Thread: Hurricane Katrina

I just thought I would start a thread about this Hurricane and New Orleans in general. Pretty nasty stuff going on here in the states.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/n...l=chi-news-hed

You really have to watch videos to see the damage. They are saying it may be the worse one in US history.

The situation on the Gulf Coast is absolutely tragic. The priority at the moment is rescuing people, tending to their needs, and moving them to a safe place. We can all do our part by donating resources and/or volunteering our time.

It must be horrific for decent people to be trapped in a dome where social anarchy has erupted. The heat combined with the humidity along the Gulf Coast is unbearable. These people have no relief from it. Some have not eaten in days. Medical care has finally moved from nonexistent to limited as medics are stretched thin. As conditions within the dome become more unsanitary, the evacuation process has now slowed while the hotel across the street is evacuated in order to move emergency personnel into the city, something that should have already been in place.

Certainly FEMA’s response is disgraceful, but not unsurprising. Florida experienced the same slow response from FEMA last year when a series of hurricanes ravaged the state. The system needs to be evaluated and appropriately adjusted to work more effectively, and if possible more efficiently.

Economic repercussions are already beginning to be felt as gasoline prices soar. Personally, I think the government should declare a national emergency and provide funding to speed up the production of electric, hydrogen, and hybrid vehicles. A recent study conducted by Yale indicated 93% of the US population would purchase these vehicles if they were available.

It has been known and discussed for years the levee system around New Orleans was lacking if a situation like Katrina occurred, yet nothing was done. Perhaps now the Corp of Engineers will find a way to update and improve upon the system. We can incorporate new stronger, wind resistant materials into our buildings, even designing alternative clean energy resources into them as we rebuild.

One can only hope we have learned from this tragic, tragic situation along the Gulf Coast. Certainly our thoughts and prayers go out to the people who are in the middle of this nightmare.

I guess it would also help if we weren't wasting Billions of dollars in Iraq trying to kill people. The US just lost more to this hurricane then they did with 9/11. I guess that's just another story.

Ohh and gas prices here are now about $3.19 average.

http://phoenixgasprices.com/

In any event I wish the people of New Orleans the best. I was there once, didn't like it and found the people hostile and low class. All that being said nobody deserves what they are going through.

The gas prices here on the Texas Gulf Coast were running as high as $3.31 the last time I checked, which was yesterday. This may sound a little out there, but if there were a way to realistically use direct solar power to heat a home, perhaps electric powered vehicles would be a viable cost effective option. There is a lot of support for hydrogen-based vehicles, but it is my understanding hydrogen vehicles would need fossil fuel in order to run. Is this really progress? I don’t know. Perhaps if hydrogen vehicles ran on natural gas it would save the environment in the sense it is suppose to run “clean,” but at the same time still would be depleting the earth of a natural and limited resource.

We agree no one should be in the desperate situation the people in New Orleans are in at this time. It does seem some of the people in the dome may not have used good judgment in firing shots at the helicopters carrying people who were trying to assist them. In every city there are decent people and not so decent people, with variances on what your personal definition would be of decent and not decent. No one should be in the nightmare of New Orleans at this time.

75 percent of N.O. is black and they are also the lowest paid hence the bad living conditions and nothing to help them out from their own mayor.

Agreed, CosmicTraveler.

It makes my heart hurt no one made any attempts to assist the poorer citizens of N.O. There was an interview with an elderly lady the night before the hurricane. She had no way to evacuate the city. She stated to the press she knew this was the “big one” and she knew she was going to die.

Mayor C. Ray Nagin is blasting the U.S. [FEMA] for not doing more, and not doing it in a more timely fashion, but some may ask, “Where was Mayor C. Ray Nagin when the people of the City of New Orleans needed him?”

Please excuse me. This is not a time for politics. It is a time for rescue, and a time to begin to heal. Sorry.

Originally Posted by CyndiLoo

Please excuse me. This is not a time for politics. It is a time for rescue, and a time to begin to heal. Sorry.

I don't think you need to be excused. And you are right, this is not about politics. This is about gross incompetence, that some would consider criminal in its scope and totality.
I am not a US citizen, but had the pleasure of living in the US for almost three years in the 1970s and visit at least once a year. The one thing I had always felt could be said without contradiction about the US was you knew how to organise, plan and implement. I have been stunned (the word isn't strong enough) by the absence of these skills in this catastrophe, just when they were most needed. I have no doubts that there are thousands of brave, selfless commited individuals trying their best to sort things out. What has been lacking throughout is any evidence of leadership at any level.
The consequences of this sad affair will still be reverbating after New Orleans is rebuilt.

Don't forget the monkey we have in office at the moment.

He is already taking heat for not having anything in planing to deal with this before it happened, and also for acting too slowly once it did. Not all the blame can fall on one or two people, but you know the old saying. "The buck stops here".

Thank you, Ophiolite. Your comments are very reflective of how I am feeling at the moment. My strong feeling is, while the government is debating whether or not to rebuild New Orleans, the people will begin rebuilding New Orleans. It is my strong hope while the government is debating the issue, at the very least the Corp of Engineers will repair, and upgrade the levee. This would go a long way in preventing the flooding which occurred in the aftermath of this storm. Many historic landmarks are gone, but many have survived. In my mind, this is a place for hope to begin. My thought is while the survivors are in the shelters in Texas, perhaps the local education centers could offer classes at no charge for those who may want to improve their situation. Education is the best way for a good life. In fact, I think I will begin to see what I can do to promote this idea. Not everyone will be interested, but some will and this could also be an additional place for new beginnings. Thanks again, Ophiolite!

I agree Ophiolite, there should have been portable generators at the shelters to insure that the shelters were supplied with power to keep the AC on and water running. There should have been food and supplies to take care of the evacuated but there was none. That is the responsibility of the MAYORS and GOVERNORS offices. They both had years to prepair but did nothing. They should be held criminally liable. There also should have been evacuation plans to get everyone out , again that was the MAYORS responsibility.

The failure of the government in this time of great tragedy is... well... tragic. I watch news video of reporters whom I recognize from their work in Sudan, Bosnia and Iraq, and then see Harry Conick Jr and find myself wondering: how is it they can figure out how to get into New Orleans with their cameras, but FEMA couldn't get the National Guard in there for over a week?

The United States is the country that organized the Berlin Airlift. Where were the C-130's dropping MREs? We evacuated thousands from Saigon during TET. Where were the Hueys and Sea Planes? Why didn't the executive office order Greyhound and Amtrak to fill their coaches with anyone who wanted to leave? Why wasn't there an executive order for cruise ships to steam over and begin shuttling people from the city?

I have no love for the Bush admin, but as I watched the storm gain intensity and approach New Orleans, I expected the National Guard to stage and FEMA to take control of transportation infrastructures like buses, rail, and airlines to manage the evacuation. I was shocked to find it didn't happen.

I expected the day after the storm that the National Guard would be in place, parachuted in if need be.

If i could figure this out, why couldn't the leadership of our nation?

The answer is what we've feared all along: the regime currently running the United States isn't interested in the American People. Its interested in the elite class. There's no doubt in my mind that there are those in government, of decision-making pay grade, who are saying to themselves, "whats wrong with the dummies who chose to stay and ride out the storm? Why didn't they just get in their SUVs and leave the city?"

There's no doubt in my mind that there aren't those who will read those last two sentences and think there's nothing wrong with them. But these are the same people who don't recognize the "untouchables" of our society. The poverty and near-poverty classes whom we pretend are simply lazy welfare bums and not the elderly, undereducated, underskilled, underprivilaged, etc.

A recent FoxNews broadcast on the radio featured some talking head that challenged those that dared to question the government in this time of crisis. Now is not the time for questioning and looking for places to point fingers, he said. I say, if not "now" then when? Right now is the time. People in New Orleans aren't simply "frustrated" as the Bush administration has said. They're dying. The entire world is looking at our failure and thinking WTF?

FoxNews, don't you mean the Bush network?

I find FoxNews (aka FauxNews) an important source of information in order to give perspective to what is really "news." I'm constantly amazed at the willingness for the FoxNews audience to accept its propaganda at face-value without questionin any of the premises or assertions its "reporters" make.

the only thing the US seems to be good and fast at of late is mobalizing the armed forces.
and it still took them a while to mobalize the national guard.

A terrible disaster indeed! I can't remember anything like this happened before in the US. Is there any news about the estimated death toll?

Btw, at http://maps.google.com you can find some satellite imagery of New Orleans, showing some parts of the flooded city. I think this link should work: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=New+Orleans&t=e

This right here gives you a good idea.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=New+Or...0131&t=e&hl=en

SCIAM - The Drowning of New Orleans From this Original Article.

Meet The Press 9/4/05 - Transcript

Meet the Press 9/4/05 - Podcast


National Geographic 2004.

Bush, not much more I can say.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050905/pl_nm/bush_dc_1

He said the country would "do what it takes" to help people get back on their feet.

He signed autographs, signed tee-shirts, hugged women holding babies and sat on a bed next to a pregnant woman, Ailisa Eugene, from Metairie, Louisiana.

I am happy to say after 9 days we once again have power and contact to the outside world. The last 9 days have been interesting to say the least.

I live about a 100 miles from New Orleans. We got a light brush estimated at around 130 mph. No damage to the house though we did lose a bit of groceries but did manage to save the food in the freezer.

I guess the worse part was no communication until a generator was shipped in to the radio station. No word from the outside or what help might be where for those that need it. After the 3rd day, radio came on and we could at least tell where folks were in the process of getting things back on line. Probably the second worse is that we live on the main route back to New Orleans. When we heard of the evacuation of New Orleans it was already to late to leave our area. The interstate was estimated to be handling around 18,000 vehicles an hour. Sure didn't look like that to me, looked like a parking lot going one way; north.

Anyway, all those folks leaving were trying to get back and the southern part was a black hole for any sort of news on conditions or anything else. Most of those folks got stuck here needing gas to continue. Without power there was no gas. After the gas started to be sold with generators we were lucky enough the lines were only 3-4 hours to be able to get 10 gallons. There were reports of price gouging with $2.61 being the price at most places but with one other station charging $3.17 during the same time and across the street. I suspect they will be charged later when things settle down.
Getting ice was interesting too, line was about 3 miles long. However it moved far faster than getting gas. Fema was here on the 4th day to help out. However help for the police department didn't show up till day 8. Our police were working 20 hour days keeping roads open to the hospital while folks were trying to get gas from the few gas stations that were open.

We are ok. Don't need anything and are doing fine. Think of those that really need it and help where you can.

Here are three photos, one taken during the wane of the storm and the other two the next day. We took them locally. They will probably explain better than I why the power was and still is down in places. The 2nd photo that looks like a railroad isn't. Those are power lines in the road.

Glad you made it through safely. Don't you have a portable generator? Could you have evacuated when you were first told of the impending disaster heading your way? Why didn't you leave well in advance to be sure of your safety knowing what other hurricanes have done there?

Never needed a portable generator till this storm, so no didn't have a generator.

We live well north of New Olreans, a 100 miles or so inland. While we have had hurricanes come by, they have worn out well before reaching us. Been here for a little over 20 years, so this one was a bit of a suprise.

By the time the alert came out that New Oleans was evacuating, the interstate here was impassable, just like a parking lot. Even the backroads were the same.

Lastly, I needed money that was on its way but not yet here. It came the evening before the hurricane and the bank was closed by the time I got the check. Then hurricane was here but there was no way to cash the check. A branch bank opened a few days afterwards in another town. I got the check deposited then but far to late to do any good. Honestly I was suprised that the money even made it but it was done well in advance while the storm was still a long ways away and no one had any idea where it would go. The check had nothing to do with the storm other than it was time to refill the bank account. It was a concidence that it and the storms timing were even involved.

Lastly, I needed money that was on its way but not yet here.

Why not use your charge cards to buy what you need? Do you have a Master Card or Visa so that you don't need cash?

Credit cards? lols. They require electricity for verification. No one but no one accepted any sort of credit or debit cards without power. Nor did they accept checks. Cash only.

Frightening photographs cleft. Glad you made it out unscathed.

Originally Posted by cleft

Credit cards? lols. They require electricity for verification. No one but no one accepted any sort of credit or debit cards without power. Nor did they accept checks. Cash only.

And if we ever have a global disaster forget the cash too - gold, silver or a loaded gun will be the accepted form of payment.

Yeah, Boohoo for all the people who couldn't leave in time! :'( I'm a christian and in my youth group today, we were standing in front of wal mart, getting people to donate for hurricane victims and etc,. That was when I noticed there is alot of heartless people out there. We have been there from 11 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. I think we made about... up to $300, I'm not sure about it though.

Originally Posted by RipeEvey

That was when I noticed there is alot of heartless people out there. We have been there from 11 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. I think we made about... up to $300, I'm not sure about it though.

Well done for giving up your time in a good cause, but don't be too harsh on all those 'heartless' people. Some of them may have barely enough money to feed and clothe themselves and their families; some may have made substantial donations already; some may have been distracted by life and death concerns in their own families. (Oh, and some of them may just have been heartless.)

Some of them may simply be suspicious (rightly so) of organizations setting up to collect money. Particularly "christian" organizations.

My local Walmart had a similar organziation set up in front. I walked right past just like I do the Salvation Army guys around Xmas.

I gave my money and goods directly to a local shelter where the evacuees are. Reunion Arena in Dallas, in fact.

This is interesting though: when I went to give several bags of cloths that I had for a toddler girl, FEMA turned me away. They told me they couldn't use it. A Dallas Police Officer saw me and got pissed off. Not at me, but at FEMA. He opened the barricade and let me through and said, "you see all those people walking around over there? They're all evacuees." It took me about 5 minutes to go in, as if anyone needed little girls clothes, and give away five bags. Screw FEMA.

Originally Posted by RipeEvey

Yeah, Boohoo for all the people who couldn't leave in time! :'( I'm a christian and in my youth group today, we were standing in front of wal mart, getting people to donate for hurricane victims and etc,. That was when I noticed there is alot of heartless people out there. We have been there from 11 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. I think we made about... up to $300, I'm not sure about it though.

Many people have already given money or aid to help those in need. I really don't think you should critisize others unless you know why they didn't give you anything. It's like when the firemen are on the roads and I give them something at one intersection and I see another group at the next intersection. I'm not giving twice to them, do you see what I mean?

I no longer contribute to aid organizations. There are several reasons for it but mainly what drives this is those organizations "mismanagement" and failings of those same organizations when my time of need was great. Since they had the info and failed to deliver it in timely fashion when it was of the most concern to me and left me without the knowledge till far after the event passed, I have not since that day, nor will I from that day forward donate to those organizations responcible in my mind for failing to carry out their stated purpose for existance. In addition to that, several of the major aid organizations have been rife with mismanagement of funds and I will no longer contribute to them either.

What I will do is contribute to the organization I wish to recieve the funds, bypassing the aid organizations and the cut they would remove before presenting the remainder to the organization of choice. This way I penalize those that failed me for whatever reason and they will not ever recieve a dime from me. I do not feel this way about organizations as a whole, only those targeted by me for my personal dis-service during the time of my life when it was most needed.