Posted on 09/06/2005 2:33:59 AM PDT by BillCompton
I have not seen any video of structures reduced to match sticks in the city of New Orleans. There was damage, to be sure, but not like the environs east of there. So how did the supposed 10,000 die? Storm runoff from the 5 inches of rain or so, no doubt flooded parts of the city. But I doubt that killed anyone. Wind might have killed a handfull, though normally it does not kill many at all. Hurricane Andrew blew down many thousands of homes, but only killed a total of 26 people. So we are left with the flood to kill all the 10,000 people.
The breach of the levees happened slowly and long after the winds had subsided. It might be true that in the few hundred yards around the breach itself, a strong current probably existed. Perhaps people were swept to their deaths in the areas immediately proximate to the breach. But the people were supposed to be gone, and many had gone. I am willing to accept that some people directly near the breaches were drowned, but it would not surprise me if that were not the case.
In the rest of the city, the water come up SLOWLY. It took well over a day for the water to come up 10 feet. Now, suppose you have survived the wind storm (as 99.99% surely did) and you notice that the standing water on your street is not going away. A few hours later, it seems to be rising. A few hours later, no doubt about it, the water is rising and it is going to come into the house. Hours later, it is apparent the water is going to keep rising. Who in the world is going to climb into the attic unless you know that you can get out should the water rise higher? This is not a split second decision. This is a decision that had to be at least 12 hours in the making. Even if you climb into the attic, which would be hot as heck, would you sit there hour after hour without the realizing you are slowly becoming trapped? I am not saying it didn't happen once, but I am saying it didn't happen hundreds of times. No. Any ambulatory person would swim or float to someplace they could climb up to. A few healthy people might drown, but not many at all. Now, there were, no doubt, helpless people (elderly primarily) who probably did drown simply because they were too feeble to swim to safety. This, I believe, will account for the largest number of deaths.
It is also probable that some people died from violence. I know a policeman was shot, but was alive the last I saw. I am sure a few people have been killed, but I don't recall seeing any confirmed reports of it. I have also seen reports of people in the hospitals dying. Likewise, dozens have died from exposure to the heat, mostly the very young or the very old.
Also, I am sure that a very few may die of thirst.
Last I heard, there were 56 confirmed dead. The Mayor is hysterically predicting there will be 10,000, which is repeated over and over in the media, so that is the number that people are using to evaluate the current situation in New Orleans. My prediction is that a total of less that 250 will have died in New Orleans. And of all the coastal areas affected by the hurricane winds and tidal surge, New Orleans will be the place of fewest casualties.
Hurricane Audrey in the fifties in CAmeron Parish killed at least 500 people.
President of Jefferson Parish expects deaths to exceed 10,000 now onb FNC live.
The media has a vested interest in using the 10,000 dead figure. It keeps the race issue at the forefront.
Per my post in 82 this guy said he would not reveal actual number he thinks died at this time.
It isn't just the mayor who is saying 10,000; Sen Vitter, who is a Republican, has also said that he believe about 10,000 were killed. But the estimates for 9/11 were way off (from 30,000 to just over 2,000) so it would not surprise me if it is much less.
I wish all reporting would include comparisons such as the one you posted.
Example: Lake Ponchartrain is two or three times the size of Washington DC. One extra foot of water in the Lake is x number of feet in New Orleans.
The Mississippi numbers, OTOH, I think are greatly understated at the moment
I'm waiting to see some despicable casualty report divided up by race. Kind of affirmative action death quota. If more than 67% Af.Am. in NO, it's obviously _ _ _ _ fault!
Could be even higher, depending on the count of those who stayed behind. Everyone is still focused on New Orleans. When the mayor says "10,000" he's focusing on New Orleans. 20,000 is closer for the entire area and it is probably higher than that.
Evidently Vitter rushed out to the media saying the President deserved an 'F' for his efforts re the storm.
He was backtracking a bit but it did get him lots of face time on all the cables.
Did the word go out to the NO pols that they had better tow the lib line or their families would pay?
Kind of like the media unaware that there are military deaths nearing 1,000 per year due to various causes NOT battle related.
Hmmm, the 10000 represent new democrat party voter registrations?
I bet election fraud is a consideration in there.
FNC just had a LA Rep on the phone. Unbelievable gall to slip in partisan BS.
Whatever
Where I come from a "nose for" indicates an ability of some kind. Maybe it is related to hunting dogs. Perhaps you haven't heard that expression used in the way I did.
But whatever.
I don't know if I believe your premise. I don't think this is related to race.
Was that Parish Pres. Broussard, or another guy? I heard Broussard, who was using the "I" word quite frequently, claiming credit for everything from the evac to the rebuilding. Broussard's a busy guy apparently, a real superman.
He makes the comic book superhero seem like a slacker.
Passing this interesting observation along:
It is with much trepidation that I make this post, but I feel like I need to let everyone know what is really going on in the CBD of New Orleans. I need to vent also. Christie and I just spoke with our son, who is with the LA National Guard and in NO. They have been taking fire since the day he arrived. Wednesday night, his squad was holding in the NO Convention Center when they were attacked by a group of thugs with AK47s. They had to fire fight their way out and made it to the Superdome. This morning as they made their way from the Superdome to the end of Canal, he spent 6 clips of ammo in this 10 block span. They found the Riverwalk burning. I am not sure why, and neither are these young men, our politicians feel they need to hide the actions of these criminals from us. Our son reports that there are bodies everywhere and most have died from gunfire, not the storm.
Please keep all those who are in NO to rescue those that are in need in your thoughts and prayers. He says that although he was trained to do just exactly what he is doing, he never in his wildest dreams thought he would be doing it in his home of LA. It is all very confusing for these young men.
(name of author omitted)
You obviously are not a politician or media person! Thanks for the common sense.....
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