Mayor: 200 trapped on Ninth Ward rooftops; bodies floating in Bywater

WWLTV.com ^ | 02:37 PM CDT on Monday, August 29, 2005 | WWLTV

[Smogger]

Mayor Ray Nagin said that 200 people were stranded on rooftops in the Lower Ninth Ward and several “bodies are floating in the water” in the Bywater neighborhood and in Eastover.

Nagin made the announcement in his first press briefing after Hurricane Katrina slammed just east of the city, but did plenty of devastation to New Orleans.

Nagin said that the 200 stranded people included 20 police officers who were riding out the storm at their homes in preparation to take over shifts from other officers. He said that boats would be dispatched on rescue missions later in the afternoon.

Mayor Nagin issued a "boil water" recommendation for water in the city - except for Algiers and the CBD due to a water main line break that may have compromised the water.

Nagin said at least 20 buildings in the city had collapsed and that it might be 48 hours before residents would be allowed back to their homes to assess the damage.

[mwyounce]

If they're seeing bodies, I doubt it (unless they were recently buried)....

When I toured NOLA, they told us that the crypts are set up so that they can store the remains for 1 year + 1 day, and then they go back in and there's nothing but a skeleton left. The skeleton can then be stored in the crypt... this is how one average sized tomb holds the remains of over 200 nuns.

[conservativeharleyguy]

I'm pretty sure I could walk 60 miles in 3 days , if I knew there was a hurricane chasing me. I've done 12 in 2 1/2 hours for the Army SFQT, and all I had chasing me then was the Sergeant Major.

[Southack]

"Well, I'm not saying don't pluck em off their damned rooftops."

With government Dollars for the helicopters and boats?! Oh my, you liberal, you!

< /mocking! >

[hedgetrimmer]

It isn't up to FEMA but for citizens everywhere in this country to re-institute civil defense in their cities, towns and neighborhoods. Once that is done,you will see better preparedness for disasters and greater safety for citizens. You might even see plans to protect citizens' lives if terrorist strike again. Right now the plans only include shelter for the governmental elites. In the 1960s all major cities had shelters and plans and trained volunteers to run Civil defense programs. The American people need to reinstitute civil defense, train volunteers and start to assume responsibility for their own safety and not rely on the federal government.

[cardinal4]

let's just get the gubmint to buy everyone flood insurance.

I believe the gubmint already runs their own flood insurance program..

[Huck]

They should be billed for it.

[ArkansasBushfan]

Did you ever stop to think the government just might not want to risk their lives to go in and rescue the home owners. Boy I sure would hate to live in your little world.

[najida]

The biggest 'Uh Oh' moment here was when everyone realized there was only 1 way out of town...up to a certain point, you could cut off and take back roads, but for the majority, it was just 4 lanes west and that was it.

It was a nightmare, and I'll be honest, the planning sucked.

[Huck]

Why not have a taxpayer funded insurance program to pay for everyone's disasters? Do we have that? After all, can't leave people on their own, can we?

[BayouCoyote]

They're claiming the e x a c t same spot as the previous breach..?? Listen, uncle Butch's wife works a Chalmette hosp. and their calling it 9+ feet..that's catastrophic damage, intentional or not bodies will float. The elderly die in their homes..animals of all sort will perish and we will laugh at the insane comments about people evact'ing on foot over here. I wonder if these posters ever walked w/o a limb/s before? How about the blind w/o family? I could go on..for hours..or days..but you get the message. I'm looking for employment up here right now as I type this post. It will be a total loss for alot of people. Families will be displaced and seperated from each other for long periods of time. I pray for those left behind...without any options. If we can give billions to the muzzie loving Indonesians..we can give to our own.

Take care, BC

[Southack]

"They should be billed for it."

The U.S. Coast Guard has actually done that; it has billed people for some nautical rescues.

After the fact.

Get them saved first, even if you have to use government resources and taxpayer Dollars.

[Peace will be here soon]

"What is with some of these folks?"

I am far from perfect, but a few words come to my mind:

selfishness , cold-heartedness , blindness etc....

[najida]

Ahhh sweetie,
this is one of those 'walk a mile in their shoes moments' (OK, so it sounds libish--- you can slap me later).

But no, not everyone gets that it can be simple and quick one can go from one of 'us' to one of 'them'.

[BayouCoyote]

Don't depend on the roads.

Hard won point I could not keep from forcing to every one!
It took my girlfriends mother 7 1/2 hurs to get to Baton Rouge from New Orleans. Never again!

[Huck]

Get them saved first, even if you have to use government resources and taxpayer Dollars.

yeah, not much choice there. then give em a free pack of saltines and send them on there way. Once upon a time americans ate the family dog when times got bad enough.

[pa mom]

So we should abandon NO? One of the largest ports in our country? Vital for petroleum refining and transport inland up the Mississippi?

We should abandon vacation areas that bring millions if not billions to the states?

[Southack]

"Once upon a time americans ate the family dog when times got bad enough."

We're so much wealthier, as a nation, now than then that such barbarism is no longer required for survival.

[Huck]

Bayou. Isn't that a french word for a place with a lot more water than land?

[Diddle E. Squat]

yeah, don't let the ignorant know-it-all squawkers here get to ya, most of us have a sense of how bad it is. Best of luck, I realize that it is all very frustrating.