Mississippi’s survivors angry at lack of aid

MISSISSIPPI’S hurricane survivors fear their plight has been overshadowed by the focus on New Orleans.

Over the weekend, many were still waiting for food, clean water and shelter. And they were more than angry at the federal government and the media.

Richard Gibbs said he was disgusted by reports of looting in New Orleans and upset at the lack of attention hurricane victims in his state were getting.

"I say burn the bridges and let 'em all rot there," he said. "We're suffering over here too, but we're not killing each other. We've got to help each other. We need gas and food and water and medical supplies."

Mr Gibbs and his wife Holly have been stuck at their flooded home in Gulfport, just off the Biloxi River. Water comes up to the second floor, they are out of gasoline, and food supplies are running perilously low.

In poverty-stricken north Gulfport, Grover Chapman is angry at the lack of aid.

"Something should've been on this corner three days ago," Mr Chapman, 60, said.

Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist, said he has been watching hours of Katrina coverage every day and most of the national media attention had focused on the devastation and looting in New Orleans.

"Mississippi needs more coverage," Mr Sabato said. "Until people see it on TV, they don't think it's real."

US President George W Bush toured ravaged areas of the Mississippi coast and New Orleans on Friday with Governor Haley Barbour and other officials.

"I'm going to tell you, Mississippi got hit much harder than they did, but what happened in the aftermath it makes your stomach hurt to go miles and miles and miles and the houses are all under water up to the roof," the governor said.

Keisha Moran has been living in a tent in a department store parking lot in Bay St Louis with her boyfriend and three young children since the hurricane struck. She said National Guardsmen have brought her water but no other aid so far, and she was furious that it took Mr Bush several days before he came to see the damage in Mississippi.

"It's how many days later? How many people are dead?" Ms Moran said.

Mississippi's death toll from Hurricane Katrina stood at 144.

In a strongly-worded editorial, The Sun Herald of Biloxi-Gulfport pleaded for help and questioned why a massive National Guard presence wasn't visible.

"We understand that New Orleans also was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, but surely this nation has the resources to rescue both that metropolitan (area) and ours," the newspaper said.

"We are not calling on the nation and the state to make life more comfortable in south Mississippi, we are calling on the nation and the state to make life here possible," the paper wrote.