Frustration, anger grow in Jeff over removal of pump operators

The Times Picayune ^ | 10/06/2005 | Sheila Grissett

[LA Woman3]

A sense of outrage and disbelief is growing among Jefferson Parish residents at the decision by Parish President Aaron Broussard’s administration to evacuate drainage pump operators the day before Hurricane Katrina flooded southeast Louisiana on Aug. 29, according to extensive interviews with residents this week.

They are frustrated that they didn’t know of the plan beforehand, stunned that the pump operators weren’t returned to their posts for more than 24 hours and anxious that parish officials have been slow, in their view, to justify the decision in light of the ensuing destruction.

But mostly they are mad.

[LA Woman3]

“This wasn’t an act of God. It was an act of stupidity, and we’re the little guys now stuck between the parish and the insurance companies,” said Danny Callahan of Metairie. “We are the ones who have to pay for the decisions politicians make.”

Aaron is going to cry again....

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Blind leading the blind.

[robowombat]

"Broussard and Emergency Management Director Walter Maestri have said that pump station operators were among the caravan of public employees and equipment sent across Lake Pontchartrain to shelters north of Interstate 12 during the late afternoon and early evening of Aug. 28. At the time, Katrina was a Category 5 storm, packing 175 mph winds, although it subsided to Category 3 and 125 mph by the time the eye made landfall Aug. 29 about 10 a.m., according to initial reports from the National Hurricane Center."

Did anyone catch this. The storm when it arrived was actually at the category level that the levee and storm drain system was built to handle and there still was catastrophic failure of the London Ave concrete storm and flood levee. If this is accurate either there were significant errors in design of this key element in the water management system or there was defalcation in the contractors work or materiel quality.

[KarlInOhio]

All the pump operators in Louisiana couldn't dry Broussard's crocodile tears.

[LA Woman3]

Which makes it human error. They were manual pumps and Broussard evacuated the operators the day before Katrina arrived.

[LA Woman3]

*ping*

[balrog666]

What a dumbass, political hack! Pumps don't operate without power.

[Roux]

If he evacuated them he should have gone to Baton Rouge.

There are many more routes back from there. Broussard is a dumbass.

[an amused spectator]

The drainage pump operators were trapped in other cities because "Cryin'" Aaron Broussard wouldn't call them back and every day we called them and said, "Are you coming, pump operators? Is somebody coming to run the pumps?" And Aaron said, "Yeah, citizens, somebody's coming to run the pumps. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Thursday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Friday." And Jefferson Parish drowned Friday night. It drowned Friday night.

[an amused spectator]

The drainage pump operators were trapped in other cities because "Cryin'" Aaron Broussard wouldn't call them back and every day we called them and said, "Are you coming, pump operators? Is somebody coming to run the pumps?" And Aaron said, "Yeah, citizens, somebody's coming to run the pumps. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Thursday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Friday." And Jefferson Parish drowned Friday night. It drowned Friday night.

[houeto]

Did anyone catch this. The storm when it arrived was actually at the category level that the levee and storm drain system was built to handle and there still was catastrophic failure of the London Ave concrete storm and flood levee. If this is accurate either there were significant errors in design of this key element in the water management system or there was defalcation in the contractors work or materiel quality.

Pay no attention to the Cat Level of the storm. I was in Gulfport in 1969 when Camille came in at 200 mph CAT 5! Gulfport, Long Beach, Pass Christian and Biloxi were devastated. This MONSTER destroyed Bayou LeBatre, Alabama, New Orleans, Louisiana and EVERYTHING in between.

What we're trying to live through down here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast right now in almost indescribable. I watched the tidal surge as it crossed I-10 in Pascagoula like a tsunami. That is 10 miles north of the coast! It washed another 5 miles further north. No one has been able to explain this phenomena to date. It was unreal.

[LA Woman3]

The drainage pump operators were trapped in other cities because "Cryin'" Aaron Broussard wouldn't call them back and every day we called them and said, "Are you coming, pump operators? Is somebody coming to run the pumps?" And Aaron said, "Yeah, citizens, somebody's coming to run the pumps. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Tuesday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Thursday. Somebody's coming to run the pumps on Friday." And Jefferson Parish drowned Friday night. It drowned Friday night.

Fantastic reenactment!! : )

[bigsigh]

and the obligatory.......It's Bush's fault.

[BurbankKarl]

I would be mad too...the foreclosure notices are going to be mailed in early November.....

Perhaps Mr Broussard and syndicate are goign to gobble up all the properties and flip them to speculators.

[half-cajun]

You actually made me laugh out loud. Thanks, I needed that.

[jeffers]

How deep when it crossed I-10?

Best number you have.

You're right about Cat numbers, they mean nothing. Wind speed and surge height is everything. That said, the Orleans Levee District Executive Board has a lot to answer for.

Starting early next week.

[jeffers]

"“We are the ones
who have to pay for the decisions politicians make.” "

That price is going to be a pretty penny. This is a big deal. A lot bigger than has been reported. Broussard is in deep trouble on this one.

[houeto]

How deep when it crossed I-10? Best number you have.

It was 2' 6" at I-10. We had mullet jumping in the parking lot. I picked up a 20" redfish in the yard of the Baptist church after it went back down.

[LA Woman3]

That price is going to be a pretty penny. This is a big deal. A lot bigger than has been reported. Broussard is in deep trouble on this one.

That could explain the tears....

[LA Woman3]

It was 2' 6" at I-10. We had mullet jumping in the parking lot. I picked up a 20" redfish in the yard of the Baptist church after it went back down.

I'm guessing a mullet is a fish? : )