Drowning New Orleans (Scientific American--October 2001)
One week ago New Orleans was the 35th largest city in the country. Today it exist in name only.
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"We are the lucky ones."
I spent an hour on the phone with my uncle in Baton Rouge today. Baton Rouge has grown from a city of 240,000 to around 500,000 in the last week. The infrastructure cannot support this level of growth. No hotel rooms available, no apartment space available for rent, all office property occupied. 8 of 10 gas stations have no fuel, grocery stores are not able to keep their shelves stocked, traffic--already bad--is virtual gridlock. Helicopters fill the air. Where my uncle lives one passes overhead every five minutes or so. And yet, as my uncle says, "We are the lucky ones."
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By the way, does anyone know where Dick Cheney is?
13 comments:
It took a minute or two to realize these were previously published... I thought they were just written...
Again, unbelievable...
J, when I was reading the National Geographic article I thought the same thing. No place to hide for anyone in authority on this national disgrace and that goes from the local to the state and federal levels.
Posted on Drudge
NEW ORLEANS FLASHBACK: OFFICALS WARNED RESIDENTS 'YOU'LL BE ON YOUR OWN'
Mon Sep 05 2005 18:57:15 ET
Before residents had ever heard the words "Hurricane Katrina," the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE ran a story warning residents: If you stay behind during a big storm, you'll be on your own!
Editors at TIMES-PICAYUNE on Monday called for every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be fired. In an open letter to President Bush, the paper said: "Our people deserved rescuing. Many who could have been were not. That's to the government's shame."
But the TIMES-PICAYUNE published a story on July 24, 2005 stating: City, state and federal emergency officials are preparing to give a historically blunt message: "In the event of a major hurricane, you're on your own."
Staff writer Bruce Nolan reported some 7 weeks before Katrina: "In scripted appearances being recorded now, officials such as Mayor Ray Nagin, local Red Cross Executive Director Kay Wilkins and City Council President Oliver Thomas drive home the word that the city does not have the resources to move out of harm's way an estimated 134,000 people without transportation."
"In the video, made by the anti-poverty agency Total Community Action, they urge those people to make arrangements now by finding their own ways to leave the city in the event of an evacuation.
"You're responsible for your safety, and you should be responsible for the person next to you," Wilkins said in an interview. "If you have some room to get that person out of town, the Red Cross will have a space for that person outside the area. We can help you."
Developing...
You know, I've been wondering where Big Dick is, too. Probably getting his pacemaker tuned up, or on vacation... which is par for the course in the Bush administration.
Catherine, careful with that "Big Dick" comment. Jagman might be reading this and misinterpret your comment--thanks for making me smile tonight--;-)
Well folks, I think "Big Dick" (as Catherine so amusingly dubbed him above) is hiding wherever he did for the whole 9 months following the World Trade Center thing. Remember? His official address is: Big Dick, "undisclosed location", U.S.A.
;-)
Sorry for a double-comment, but I have to say that the fact that the great city of New orleans no longer exists is the single most saddening event for me ever. This changes everything, or at least it should: Americans see that their government failed them miserably in their time of need, and the rest of the world can quietly snicker over the fact that the U.S. is more gung-ho to spread "democracy" (which is a farce in the manner that we carry it out anyway) by force than to come to the needs of its own citizens.
I apologize if this sounds too coarse or rude; I'm just frustrated...but then again, there are countless thousands in the south right now who are MUCH more frustrated right now.
peace all,
ariK
I wonder if Mrs Cheney refers to her husband as "Big Dick." Maybe she is holding "Big Dick" hostage. Nobody knows . . .Mmmm
Kiley, you can double post here anytime. I posted that bit, cause most of the folks I talk to in other parts of the country don't quite understand what exactly has really happened. We have lost a major American city, suffered more dead on American soil since the Civil War, and face a rebuilding project that starts at 100 Billion dollars. On top of all that, if your faith in our federal, state or local government to come to your aid when you most need it isn't shaken, then you just ain't got brain activity.
It's a new day in America and it ain't pretty. Our local, state and federal officials have precided over the lost of the 35th largest city in the world. We have close to 1 million displaced citizens. Even Texas has said enough, they just can't take anymore.
If you have the stomach to read about the horrific events that occured in the city, and keep in mind this is an American city, what was a major American city, in the most powerful and self-righteous nation on earth, that wants to tell the rest of the world how to live, well . . . I think you get my point.
I'm off to buy water, food and ammo. ;-)
This seems appropriate to post in this thread:
This is the report FEMA issues on 9/4/2004 regarding its PLANNED response to Hurricane Frances on the day that storm made landfall in Florida (last labor day weekend)
I'm so tired of people saying-they did what they could. Well this shows they could have done more.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/SODA-64L2VL?OpenDocument
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Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Date: 04 Sep 2004
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Massive federal response underway for Hurricane Frances
Washington, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has positioned a powerful list of disaster response personnel, equipment and supplies to help those who are displaced or suffer losses after Hurricane Frances continues to move across Florida.
As the power and direction of the hurricane changes as the storm crosses the mainland, residents of states in the hurricane's path are urged to take measures to protect lives and property. Wind and water damage is likely to be extensive. FEMA officials are urging residents to follow evacuation orders given by local officials, including those currently in effect for much of Florida's East Coast.
State, local and volunteer agencies - the first responders in any disaster - have moved quickly to be ready for a major storm. Homeland Security's FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard, along with its partner agencies, Health and Human Services, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Defense, are prepared with personnel, equipment and supplies to respond to state requests for federal help.
Preparedness measures are underway in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The FEMA Hurricane Liaison Team remains on duty at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Federal and state emergency management agencies charged with response activities continue to track the storm and hold daily video teleconferences to plan and coordinate Hurricane Frances response.
The advance preparations include:
* FEMA's National Emergency Operations Center, Emergency Support Team in Washington, D.C. and Region Four Regional Operations Center in Atlanta, Ga. are operating around the clock, coordinating the pre-positioning of assets and responding to state requests for assistance.
* FEMA has deployed an Advanced Emergency Response Team to the Florida State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to facilitate state requests for assistance. In addition, three rapid needs assessment teams have been pre-deployed to Florida.
* FEMA Emergency Response Teams are positioned in Orlando to coordinate response efforts with the FEMA headquarters and the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.
* An Advanced Emergency Response Team and a Rapid Needs Assessment team have also been deployed to the Georgia State Emergency Operations Center to provide support as necessary.
* The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at FEMA's request, is coordinating the staging of 100 truckloads of water and 100 truckloads of ice at operational centers in Florida.
* A first shipment of 30,000 tarps is en route to Atlanta, Ga., to be pre-staged for delivery to areas affected by Frances once the storm has cleared.
* FEMA is working to provider 10 trailers of generators at the request of Florida that will be used to provide power to critical facilities affected by the hurricane. Generators will be staged at Warner Robbins Air Force Base.
* Four Urban Search and Rescue Teams are deployed to Florida -- two in Miami and two in Jacksonville. Four teams are on alert.
* Two Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT) have been deployed to Florida to support medical facilities and hospitals that are not fully operational following the storm. Two additional DMATs are staged in Atlanta, three are enroute to Atlanta, and one Veterinary Medical Assistance Team is on standby. An additional four DMATs have been placed on alert, The DMATs are comprised of doctors, nurses and medical technicians trained to handle trauma, pediatrics, surgery and mental health problems. DMATs bring truckloads of medical equipment and supplies with them.
* Five pharmaceutical caches, containing emergency medical supplies, are being pre-positioned, and are currently en route to Atlanta and Tampa.
* FEMA's Mobile Emergency Response Services (MERS) communications staff and equipment are available to provide telephone, radio and video links in support of response and recovery efforts. About 100 MERS personnel and about 75 vehicles -- including Mobile Emergency Operations Center (MEOCs) equipped vehicles and Mobile Radio Vans (MRVs) to provide radio capability have been assigned to support Hurricane Frances response and recovery operations.
* FEMA teleregistration centers are fully staffed, ready and able to register as many as 20,000 disaster assistance applications per day for affected residents in declared counties. The Internal Revenue Service is providing additional operators to support FEMA's teleregistration operations, which are currently operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
* FEMA contract inspectors are ready for activation, with surge capability providing for up to 15,000 inspections per day within 14 days of activation. FEMA is working with the General Services Administration to analyze vacancy rates of various safe housing options (including apartments, homes, RVs, time shares, mobile homes, hotels and motels) as part of pre-planning temporary housing strategies for those whose homes are severely damaged or destroyed.
* The American Red Cross has opened more than 250 shelters in Florida that housed approximately 15,500 evacuees last night. Additional shelters have been opened in Georgia and Alabama in case need arises. In North Carolina, the Red Cross is manning state welcome centers to help evacuees with rest stop ministrations.
I do believe that the troops now in Iraq, and elsewhere can be better mobilised in New Orleans
and probably they might be more willing too.
Saffronsaris-I believe you are 100% correct. I know my Marine wanted to go and help instead of coming home this past weekend. But they sent what they could and he is needed on base to do his regular job.
He left to go back to Camp LeJeune this morning.
Big Dick must be hiding out somewhere, or someone may not be letting him go out in public.
I hope that the people in Baton Rouge can get some supplies in soon!
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