LDS Church prepares aid for Ivan victims

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has its Bishops' storehouses in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas prepared and ready to respond to hurricane victims in the New Orleans area.

The church also sent a shipment by air of 16 pallets of hygiene kits and medical supplies to Grenada, as requested by the government response agency there. The supplies are currently en route. An additional assessment of community needs is under way.

In the Jamaica, an emergency shipment of 3,000 food boxes and other emergency relief supplies is being provided to those in need there. Officials are taking a community needs assessment for the Cayman Islands.

There was no update available at press time on the welfare or missionaries or church members in hurricane-stricken areas.

According to Randall Berg, operations director for the Salt Lake International Airport, Hurricane Ivan has yet to affect the airport.

"There's really zero impact so far," he said.

Lewis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport remains open, although all flight operations have ceased. Many flights originally destined for New Orleans are being diverted to Atlanta, he said.