Katrina Live Thread, Part XI

Various ^ | 30 August 2005 | Various

[NautiNurse]

The situation in New Orleans continues to deteriorate due to rising water levels and desperation. Search and rescue continues via boat and air. Authorities have announced the goal to evacuate all the remaining residents of NOLA. The New Orleans Mayor has reported numerous gas leaks throughout the city. Sporadic fires occurring. Attempts to evacuate hundreds of hospital patients from Charity Hospital and Tulane Medical Center are in process. Patients are being transported to other hospitals as far away as Florida.

The Army Corps of Engineers is at the NOLA levee breaks with current plans to drop 3000 lb sand bags in an effort to stop the flow of water. NOLA hospital evacuations continue for thousands of patients. Reports indicate all evacuees are being taken to the SuperDome, which is now surrounded by water. The generators at the Dome are now in jeopardy. The Governor of Louisiana has called for a day of prayer tomorrow...

Elsewhere, search and rescue continue in Mississippi and Alabama. Biloxi reports indicate catastrophic damage.

Links to various news and local government websites:

WLOX TV Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagula has link to locate family and friends (very slow load)

2theAdvocate - Baton Rouge Includes Slidell, St. John Parish, St. Bernard Parish updates, and other locations.

NOLA.com

Inside Houma Today needing boats, volunteers, lists gas station openings, water, etc.

WALA Channel 4 Mobile, AL Includes links to distribution centers, Emergency Ops, etc.

Sun-Herald Gulfport MS Includes link to town by town reports

Gulfport News via Topix.net

WAFB Baton Rouge

Mobile Register via al.com

Mississippi updates via Jackson Ledger

Lafayette LA Daily Advertiser

Pensacola News Journal

St Bernard Local Government

Streaming Video:
WWL-TV (via KHOU/Houston): http://www.wwltv.com/cgi-bin/bi/video/makeadplaylist.pl?title=beloint_khou&live=yes

WKRG/Mobile: mms://wmbcast.mgeneral.speedera.net/wmbcast.mgeneral/wmbcast_mgeneral_aug262005_1435_95518

WDSU/New Orleans via WAPL/Jackson: mms://a842.l1291238841.c12912.g.lm.akamaistream.net/D/842/12912/v0001/reflector:38841

All are Windows Media Player links.

Related FR Threads:

FYI: Hurricane Katrina Freeper SIGN IN Thread

Discussion Thread - Hurricane Katrina - What Went Wrong?!?

Post Hurricane Katrina IMAGES Here

Looting Begins In New Orleans

Martial Law Declared in New Orleans

Due to the number of requests to assist, the following list of some charities is provided.
This is not intended as an endorsement for any of the charities.

www.redcross.org or 1-800 HELP NOW - note: website is slow
Salvation Army - 1-800-SAL-ARMY or Salvation Army currently looking for in-state volunteers - (888)363-2769
Operation Blessing: (800) 436-6348.
America's Second Harvest: (800) 344-8070.
Catholic Charities USA: (800) 919-9338, or www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee: (800) 848-5818.
Church World Service: (800) 297-1516 or online at www.churchworldservice. org.
Lutheran Disaster Response: (800) 638-3522.
Nazarene Disaster Response: (888) 256-5886.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: (800) 872-3283.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is accepting donations at its 3,800 stores and Web site, www.walmart.com.

Previous Threads:

Katrina Live Thread, Part X
Katrina Live Thread, Part IX
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VIII
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VII
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part VI
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part V
Hurricane Katrina, Live Thread, Part IV
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part III
Katrina Live Thread, Part II
Hurricane Katrina Live Thread, Part I
Tropical Storm 12

[Mo1]

You think that is bad? Governor is on WWL sounding like she's losing it!

She is in over her head and doesn't have a clue of how to handle this

She needs to suck it up and show leadership ... pronto

The people of Louisiana needs someone how has what it takes right now

[mhking]

There isno way they can just pump that out into Lake Ponchartrain and the Mississippi. The ecological disaster would be unmatched in history.

They're going to have to do it, otherwise, it'll never be pumped out.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Somebody needs to move the mayor's office to the Superdome for the duration.

"We are supplying the dome people with some footballs and gatorade and they can entertain themselves until football season begins."

[don-o]

Don't see you commenting about people saying that the Governor is incompentent because she is a woman.

Sorry, I missed that. Everyone who is noting that the govenor's incompetence is related to her gender, please knock it off.

[Diddle E. Squat]

There was a post earlier today that the communications system is totally down, including the internal police radio, the trunking system they used had failed. Said that the President had to use short wave radio to contact the mayor. Can't vouch for how much of that is true.

[jpsb]

I agree, New Orleans is gone.

[Abigail Adams]

Right, it sounds like Gov and others sent people to the dome thinking this hurricane would be no biggie. So they have no plan for how to evacuate it and where to take these people.

Don't most cities have plans in place for what facilities will be used as shelters?

[Mr. Jeeves]

CNN reported that people were approaching him and his crew in the street, agressively asking them for money and food. He said these experiences were very uncomfortable.

He should come to San Francisco some time. ;)

[Alberta's Child]

As I think about it, it occurs to me that the bridge was built out of alternating "fixed end" and "bearing" sections. Bridge structures have expansion joints that permit each segment to expand and contract as the temperature changes. A concrete slab can be fixed at one end and slide freely on a bearing plate at the other end, or it can slide freely on a bearing plate at both ends.

It looks like the bridge was built with alternating sections of fixed (F) and bearing (B) ends like this (where the "/" denotes a gap between adjacent sections):

[ABUTMENT] F---B / B---B / F---B / B---B / F---B / B---B / B---F [ABUTMENT]

The "B---B" sections would have been more susceptible to lifting action of wind and waves, since they are only held in place on the bearing plates by the sheer weight of the concrete.

[spanalot]

Sorry - from a previous post that noted that the engineers that win govt bids for levees and sewage plants and flood pumps are not Phi Beta Kappa and can barely speak english.

I was commenting on your concern for waterproofing pumps - its done all the time - Motors up high with long shafts to pumps below.

[dfwgator]

We need that dude from Apollo 13 ("Failure is not an option") to take over this thing.

[nunya bidness]

Somewhere on one of these threads is a Times-Picayune graphic that shows a cross-section of the city between the lake and the river with a line designating sea-level and surge levels from escalating category storms.

Finding that graphic may answer your question.

And if you find it be sure to post a link.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Maybe it's time to call in Jon Kerry and his swift boat to save the day... he is a hero if you had not heard.

[WVNan]

I knew they would be calling for volunteers. They need strong men who are skilled at "getting the job done". Panty waists can stay home.

[RobFromGa]

Somehow the river is flooding the city, I don't know how but that is the only other significant amount of water available.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Well, then they will drown. No sympathy for looting when they should be getting their families and pets out of the city.

[commish]

The Dome situation is amazing. We were talking about what was going to happen in the Dome on Saturday if they used it, and Blanco et al are acting like the deteriorating conditions are a complete surprise.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Time to start drilling off the coast of FL and CA along with ANWR and tell the wackos to get lost. The wells I have seen around Norman are pumping continually right now.

Amen! Build more refineries, and cut out the "blend" nonsense while we're at it.

[r9etb]

What I can't figure out is why the wind and waves only knocked alternating sections out of place while leaving the rest in place.

I'm guessing it has to do with how water was interacting with the other span. Vortices might have been spaced just right.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Most Albertans I know don't think of themselves as Canadians anyway.

I have a number of friends in Alberta that think the same way.