Water Receding Noticeably in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - With a major levee break finally plugged, engineers struggled to pump out the flooded city Tuesday as authorities braced for the horrors the receding water is certain to reveal. "It's going to be awful and it's going to wake the nation up again," the mayor warned.

The Army Corps of Engineers began pumping the water out after using rocks and sandbags to close a levee break that swamped 80 percent of the bowl-shaped, below-sea-level city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Across the city, the water was dropping noticeably, and the Corps said Tuesday the area under water had fallen to about 60 percent.

"I'm starting to see water levels much lower than I've seen," Mayor Ray Nagin said after surveying his city from the air. "Even in areas where the water was as high as the rooftops, I started to see parts of the buildings." He added: "I'm starting to see rays of light."

Still, he warned that what awaits authorities below the toxic muck would be gruesome. A day earlier, he said the death toll in New Orleans could reach 10,000.

Walter Baumy, a Corps manager in charge of the engineering job, said it will take 24 to 80 days to drain the city.

"We're working every aveunue to do whatever we can to get things back in order," he said.

Exactly how long the job will take depends on a number of factors. Among other things, the condition of the pumps — especially whether they were submerged and damaged — is not yet fully known, the Corps said. Also, the water is full of debris, and while there are screens on the pumps, it may be necessary to stop and clean them from time to time.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, began sending paratroopers from the Army's storied 82nd Airborne Division to New Orleans to use small boats, including inflatable Zodiac craft, to launch a new search-and-rescue effort in flooded sections of the city. Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, division commander, said about 5,000 paratroopers would be in place by Tuesday.

Boat rescue crews and a caravan of law enforcement vehicles from around the country also searched for people to rescue.

"In some cases, it's real easy. They're sitting on the porch with their bags packed," said Joe Youdell of the Kentucky Air National Guard. "But some don't want to leave and we can't force them."

Nagin warned: "We have to convince them to leave. It's not safe here. There is toxic waste in the water and dead bodies and mosquitoes and gas. We are pumping about a million dollars' worth a gas a day in the air. Fires have been started and we don't have running water."

Nagin said some dry sections of the city may have running water within 36 hours. The system needs to be flushed out before that can happen, he said.

Early Tuesday, fire broke out at a big house in the city's historic Garden District — a neighborhood with lots of antebellum mansions. National Guardsmen cordoned off the area as firefighters battled the blaze by helicopter. In all, firefighters battled at least four major fires in New Orleans by midafternoon.

At the same time, the effort to get the evacuees back on their feet continued on several fronts.

Patrick Rhode, deputy director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said evacuees would receive debit cards so that they could begin buying necessary personal items. He said the agency was going from shelter to shelter to make sure that evacuees received cards quickly and that the paperwork usually required would be reduced or eliminated.

"We're eliminating as much red tape as humanly possible," Rhode said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

The Air Force late Monday concluded its huge airlift of elderly and serious ill patients from New Orleans' major airport. A total of 9,788 patients and other evacuees were evacuated by air from the New Orleans area.

Local officials bitterly expressed frustration with the federal government's sluggish response as the tragedy unfolded.

"Bureaucracy has murdered people in the greater New Orleans area. And bureaucracy needs to stand trial before Congress today," Aaron Broussard, president of Jefferson Parish, said on CBS' "The Early Show."

"So I'm asking Congress, please investigate this now. Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don't give me the same idiot."

In New Orleans, Deputy Police Superintendent W.J. Riley estimated that fewer than 10,000 people were left in the city. Some simply did not want to leave their homes, while others were hanging back to loot or commit other crimes, authorities said.

The mayor said the city had the authority to force residents to evacuate but didn't say if it was taking that step. He denied reports that the city will no longer hand out water to people who refuse to leave.

The leader of troops patrolling New Orleans declared the city largely free of the lawlessness that plagued it in the days following the hurricane. He lashed out at suggestions that search-and-rescue operations were being stymied by random gunfire and lawlessness.

"Go on the streets of New Orleans — it's secure," Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore said to a reporter. "Have you been to New Orleans? Did anybody accost you?"

In neighboring Jefferson Parish, some of its 460,000 residents got a chance to briefly see their flooded homes, and to scoop up soaked wedding pictures and other cherished mementos.

"I won't be getting inside today unless I get some scuba gear," said Jack Rabito, a 61-year-old bar owner whose one-story home had water lapping at the gutters.

This is a non sequiter. Again, my point is, any American whose reaction to the events in New Orleans is to write "Let this be a lesson to you and the people of your parish" is not worthy of being called an American. I don't care who cried on what program or who is to blame. The lesson for the people of that parish should be that when disaster strikes, Americans rally around the flag and look out for their neighbors -- even if they don't show the initiative that my2cents can show from the comfort of his computer chair while surrounded by the support of his family.

You smug piece of crap. You sit there on your fat butt and make pronouncements about personal initiative to people who have just been through hell. There will be time enough to lay blame on people; now is the time to show a little compassion for your fellow countrymen. If you can manage it.
Just who is being smug here, me wonders. BTW..newbie.. I don't think you will find a better group of people with compassion on their fellow countrymen than FReepers. Part of that respect comes with debating with ideas without resorting to calling fellow freepers of good standing a "smug piece of crap".

I don't agree with all everyone writes on FR, but I understand the value of honest thoughts being shared for discussion. Take a chill pill Natty...

Actually, I'm not a newbie -- I've just been banned a few times for speaking my mind (this is my third incarnation).

But you are right, too often people are unnecessarily abusive on FR. I apologize to my2cents for the "piece of crap" comment -- it wasn't necessary. But I stand by the disgust at his post.

The lesson for the people of that parish should be that when disaster strikes, Americans rally around the flag and look out for their neighbors

That's the lesson now.

Once this city is drained, I hope some hard questions are asked about putting a million people in housing below sea level.

I haven't seen any of this disaster on TV, so possibly I missed something but:What is the basis for this idea that the water is hiding a lot of bodies? Are a lot of people verified as missing? Even drown victims will float to the surface after a little while. Are bodies popping up?

In any event if there are a lot of bodies under the water I'd say they were the fault of the Mayor and Gov.

This is why bureaucracies fail. This is why centrally managed economies (Socialism). It's called no one's really in charge and everyone can point the finger at someone.

If you want to prosecute or remove someone from their position, start with the mayor of NO you most likely voted for. Then move on to the governor you most likely voted for.

Or is he just pulling the number out of the air?

You got it partly right. He's pulling those numbers out of his nether orifice that starts with an "A" and smells.

All the money that is pouring in from everywhere I'll bet is enough to give every private homeowner in the city a substantial cash allowance for a new home elsewhere -- andthat is what should be done with the money, instead of "rebuilding" the cesspool.

Exactly. And rebuild those New Orleans projects out in the sticks so they can grow their own food. Start small and see if such an experiment would make sense for the entitlement addicted underclass

Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don't give me the same idiot."

The motto for the Democratic Party

The water from what I heard is receding because the lake is lowering back down to 1 foot above sea level. The pumps are not doing much at present, and get clogged with debris.

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