These are the questions our people here are asking. With New Orleans slowly coming under control, the enormous reality of our situation is starting to sink in. But we still can't even begin to get our arms around it.

For a week Stacy and I have been listening to news about all of these refugees and only today realised we are among them. It has helped, however, when visiting the hardest case medical evacuees at the LSU triage centre. I ask them first where they've come in from. They almost always say, "New Orleans," with a tone of desperation and sadness. I can tell them, "me too!" That gets a smile.

But there was no smile from the woman who was plucked from the water and has no idea if her three children were rescued. Word has it more than 40,000 people still need to be evacuated out of New Orleans. The City probably won't re-open for nine months and people will be homeless for two years. FEMA is bringing in the first 14,000 temporary homes this week.

Now that we can think of "what next?" a bit, there is grave concern over water contamination from raw sewage and chemicals. Along with the diseases resulting from bad water, mosquitoes are now breeding and there is fear over West Nile which is already in the area. Two police officers have committed suicide; one had discovered his entire family perished in the storm surge.

Last night we saw the first footage from Chalmette and St. Bernard Parish, east of N.O. The water was up to the rooftops and the survivors there said it was six feet higher when the flood rolled in. We're recognising that many people will simply never return to the New Orleans area. Not one person with whom I visited today at the PMAC shelter said they would ever go back.

Earlier today I celebrated Mass up in New Roads, about thirty-five minutes north of Baton Rouge. We were welcomed with open arms by this beautiful community. Present were refugee families from at least five New Orleans parishes.

I called them up for anointing and healing prayers and then asked them to anoint and pray for me at the 10:00am Service. It was good to be together, if only for a short while. And we were provided a great breakfast. We were able to feel "normal" for a brief while.

St. Luke's is getting slammed. The shelters are asking for granola and breakfast bars; these will be five star meals at present. Staff are bringing people to their already filled homes for showers and baths. We're low on gas and water. Please pray that we receive strength.

Exhaustion is setting in and we are only taking the first steps of a long marathon. As of this evening I have 28 parish families remaining on our missing list. Found two more earlier in the day and I wanted to cry with joy.

One family with two children made it to Tennessee, another to this area. The search goes on; we are working the phones and Internet sites feverishly.

We know many of you are dealing with massive refugee influx in your own locales. Apparently 250,000 Louisianans are now in Texas. Thank you all for everything you are doing in many ways.

Thank you for your love, prayers and concern. It's a tremendous comfort to know we are not alone. Many blessings, prayers and much love from higher ground, jerry+ op and all www.stlukesbr.org

The Rev'd Jerry Kramer is the rector of Church of the Annunciation in New Orleans Louisiana