"Why, oh why, weren't military flying in helicopters and transport planes to shuttle folks out. Why weren't private planes commandeered? Why weren't transport boats flown in as far as possible?"
Its time for citizens to take matters into their own hands.
This has been outrageous.
There's photos of craft navigating the lake near the breech and they need to get these several hundred feet with anything that can be floated over and sunk from the lake side.
hang on now, the coast guard rescued 1200 people today with these chopper pick ups.
but I agree with some of your other points - there should be press conferences every 4 hours with status updates, who is in charge?
"Why, oh why, weren't military flying in helicopters and transport planes to shuttle folks out. Why weren't private planes commandeered? Why weren't transport boats flown in as far as possible?"
That's what I've wondered all day. Maybe someone here can explain.
This is a war zone, not a movie set.
Choppers are slow flyers and require refuelling stops or an escorting tankers. Most choppers cruise at about 60-100mph and take time to get there. Many are on the way now from where they were dispersed to avoid the storm.
Transport planes? Private Cessnas? THERE'S NOWHERE TO LAND A FIXED WING AIRCRAFT IN NOLA!!!! The airports are either underwater or undermined by water.
The biggest thing that could be flown in is a glorified Zodiac boar or Boston Whaler.
A
Where would any rescue planes land? Anyone know if any airstrips are intact enough for landing?
I imagine conditions are not suitable for landings or they would be doing it. Maybe someone else knows.
Plus, we're in the middle of a war -- our military choppers are deployed elsewhere. Nor do we have an aircraft carrier deployed in the Gulf. It'll take time to get one from Jacksonville or Norfolk. Logistics take time -- it still took us several days to get a carrier to Sumatra (and there we had one already sailing nearby in the Pacific).
As completely frustrating as it is to sit so far from the disaster feeling impotent,
people must understand that logistical miracles were not going to be seen today, a stratosphere's worth of prayers notwithstanding.
Resources on this scale are simply not marshalled in 24hrs.
People have to be given time for muster, even those on short notice standby.
Vehicles have to be fueled, equipment lists checked and topped off, consumables for rescue personnel loaded, etc, etc, etc.
More outside intervention will be visible tomorrow, w/geometric growth each day over the next week.
There'll always be screw-ups, but most of the folks that'll be heading in to do the heavy lifting are pros, and they'll make about the best of the situation that can be made.
The most help many of us can be is to stay calm, send a check where it might do some good, make a lame joke that'll put a smile on the face of someone in here who might have reason to shed tears soon, and don't panic.