Britons describe hurricane ordeal (Superdome Survivors)

BBC ^ | 9/5/05

[linkinpunk]

JENNY SACHS

Jenny Sachs, of Sheffield, told how soldiers had to smuggle her out of the Superdome in secret.

She said they had told her the lights would go out before the rescue, and warned her not to use a torch for fear of attack.

She was one of about 30 Britons who, realising they could not escape the city, fled to the stadium for shelter.

The military got us out, which we were all thankful for

"It has hit me more now I am at home, when you can have clean water, how bad it was," she said.

She said people had been raped and that others were beaten up.

"One of the soldiers did get shot and he was brought in," she said.

"A guy was brought in who had seven stab wounds and was covered in blood."

The military told all non-US citizens to stay together for safety, Ms Sachs added.

They later told them they would be secretly smuggled out in groups of 10 under cover of darkness as it had become too dangerous for them to remain in the stadium, she told BBC News.

"When we were leaving, people were going 'Where are you going?' and giving us looks.

"But the military got us out, which we were all thankful for."

I was telling people, 'Do not worry. She will be OK. She is in the best resourced, best organised country in the world. They will look after her'

Ms Sachs' American father, Bruce, said "the extent all this fell apart so quickly" had left him "totally shocked and very embarrassed" to be a US citizen.

"At the point where the hurricane started, I was telling people, 'Do not worry. She will be OK. She is in the best resourced, best organised country in the world. They will look after her'."

GED, SANDRA AND RONAN SCOTT

After looters had broken into New Orleans' Ramada Hotel, bus driver Ged Scott, 36, of Liverpool - stranded with his wife Sandra, 37, and their seven-year-old son, Ronan - had waded waist-deep through the filthy water to barricade the hotel's doors, he told BBC News.

"It was like wading through an open sewer.

"It reeked to high heaven and made you want to vomit.

"Outside I could see bodies floating in the water."

Mr Scott told BBC News he had ripped wires attached to speakers from the walls of the flooded hotel bar and tied tables and chairs together as makeshift barricades.

Hotel guests had already managed to chase one group of looters from the building, he added.

They had then taken turns patrolling the hotel's corridors with a torch, Mr Scott told BBC News.

JAMIE TROUT

Jamie Trout, 22, of Sunderland, told BBC News the five "horrific" days he and his two female friends had spent in the Superdome, before being freed by the US National Guard, had been "like something out of Lord of the Flies".

"It was very dangerous - rioting, looting of vending machines, racial abuse, absolutely terrible sanitary conditions."

They had been "intimidated by large groups of men" and, Mr Trout added, he had feared he would be killed.

The group had heard a child had been raped and found in the toilets with a broken neck, Mr Trout told BBC News.

"That was a really hard time. It made us all feel sick.

"The girls were terrified to go to the toilet.

The group had called the British embassy in Washington from a mobile phone, Mr Trout added.

But embassy staff had told them to contact the British consulate in New Orleans

When they had pointed out it was "15ft under water", the embassy staff had simply repeated they should contact the consulate, Mr Trout told BBC News.

"That was obviously very difficult to take."

[max_rpf]

It was very dangerous - rioting, looting of vending machines, racial abuse, absolutely terrible sanitary conditions

American shame.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

doesn't it stand to reason that if the superdome is to be used as a hurricane shelter, they'd have stockpiled MRE's and water to feed people for at least a few days? maybe an emergency generator or 4 with huge fuel tanks (full) for lighting?? might be just me, but I'd think this would only be standard operating procedure..

[lormand]

""It was very dangerous - rioting, looting of vending machines, racial abuse, absolutely terrible sanitary conditions."

New Orleans is one of the most racist places on the planet.

There is a sizably large population of blacks in New Orleans who have always hated white people and have targetted them for murder, rape, theft and abuse. That is the un-PC truth of New Orleans. I know, I used to live there.

[linkinpunk]

Didn't you know that the mayor tried getting stockpiled food and water to the Superdome ever since Bush's inauguration, but was put off by insensitive Republicans?

[agere_contra]

The group had called the British embassy in Washington from a mobile phone

This bit is shameful for us Britons, with that bit about the Embassy forcing the callers to ring the consulate

[pepsionice]

We can see that this SuperDome shelter idea...was good on paper...but was probably the worst possible shelter to select from. You'd been better in a car...sitting 20 miles up the road...just parked on high ground. Again, just another reason to let a commission study who did what and let the blame fall properly on imcompetent fools in NO.

[RKV]

Over the last several days, a few criminals in New Orleans had a rampage. Don't confuse the rest of us Americans, with them. Today, tens of millions of Americans DID NOT loot the store down the street NOR did they rape anyone.

Don't lay at the feet of the federal government, what was primarily a city and a state responsibility. The reckless and incompetent city administration blew their chance and tried to divert blame on others. Take a good long look at the Ray Nagin Memorial Motor Pool.

[lormand]

Spread word to all Britons, if New Orleans is repopulated with the same people as before, I would suggest going somewhere else.

I used to say pre-katrina, "show me someone who wants to vacation/holiday in New Orleans, and I will show you someone who has never been there"

[Youngblood]

The group had called the British embassy in Washington from a mobile phone, Mr Trout added. But embassy staff had told them to contact the British consulate in New Orleans When they had pointed out it was "15ft under water", the embassy staff had simply repeated they should contact the consulate, Mr Trout told BBC News. "That was obviously very difficult to take."

Civil servants! Unbelievable!

[beef]

Well, this is typical of how bureaucracies operate everywhere. Sad but true.

[Budgie]

I agree, but I'm not surprised, the Foreign Office has a long record of doing as little as possible for British citizens (subjects, whatever) in need.

[Travis McGee]

Here's the southeast Louisiana evac plan supplement, most recently revised in 2000. Go to page 13, read paragraph 5. It states:

5. The primary means of hurricane evacuation will be personal vehicles. School and municipal buses, government-owned vehicles and vehicles provided by volunteer agencies may be used to provide transportation for individuals who lack transportation and require assistance in evacuating.

[Dallas59]

Lets see....Give London a C Hurricane...flood London....knock out the power.....see what happens. Yeah, people will tell me London is more civilized...

[RKV]

Thanks for the images Travis. More damning evidence. Unused buses barely a mile from the Superdome. Government service at its finest. No need to mention the NO police photographed looting.

[righttackle44]

"doesn't it stand to reason that if the superdome is to be used as a hurricane shelter, they'd have stockpiled MRE's and water to feed people for at least a few days? maybe an emergency generator or 4 with huge fuel tanks (full) for lighting?? might be just me, but I'd think this would only be standard operating procedure.."

Most sane, rational people would probably think this way. But look who the leadership there is: a raving lunatic mayor convinced the CIA is going to wax him; a representative who is going to punch the President; and a brainless governor who can do nothing but cry and have nervous breakdowns on television.

[libstripper]

They didn't even need to stockpile water--all they needed at the Superdone were empty water containers. Then, with the hurricane approaching, they could have filled those containers and had them available.

[AlaskaErik]

I wonder what would happen to Americans if there was a disaster in a British city, what with all those diaperheads running wild. Even the Brits wouldn't be safe.

[Getsmart64]

There is a sizably large population of blacks in New Orleans who have always hated white people and have targetted them for murder, rape, theft and abuse.

That's not only Nawleans...that's all over the country...

[Bulwark]

Take a good long look at the Ray Nagin Memorial Motor Pool.

Tell me, oh rocket scientist, where were the busses supposed to go? Can a mayor just drop them in another town? I don't think so. Can he do the best he can within his own jurisdiction, yeah. Does it matter where they go when the entire city is underwater? No.