Katrina is a bitch
I know this isn't a great time to ask this, but does anyone else think that New Orleans is simply done as a major urban center? I mean, this is a city that is underwater now and in better times is still below sea level. This won't be the last time that this happens if and when people return to the city. Sen. Vitter has already said that New Orleans will "absolutely" be rebuilt, but I agree with Jeff Jarvis and wonder if that really is the best course of action. That, though, is a discussion for a different day.
Regardless of the future, the present holds a terrible reality for the residents of New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast. Paul at Wizbang is one of those Big Easy residents and has been blogging from the city. Some facts and figures he posted this afternoon:
Both Airports are underwater.Now, Paul is reporting that efforts to sandbag the levee on the East Bank of Orleans and Jefferson parrishes have ended and the pumps are expected to fail soon. Storm Digest seems to confirm this. By noon tomorrow, that area will be under 9 feet of water. Also from Paul:
An oil tanker is aground and leaking oil - 3 more "big boats" are aground.
MAJOR levee break on the 17th street canal flooding both NO and Metairie.
The Southern Yacht Club burned and is completely destroyed.
The High-rise bridge got hit by a barge and they don't know if it is safe.
All of Slidell under water (population ~110,000)
Most of Metairie is under water. (population ~200,000)
About 50% of the "lower Northshore" (Mandeville etc) is under water (population ~150,000)
Gas leaks all over the city, many burning.
and one of the biggest...
The Twin Span bridges are completely destroyed.
as an added bonus they don't know about the safety of the Causeway.
Residents will probably be allowed back in town in a week, with identification only, but only to get essentials and clothing. You will then be asked to leave and not come back for one month.The amazing this is that this could have all been much, much worse. While it is little comfort to those in Biloxi, if Katrina hadn't drifted just east of New Orleans the death toll in the city would be 10 or a 100 times higher than it will be. The levee breaking last night flooded the city much more slowly than what would have happened if Katrina had hit New Orleans directly and with the full force of a category 5 hurricane. That storm surge would have killed many in much the same way that the South Asian tsunami did.
Looting is happening. While not so much a good thing, I can't begrudge a person currently trapped in the city stealing some food and supplies. After all, there is no communication, no transportation, no water, no air conditioning, no power, and lots and lots of water, which is going to bring disease and pestilence. Damn right that if I was there I'm busting a Winn Dixie window and grabbing as much food and survival items as I can carry. Apparently even some of the police there recognize this:
At a drug store on Canal Street just outside the French Quarter, two police officers with pump shotguns stood guard as workers from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel across the street loaded large laundry bins full of medications, snack foods and bottled water.Unfortunately, as you might expect, not all the looting is so benign. Reports are already coming in of police being shot (Michelle Malkin has the link.) Malkin also reports on the prison riot at Orleans Parish Prison. Hostages appear to include women and children.
"This is for the sick," Officer Jeff Jacob said. "We can commandeer whatever we see fit, whatever is necessary to maintain law."
Another office, D.J. Butler, told the crowd standing around that they would be out of the way as soon as they got the necessities.
"I'm not saying you're welcome to it," the officer said. "This is the situation we're in. We have to make the best of it."
The looting was taking place in full view of passing National Guard trucks and police cruisers.
N.Z. Bear opined on Sunday that N.O. Mayor Nagin might be guilty of negligent homicide:
Around this time tomorrow, I'd ask that any New Orleans' district attorneys who aren't either dead, under water, or both to start considering how this statue might apply to New Orleans Mayor C Ray Nagin, who waited until Sunday morning to issue a mandatory evacuation order, despite storm predictions as early as Saturday showing that Katrina would be a killer storm for New Orleans.Disasters happen, both man-made and natural, as this year has shown us. For all the power humans have invented for ourselves to control the people and world around us, mankind will never be able to control everything. All we can do is prepare for the worst and when the worst inevitably comes, we must come together as a society to help lift up those who have fallen.
No, I'm not kidding.
Relief efforts are moving swiftly to assist in the region. Malkin has a list of them and the American Red Cross is ready to take our donations. According to at least one report, Americans donated over $1 billion for the tsunami relief effort. If we can get even 10% of that donated to the Gulf Coast regions, it'll make a significant impact in the lives of many fellow Americans who now need our help.
Despite much of the circus hype from the media before Katrina made landfall and while this is definitely not our version of the tsunami-disaster, this is still as bad a thing America has seen on our soil since the tragedy of 9/11. Lord help the people in the South whose homes and loved ones have been lost to Katrina and may He watch over them tonight and keep them from further harm.
Update 083105 0830: Via Capital Weather, FEMA has put out a list of agencies who need donations for the relief effort.
posted by Q at 8/30/2005 11:18:00 PM
2 Comments:
Why is it the mayor's responsibility that people didn't use their own good judgement? As you stated, warnings were given several days in advance.
My only reasoning would be that people are ignorant & irresponsible. Common sense says that if a hurricane is coming and you live below sea level. . .
Give me a break!! And now those very same people are crying that relief efforts aren't doing enough. Their lack of planning should not constitute an emergency on our part.
Basic hurricane preparedness guidelines tell people to evacuate, and have supplies for two weeks. But no, these people are too good for that. They're going to ride out the storm, not store supplies and then demand the government and relief agencies take care of them.
Even if a mandatory evacuation would have been given earlier, the majority of those now suffering in the city would have stayed.
I'm sorry, I have no sympathy for ignorant, lazy people.
That is certainly a cynical and hard-hearted point of view.
Sure, there are plenty of stupid people who weren't going to leave the city no matter what. I agree that they should have had more personal responsibility and taken steps to get out of the city.
But not everyone left in New Orleans falls into the category. Many likely didn't fully understand the severity of the coming storm. Others were unable to leave. Had the Mayor issued the evacuation Friday night or sometime on Saturday, it is likely that many people would have realized just how dire things were. Since you speak as if you are some sort of moral and hurricane authority, I'd imagine you can recall how most every media source tends to cover hurricanes. They ALWAYS overhype these things as if each one is the biggest and baddest ever. When that happens enough times only for the hurricane to pass with only the inconvienence of having to stay indoors for 10 hours, you might get numb to the noise of the typical media hurricane porn. The mayor going on TV Saturday night telling everyone to evacuate with that as a front page story on every Gulf Coast paper ABSOLUTELY would have saved lives.
"Basic hurricane preparedness guidelines tell people to evacuate, and have supplies for two weeks"? What does that mean? You're supposed to load up your car with two weeks of supplies while you evacuate? You're supposed to lug a cache of water and food onto a bus? Buy a bunch of stuff and leave it at home while you skeddale to Aunt Betty's house in Texas?
Furthermore, your lack of sympathy is particularly morally bankrupt because even if everyone in the entire Gulf Coast had evacuated, the city of New Orleans would still lie in ruins. Those who stayed and those who left lost their homes in equal measure, regardless of where they were when Katrina hit land. "[S]hould not constitute an emergency on our part." You had best hope the government has mercy for you if and when disaster strikes your home, because I can't imagine the Lord will have mercy on your soul for such lack of charity.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't help but wonder if the people on T.V. weren't largely poor and black, would you have posted this? Certainly sounds like it. Am I jumping to unfounded conclusions about the previous poster? Maybe, but certainly no more than he or she is about those who are currently stuck in New Orleans and other places on the Gulf Coast.
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