Posted on 08/30/2005 4:08:23 PM PDT by gondramB
With conditions in the hurricane-ravaged city of New Orleans rapidly deteriorating, Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Tuesday that everyone still in the city, now huddled in the Superdome and other rescue centers, needs to be evacuated.
"The situation is untenable," Blanco said, pausing to choke back tears at a news conference. "It's just heartbreaking."
The breach of two levees Tuesday meant the city was rapidly filling with water and the prospect of having power was a long time off, the governor said. She said the storm also severed a major water main, leaving the city without drinkable water.
"The goal is to bring enough supplies to sustain the people until we can establish a network to get them out," Blanco said.
FEMA is considering putting people on cruise ships, in tent cities, mobile home parks, or so-called floating dormitories, boats FEMA normally uses to house its own employees, said Coordinating Director Bill Lokey.
(Excerpt) Read more at wwltv.com ...
I heard Jindal speak and was impressed. Certainly cannot say that for the current Mayor (don't care if he did support Bush) not to mention the Governor and Landrieu. Unbelieveably bad leadership by the Mayor and Governor and Landrieu's statements have left a lot to be desired as well. Jindal is the only one that tells it like it is from interviews I have seen.
"How high's the water momma?
four foot high and risin'"
The evac order wasn't given until Bush forced the Governor to give it. It was too late then. The Friday reports could hardly have been the basis for a complete evacuation of a major city. Only a clairvoyant would start evacuating 1.4 million people 3 days out. The hurricanecould have gone anywhere and been any strength by Monday morning.
Yes, and just how long can the American taxpayer afford the luxury of rebuilding areas each year as the hurricanes destroy the same coastal areas? Seems they either build hurricane proof structures, levees or they do not build.
We are not idiots - and we should have the brain power to realize that you do not invest millions in areas where you will be wiped out. And, with all the natural disasters here and all over the world that we have to assist in, we have to stop ridiculous waste - just so some can have oceanfront property.
Just how smart is it to build a city below sea level and hope that there will never be a storm that will break the levees? What about the decision to only be strong enough for a Cat 4 hurricane when you are below sea level?
This is why they so early told people to get out. The engineers probably advised that the levee was only geared for Cat. 4 hurricane at best. Can you imagine the scurrying around as the storm approached and the powers of the city knowing full well the city had not been protected?
Why had it not? With all the wealth in New Orleans, why did they choose to gamble that a super storm would never hit?
With no toilets and I think flooding indoors too.
Great.
"read about the wackos over at DU claiming that Bush had 4 years to prevent these types of natural disasters and did nothing."
I caught something on the news when they were talking about the levee breaks. Some councilman of the area that was flooded was saying how the residents(?) didn't want the levees built up anymore. I may have heard it wrong as it didn't make much sense to me (unless they didn't vote for some new tax to improve the levees, etc.).
Anyway - the guy sure sounded like he was already into laying the blame (on someone other than himself).
I thought it was in poor taste to be talking about politics while folks are up on their roofs hoping they get rescued before the waters get any higher.
Is it worth the murder of 100's of people? Is it worth all those people losing everything they worked for? They have lost family, homes, jobs, memories and all possessions as well as pets. Why? No seafront property is that great.
I would bet none of them would think living below sealevel was worth the lost of all they had and loved.
This woman is the Madeline Halfbright of LA. Some grownups are needed and they are needed fast to get the recovery going there. The mayor also seems overwhelmed. At least when I grew up in LA the politicians were effective although they were crooked.
In order to bring water levels down, they should completely evacuate the east bank, then bust the levees on the mississippi river on both sides... then the water level will equalize, and it might be one to two feet all over, if even that... that might be expensive to repair after the fact, but the damage is already extremely great, and that could only help rescue efforts by bringing water level under control..
also evacuate both sides of Lake Maurepas and Lake Borgne, destroy the barrier levees separating them from Lake Ponchartrain., let the waters flow in. Manchac may get flooded out of existence, but by doing that it will have the effect of spreading out the flood level over a much wider area at a much lower depth...
it may put a damper on the space program, but also they should consider flooding NASA's Michoud facility (its a HUGE area that could take in some of the water... and mitigate the problem, not to mention it would allow the old Masonry bridge (US 190 between Slidell and right near Michoud on the Orleans parish side) to be open to drive on till they can get around to repairing the I-10 bridge..
basically, no outcome is pretty, but by flooding it all quicker, it may mitigate the worst of the situation and allow a faster recovery...
??????????? Maybe we can just get the water to flow uphill.
Anyway, thank you, toomanygrasshoppers and all those with kind thoughts for us. I'm glad to know there are still some people around here that have a little humanity. To all of you others, STUFF IT. Think about what it's like to lose everything from wedding pictures to family silver to a change of clothes before making your smarmy comments.
Oh, and all you Nagin haters are clueless.
Yes, and just how long can the American taxpayer afford the luxury of rebuilding areas each year as the hurricanes destroy the same coastal areas?
Until the levees are built high enough and stable enough.
Levee construction after New Orleans' last four hurricanes;
.USGS | pubs.usgs.gov | Excerpts:
Hurricane of 1947: As a result of this storm, hurricane protection levees were built along the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain to protect Orleans and Jefferson Parishes from future storm surges.
1965, Hurricane Betsy: The Orleans Levee Board raised the existing levee to a height of 12 ft in response to the flooding caused by Betsy.
1969, Hurricane Camille:
1998, Hurricane Georges: Efforts resumed the following year to improve the levee system along the canals that connect the city with the Lake.
As I said above, New Orleans will continue to suvive. This time the levees will be built higher. Not sure the funding.
LMAO....No THATS funny ......:o)
Any scientific basis to that statement whatsoever?
Nope. Not a scintilla. But let me bark it in your ear again just for fun:
NEW ORLEANS JUST MIGHT BE THE FIRST U.S. METRO CASUALTY IN THE LONG TERM RISE IN SEA LEVEL.
Try google:
1) Sea level has been rising since the Ice Age and the rate of rise has geometrically increased in the past 30 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level_rise
...since 1992 satellite altimetry from TOPEX/Poseidon indicates a rate of about 3 mm/yr [2]. This change may be the first signs of the effect of global warming on sea level, which is predicted to cause significant rises in sea level over the course of the twenty-first century.
But something tells me you're the kind of person who will argue that sea levels are not rising. Right? It's just Bush-hating hippies who believe such crap.
2) Man-made levee engineering snafus are steadily sinking New Orleans farther below sea level [the levees that protect the city from ocean flooding also cut off silt replacement from the Mississippi].
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BJK/is_15_11/ai_68642805
New research by the U.S. Geological Survey, however, indicates that New Orleans is sinking faster than many realize and could be under water within 50 years.
Lemme guess. You think the U.S. Geological Survey is a left-wing conspiracy.
3) There is no other serious contender in U.S. metro areas for modern day Atlantis.
(New Orleans) -- By the year 2100, the city of New Orleans may be extinct, submerged in water. A future akin to the fabled sunken city of Atlantis? Yes, according to Dr. Chip Groat, Director of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Washington, D.C., "With the projected rate of subsidence (the natural sinking of land), wetland loss, and sea level rise," he said, "New Orleans will likely be on the verge of extinction by this time next century."
"I don't see how they are going to empty an entire city ..."
I can't either. The concept of evacuating the tens (hundreds?) of thousands left is mind boggling. How do they find them? How do they transport them? Where do they take them? How do they house them? feed them? provide the needed medical care? police them (there will be the lawless among them)? How long do they do this -- months, years? Will it be tents like they do for immigrants in foreign countries? Some of the people shown being evacuated are ill, old, babies, or in shock. I believe it was the mayor who said there is only one open road, and it has to stay open so help can come into the city. The death toll from all of this and the disease that follows is going to be extremely high I'm afraid.
"I've been wondering what's happened to the zoo?"
There were three seals from the zoo people were trying to save by keeping wet. They said they had to shoot one "to get it out of its misery". I haven't heard about any other animals.
"It is being reported that the "SHOOT TO KILL" order has finally come down. It's about time."
Any idea what the conditions under which shoot to kill has been authorized?
Mel, I am so sorry about your situation. There are many FReepers who share my sentiments. Please keep us posted on how you are doing and what the FR community can do for you. We will continue to keep you and your NO neighbors in our prayers.
Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. EDT, 1 p.m. CDT, is when the first reports of NO being the target came across the wire.
Thanks for correction, actually they had more than 2 days to evacuate, around 60 hrs+
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