Hurricane Rita Live Thread, Part VIII

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

Same as yours! She's now from Houston and a journalist but has the same give-me-I'm-underprivileged attitude as the Jesse Jackson and the other race-baiting pimps.

1,841 posted on 09/25/2005 7:07:39 PM PDT by CedarDave ("I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a reporter" -- Lt. Gen. Honoré)

President, Louisiana Governor Briefed on Hurricane Rita in Baton Rouge
FEMA Joint Field Office
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

In Focus: Hurricane Relief

12:08 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. The Governor and I just got briefed by Admiral Allen on the progress here in Louisiana. There's still assessment on the damage of Hurricane Rita. One of the things that is important for the citizens of this state to do is to listen to the Governor about when it is okay to return back to your homes. I know a lot of people want to get back home. It's important that there be an orderly process. It's important there be an assessment done of infrastructure. And it's important for the people of the affected areas of Louisiana to listen carefully to the Governor and local authorities about the proper timing of return home.

We also got briefed on the levees in New Orleans. There is flooding, obviously, in the 9th Ward. The Corps of Engineers gave us a briefing about the building -- repairing levees, and then, once again, pumping the water out of that part of New Orleans. It's -- I would say it's an optimistic appraisal, in the sense that work has started now, and they can start to -- draining that part of the city again.

But I'm here to really thank the people in the Operations Center for their hard work and their dedication to helping the people of Louisiana recover from a second major storm in a very quick period of time.

Governor, thank you for your hospitality. I know you've been through a lot, and I know the people of this state have been through a lot. We ask for God's blessings on them and their families.

GOVERNOR BLANCO: Well, we want to welcome you back. I'm sorry that we brought you back under another stressful event. But we do appreciate your support. And I do want to tell you how much we appreciated watching all of the integrated forces at work as one. And as we talked, I know that it was possible to do it quickly, and to move in as one, with federal, state and local folks working all together.

We talked about what happens next here, and how quickly we could marshal the right kind of forces again. And I think that, together, we're going to work out some very important plans that citizens of the United States can feel will work very effectively and efficiently.

GOVERNOR BLANCO: Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.)

END 12:11 P.M. CDT

1,843 posted on 09/25/2005 7:09:49 PM PDT by Ellesu (www.thedeadpelican.com)

Imaginations are wonderful things.

1,844 posted on 09/25/2005 7:11:44 PM PDT by Sunnyflorida

I think you might be a bit premature in calling this a "fizzler"...

I dare you to look at the pictures and footage of the coast that Fox showed this afternoon, and call it a "fizzler".

1,845 posted on 09/25/2005 7:13:02 PM PDT by Txsleuth (Arlington, Texas--future home of the Dallas Cowboys!)

Was that it? Smoking? Oh, no. Is this an urban legend?

1,846 posted on 09/25/2005 7:13:38 PM PDT by Sunnyflorida

You signed up today to call Rita a "fizzler"...

You just fizzled, IMHO!

1,847 posted on 09/25/2005 7:14:46 PM PDT by Txsleuth (Arlington, Texas--future home of the Dallas Cowboys!)

MSM entertainment journalist Arthel blasting FEMA on Fox.

Arthel Neville ( now with “A Current Affair”) left Fox News to take a job at CNN when everyone else at CNN was leaving for either Fox News or somewhere else. That shows how smart she is. Ignore her!

Arthel's relatives...

GLENDALE, Calif. Aaron Neville, part of the Neville Brothers singing group from New Orleans, says he hasn't been back to his beloved city, but images of flood waters show it has turned into a "toxic gumbo."

Madison Square Garden benefit concert and pay-per-view broadcast, "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy."

Cyril Neville, of the Neville Brothers, wore a T-shirt reading, "Ethnic cleansing in New Orleans"; his brother Aaron wore a baseball cap reading, "Evacuee."

1,848 posted on 09/25/2005 7:15:35 PM PDT by kcvl

Have to bite my teeth not to go after Blanco in this reply for her smug "we're all working together statements". How the President can stand them being nice to his face but skewering him once he turns his back is beyond me.

Ellesu thanks for giving us the inside "scoop" on the local grifters for these past few weeks.

1,849 posted on 09/25/2005 7:15:49 PM PDT by CedarDave ("I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a reporter" -- Lt. Gen. Honoré)

Governor Blanco's Requests

Governor Kathleen Blanco is praising President Bush, and she has a large request...billions of dollars in relief for Louisiana's infrastructure. The governor took an aerial tour of southwest Louisiana Sunday. Governor Blanco spoke positively Sunday, thanking the president, the nation, and one parish in particular.

In lower Cameron parish, Blanco says it's hard to tell where the gulf ends and land begins...but she is cautiously optimistic. 98 percent of the people in Cameron evacuated. In 1957, hundreds of people there died in hurricane Audrey. Governor Blanco said, "they have learned their lessons and have taught them through generations. I think for that reason, if we've lost any life, it will be surprising. I'm hoping we've lost none."

Blanco says now is not the time to return home, no matter how difficult. All exits off interstate ten into Calcasieu parish are closed, and roads leading into Cameron parish are flooded. Governor Blanco said, "I must ask that everyone stay where you are. If you return now, it will hamper the recovery efforts. Your communities are well-protected."

From Rita to Katrina, the governor says Louisiana needs help, now more than ever in recovery. She praised the public for their part, and the president for his response. Governor Blanco said, "it's in times like these I'm especially grateful to the president and the way he's devoted much of his time and energies to this enormous task. Like all louisianans, I am grateful for the way the president and congress have responded." Now, Blanco wants the president and congress to help financially...nearly thirty two billion dollars for transportation and flood protection. The money would go toward levees and roads that need rebuilding and strengthening. And she says, as the infrastructure gets stronger, so will the people.

Governor Blanco says when she met with the president Sunday, he had a great deal of interest in her recovery plan. Of course, she says, all is negotiable.

http://www.wafb.com

1,850 posted on 09/25/2005 7:17:40 PM PDT by Ellesu (www.thedeadpelican.com)

To: Sunnyflorida

1,851 posted on 09/25/2005 7:17:43 PM PDT by RGVTx

Do did we have a live one here?

1,852 posted on 09/25/2005 7:19:28 PM PDT by CedarDave ("I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a reporter" -- Lt. Gen. Honoré)

1,853 posted on 09/25/2005 7:20:23 PM PDT by bonfire (dwindler)

From BBC:

A bridge across the Trinity river, which was closed after it was hit by a barge.

Worse may be to come.

The town is by Lake Livingston, whose dam has been damaged and is dangerously close to breaking point.

To ease pressure on the dam, the authorities have to let water through into the river.

However, the barge that broke free in the storm is now resting against the highway bridge, and should water be let through to save the dam, the barge is likely to bring down the vital highway bridge.

If they do not, the dam will burst and terrible flooding will follow.

The barge's owner, local contractors and state and federal authorities are at the scene, trying to work out how to move the barge.

Sport

1,854 posted on 09/25/2005 7:21:18 PM PDT by Colorado Doug (Diversity is divisive. E. Pluribus Unum)

Uh, if they all died there in 1957, how many people were left to "learn their lesson"?

98 percent of the people in Cameron evacuated. In 1957, hundreds of people there died in hurricane Audrey. Governor Blanco said, "they have learned their lessons and have taught them through generations. I think for that reason, if we've lost any life, it will be surprising. I'm hoping we've lost none."

1,855 posted on 09/25/2005 7:22:31 PM PDT by BurbankKarl

Me too.

Mary's little brother.......

Landrieu office updates raise eyebrows -

Renovations total nearly $1 million

Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA)
August 14, 2005
Author: Jan Moller
Capital bureau
Estimated printed pages: 5

BATON ROUGE -- Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu has spearheaded renovations of his office and official residence totaling nearly $1 million since his election in 2003, spending that his staff said is a critical part of their efforts to improve the state's image. But others noted that the state has a long list of facility needs identified as more critical.

Public records show taxpayers have paid more than $950,000 for the two renovation projects involving Landrieu's office: a $419,000 face-lift of a reception area and personal residence in the historic Pentagon Barracks across from the state Capitol; and a $536,000 upgrade of Landrieu's executive office at the Capitol Annex, in the same area with the state Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which the lieutenant governor oversees.

Most of the money was spent on basic materials and labor. But the projects include upgraded carpeting in the executive suite, a decorative glass partition in the reception area and $10,000 for an interior design firm. The residential renovations include a new spiral staircase connecting the second and third floors, and commercial-grade kitchen appliances.

Landrieu declined to be interviewed about the construction projects but issued a written statement that said they are consistent with his efforts to "re-image" the state by allowing for a more polished presentation.

"Renovations to the space occupied by the office of lieutenant governor and the office of the secretary of DCRT (Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism) were designed to give us a place to host dignitaries, conduct economic development and tourism business meetings -- basically to show the state in a more professional, positive light to those who we do business with," the statement said.

State officials said the project is not unusual, and that it makes sense to have the lieutenant governor working from the same office as the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. But others question why the projects were financed at a time when the state faces a $263 million backlog of "critical" repairs to other buildings and property.

"Given all the other capital outlay needs, that's an awful lot of money to be spending for the operation of that office," said Sen. Jay Dardenne, R-Baton Rouge, who was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee under former Gov. Mike Foster.

Dardenne said he's not familiar enough with the project to know whether the renovations were needed, but he said he suspects there were other projects that could have used the money.

"I'm sure it's very nice now, and I'll also assume it was not the highest spending priority," Dardenne said.

Jerry Jones, state facilities director for the Division of Administration, estimates there is a $2 billion backlog of repairs needed on state-owned buildings, including $263 million deemed "critical" and needing to be done immediately. Charity Hospital in New Orleans, for example, needs $508,434 worth of roof repairs and $4.3 million to fix an exterior wall.

"I don't want to say he jumped ahead of everybody else, because this was part of the . . . plans," Jones said. "But that's not to say we don't have those . . . critical things we need to take care of."

Another state construction official said the only thing unusual about the project was that an outside firm was hired to provide "design oversight" for the architects chosen by the state.

"It's not normal," said Billy Wilson, who heads the Office of State Buildings. "That's my first experience with that."

Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Tourism Angele Davis said the renovations were a necessary part of Louisiana's effort to project a more "professional business image," which had become difficult to do before the renovations. She said the space previously used by the lieutenant governor's office in the Pentagon Barracks had water stains on the walls and other signs of wear and tear.

"We are in the business of selling our assets and our culture to the rest of the world," Davis said. "You don't do that in an office that has watermarks and torn up carpet."

The money to renovate the lieutenant governor's residence and reception area came from the Budgetary Control Council, a 12-member group that meets once a year and is controlled by the speaker of the House and the president of the Senate.

The financing for converting the fifth floor of the Capitol Annex into a 6,800-square-foot suite of offices for Landrieu and other top tourism officials came from a special state fund that pays for construction and renovation projects in and around the Capitol.

Furniture for both spaces was purchased from Prison Enterprises, and that cost was not included in the price.

In his statement, Landrieu said the projects should be judged in the context of a government building boom in the capital, with at least four new state office buildings recently completed or under construction.

"In 2002, the state spent over $320 million to build new buildings in the Capitol Complex," Landrieu said. "None of the renovations or new buildings incorporated our department. That is why we worked with the Division of Administration to use funds that were already slated for the repair work to the Annex."

Before the renovations, the lieutenant governor had both a residence and office in the Pentagon Barracks, a historic complex of four buildings that sit diagonally across the street from the state Capitol and also includes apartments for legislators. The tourism staff worked across the street in the Capitol Annex, a Depression-era building nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

Wilson, the head of the Office of State Buildings, said the renovation of the fifth floor of the Capitol Annex had been on a five-year list of proposed projects. But the project did not gain momentum or financing until Landrieu presented his plan to consolidate the functions of his office under one roof.

A series of e-mails obtained from the Division of Administration through a public records request indicate Landrieu took an active interest in the project, down to reviewing carpet samples and asking that a private toilet be built adjacent to a large conference room.

"The carpet samples were transmitted to the lieutenant governor's office, and they are not happy with the 'industrial' look of carpet tiles," reads a typical e-mail.

Eventually it was decided a suite of offices for Landrieu and Davis would have a higher-grade carpet than the rest of the offices on that floor.

Not all of the lieutenant governor's requests were granted. For example, the state turned down a request by Landrieu's hand-picked interior designer to raise the ceilings in Landrieu's personal office by a foot. A suggestion by the designer to hang a chandelier in the reception area also was rejected out of fear it would be too large for that space.

http://www.nola.com

1,856 posted on 09/25/2005 7:23:15 PM PDT by Ellesu (www.thedeadpelican.com)

To: Sunnyflorida

Is this an urban legend?

Don't know, but collinpine is.

1,857 posted on 09/25/2005 7:23:20 PM PDT by CedarDave ("I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a reporter" -- Lt. Gen. Honoré)

To: Sunnyflorida

Is this an urban legend?

Don't know, but collinpine is.

1,858 posted on 09/25/2005 7:23:26 PM PDT by CedarDave ("I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a reporter" -- Lt. Gen. Honoré)

To: Txsleuth; hoosiermama; cajungirl; Carolinamom

carolinamom loves auctions too...lol.
I think I'm addicted, but (smart, smart me) I have husband hooked on them too...lol. Trouble is, he curtails my buying. He has a GOOD eye for the GOOD stuff. I'll grant him that.

That expert is right on one account for sure: more development means more wreckage.

I am sorry to say, that right now I see clear sky... and I thought we were promised rain for Monday and Tuesday.

1,859 posted on 09/25/2005 7:23:53 PM PDT by onyx ((Vicksburg, MS) North is a direction. South is a way of life.)

Dang....and I was so hoping we could play with it for a while!! LOL

1,860 posted on 09/25/2005 7:24:47 PM PDT by Txsleuth (Arlington, Texas--future home of the Dallas Cowboys!)

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