"How on earth did you happen to stumble across our humble little forum for the first time ever & of all the threads pick this one to post in for your debut?
Or are you a long-time lurker so moved by all of this that you decided today was the day that you just had to post something? Or is it possible that you're a regular who wanted to troll this thread in an attempt to sidetrack it into another round of political based argument but lacked the balls to do it under your own name? Inquiring minds want to know."

Ummm, I fail to see the relevance of these questions, and, hard as it might be for you to believe, in raising the question of whether comparisons between an event that killed 200,000+ people and an event that (let us hope) killed no more several hundred people are misleading and inappropriate, I have no intention of turning this into a "political based argument," although I must admit that I am not entirely certain what you mean by that phrase.

Unlike you, I am not going to flame those who write things with which I disagree. Some here have offered thoughtful explanations of why they think likening the tsunami to Katrina is justified. Needless to say, I am still maintain that the comparisons are inappropriate at best, but I would much rather have someone disagree with me intelligently than agree with me stupidly.

Incidentally, there is no relationship between the number of one's posts and the quality of one's posts. Everyone has to post for a first time.

While Jon sometimes steps over the line, I too find it interesting that your first post is one that could very likely start a major battle in the political debate.

I wish I knew. My cellphone won't work because it is Verizon Wireless and their tower is down. I'm out of touch with everyone, and I don't know what the plan is. From hearing Mayor Nagin say that it will be at least 48-72 hours until people can return and hearing experts say it might be weeks, we just extended our hotel room until Thursday. I'm waiting for more damage assessment to be done today to help me formulate a plan. For now, we are about to go eat some lunch and catch another movie (can't watch the news 24 hours/day or might become too depressed.)

And I, quite frankly, don't believe that for an instant.


Yep, there's a first time for everyone. I simply don't believe this happens to be yours.

Hang in there, EF and all the other folks directly affected by Katrina.

I am certainly lucky never to have experienced a hurricane-related disruption of the sort that you folks are going to have to deal with. The worst one I experienced was Isabel, which left us without electricity for about two weeks. Waiting in line for hours for gas and ice, spending hours of each day scrounging for food, not knowing when one could go back to work or the kids could go back to school--it got very trying very fast, and it was nothing compared to the recovery that you folks are going to have to make.

I expect that the American people will respond with their customary generosity, though, and that should help some.

This is really none of my business, but I'm curious so I'm going to ask. In situations like these, when you have to evacuate, does homeowners insurance reimburse you for lodging costs while your away?

Don't worry, folks, this is the second-to-last-thing that I have to say in this exchange :)

"Originally Posted by Yuskevich
I have no intention of turning this into a "political based argument,"


And I, quite frankly, don't believe that for an instant."

Maybe you know me better than I know myself. I know how we can find out--if you are so certain that I am trying to start a political based argument, could you tell me what my politics are? Tell me which presidential candidates I have voted for since 1988, and I promise to tell the truth as to whether you guessed correctly or not. If you can get them right, then maybe I myself failed to recognize the true nature of my post.

Quote:
"Incidentally, there is no relationship between the number of one's posts and the quality of one's posts. Everyone has to post for a first time.


Yep, there's a first time for everyone. I simply don't believe this happens to be yours."

You'll have to trust me whan I tell you that you are simply wrong on this one.

Don't worry, folks, this is the second-to-last-thing that I have to say in this exchange :)

"Originally Posted by Yuskevich
I have no intention of turning this into a "political based argument,"


And I, quite frankly, don't believe that for an instant."

Maybe you know me better than I know myself. I know how we can find out--if you are so certain that I am trying to start a political based argument, could you tell me what my politics are? Tell me which presidential candidates I have voted for since 1988, and I promise to tell the truth as to whether you guessed correctly or not. If you can get them right, then maybe I myself failed to recognize the true nature of my post.

Quote:
"Incidentally, there is no relationship between the number of one's posts and the quality of one's posts. Everyone has to post for a first time.


Yep, there's a first time for everyone. I simply don't believe this happens to be yours."

You'll have to trust me when I tell you that you are simply wrong on this one.

I'll try this one more time.

I'm not saying deny aid to those who, as you put it, are unable to make the choice to evacuate. I'm trying to distinguish between those who have the capacity and lack the common sense and those who are simply caught in an unfortunate situation.

The dumbasses. The people who should know better, don't do anything, and then act surprised when the fecal matter hits the rotating oscillator. Those are the people for whom I have no sympathy.

Children, the sick, the infirm, the elderly, those who lack the ability, physical, financial, or what have you, those are not the people towards whom I bear this particular venom.

I realize it's probably not feasible to make the distinction in the real world. I'm not proposing anybody go out and start arbitrarily deciding who gets FEMA aid and who doesn't right now.

All I'm saying is that I wish it were possible to deny FEMA aid to the group of people which I have defined as dumbasses. Folks who willfully and defiantly stay when disaster is evident and visible and then expect the state to swoop in, as a deus ex machina, to save the day when they realize, "oops, maybe I should have left when the authorities told me to. I didn't realize 175 mph winds and torrential rains could be this dangerous!" Those people are a financial burden to the state, but more importantly, they're placing additional risk and strain on the lives of those emergency personnel whose job it is to rescue people caught in perilous situations. That is selfish and asinine behavior, and I see absolutely no reason to reward that.

I'm going to stop there. I'm not wishing for anybody to inflict further misery on the folks caught in the Katrina situation through no fault of their own, but I'm not sure that message is getting across, judging by Schmidty's response to a post in which I tried to clarify that.

This is really none of my business, but I'm curious so I'm going to ask. In situations like these, when you have to evacuate - does homeowners insurance reimburse you for lodging costs while your away?

Glad to hear you're okay, EaglesFan. Hope all others in the area on this forum are okay as well.

Now I'm going to diverge a little bit, in the vein some others have in this thread. Anyone in Chicago see the Red Streak today? The cover reads, "The Big Easy took Katrina's wrath pretty hard, but Chicago's suffering, too: Thanks to the storm, we're now No. 1 in gas prices." Oh. My. Fucking. God. "Yeah, it sounds pretty bad for all them down there, but LOOK AT US! WE'VE GOT THIS HIGHEST GAS PRICES IN THE COUNTRY!" Maybe it's harder for me to be sympathetic since I don't drive, but I don't think that's why. Also, as I rode the bus downtown, I saw a Channel 2 van outside the BP in Clark and LaSalle, I assume to 'report' on the high prices. Who the FUCK buys their gas at Clark and LaSalle? Also, the article in the Red Streak reported the prices at the same BP station at Clark and LaSalle, but made no mention of WHY the storm has elevated Chicago to having the highest gas prices in the nation. Fucking rag.

9 inches of water in the French quarter and rising, and they have ordered everybody out of NO "if they can leave."

If it happened w/o warning you would be looking at more human and also economical casualties. I estimate 300,000 dead if it struck without any warning.

Now it's my turn to ask a "just so I'm clear on this" question ... If you couldn't leave the city for whatever reason when the mandatory evacuation was ordered, were people offered the dozen or so shelter locations or were they ordered to vacate their homes & get to one of the shelters?

My impression is that the city basically (or even explicity) acknowledged the difficulties in leaving town that some residents faced, I'm just not clear on what those people were told to do.

But ISN'T SUFFERING STILL SUFFERING? Doesnt matter how many dead, people still mourne for them right?

Dola: I just got back from class (0800-1130) and just turned on the news and it seems things (Law and Order) are breaking down and talks of suicides in the Superdome (CNN Reported).. This is not good.

I think the phrase that was being reported was "destination of last resort." New Orleans officials were careful not to use the phrase "shelter," because they weren't convinced that the buildings would be safe. The order was to evacuate the city. The Superdome and other places were given as destinations of last resort, if you couldn't get out of town, I'm pretty sure.

I just read this article on looting and I'm speechless.

What is wrong with people?

It could get real ugly after dark!
:eek:

Time to declare martial law.

Tragedy upon tragedy. Very sad to see.

I'm inclined to cut some looters a little slack. Taking food, diapers or baby formula is one thing. Those are things you need to survive.

Taking other items like jewelery and ten pairs of jeans simply because you were "oppressed" is disgusting.

Dola - but what then? Shoot these people? There's no jail.

Is this the end of New Orleans forever though? It seems to me that there's no way for it to recover now.

Looters should be shot on sight. Harsh, yes, but the justice system isn't exactly working down there right now, and the only way to keep the thugs at bay is to demostrate zero tolerance.

I can't imagine any city official would give that order. Or is that already the order when marshall law is declared?

Im surprised we haven't heard from major political figures yet (no Im not trying to start Dems v. Rep.) . Yes, it is time to declare Martial Law. We have to show that Law and Order still stand.

Man, CS, you need to relax! The city will recover.

Marshall law has been declared in two N.O. parishes - Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050830...s_050830162048

Yes, with a tight grouping of at least three rounds.

That's going to take a long, long time, though. Most of the buildings in the city will be flooded for days at best, maybe longer, barring some miracles in getting the pumping system working again. A lot of them will wind up structurally damaged beyond repair, or uninhabitable because of mold or other contamination. The reconstruction effort will have to be huge; I can't think of anything comparable other than maybe bombed-out German and Japanese cities after WWII.

I agree with you 110%. Is the red cross able to get to these areas?

By the way, did anyone here the red X/black X story out of Gulfport? That was chlling.

Martial law does not in itself proscribe shooting looters on sight, but that can be (and often is) part of what it entails. The main function is that normal civil government and law enforcement procedures are temporarily abandoned in favor of a stricter military type of rule. Individual civil liberties become secondary due to the emergency.

What is the story about? and link lease.

Chemical Soldier,

Yes, suffering is suffering. The husband who lost is wife to Katrina will mourn as deeply as the husband who lost his wife to the tsunami, and I in no way mean to suggest that we owe the people of New Orleans and Mississippi any less help and compassion, simply because they had advanced warning and many were able to flee.

I guess that I am talking more about the way in which the story has been covered, than about the actual experiences of those directly affected by Katrina. Do I blame the mayor of Biloxi for making the original comparison? No, he is just trying to find words to express his sense of total devastation--and here I think that Jim in Middle GA had a good initial point. Do I blame a news outlet for trumpeting that quote as if the carnage inflicted by Katrrina was, in fact, as widespread and deadly as the tsunami? Yes, I do, and the person who commented on how news outlets in Chicago are proclaiming that a Katrina-related rise in gas prices was about to hit us all, as if that was in some way comparable to what the people of New Orleans and Biloxi are suffering, is just another example of how the news media (and if I were to change my original post, I would substitute "news media and some Americans" for "American people") makes no effort to establish a sense of proportion among the various events it covers. Every event, every problem, is the worst one ever. It makes it hard for people who rely on the media to get their information to understand what is going on.

A few random things ... just saw pictures on FoxNews of firefighters trying to battle a structure blaze while standing in what looked to be nearly waist deep waters themselves ... from the WWL-TV newsblog "2:30 P.M. - Coast Guard says it has rescued 1,200 people so far in Louisiana. ... 2:01 P.M. - Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard says there is no plumbing and the sanitary situation is getting nasty. He told WAFB-TV that he is carrying around a bag for his own human waste. ... 1:08 P.M. - "I'm very hopeful, with the devastation we've had, that the number (of deaths) will be much more reasonable than people think. There are not thousands of people floating around." -- Terry Ebbert, New Orleans' homeland security chief. ... 12:44 P.M. - (AP) The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port did NOT suffer major damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina. And a port official says the flow of oil could resume within "a matter of hours" once its power supply is restored.

So then the National Guard essentially is running the places under Martial Law?

I grew up about a mile from where you are staying and, when I was in law school, lived right down the street from McCain Mall.

I do not have a link, I heard it on CNN. Anyway, for some reason they can not extract people from the houses. The rescue squads are going to house to house. If they people are alive but injured, they put a Red X. If they are dead, the put a black X.

I also heard that Jefferson Parrish is going to be closed for five weeks.

By the way, comparing disasters is downright stupid.

3:07 P.M. - Governor Blanco: We are looking for ways to get people out of the Superdome and out of New Orleans said Governor Blanco as she tried to keep from crying.

the water in downtown NO is still rising :(

According to reports, it looks like at least a month before my parents will be able to go back to their home.

I was OK yesterday, but I'm just numb right now.

I just want to say that my heart and my thoughts are for all the people of the New Orleans area hit by this terrible disaster.

Yes, I agree the recover will take time, but it will hardly be forever. Many of the old buildings in the French Quarter are made of store. They will survive, as will the people.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/200...D8CAC7E80.html

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - With much of the city flooded by Hurricane Katrina, looters floated garbage cans filled with clothing and jewelry down the street in a dash to grab what they could. In some cases, looting on Tuesday took place in full view of police and National Guard troops. ...
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.

"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.

One man with an armload of clothes even asked a policeman, "can I borrow your car?"

Some in the crowd splashed into the waist-deep water like giddy children at the beach.

I thought about this earlier, but reading this story really elevated the profile of it in my mind: New Orleans isn't exactly known for being the most law-abiding city in the country. If the looting mentality gets a little momentum, and officials don't manage to clear out the vast majority of the people still in the city, I wouldn't be surprised if the eventual death toll from the crime rivaled the toll of the hurricane itself.

This might sound like a stupid question, but is there any place that has satellite imagery of New Orleans and the damage there?

My brother is afraid that everything he has (had?) is gone, since the levees broke on the Ponchtrain and he's heard that 80% of New Orleans is underwater.

Any ideas of where I might find this kind of info?

/tk

Therein lies the problem for me. The first quote is from someone that should, by all rights, be shot for looting. The second is from someone following the basic instinct to survive in this situation. I figure troops should stop as many as they can that they see looting. Check what they're holding. If it's dry clothing and food, look the other way. If it's jewelry or electronics (I guarantee there are people dumb enough to drag DVD players through the water) or other luxuries, shoot 'em.

What a terrible disaster.
I wish the people in New Orleans and area good luck in the rebuilding process.

ditto...

I am so sad to see the people of one of my favorite cities in the US suffer so...:(

I am ashamed to admit I cracked wise in the days leading up to the hurricane that if God were to smite an American city, obviously his first choice would be New Orleans. I feel incredibly horrible about this; I spent 11 months in Biloxi when I was in the service.

I was in NYC during 9/11, and, honestly, this (Katrina) looks much, much worse, but I agree, comparing disasters is stupid.

I don't know ANYBODY in the area, but I am still very sad about all this. I hope New Orleans comes back; I'd love to visit it again.

Certain policies do. However, we are renters and we do not have any policy that covers this. This is coming out of our home buying fund (which is fortunately nicely built up.)

Me too. I really believe it is going to take many weeks before people will be allowed to live in the city. The biological and other health hazards will be enough to keep things close.

I wonder if you can write off the expenses you have to incur as a result of the evacuation...

I'm very interested in this data as well. I almost feel guilty about it, but I really want to know what happened to my place to see if it is one of the few lucky parts of the city that was relatively spared.

Just got of the phone with my mom, and I'm just so unsure what to do. Do I drive up to New Jersey and stay with family for a few weeks? If there is a chance that we can return over the weekend or early next week, I'd rather just stay in hotels down this way.

I don't believe these clothes are going to be dry very long


Glad to see he's just gathering a few essentials

If possible, that would be nice. I pay a huge amount in taxes each year due to 2 of my jobs being "self employment."

The Red Cross in Shreveport is getting buried right now and they put out a plea for volunteers from Barksdale to help them out. The folks keep coming to the LSU-Shreveport gymnasium and as the hotel bills get to large, they expect even more to begin showing up. Shreveport and Bossier schools are double billeting classrooms to allow the kids a chance to get away and at least attend school. Might be the only time kids volunteer to go to school rather than sit around.

While we have already donated a bunch of board games for the kids and some sports gear, it's not enough to satify a need to help. So I'll be pulling an all-nighter with the Red Cross tommorrow night starting at Midnight to help with whatever they need (boxing up supplies, taking care of pets that are stacked up in kennels, or running food lines. Thankfully, being in the Air Force, it doesn't take much to get the bosses to give you a day off so you can do that and then recover. It's not that easy for the private sector and why the Red Cross is hurtnig for help.

Since I'm in the area, it's the only thing I can really do to help, and you just can't help but feel a sense of urgency to help folks during times like this. It's pretty horrible to see this.

There is a series of videos on wwltv.com that show ariel shots covering large portions of the city. About halfway through the first one, the shot pans accross my parents neighborhood (between the shots of the highway and cemetary). There appears to be about 6-10 ft of water in the area. However, you have to pretty familiar with the city to be able to identify the different areas.

Eaglesfan27 - do you live near Children's Hospital? There is a facility there that matches discriptions you've given of where you work and live.

Be sure to check this out
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/...108362,00.html

Now, now, let's not rush to judge, those folks look like they are of voting age. Maybe if we appease them, they will vote for our side!

*groan*

The kid needs dry clothes and Beer may be the only safe thing to drink around there.

Well let's be fair now: For years, people drank beer instead of water because clean drinking water was so hard to find. Clearly, New Orleans is in a similiar situation.

I live extremely close to Children's Hospital (across the street essentially)

Any video or pictures of how things are there?

Thanks, I will definitely check that out in the near future.

I'm just catching up with the news on WDSU and WWLTV's websites after getting back from the movies and it is heartbreaking. It sounds like Jefferson Parish (where my MIL, SIL, BIL live) is going to allow people to return to pick up essentials on Monday morning and then force an evacuation of 1 month time possibly.

EaglesFan, unless you get called in for medical services, I think it will be a while before anyone will be allowed to live in most parts of the city.

It gets worse

ALL RESIDENTS ON THE EAST BANK OF ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON REMAINING IN THE METRO AREA ARE BEING TOLD TO EVACUATE AS EFFORTS TO SANDBAG THE LEVEE BREAK HAVE ENDED. THE PUMPS IN THAT AREA ARE EXPECTED TO FAIL SOON AND 12-15 FEET OF WATER ARE EXPECTED IN THE ENTIRE EAST BANK.

Was that the same plan to drop 2 ton bags of sand into the breech? :(

1) Then he probably ought to have brought some trash bags or something to keep the things he was going to steal dry. (The video versions of these scenes usually most of the clothes being carried haphazardly through the water, this ain't about "dry clothes")

2) Wanna lay odds how many other bottled liquids he bypassed to get the beer?

it failed

What has happened down here, is the winds have changed
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
It rained real hard, and it rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
The river rose all day, the river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood, some people got away alright
The river had busted through clear down to Plaquemine
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away, they're trying to wash us away
Oh Louisiana, Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away, they're trying to wash us away
President Coolidge come down, in a railroad train
With his little fat man with a note pad in his hand
President say little fat man, oh isn't it a shame,
What the river has done to this poor farmer's land
Oh Louisiana, Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away, you're trying to wash us away
Oh Louisiana, oh Louisiana
They're trying to wash us away, oh Lord, they're trying to wash us away
They're trying to wash us away, they're trying to wash us away

I thought this was the levee break on the east side over the river? The one they were dropping bags was the Lakeview area (unless both were going on at the same time).

When do you think the shock will wear off and the critics (about anything) start coming out?

The logical part of me realizes that. It is just hard for it to really sink in.

I also just saw that terrible update. Our place is considered part of the East Bank of New Orleans :(

Is the east bank considered everything east of the French Quarter or is further east than that?

My parents are at Children's Hospital. There was some minor street flooding. It is dry in the area now.

East bank is everything North of the river. (And East where the river goes north and south).

You know, something struck me today. There are those that complain loudly and force billion-dollar legislations for water contamination on the order of a few parts per billion. What we have here is probably half a billion parts per billion (if I can exaggerate) and I doubt if it will EVER be considered safe in comparison to other cities. This is sort of like complaining about a little fly ash coming out of a utility plant when there's a major volcanic eruption somewhere.

Isn't all of New Orleans north of the river?

Most of what people know of New Orleans is north of the River, yea. On the West bank is mostly communities that are known by seperate names apart from "New Orleans"

Thank you very much for that good news. Hopefully, it stays that way with the levee problems.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pb...S0110/50830019
Landmarks like Beavoir, the final home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, are virtually demolished.

The Davis home, built in 1854, has been reduced to rubble and a frame of a house.

More recent landmarks like the President Casino also sustained heavy damage. The storm's surge moved the casino from the gulf across U.S. 90, crushing a Holiday Inn.

(Linked article includes an aerial view of the relocated casino)

edit to add: Just saw the live shot of the casino area on FoxNews, just staggering to see. Also, Mary Mahoney's restaurant, a landmark for some 40 years, wasn't shown but they talked with the owner who said it was heavily damaged (or destroyed). My wife said that was where easily the best gumbo she'd ever tasted came from & that the guy on camera was "just the nicest person" (you probably have to hear that with her East Tennessee accent to get the full effect).

So if the entire East Bank is truly lost, what we mostly know as New Orleans is temporarily lost.

Only temporarily though. We are going to build back damnit. It may never be what it once was, but what is? Personally I was going to do a national tour of Park Service jobs for the rest of my life starting soon. But when I get back to New Orleans this coming month, I ain't leaving until my friends, family, and city is back on its feet. And as stubbornly proud of our city as most New Orleanians are, something tells me there are millions and millions that feel the same way.

http://sports.myway.com/news/08302005/v8869.html
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre spent most of the last two days nervously waiting to hear from family members in his hometown of Kiln, Miss., in the heart of the Gulf Coast area devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

The Packers said Favre finally spoke to his mother, Bonita, late Tuesday afternoon when she was able to reach him with the help of a Houston television station in the area covering hurricane damage.

According to the team, Favre said his mother reported spending Monday night in the family attic, along with his grandmother, after the house filled up with water within a matter of 5-10 minutes, much like a tsunami.

On Tuesday, the water receded enough that she was able to leave the family home and go to his brother Jeff's nearby house, which is slightly higher and away from the water.

Bonita Favre told Brett that Hurricane Camille, which the family experienced in 1969, didn't compare to this one and the damage it has caused.

She indicated the family home is destroyed and probably will have to be bulldozed, but the good news is that everyone in the family appears to be fine.

Bonita, Jeff and another brother, Scott, decided against evacuating and instead gathered at Favre's childhood home in Hancock County, one of the areas hit hardest by the hurricane. Favre said his grandmother, aunt and other family members also were there.

Favre said earlier Tuesday that he spoke to his wife, Deanna, Monday night and again Tuesday morning. He said she and their two children, 16-year-old Brittany and 6-year-old Breleigh, are safe at Favre's home in Hattiesburg, 60 miles north of Kiln, although their property had extensive damage.

Favre's mother was seven months pregnant with him when Hurricane Camille, which killed 256 people in Louisiana and Mississippi in 1969, struck the area.

"I've seen pictures," Favre said. "The damage was unbelievable."

Favre said the fact his family waited out Camille likely factored into their decision not to evacuate this time. Favre said 50 or so family members and friends drove north to his Hattiesburg home, but his mother and brothers declined.

Kiln "is far enough inland that (you would think) there's no way a tidal surge would ever come that far," Favre said.

Found one

SI

I think when they talked about NO escaping the worse of the storm, they envisioned widescale structural collapses, esp. taller buildings, which did not take place. The rebuilding will probably focus on infrastructure, which we as a nation have a lot of experience in (domestically and internationally). I work for a 4-service utility (elec, gas, water and wastewater) and I know the magnitude of effort and expense the region will have to go through. As with the roads, you start with a basic grid pattern in getting the main trunk (both lines and mains) going and then work your way down the system. This have to be in place before structures.

touche

oh my.. things are getting interesting.

RIOTING, HOSTAGE SITUATION AT NEW ORLEANS PRISON, LOCAL OFFICIAL TELLS ABC NEWS AFFILIATE WBRZ

Weird to me to see you post this. I honestly hadn't thought about the prisons, jails, etc. until about an hour ago when I saw this picture


Caption:Prisoners from the Orleans Parish Prison are staged on the highway as floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina cover the streets Tuesday.

I wondered then about the level of security, and now I guess you've answered my question :(

I try not to be too mean but that one was just a layup ;)

(tho, I would say the billions of dollars on 5 parts per billion of water was a little on the preachy or critical side)

SI

Not if your company is being sued in federal court under the Clean Water Act for a storm-related release.

Ah, so it's a too-close-to-home thing. Gotcha :)

SI

Don't think so. However you can write off property destruction on Schedule A.

Edit: JIMGA was quicker on the draw than I was.

They've taken children hostage.

A deputy at Orleans Parish Prison, his wife and their four children have been taken hostage by rioting prisoners after riding out Hurricane Katrina inside the jail building, according to WBRZ.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1081633&page=1

Triple Dola - Police officer shot in the head by looters.


Shot police officer in surgery

The New Orleans police officer shot in the head by a looter Tuesday was expected to survive, officials said.

The officer, who has not been identified, was in surgery at West Jefferson Medical Center after being shot in the forehead, police said.

The officer was shot by a looter after he and another officer confronted a number of looters at a Chevron store at Shirley and Gen. DeGaulle.

Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies on the scene arrested four people in connection with the shooting. One of the looters reportedly was shot in the arm by an officer during a shootout.

I remember that song. :(

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,167781,00.html

Looters at a Wal-Mart brazenly loaded up shopping carts with items including microwaves, coolers and knife sets. Others walked out of a sporting goods store on Canal Street with armfuls of shoes and football jerseys.

Outside the broken shells of Biloxi's casinos, people picked through slot machines to see if they still contained coins and ransacked other businesses. "People are just casually walking in and filling up garbage bags and walking off like they're Santa Claus," said Marty Desei, owner of a Super 8 motel.

I know, I know, this is the same general info that we've seen earlier, but I hadn't noticed the microwave mentioned until reading it again. Anybody wanna bet that some of these thieves were surprised when the microwave didn't work when they got it home?

What about the zoo? :(

I'm hearing that another problem is that they have nowhere for rescue workers to live. Why not bring in a cruise ship?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is considering putting people on cruise ships, in tent cities, mobile home parks, and so-called floating dormitories - boats the agency uses to house its own employees.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/200...D8CAHC880.html

That article seems to be referring to evacuees, not rescue workers, but if they're thinking about it for the former I can't imagine it's not being considered for the latter too.

You know, that's not a half bad idea. Wonder how safe it is to put your ship in the water over there. Plus, if you're Carnival, wow- talk about lots of free publicity- so there's an incentive for them.

SI