Katrina Live Thread, Part XI

Various ^ | 30 August 2005 | Various

[Mo1]

You think that is bad? Governor is on WWL sounding like she's losing it!

She is in over her head and doesn't have a clue of how to handle this

She needs to suck it up and show leadership ... pronto

The people of Louisiana needs someone how has what it takes right now

[mhking]

There isno way they can just pump that out into Lake Ponchartrain and the Mississippi. The ecological disaster would be unmatched in history.

They're going to have to do it, otherwise, it'll never be pumped out.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Somebody needs to move the mayor's office to the Superdome for the duration.

"We are supplying the dome people with some footballs and gatorade and they can entertain themselves until football season begins."

[don-o]

Don't see you commenting about people saying that the Governor is incompentent because she is a woman.

Sorry, I missed that. Everyone who is noting that the govenor's incompetence is related to her gender, please knock it off.

[Diddle E. Squat]

There was a post earlier today that the communications system is totally down, including the internal police radio, the trunking system they used had failed. Said that the President had to use short wave radio to contact the mayor. Can't vouch for how much of that is true.

[jpsb]

I agree, New Orleans is gone.

[Abigail Adams]

Right, it sounds like Gov and others sent people to the dome thinking this hurricane would be no biggie. So they have no plan for how to evacuate it and where to take these people.

Don't most cities have plans in place for what facilities will be used as shelters?

[Mr. Jeeves]

CNN reported that people were approaching him and his crew in the street, agressively asking them for money and food. He said these experiences were very uncomfortable.

He should come to San Francisco some time. ;)

[Alberta's Child]

As I think about it, it occurs to me that the bridge was built out of alternating "fixed end" and "bearing" sections. Bridge structures have expansion joints that permit each segment to expand and contract as the temperature changes. A concrete slab can be fixed at one end and slide freely on a bearing plate at the other end, or it can slide freely on a bearing plate at both ends.

It looks like the bridge was built with alternating sections of fixed (F) and bearing (B) ends like this (where the "/" denotes a gap between adjacent sections):

[ABUTMENT] F---B / B---B / F---B / B---B / F---B / B---B / B---F [ABUTMENT]

The "B---B" sections would have been more susceptible to lifting action of wind and waves, since they are only held in place on the bearing plates by the sheer weight of the concrete.

[spanalot]

Sorry - from a previous post that noted that the engineers that win govt bids for levees and sewage plants and flood pumps are not Phi Beta Kappa and can barely speak english.

I was commenting on your concern for waterproofing pumps - its done all the time - Motors up high with long shafts to pumps below.

[dfwgator]

We need that dude from Apollo 13 ("Failure is not an option") to take over this thing.

[nunya bidness]

Somewhere on one of these threads is a Times-Picayune graphic that shows a cross-section of the city between the lake and the river with a line designating sea-level and surge levels from escalating category storms.

Finding that graphic may answer your question.

And if you find it be sure to post a link.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Maybe it's time to call in Jon Kerry and his swift boat to save the day... he is a hero if you had not heard.

[WVNan]

I knew they would be calling for volunteers. They need strong men who are skilled at "getting the job done". Panty waists can stay home.

[RobFromGa]

Somehow the river is flooding the city, I don't know how but that is the only other significant amount of water available.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Well, then they will drown. No sympathy for looting when they should be getting their families and pets out of the city.

[commish]

The Dome situation is amazing. We were talking about what was going to happen in the Dome on Saturday if they used it, and Blanco et al are acting like the deteriorating conditions are a complete surprise.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Time to start drilling off the coast of FL and CA along with ANWR and tell the wackos to get lost. The wells I have seen around Norman are pumping continually right now.

Amen! Build more refineries, and cut out the "blend" nonsense while we're at it.

[r9etb]

What I can't figure out is why the wind and waves only knocked alternating sections out of place while leaving the rest in place.

I'm guessing it has to do with how water was interacting with the other span. Vortices might have been spaced just right.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Most Albertans I know don't think of themselves as Canadians anyway.

I have a number of friends in Alberta that think the same way.