New Orleans is now a ghost city

Daily Telegraph (Australia) ^ | 09-03-05 | Staff

[The Red Zone]

After Ground Zero occurred, everyone stood together as one nation against a threat from outside.

When the enemy is "Mother Nature" it's a bit harder to inspire concerted action.

[The Red Zone]

After the water is pumped out 99% of the homes will be OK with a little work

Nothing will be left but frames (if that much), everything else soaked off.

[Trajan88]

NO should have been a ghost city BEFORE the hurricane hit.

[The Red Zone]

And the buses could have taken at least one load of people out, had the evacuation been ordered sooner. Probably they didn't have the nod from the right bus driver's union, or sumfin.

[uncitizen]

Nagin made yet another drug reference today. Something like "i never get too high or too low".

[The Red Zone]

I've done construction work all my life-- after months of being submerged in brackish ( salt ) water, everything below the waterline will be mostly ruined.

I hope that any Fedguv dollar that goes to rebuilding requires that the replacements of any utility equipment be salt water proof.

[smoothsailing]

I grew up in the south and was raised to defend states rights and cast a jaundiced eye towards the federal government.

But when it comes to this mayor and governor,I'll gladly welcome federal prosecution of both of them.Take it completely out of the hands of Louisiana.

[IronMan04]

No, the city will be rebuilt with higher and stronger levees.

[stlnative]

I guess you have never had your house fill up with nasty water! - 99% of those flooded homes will be tore down

[skimask]

My speciality/forte/field of expertise is underground utility construction and engineering. You can't divert the natural flow of water. Sooner or later it will come back to haunt you. I don't know how many years ago the levees in New Orleans were built on one of the largest rivers (natural flow of water) in the world, the Mississippi. The levees were put there to divert the Mississippi. She was going to claim back her territory sooner or later and Katrina allowed her the opportunity. They can build the most modern, sophisticated, state-of-the-art, or whatever they want to call it, levee system and it too, sooner or later, will fail. Cut your losses, give back to the Mississippi the land she wants, and will have, and start from that point. It's cliche' but "You can't fool Mother Nature", she will only tolerate it for so long.

[skimask]

Please read my post #30.

[Paleo Conservative]

And the buses could have taken at least one load of people out, had the evacuation been ordered sooner

The mandatory evacuation should have happened when Katrina got to category 4.

[IronMan04]

In 1965 when Betsy hit New Orleans the Levee across the River was dynamited in order to protect New Orleans. The people on the West Bank got flooded but nothing like you see in New Orleans today.

The Failure in 2005 was not to intentionally 'breach the Levee across the River.

[The Red Zone]

Tell Holland.

[Paleo Conservative]

No, the city will be rebuilt with higher and stronger levees.

It should be moved onto higher ground nearby if it is to be rebuilt at all.

[IronMan04]

It became a CAT 4 Saturday morning and by the afternoon the Evacuation was ordered. For me I did not wait for an order I fled town right after I saw the Gulf Temp was 93.

[IronMan04]

The city although wounded still stands and it cannot be moved. Do you want to place to 60 story Hilton Hotel on a Barge and move it up river. What about all the houses that are still standing?

[skimask]

The Dutch manage it...not divert it.

[IronMan04]

I-10 was packed from Saturday at noon until Monday Morning taking up to 12 hours to get to Baton Rouge. How would these buses helped?

[Paleo Conservative]

It became a CAT 4 Saturday morning and by the afternoon the Evacuation was ordered.

But the mandatory evacuation order didn't happen till Sunday. If the school busses had been used to evacuate people who didn't have cars starting on Saturday, most of the suffering could have been avoided.