To those in Katrina's path...GET OUT! (Cat. 5 HURRICANE!!!!)

[GypsySorcerer]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

Have you seen the line? 6000 members of the Louisiana National Guard are in Iraq.

I just saw that too. Horrifying.

[LuckyCharms]

I wonder if there is more that can be done to get people out of there? I heard that for some folks it's an issue of not having a vehicle, why couldn't car dealerships start handing out keys or something?


Gateandgarden, you mentioned an aquarium? I just heard a quick mention about an outdoor aquarium and they stated that the birds had been shipped to Florida. A local hotel indoor pool is being converted to a place for the other animals to go.

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by GateandGarden

Yeah, I saw many more people than I could count waiting in line to get in on TV.

And the first heavy rain bands just hit NO. Why the hell won't they just let those people in? I saw some footage where the people were starting to get restless and starting to chant, "Let us in!"

What the hell? If they have to check everyone, they can surely do that in the lobby or playing field. It's not like they're gonna stay down there with the forecasted floods - they'll be moved to the higher levels.

Let them in!

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by LuckyCharms

I wonder if there is more that can be done to get people out of there? I heard that for some folks it's an issue of not having a vehicle, why couldn't car dealerships start handing out keys or something?

How about using the buses to evacuate them? They could use school buses, I think.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

I just saw that too. Horrifying.

They are not providing food or water for anyone in there. You have to bring your own. They don't even know if the structure can withstand it. It could very well become a tomb.

[gldstwmn]

http://abc26.trb.com/news/natguard08...ll=wgno-news-1

LA National Guard Wants Equipment to Come Back From Iraq

Yunji de Nies

August 1, 2005, 9:07 PM CDT

JACKSON BARRACKS -- When members of the Louisiana National Guard left for Iraq in October, they took a lot equipment with them. Dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers and generators are now abroad, and in the event of a major natural disaster that, could be a problem.

"The National Guard needs that equipment back home to support the homeland security mission," said Lt. Colonel Pete Schneider with the LA National Guard.

Col. Schneider says the state has enough equipment to get by, and if Louisiana were to get hit by a major hurricane, the neighboring states of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have all agreed to help.

"As Governor Bush did for Ivan, after they were hit so many times, he just maxed all of his resources out, he reached out to Louisiana and we sent 200 national guardsmen to help support in recovery efforts," Col. Schneider said.

Members of the Houma-based 256th Infantry will be returning in October, but it could be much longer before the rest of their equipment comes home.

"You've got combatant commanders over there who need it they say they need it, they don't want to lose what they have, and we certainly understand that it's a matter it's a matter of us educating that combatant commander, we need it back here as well," Col. Schneider said.

And even if commanders in Iraq release the equipment, getting it home takes months.

"It's just the process of identifying which equipment we're bringing home, bringing it down to Kuwait, loading it on ships or aircraft however we're gonna get it back here and then either railing it in or trucking it in, so we're talking a significant amount of time before that equipment is back home," Schneider said.

[vermicious knid]

In recorded history, only three category five hurricanes have hit America. The last one was hurricane Andrew, but it hit less populated areas with trailer parks and stuff.

In all, Hurricane Andrew caused some $26 billion in damage, more than any other hurricane in U.S. history. But it could have been worse. Though close, Andrew did not make a direct hit on Miami. Instead, its center came ashore 25 miles to the south. Given the Andrew's small size, its worst effects missed Miami, Miami Beach and other heavily populated cities just to the north.

"If Andrew were to hit a little farther north the next time, and goes across more populated areas of downtown Miami - the airport, the financial district - it would easily be three to four times the cost that we had in 1992," Mayfield says.

link

If there were one city that did not need a direct hit by a hurricane, it's New Orleans.

[GateandGarden]

Originally Posted by LuckyCharms

Gateandgarden, you mentioned an aquarium? I just heard a quick mention about an outdoor aquarium and they stated that the birds had been shipped to Florida. A local hotel indoor pool is being converted to a place for the other animals to go.

Really? They must have been talking about the Aquarium of the Americas. That is very good news. Thank you!

[GypsySorcerer]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

They are not providing food or water for anyone in there. You have to bring your own. They don't even know if the structure can withstand it. It could very well become a tomb.

I'm so scared for them right now. There's already 12,000 people there, with buses more coming.

[Nixxxed]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

They are not providing food or water for anyone in there. You have to bring your own. They don't even know if the structure can withstand it. It could very well become a tomb.

And - it has no windows or skylights (or very very few of either). Can you imagine being inside that thing when the power finally goes out? I would hope they would have some kind of emergency lighting, but I fear only for Exit signs and stairwell lights and such.

[David]

Originally Posted by vermicious knid

If there were one city that did not need a direct hit by a hurricane, it's New Orleans.

Is there any sort of high ground in New Orleans? Hills, for example? Anything over 50 feet above sea level?

Most of the people killed in hurricanes drown in the storm tide rather than the high winds. But Katrina's winds are so powerful now that they can easily launch airborne missiles out of just about anything: automobiles, pieces of construction, trees, etc.

It goes without saying that power lines are downed in storms like this, & that's deadly when you have so much of the area under water.

[David]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

I'm so scared for them right now. There's already 12,000 people there, with buses more coming.

I think being in that huge steel-reinforced concrete stadium (or whatever it is) is one of the safer places to be in the area, by far. I assume it's at least 25 feet above mean sea level?

The way to stack the odds in your favor in a powerful hurricane is to get as far as you can above sea level & the storm tide, & to get to reinforced shelter, & the stadium seems one of the best places to be if you're stuck in New Orleans.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by David

I think being in that huge steel-reinforced concrete stadium (or whatever it is) is one of the safer places to be in the area, by far. I assume it's at least 25 feet above mean sea level?

The way to stack the odds in your favor in a powerful hurricane is to get as far as you can above sea level & the storm tide, & to get to reinforced shelter, & the stadium seems one of the best places to be if you're stuck in New Orleans.

I hope you're right.

[Mad4stevie]

My boyfriend just finished up his dissertation for his Ph.D. in geography and his topic was crisis management and hurricanes. He was in New Orleans last fall at a conference about this very thing.

According to what he has studied, what is coming is the WORST POSSIBLE scenario for New Orleans. He told me that there were so few places to which people could escape (higher ground), and that the amount of homeless people in the city alone would result in tens of thousands of deaths from drowning.

It creeps me out that all the crisis planning and information he received last fall at his conference is exactly what is happening. Many people are going to be lost . . .

Gusts are now at 202 mph.

Check out www.noaa.gov for good hurricane info.

Link for direct info on Katrina:

Hurricane Katrina

[markolas]

Originally Posted by David

Is there any sort of high ground in New Orleans? Hills, for example? Anything over 50 feet above sea level?

BWAHAHAHAHA! Hills? Are you kidding me?