Posted on 08/16/2004 1:12:01 PM PDT by Semper911
If they disclose how many are dead they'll have to outlaw mobilehome parks in hurricane prone states.
I agree. It may be a while before they have firm numbers. Hard to say, who is missing, who is at a shelter or at a hotel/motel.
With all due respect, they showed the refrigerator trucks on FoxNews as they were pulling in. They were, indeed, 18 wheelers, and there were 2 of them. The reporter compared it to the sickening feeling she had when she saw the same type of trucks pulling into lower Manhattan after 9-11.
Now today's story says that the official admits there are bodies in the truck(s) but won't say how many. I am just saying it is different than in other disasters. Normally the numbers are given, and then the names are given only after family have been properly notified.
It strikes me as curious, that's all. Not some wild conspiracy, just curious.
My guess is the trucks are nearly empty.
How can they know how many are dead yet when many of the missing might be out of town or staying with relatives?
From the article above:
Yes, there are people in those refrigerated trucks at the temporary morgue, but we're not prepared to say how many.
I am only wondering why they haven't told how many bodies they have so far. Usually they say that as they find them. The spokesman in the article called this a "mass casualty event." Fourteen dead or seventeen dead does not seem to me to be a mass casualty event.
I understand your point: it will take a long time to account for everyone, but as I have said, it just seems curious that there is a gag order on what's in the trucks.
It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, although I have been and still am praying for the people there. There is just something odd about what they are not saying.
What I think -- and that was from watching some news on Mexican tv is that many there are more dead but these dead are "undocumented immigrants" --- because they were showing these trailer parks and the trailers that were still standing were very shabby and apparently these trailers were not tied down like Americans would generally do with their trailers. These might be the people least likely to listen to warnings to evacuate and maybe there would be a reason not to tell the numbers missing or dead yet.
I can't put my finger on it either. They have a certain number of bodies in the truck(s), chances are they could say how many. I could understand the hesitation if they had pieces of people. Otherwise, it's poor public service on the part of those involved to act conspirational. After all, it's not some kind of national security issue (although these days everything is turned into a national security/Department of Homeland Security issue).
Of course it could be some two-bit public official who's milking his 15 minutes of fame (And yes I've met people that would do so). "Behind me you see two refrigerated trucks with bodies in them. I won't tell you how many, but I will tell you there are bodies". Easy explanation, and I wouldn't put it past some officials at that level, in Florida.
Interesting (and sad).
Someone upthread said that there were rumors of that after Andrew, but the numbers never came out.
If that is true, we'll never know.
...but which Bush will be blamed? Jeb, George or both?
Quite possible.
It's interesting but I wouldn't know if it's true --- those stations always manage to find only immigrant hispanic communities to interview after some storm or other news stories and they may have some kind of agenda going on.
I don't know anything about Charlotte County or that area to know if there even are dumpy mobile home parks filled with illegals which is how it seemed in that news --- but if it's true, I could see how if they don't take normal precautions like tying down their trailers or evacuating like others might, there could be many more deaths -- just like you see in other countries with third world conditions. I still don't know why they wouldn't publish the real numbers though either way.
Thanks for bringing accuracy to the conversation. God bless you all dealing with the terrible effects of Hurricane Charley. My in-laws lived in a development that used to be called "Independence Village", off Rte. 776. We spent many wonderful vacations visiting them, and your area. Do you have any information about that location, or about Lemon Bay (Sea Star)?
WOW! The Bush Bros. aren't even in the loop when it comes to ground level casualty counts.
It is the 'almighty' local FEMA authorities that are quite prone to abuse of power.
Unfortunately I had to deal with some big-headed FEMA folks during the Houston floods a few years back.(some real horror stories there) That's all.
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