staff and the building engineer. John 
assumes that they have or will soon be evacuated by emergency 
responders; the generator will run out of gas today. The museum is built 
in an elevated part of the city and is built on a high foundation. 
Nevertheless John fears flooding in the basement. He imagines that the 
sculpture park is damaged and in all likelihood strong winds would have 
uprooted or knocked down trees.

*Ogden Museum of Southern Art* (as of 8-30). Fran Huber, Registrar with 
the Louisiana State University Museum of Art, reported that the Ogden 
was fine on Tuesday, but she had no news since the levies broke.

*Old Capitol Museum of Mississippi History* (as of 8-31). Cindy Gardner, 
Field Services Curator, reported that the museum had a third of its 
copper roof blown off, with water then pouring into an exhibit area and 
a storage room. Staff has been working on moving artifacts from one side 
of the building to the other. They have hundreds (if not more) of wet 
artifacts and some that are completely ruined. More information is 
available from the /Clarion Ledger/ 
<javascript:HandleLink('cpe_8282_0','CPNEWWIN:child^toolbar=1,location=1,directory=0,status=1,menubar=1,scrollbars=1,resizable=1 at http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050831/FEAT05/509010302/1023');>.

*USS ALABAMA and USS DRUM* (as of 8-31). Jeff Nilsson, executive 
director of the Historical Navel Ships Association, reports that the 
ALABAMA suffered damage. At the present time, she is listing eight 
degrees to port (toward the pier), but the USS DRUM is apparently in 
good shape. The concrete gangway has been critically damaged, while the 
airplane hanger suffered damage to all sides and the planes are in a 
pile. The Pavilion and Gift Shop, even though boarded up and ready for 
the storm, both suffered damage. There are two feet of water in the Gift 
Shop. A storm surge of at least 10 feet coupled with the triple digit 
winds dealt the park a crippling blow. The unofficial surge is the 
largest ever recorded in Mobile Bay. They expect to be closed 30-60 
days. The ALABAMA web site can be found by going to hnsa.org 
<http://hnsa.org> and clicking on their link. The home page gives an 
index and by clicking on USS ALABAMA News there is an overview of the 
damage.

*USS KIDD Memorial* (as of 8-31). Jeff Nilsson, executive director of 
the Historical Navel Ships Association, talked with Maury Drummond, 
executive director of the USS KIDD Memorial in Baton Rouge. Maury said 
the ship suffered little or no damage and is expected to re-open within 
a week.

http://www.aam-us.org/aamlatest/news/HurricaneFirstReports.cfm