Mayor: hundreds, maybe thousands, dead in New Orleans

AP ^ | Aug 31 2005

[george wythe]

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people have died in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the city, Mayor C. Ray Nagin said Wednesday.

It will at least two or three months before the city has electricity. Restaurants won't be able to open; there won't be any commerce, he said during an impromptu news conference at the Hyatt Hotel.

"This is the real deal. It's not living conditions," he said.

[Rutles4Ever]

78,000 in shelters? If that includes 15,000 at the Superdome... that means only 63,000 of the entire New Orleans population can be reliably counted for?

There's no way to know how many people are with family or friends in other states. But that seems like a low number.

[Alas Babylon!]

In my wallet and I have several credit cards with no balances and huge credit limits. I have a brand new car and truck that can take me cross country without worrying about breakdowns and repairs. I am a professional that could get a good job virtually anywhere, because I've kept up my skills.

Now imagine what it is like to have none of these. No credit cards, no cash money. Will a hotel let you stay overnight? No car, or a clunker that just might make 100 miles before it broke down, leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere. Care to head out in that? Sick elderly parents that cannot take a long drive anywhere, or are handicapped in various ways. Some have jobs that only pay by the hour and will give your job to someone else in a heartbeat if you don't show up.

I have a great deal of sympathy for these folks. We should not assume they're all middle class folks of means.

Luke 16:
19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

   ²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

   ²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

   ²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

   ²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

   ²⁴And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

   ²⁵But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

   ²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

[PacesPaines]

It's been done, albeit on a much smaller scale: http://www.soldiersgrove.com/village_history.htm

Soldiers Grove WI... my brother-in-law's hometown!

Another example:  Valmeyer, Illinois

[MediaMole]

Probably due to the Jim Crow laws. Even in the north, blacks weren't allowed in public pools in some cities.

Back in the 1950's the local nitwits closed the pool rather than allow blacks to swim because they were afraid that the black would "wash off" and get on them.

[freebilly]

I would suggest that in the US, every sales show room and manufacturing facility of jet (not engine, but where in lieu of a prop, they use a pump to propel the craft) boats be cleared out and all such craft immediately shipped down to New Orleans. This would include all PWC (personal watercraft) as these small, highly maneuverable one and two man craft can negotiate where larger boats cannot.

Well, who pays for this...?

[floriduh voter]

It would be faster and safer to build upstream imo. Here's a link to many links about Katrina including for people looking for people.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Hurricanes_and_Tropical_Storms

[floriduh voter]

I wish they would put a PA on a truck and go through the city and tell the folks what's going on. How hard would that be? Nobody seems to be telling the folks what's going on. How hard would that be?

[floriduh voter]

Shep Smith has not seen one bottle of water or food ration on the road to NOLO. The coordination of this disaster reminds me of when Lawton Chiles was governor during Andrew. This is bigger than Andrew but man, where's all the spring water? At the very least....

[fortunecookie]

They might need more than one guy, if roads are out, but that is so true. Maybe they don't know what to do next, in which case they need a plan. But I agree, a couple of cheerleader type megaphones and a few army guys. I can't imagine the chaos, the heat, the smell. But surely there is some sort of disaster drill. I know many still need found and rescued, but there seem to be a lot milling around. I heard they may be taking some to Houston. It seems to be deteriorating there fast.

[al_again]

KNEW the hurricane was going to hit them??? Living in Florida - I'm vary used to hearing news reports about exactly where the Hurricane is going to hit and how strong it will be.

There are several times when evacuations have been ordered and predictions of CAT IV strength that never hit and/or turn out to be CAT I and II.

I personally would have run like hell but to say people knew is ridiculous.

[al_again]

and i kant spel either!

[Godebert]

Would it be faster to rebuild the city upstream than where it is??

I reckon some folks already own the land "upstream".

[RockinRight]

And the downstream folks will be getting insurance settlements...money talks...

[johnnyBbad]

Worst disaster is US history prehaps.

One storm in the 1910s killed 8,000 I think.

[finnigan2]

My take on this mayor, with his hysterical claims of mega deaths and the need to "abandon" New Orleans, is that he is a metro sexual ninny with his dress up over his head. Doesn't he realize that it's his job to calm the natives, provide reason for hope and offer leadership?
If Rudy behaved in this manner after 9/11, God knows what the social/economic/political fallout could have been.

[Eaker]

What a horrible blind and stupid statement.

You are happy that a city was destroyed and people killed because it is an end to "debauchery"?

There has been "debauchery" since the beginning of time, long before New Orleans.

You judgemental piece of ****!!

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

You have to be kidding, who do you think is paying for all the relief and help? We are fellow human beings first, and taxpayers second.

When other American's lives are in immediate jeopardy of being lost, with time rapidly running out for the helpless, it matters not a damn who pays for it, the government should just do it, or whatever else it takes. there are untold thousands of volunteers who would be willing to take the risk just to help in anyway possible.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

The same risk of plugging is applicable to any marine engine, they all have to have a water intake to cool the motor, or they will seize up become useless.

[SoCal Pubbie]

On the Larry Elder show on KABC this afternoon I heard an excerpt from the head of the Hurricane Research Center at LSU. He said about 250,000- 300,000 people did not evacuate. Their computer models predicted 1/3 of the people would drown. That's a 100,000! I hope I didn't hear him right.