Posted on 09/13/2005 7:57:20 PM PDT by Ellesu
The concrete and steel titan on Poydras Street still dominates the New Orleans skyline. But the Superdome, like everything else in the brutalized city, looks much different now. Hurricane Katrina’s 100 mph-plus winds relentlessly strafed the world-renowned stadium’s roof, peeled back its white weather-protective shell like a coconut husk. The force was so powerful it stripped off sheets of 2-inch foam and thick rubber and blew them all over the Central Business District.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Okay... found it....
From Wikipedia:
"The stadium was used in 1998 during the less extreme Hurricane Georges as a shelter. The building had no problems related to the weather but the human element resulted in looting and there were difficulties supplying the 14,000 people living temporarily in the dome with necessities."
Now there's a Biblical phrase. Yikes, what next... passersby wagging their heads/hands and hissing?
Zephaniah 2:15 This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.
I would coin a new phrase. "Lord of the Lies."
Bless President Bush who chose to lay prostrate and accept responsibility. I have not the words.
It takes a true man to accept the responsibility for the gangsters, the thugs, the addicts, the welfare recipients, and the politicians that hold to that group of sub-humans as a voting block.
That man is G.W. Bush. No bull$hit, no embellishment. Just the damn facts.
Again, not a dare, I love Freerepublic.com. Ban me if you wish, that which I speak, not in my name, is the simple truth.
I wouldn't want to go in even if they did use all the bleach in the world. Would you want to walk on those floors or use facilities that were that defiled? I wouldn't want to touch anything there no matter how clean they said they got it. UGH. The memories would be haunting, too. shudder.
Yes, that helped everything so much by letting all the prisoners free. (/sarcasm)
Mary's Aunt---
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY DURING A CRISIS
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA)
November 30, 1998
Estimated printed pages: 2
Reading Jack Wardlaw's report on the testimony of Louisiana Superdome officials before the Joint Legislative Committee on the budget reminded me of an issue that has been bothering me since Hurricane Georges' visit to New Orleans. I don't think enough has been said about the incredible job our citizens and leaders did during that historically trying time.
Evacuees like me in Alabama, relatives as far away as Washington, and even travelers to France viewed with some comfort televised reports that the Superdome, the convention center and the airport had been opened as evacuation shelters. Our anxieties were somewhat relieved knowing our citizens left behind would be protected from Georges' ravage in some of the world's most accommodating facilities. Instead of fearing the predicted thousands of dead bodies floating in the streets, we could sleep better knowing our people would be safe. Our dreams were soon shattered by the pictures and glaring stories of riots and Superdome looting, and we watched with some degree of shame as our city got a serious international blackeye.
Any reasonable person would know that those who trespassed on the Superdome's hospitality were in the small minority. But we saw no reports of the thousands of families with their infants, elderly and sick, rambunctious and young trying to make the best of a tragic situation. Passing their food around, holding hands and praying, sharing stories, laughing, comforting anxious family and newly-made friends. Of the hastily assembled medical emergency unit staffed by volunteers who had left their loved ones to attend to the seriously ill evacuees, with little supplies and not enough personnel. Of the clergy who moved through the crowd, trying to comfort and appease. Of the city officials, the Dome officials and staff, the police and fire fighters, National Guard and the army of persons who helped thousands make the best of a terrible situation. No national stories. And no local stories when we returned.
Wardlaw's article finally put the situation in perspective -- $134,000 worth of expenses and damage for a few days of potentially saving thousands of lives. What a bargain!
The New Orleans area didn't get enough credit for what they were able to accomplish during those days, and neither did the many people who participated in our area's greatest evacuation. I hope people will remember the days with pride for how our leaders and citizens responded, and I hope the world will somehow get the message that a great job was done by all.
Phyllis Landrieu
New Orleans
Hmmmmm. State owned facility and they used it for a shelter and were unprepared? It was torn apart in 1998 and they still didn't provide adequate security?
Would be more cost effective to hit the place with a tactical nuke and build a new one.
What are they hiding?
Common practice of coroners and homicide detectives. Hmmmm.
I had always wanted to someday attend the Sugar Bowl. I guess they will now rename it, The Pooper Bowl.
I wouldn't want to go in even if they did use all the bleach in the world. Would you want to walk on those floors or use facilities that were that defiled? I wouldn't want to touch anything there no matter how clean they said they got it. UGH. The memories would be haunting, too. shudder.
I'll never go again. I hope Benson moves the Saints out of this state. We can't afford them anyway. Tear it down.
STORM ROLE CAUGHT DOME OFF GUARD
CHAOS RECALLED, LOSSES CHALKED UP IN REVIEWING REFUGEE CRISIS
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA)
November 21, 1998
Author: Jack Wardlaw Capital bureau
Estimated printed pages: 3
BATON ROUGE Superdome officials said Friday they were unprepared for the 14,000 refugees who sought shelter when Hurricane Georges was bearing down on New Orleans in late September.
"We had some tense moments," stadium manager David Thornton told the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. "It was a very stressful situation."
The committee asked officials for a report on the situation in the wake of television reports that some people stole items from the stadium when they left.
The stadium staff never expected to be involved in the refugee situation, Thornton said.
"Basically, our plan for a hurricane is to secure the building and leave town," he said.
Instead, Thornton said he got a call on Sept. 26 from Mayor Marc Morial asking for help in the storm emergency. He said the mayor asked that one large meeting room be kept open for aged and infirm patients from nursing homes, and another for members of the general public who were unable to evacuate.
Television media, Thornton said, interpreted that as a general invitation and broadcast it as such. The result, he said, "was that when I got there at 8 a.m. Sunday morning 2,000 people were lined up waiting to get in."
By nightfall, he said, stadium officials were faced with housing and feeding 14,000 people for up to three days. "It was utter chaos for a while," Thornton said.
"I called the mayor and asked for help," he said. Eventually, a detail of police officers and about 40 National Guardsmen showed up.
Thornton said 98 percent of the refugees were well behaved. "We found we had 24,000 hot dogs on hand, but we only had 10,000 buns," he said. "Some people had to eat them off hamburger buns."
By Monday, "people were beginning to get restless. They were hearing on television that the storm had turned the other way," he said. "The mayor hadn't lifted the curfew but we started to let some people leave at their own risk."
By late Monday, there was a general exodus and it was difficult to tell at the time whether people were taking away property they had brought in with them or stealing items from the Superdome.
Joni Wall of the Legislative Fiscal Office said about $8,500 of property was stolen, most of it barstools and artificial plants. Thornton said those items were not state property, but belonged to the New Orleans Saints.
Wall's report showed $46,305 worth of damage to property, mostly sofas, chairs and tables; $20,000 in damage to the stadium from the storm itself; $10,000 in damage to plumbing and drywall; and $50,000 in food, labor and cleanup expenses -- for a total of $134,805.
Wall said stadium officials have filed a claim for that amount from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and expect to be fully reimbursed.
As for the charges of theft, Wall said the Orleans Parish district attorney's office had requested taped footage of alleged looting from television stations, but was refused. She said the district attorney's office plans to subpoena the tapes.
Sen. John Hainkel, R-New Orleans, asked Thornton what plans are being made in case the situation occurs again. "I don't know of any hurricane season in which we aren't threatened by hurricanes," Hainkel said.
Thornton said he plans to meet with National Guard, city and Office of Emergency Planning officials to set up a comprehensive plan before the 1999 hurricane season. He said he will insist that stadium officials retain authority over the building during a crisis.
"The National Guard doesn't know how to run the Superdome," he said. "We do."
http://www.nola.com
Good will come out of this.
Umm. Ok. Any ideas why?
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