Posted on 09/20/2005 4:12:29 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
GOVERNOR Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency in western Louisiana today and urged people to evacuate parts of the state due to the new threat of Hurricane Rita.
"I have put the state on alert. We've declared another emergency ... for southwest Louisiana," Ms Blanco said. "We're urging people to evacuate," she said as Rita barrelled near southernmost Florida, gaining strength and heading west on a track that could take it close to the devastated Louisiana city.
Emergency services have already begun evacuating residents of New Orleans, which is still a disaster area following Hurricane Katrina's August 29 hit, Mayor Ray Nagin said.
"We have had an influx of evacuees that have made their way to the convention centre. We've already evacuated two busloads of individuals," Mr Nagin said.
Officials were quick to emphasise that the convention centre would function only as a staging place for people to board buses, not as a shelter.
Tens of thousands languished without food, water and sanitation for days after fleeing to the facility during Katrina.
The National Hurricane Centre forecast a track that would have Rita making landfall in Texas over the weekend, but a "cone of probability" in the forecast indicates the storm might slam ashore anywhere between northeastern Mexico and the swamplands of southern Louisiana, west of New Orleans.
"We're watching Hurricane Rita very, very closely. If you've had a chance to see what has happened last night it was aiming at Galveston, Texas ... This morning it's a little more westerly. It can move in any direction based on the winds. And so that concerns us," Ms Blanco said.
A decision on mandatory evacuations will be made tomorrow as officials, who came under fire for their slow response to Katrina, monitor the new hurricane.
"If the storm becomes a threat, we will start to strictly enforce the evacuation process tomorrow," Mr Nagin said.
Katrina killed close to 1000 people in four states, including 676 in New Orleans, which was 80 per cent under water after the storm broke levees protecting the low-lying city.
Mr Nagin already suspended on Monday his controversial plan to allow some 180,000 residents to return to the city by the end of the month to check on their properties.
"I know there are lots of people ... anxious about coming home. And I know that some of you were prepared to come back to New Orleans. Just hold on for a little longer," he said.
I've heard that Cheney personally steers each hurricane into areas where the most minorities can be harmed.
'Thumbody' has maybe learned from experience that leadership needs to be exercised BEFORE disaster strikes. Maybe.
The wheel still turns for a while even after the hamster has died.
Yes, winds affect hurricanes, but they are only one factor, and there is no "tumbleweed effect".
That makes sense. Thanks.
Is she sleeping or just a bad attitude?
I'll agree with "America's challenge' all right. This dimwit governor sure is.
That picture just says it all...
The Corp of Engineers says that the N.O. levees can't withstand any more than 3 inches of rain. That is very little for a hurricane. N.O. would be on the east side, which is the wet side of the hurricane. Also, they will get tidal surges from Lake Ponchtratrain that could cause a lot of trouble. I know this for a fact. Tidal surges from fairly mild sustained winds can cover the roads and two of the ways out of my subdivision. It happens even without hurricanes. Those winds out of the east can blow Lake Pontchatrain waters right into parts of N.O. and surrounding parishes.
Hizoner the mayor was late late late in accepting the Feds word that it was too soon to be asking evacuees to return to New Orleans already.
Maybe the sheep who are dependent on the MSM for their opinions will wake up to reality (that many from NOLA already clearly understood); that the mayor and the governor screwed up big time and that the tragedy DOES NOT rest on President Bush's shoulders (but the cleanup and relocation/recovery does now).
The democrat leadership in Louisiana has proven itself unfit to serve. "Getting a second chance" they almost still didn't get it right.
It must not have been a sunny day.
Just as in Bay St. Louis, interstae 10 is a few miles from the coastline. Upon a recent trip there to deliver a friend some relief goods only 2 blocks from the Bay.
As he could see that I was in a state of disbelief at how high the surge came in, he told me to look at the overpass at Hwy 43 & I-10 when I went under it to rejoin the interstate to head back towards Baton Rouge.
The water mark was 15 ft up the grassy embankment that made up the 1-10 overpass over MS state highway 43, some 5-7 miles from his house (which is no longer ther btw)....
LOL, "whitey" better hurry up and beat Rita to Texas to inspect the possibility of blowing up a levee to harm only black folk....
A local couple was packing up to evacuate AGAIN this evening while being interviewed and said "we're leaving *this* time for good" citing a mess of confusion as of whether to go or stay as of late....
Some people drove as far as 10-12 hours to get home under the recommendations of Nagin only to be turned away.
Wait! I thought it was Halliburton and that weather control device in Dick Cheney's basement. Cheney is a hurricane monger. It is a hurricane for oil!
Yes, it has got to be that weather control machine in Dick Cheney's basement. They are at it again. Hurricane mongers all of them...
Governor Bozo Blanco:
Underreacted with Katrina approaching.......
Overreacting with Rita approaching as it is headed for Texas.
RATs are soooooooo predicatable.
Even the MSM is asking Nagin some questions.
Tonite on CNN Anderson Pooper asked Nagin why they ignored an Amtrack offer to take 2,000 people out of N.O.
Nagin responded that he didn't know anything about it. Anderson then gave him the name of one of his staff who took the call from Amtrack to which Nagin replied, "well, now I have something to go on" blah blah.
Have you heard anything about this story, I haven't seen a thread on it.
A few billion? A few hundred billion more like it.
We need it every summer, but right now the lake levels are high in the Hill Country (Central TX) so this *may* cause problems.
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