Devastation in New Orleans: 'We have whitecaps on Canal Street'

Houston Chronicle ^ | Aug. 30, 2005, 2:25PM | From staff and wire reports

[lastchance]

I sure don't know the mayor from Adam. But I will give him the benefit of the doubt. It may be that the guy was simply exhausted. To prepare for a disaster of Katrina's scale is not a 8 hour a day task. You can bet he was working with other agencies both within and outside of the city to plan and coordinate responses around the clock.
Emergency management can only go so far. In the end people still have to take action to save themselves, their family and their homes. The city can not do it for them. All the city can do is issue evacuation orders, provide shelters, help special needs citizens and launch search and rescue in the aftermath.

[Paleo Conservative]

My mother and my brother live in New Orleans, and I have been trying to get in touch with them through my brother's cell phone and cannot get through. Does anyone have any idea has to how I can find out if they are all right.

I'm sorry that your relatives have had to go through this. I have no idea how to contact them. Just about every possible modern convenience or necessity is unavailable in the aftermath of such a devastating hurricane. You may have to wait for them to call you from a public pay telephone.

I remember back in 1970 after Hurricane Celia, the electricity was out for about 10 days, and the phones were out for a comparable period. Even with a generator to provide electricity there was no point in trying to watch TV, because all the TV stations were off the air. When my family went to Port Aransas to check on our condo, we had to use the ferry, because the southern route from Corpus Christi was not passable due to bridges being out. Once on the island we could not leave till we had typhoid shots. That hurricane had incredible winds. The annemometer at Corpus Christi Interantional Airport recorded 180 mph winds before it blew apart. It was estimated we had winds over 200 mph. There was tremendous wind damage, but fortunately no excessive storm surge as it hit during low tide. Ever since Hurricane Celia, I have vowed never to stay during a hurricane again.

[sit-rep]

Take care, and lem'me know when you make contact. If there is anything I can do for her, don't hesitate.

[thackney]

Does anyone have a link to make a donation?
God have mercy and help these people. Give them strength.
Amen.

Financial contributions are greatly needed, and provide The Salvation Army with the funds to purchase what storm victims need. They also allow The Salvation Army to assess the unique needs of individuals and families, as well as put money back into the economy of those communities affected by the disaster.

[HangnJudge]

I will give him the benefit of the doubt.


Sorry, but they saw this one coming.
It took President Bush forcing the issue to order to evacuate
not the governor of Louisiana
or the Mayor of New Orleans
Bush had to order the evacuation while the local government fretted
Heads will roll

[lastchance]

The fact that bodies in New Orleans are entombed and not buried will also add to the toxic mix. It may also be difficult for recovery workers to distinguish between those who died in the storm and those less recent dead. This was a problem after Camille.
There is a very big potential for an epidemic. I hope the public health sector is prepared.

[TXBubba]

A city below sea level is just not going to work.

I'm not going to eat you. I was interested to find out that NO was not below sea level when it was first built. It has been sinking. I think that made me feel better about it's beginnings.

[scouse]

many of the pumps relied upon by New Orleans -- built below sea level -- have failed.

And therein lies the problem.....Heads should roll.

[lastchance]

Thanks for the heads up and the information.

[dufekin]

If the water in the city is 3-4 feet above sea level, that's the death knell for the entire city except that portion above sea level on the Mississippi levee.

[SunnySide]

"It's just a very bad location to put a city."

It's a bad location the way the low ground level is now to rebuild a NEW city. The right kind of innovative engineering over the next twenty years could redesign the grounds and barriers and not have it so crammed full of structures.

[HangnJudge]

The last good location for a large population along the Mississippi River
is probably Baton Rouge

Everything below that is delta country

[SunnySide]

The last good location for a large population along the Mississippi River
is probably Baton Rouge
.......

What ever works, make it workable.

[gathersnomoss]

""The devastation is greater than our worst fears,'' Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said in a news conference. "It's totally overwhelming.''

Another liberal leader! Must be related to a Klinton or Kennedy. What a weak person. It is totally overwhelming? What an a$$hole! How freekin motivating. Why not call for Auntie Em?

And now you get to see the fine voters of N.O. at work looting and shooting police officers. You get what you ask for!!!

[gathersnomoss]

Take the a$$hole governor with him. What a pathetic pair!!!!!!!

[Mamzelle]

Oh, she's "heartbroken", too. That's what you get from Dem women.

[gathersnomoss]

Thank you for excusing his incompetence. And what do you have to say for the fine governor? Where are the elected leaders?

Exactly, no where to be found. What if Rudy had dealt with 9/11 with the same liberal response? What an embarrassment

[gathersnomoss]

Cry me a river...never mind.

[patricktschetter]

Is it safe to say that the weight of that water will cause further sinking of the terrain in the New Orleans "bowl?"

I can't say; environmental engineering isn't my forte. I design things that move dirt, not things made of it. :)

[penelopesire]

you wrote:
"Take the a$$hole governor with him. What a pathetic pair!!!!!!!"

I watched her "performance" on Larry King tonight..good grief..she tried to blame the AIRLINES for not moving people out of NO!! She has to be a liberal nutter! AGAIN..IF THE LA DEMS CAN BUS PEOPLE BY THE THOUSANDS TO THE POLLS ON ELECTION DAY>>WHY THE HELL COULD THEY NOT BUS THEM OUT TO SAVE THEIR LIVES ON SATURDAY WHEN A CAT 5 HURRICANE WAS BARRELLING TOWARDS THE BIG EASY?
I watched report tonight where many of these folks in NO said they were told buses were coming for them and they NEVER CAME!!