Mayor: 200 trapped on Ninth Ward rooftops; bodies floating in Bywater
02:37 PM CDT on Monday, August 29, 2005
WWLTV.com
Mayor Ray Nagin said that 200 people were stranded on rooftops in the Lower Ninth Ward and several “bodies are floating in the water” in the Bywater neighborhood and in Eastover.
Nagin made the announcement in his first press briefing after Hurricane Katrina slammed just east of the city, but did plenty of devastation to New Orleans.
Nagin said that the 200 stranded people included 20 police officers who were riding out the storm at their homes in preparation to take over shifts from other officers. He said that boats would be dispatched on rescue missions later in the afternoon.
Mayor Nagin issued a "boil water" recommendation for water in the city - except for Algiers and the CBD due to a water main line break that may have compromised the water.
Nagin said at least 20 buildings in the city had collapsed and that it might be 48 hours before residents would be allowed back to their homes to assess the damage.
I've been expecting to hear about bodies floating.
Lord have mercy on their souls.
WGNO is going to send a crew out to Slidell. Maybe we'll hear something more definitive when they get their report.
Easier said than done, if the utilities are down. Two or three drops of Clorox per gallon of water will work until then.
'' Nagin said at least 20 buildings in the city had collapsed and that it might be 48 hours before resident..''
Man they will have a hard time to do an evac next time, unless the storm is tracking due west AND is a 5.
Why not just send out an invite to the looters?
That may be easier said than done with no power.
Mr. Mayor, how can anyone boil water if there is no electricity?