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.

[robowombat]

Further evidence of the depressingly low level of basic intelligence let alone competence of Nagin. Along with that pathetic boob of a governor they make a fit set of exhibits in the hall of political incompetence and shame. Neither have a single worthwhile idea about starting disaster relief operations. The Corps of Engineers is moving ahead with a plan for expedient damming of the 27th Street canal levee break. The petroleum companies are going to launch their inspection crews starting today or tomorrow from Port Focaut ( a commercial facility that the oil companies developed themselves as a marshaling point for material and men to support the offshore wells)and the five major rail carriers that serve the Crescent City and its port have conducted fairly detailed surveys of lines south of Memphis and SW from Birmingham for storm damage and recovery planning. Their take is that rail service of a limited nature can be restarted in a matter of a week or so. Requirements for ballast and ties are being pressed forward.

What does the state and city (parish leadership has been a lot better and sound sensible) leadership present. A governor who starts blubbering each time she goes before the cameras, is clearly without a clue, and offers a proclamation of a 'Day of Prayer' as a substantive measure. The adjutant General doesn't even know how many troops he has in state versus deployed to Iraq (156th Brigade is about to return in a matter of a couple weeks)and is vigorously resisting any efforts towards federalization. What is desired is US$ to pay Guardsmen who will stay under full state control. Louisiana hasn't even fully mobilized its forces.

There probably will be 100+ maybe 200 dead in the city but this sort of hysteria by the chief elected official of the city is disgraceful and only fuels panic and demoralization.

It is true that neither Mississippi or Alabama officials have thought beyond recovering stranded citizens and starting to collect the dead (at the end of the day I think it will be found that Mississippi took a far bigger hit than the Pelican State)but they haven't continually made moronic demoralizing statements. White and Nagin are the Stupid Party personified.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Who/what are New Orleans' major employers?

New Orleans ('til Monday anyway) is the busiest port in America and the fifth busiest in the world. A good portion of their income also came from tourism and convention business which may not return (or won't return anytime soon) if much of what attracted people there has been lost.

[Clemenza]

Goodbye Galatoire's...Goodbye Angelo Brocato's...Goodbye Acme Oyster House. :-(

[Rodney King]

Floods are a pain but nothing compared to a wall of wind driven water and debris stacked like a giant moving dike.

Wow, Imagine a giant wall of debris stacked up like Rosie O'donnel bearing down on you.

[marshmallow]

The only upside to this is that the debauchery which characterized this city, especially around Mardi Gras time, may mercifully have ended.

[Republican Red]

I do not have any confidence in one thing that Mayor says. He was forced to order the mandatory evacuation.

God help him because I think he is doing all he can do and obviously he is under a great deal of pressure and stress but I think he is ill-prepared and in over his head. Guiliani he is not.

I would not give out guessed figures on something this important. No doubt there are many dead. It may even get to be thousands but I think it is unwise to throw unconfirmed numbers out to the fragile LA public. Waiting a few days to get a handle on the number of dead will make no difference. Throwing a number out now just gives the media something new to exploit.

[hispanarepublicana]

It was the "laissez les bon temps roulez" that attracted me & Mr. HR.
As for the port business, that will simply move slightly up river, won't it? (please excuse my being geographically ignorant)

[george wythe]

Utilizing the jet boats would allow much greater real time resources to be used in response to those in immediate dire need. Be it having manpower to check on those who may be trapped in attics, to deliver water, food, and medicine to those people whom cannot be removed for now

You have good suggestions, in my opinion. Nevertheless, just like you, I'm not an expert on New Orleans or flooded urban settings.

[hispanarepublicana]

Ah, yes. Acme Oyster House...home of the $14 pitcher of beer.

[fortunecookie]

It's an absolute disaster on so many levels, but especially in regards to the rising numbers of lives lost. I, too, keep saying, rebuild, but further inland. Higher ground.

Think of all the construction jobs...

And all the economies that go with it.

[Nebr FAL owner]

People who don't leave generally because they fear that if they do the govt. won't let them back into the area to protect/salvage what little they have left from looters & the elements. Add to the fact that the weather is in the 90's potable water is not available out of the tap and combined with folks trapped in their attics trying to escape the flood waters but with out any tools to cut a hole in the roof to get out of the attic the emergency workers will be finding corpses in attics for weeks to come.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

Reality post of the day!

[Daus]

That's amazing... people KNEW that the Hurricane was going to hit them.

Some knew, but you have to understand that there is a whole sub-culture than does not read newspapers, and that the TV is for PlayStation2 and/or watching cable TV channels which do not carry news. As amazing as it sounds, there are people who went to bed Sunday night without any knowledge there was a storm coming or had only heard rumor of it.

[RetiredArmy]

I am going to be honest with you. I have been to NO twice. I could not wait to exit NO's twice. Downtown is like all big city downtown's, dirty, noisy, crime, sex junk, booze, drunks, drugs. I was there only a short time the 2nd time because I was determined that I would not stay a minute longer than necessary. Some may like it, I did not.

[kinghorse]

I believe that was the plot of a South Park episode.

/shudders

[RockinRight]

Of course the one problem is the lost tourism, which will be gone forever in a new location.

[L,TOWM]

Arkansas.

[Clemenza]

Angelo Brocato's is an old school Italian bakery/Gelateria near the city line with Metairie. Since that area is entirely underwater, I seriously doubt that Brocato's will live to see its 100th anniversary. ;-(

A key to drinking at the Acme Oyster House is to charge your beers to your expense account. Of course, a pretty lady such as yourself would have no problem getting drinks bought by others. I don't think your hubby would like that though.

[kinghorse]

Historic district.

It works great in Tombstone.

Oh wait.

[Kurt_D]

That's pathetic... sometimes ignorance can be harmful and even deadly. But the worst thing about this disaster: all those morons looting and plundering their own city!