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Good point. ask the jews about gov't crowd control..
Just so they don't take the beer too. ;-)
Posted on 08/31/2005 9:08:27 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
NEW ORLEANS – A slow exodus from the smelly and sweltering Superdome began Wednesday as refugees boarded giant trucks and then buses for a trip to more comfortable surroundings in the Houston Astrodome.
The evacuation was kept almost secret to avoid a stampede. People were taken a few at a time through a garage, then to trucks that plowed through 4 feet of water and delivered them to the buses.
People with physical problems were evacuated Wednesday morning, loaded into a variety of vehicles and taken to a triage center in Baton Rouge. The evacuation of the more able-bodied began later.
Almost everyone carried a plastic bag or bundled bedspread holding the few possessions they had left after Hurricane Katrina decimated their city. Some hobbled on walkers, canes and crutches; others inched forward on wheelchairs. Women led children and carried babies.
"I don't care where they're taking us. Anywhere is better than here," said James Caire, 49, who had been at the Superdome only about six hours.
With no air conditioning and little electricity, the heat and stench inside the Superdome were unbearable. As the water pressure dropped lower and lower, toilets backed up. The stink was so bad that many medical workers wore masks as they walked around.
Most refugees jammed onto concourses because the heat and stench inside the Superdome were unbearable. But the heat on the brown-brick concourse was horrendous. One man took a paper bag, rolled up the rim and wore it as a hat.
Dr. Kevin Stephens Sr., in charge of the special needs shelter at the dome, described the Superdome and a nearby arena as a health department's nightmare.
"These conditions are atrocious," he said. "We'll take trucks, planes, boats, anything else, I have to get these people out of here."
By midafternoon, medics were hauling people off one after another because of heat-related problems. Even as the evacuation was going on, people walked through waist-deep water to get to the Superdome.
Tempers flared in the crowd. One woman yelled: "You're just lying to us! You had us standing all day in this heat, and you're lying to us. You're not taking us anywhere!"
The oficer yelled back, "Look, ma'am, do you think I'm in charge? Do you think I'm making decisions? I told you what they told me."
But overall, there was little trouble. People got angry and frustrated and occasionally screamed, but people generally seemed to get along.
The noise around the dome was constant. Helicopters took off and landed on the helipad outside. Generators ran. Trucks backed up and moved past. Every time one baby stopped screaming two more seemed to start. And there was the constant roar of thousands of conversations going on at once.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided about 500 buses to transport the refugees. It was not immediately clear how long the refugees will be in Houston, 350 miles from New Orleans. "We're buying time until we can figure something out," said William Lokey, chief coordinator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Astrodome's schedule has been cleared through December for housing evacuees, said Kathy Walt, a spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The building no longer is the home of a professional sports team – the Houston Astros left in 2000.
Phillip Triggs, 40, wasn't keen on the idea of being forced to Texas.
"As far as the idea of going to another state, no, man, this is my home," he said while catching a breath of fresh air. "My family is here. My home is gone. For us to be going through what we're going through, we're just not ready for this."
Cots and blankets for up to 25,000 people were being set up on the Astrodome's floor. Knowing that the people would arrive tired, frustrated and disheartened, shelter organizers began planning activities that might help take the evacuees' minds off their troubles, such as free trips to museums and amusement parks.
Organizers plan to use Astrodome kitchens and locker rooms to keep refugees fed and clean, but they realize it won't be easy because the arena was not built to handle so many people.
"I'm ready to get away from here. Anybody in their right mind would be," said David Ellis, a construction worker who was on the ramp outside the Superdome, escaping the oppressive conditions.
Yeah, it would really be feasible to bus people 2700 miles to Seattle. Good grief!
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Good point. ask the jews about gov't crowd control..
Just so they don't take the beer too. ;-)
IT is not "slamming" it is just pointing out the obvious. The Astrodome is not equipped to house 20,000 people for more than 2 weeks. It is asking for trouble. Once these folks get their kids in local schools there will be no way to then place them in other locations. We already see those that left NO trying to crash the gate so the 20,000 coming from the Super Dome will inevitably lead to the thousands already here. I am all for helping these poor people but placing thousands upon thousands of adults in an open dormitory for months is beyond comprehension.
A man pushes his bicycle through flood waters near the Superdome in New Orleans, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005. Hurricane Katrina left much of the city under water. Officials called for a mandatory evacuation of the city, but many resident remained in the city and had to be rescued from flooded homes and hotels. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
I agree that the Dome idea will not work long range.
Right noow it's all they had so get the people some decent shelter. ASAP, I hope they are able to get back closer to home in some sort of temporary housing. Then perhaps, all who wish to participate can help in the rebuilding of the city. I might be good for some to be put to work etc.
In this combination picture made availble Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005 by Orbimage, the New Orleans Superdome is shown on Sept. 17, 2004, left image, and on Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, the day after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, showing extensive flooding in the city. (AP Photo/Orbimage) MANDATORY CREDIT: ORBIMAGE
I thought the same thing.
Also, since there's no communication around NO, maybe once these people get where they can call relatives in other parts of the state or country, and have a safe place to wait for a bus ticket or some money via Western Union, they will voluntarily leave Texas.
I agree. My gripe is that the dome is now committed to long term housing. The Gov made that very clear and it was the wrong thing to do. NO is gone and these folks will not be going back. Local TV has estimated that at least 100,000 LA residents are in Houston right now because of the hurricane and now 20,000 more are headed this way.
That's not beer. It's Miller Light. ;-)
But considering how much more compassion that you apparently have over the rest of us, I would have thought that you could fly them to Washington.
Brilliantly sad but true observation.
Is Rusty Wallace driving?
No matter, Tastes Great!
If you're referring to Blank-o, that's an oxymoron.
"It's amazing the difference in response of the northern states to Katrina and the southern states response to 911 and New York. I may have missed the candle light vigils on Broadway though."
Excuse me. The stations up here all are doing tons of stories on how our fire, rescue, ems, local citizens, etc. are collecting donations, gathering supplies, and sending teams down there to assist. As one search and rescue person put it, "We haven't forgotten all they did for us after 9-11 and we want to do the same for them." After he said that, he got on a truck for the 18 hour drive down.
Sorry we're not moving fast enough for you. And thanks for thinking so highly of us.
Yes you will. You've just adopted 25,000 unemployed people who will stay in TX. Good luck.
They might be looking at a new batch of Texas residents. Immigrants, and US citizens to boot. Yep, they are going to rue the day. But the Dems in Louisiana are going to have a tough time replacing their guaranteed voter "base", which was easy to buy, round up, and get to the polls on time.
"20,000 ADULTS cannot live together in an open dormitory."
It's a baseball stadium designed to seat and feed 50,000 people at a clip, there is not better place to put these people.
They will probably live better than their friends back home... they will have electricity, water and A/C.
"Yes you will. You've just adopted 25,000 unemployed people who will stay in TX. Good luck."
Here Let me correct your sentence for you...
"You've just adopted 25,000 Americans who just survived the worst Natural Disaster to hit America, which destroyed their city, their homes, and killed thousands of their firends, neighbors, family members and Fellow Americans. Good Luck, and be thankful it wasn't you, and yours ass deep in contaminated water, with your home destroyed, everything you own completely ruined, and possibly having witnessed the death of any of your loved ones"
I'm sure that's what you meant to say, wasn't it?
Look up the word, it may help explain, or clarify my question.
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