Katrina Live Thread, Part XIII

Various ^ | 1 September 2005 | Various

[BurbankKarl]

someone shot at BellSouth Chalmette HQ.....50 people requesting evacuations

[cgk]

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is OKBy Meghan Gordon
St. Tammany bureau

Despite reports by local radio and the national press, the Lake
Pontchartrain Causeway sustained no major damage from Katrina’s storm
surge, the bridge’s general manager said in the first official report of its
condition.

An extensive inspection of the 24-mile bridge between Metairie and
Mandeville found two areas of erosion that are expected to be refurbished
within days, General Manager Robert Lambert said.

With the Interstate 10 twin spans in shambles, the news of
the Causeway’s integrity provides a bright spot to the north shore, where
much of the population depends on the sole remaining link to Jefferson and
Orleans parishes.

The bridge’s northbound lanes have been used since Tuesday for
emergency vehicles shuttling rescuers and critical supplies to the south shore.
The southbound lanes remained closed while Boh Bros. contractors repair two
small segments of limestone and concrete that connect the ends of the bridge to the shoreline.

Lambert said the contractors had the materials
available immediately after inspections, and that work should be
completed at least by Tuesday.

Lambert said multiple teams of engineers, including federal and state
officials inspected the bridge from boats and from the roadway. They
found
that several of the massive concrete slabs had shifted up to an inch on
the crossbeams that connect to underwater pilings. Lambert said the spans’
slight movement pose no threat to the bridge’s structural integrity.

“They stopped and checked every inch of this bridge,” he said. “There’s
no
questions about the safety, the integrity of the Causeway.”

Divers also began inspecting the hundreds of underwater pilings
Thursday to
confirm engineers’ conclusion that no large objects slammed into them
during
the storm.

Lambert said that even though both directions of the bridge would be
passable in days, he will not open them to the public until officials
in St.
Tammany and Jefferson parishes allow evacuees back in.

“For people to come here right now just would be insane,” he said.

Lambert’s announcement will likely buoy out-of-state evacuees from the
north shore, who have been starved for information since most telephone
communication came to a halt Monday. It also contradicts
loosely-attributed
statements on local radio and national newspapers, such as The New York
Times that reported that parts of the 24-mile bridge were missing.

“Supposedly this one was the big one,” Lambert said. “This bridge took
it.”

[Jrabbit]

Motivate them how?? There are no TV's, no phones, no nothing!

[oceanview]

that are the firefighters, see upthread a little.

[Jrabbit]

Trying to confirm....is this the Gonzales incident?

[don-o]

Thanks, Fires have become yet another layer of the touble, I can see off a quick scan of the threads.

Another question, please. Any estimate on how many survivors still awaiting transport?

[two23]

Some kind of evil has poured into this city with the filthy flood water.

[Johnny Crab]

At least 150 busloads....NOW.

[Dolphy]

The mayor and governor could have come up with a plan to evacuate their citizens

Not could have, should have. I have authored many disaster plans and September 11 reignited the discipline (look who Rudy went to work with). It is, without question, a serious breach of public trust in Louisiana. They weren't hit by the unexpected, they were hit in the face by their failure and incompetence. I wouldn't have criticized them had they lost control at the edges or couldn't sustain their plan after a number of days without assistance but that is not the case.

[tomkat]

~ 3hrs of daylight left in NO

[Ohioan from Florida]

I think the number I heard was 90,000 square miles...but don't quote me on it.

[max_rpf]

Some kind of evil has poured into this city with the filthy flood water.

The evil was always there, nurtured in the warm arms of the nanny-state, and the indifference of a corrupt democratic machine.

[tomkat]

1 confirmed dead in bus flip

[RDTF]

Breaking news MSNBC evacuee bus overturned in LA - one dead

[Arizona Carolyn]

72,000 sq miles... think Idaho. larger than that.

[don-o]

FEMA was not designed to to come into an anarchist situation

Very astute comment. We cannot afford to make THAT mistake again!

[tomkat]

... no report of other injuries.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Fox just reported that they have confirmed reports of one dead in the bus accident.

[cgk]

LOL! That's a lot closer to making sense than the something million I thought I heard!

[BurbankKarl]

D. J. Kelly waves the U.S. flag as members of the National Guard arrive near the convention center in New Orleans, where residents have been waiting for days to be evacuated.