Posted on 08/30/2005 2:17:49 PM PDT by Bigh4u2
Governor: New Orleans Needs to Be Evacuated Tuesday, August 30, 2005
BATON ROUGE, La. With conditions in the hurricane-ravaged city of New Orleans rapidly deteriorating, Gov. Kathleen Blanco (search ) announced late Tuesday that people now huddled in the Superdome and other rescue centers need to be evacuated.
"The situation is untenable," Blanco said during a news conference. "It's just heartbreaking."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Many are home ported in New Orleans itself, others in Houston/Galveston. Still others in Florida. I think you can get several thousand people on a cruise ship, more if you pack 'em in for a short trip, say to Houston or Florida somewhere. Wouldn't take all that many ships. And in fact one story said they were looking into ships.
The problem will be the rising waters, by the time the cruise ships get to New Orleans, even if it's only a day or day and half, it may not be possible to move those numbers of people to the ships, except by boat or amphibious vehicle, even though in the case of the Super Dome, it's only a few blocks to the river. (Farther to the docks I would imagine. Using ship's boats in the river might not be as easy as it sounds, the currents are pretty strong there IIRC, currents that the boat operators are not used to dealing with.
Any body know how many people we evacuated from Saigon and vicinity when everything went to snot there?
It took a full week before our street was even plowed. All the neighbors came out to shovel out a narrow channel in the middle of the street just in case an ambulance or fire truck needed to come in. The National Guard had to plow out the main streets. They had helicopters flying in milk and bread.
Just two blocks from me, a child died while digging a tunnel in the snow - it collapsed around him. They didn't find his body until the beginning of March. The last of the snowbanks didn't melt away until the middle of April.
One memory I had from that time was all the lobsters washed up on Revere Beach. The day after the storm, we headed to the beach with garbage bags and filled them full of lobsters that had washed up on the sand. The radio and TV warned us not to eat those lobsters but we cooked them up anyway. So far as I know, none of us got sick.
What landing craft? We use Amtracks, or the Marines do anyway. Many of theirs are occupied in the deserts of Iraq, or being refurbished from being so used. We also use helicopters, of those we probably have a fair number available and they are probably getting there ASAP. We also use hovercraft, LCACs they are called. We don't have so many many of those, but they can carry quite a few people, and they move pretty fast. Those could ferry people a short distance to where ground transport could take over, or out to ships. Unfortunately, the ships that carry them are based in Southern California and Virginia. :(
They are dropping large (I can't remember if it was 300 lb or 3,000 lb bags) sandbags into the breach, but it sounds like it's a losing proposition.
That would probably be Ft. Polk, LA. About 265 miles. They probably couldn't handle the crowd long term, but they could dole them out to other places. You have to remember there are several hundred thousand other residents who did evacuate, and now will need to be housed for perhaps months, perhaps years. (Especially if FEMA handles things)
I remember waking up in the night and seeing a strange flashing bluish light that I thought was lightening. When I looked out the window I discovered it was the power lines arccing due to the wind. The snow was pouring down and visibility was very limited, just this hazy flashing bluish light. It was beautiful and frightening at the same time.
The two guys who shared the apt. above ours had a VW Beetle. When we looked out at the parking lot after the storm finished all we could see of their car was the tip of the antenna. The plows came by a few days later shoving more snow againt their car. It was buried for weeks and then wouldn't start from sitting in the cold for so long. Thanks for reminding me about the blizzard.
Like rising water levels. The Lake is pouring into the city as we type.
I don't really think we'd want it. Make into Baja Arkansas.
Sad to say, I couldn't agree with you more. the Louisiana goveror is on Larry King right now if anyone doubts she's either incompetent or in shock, offering nothing but gloom and doom. and KIng! He's asking about prisoners and she doesn't know the answers.
compare her to Haley Barbour who's on the phone.
I've watched the entire Alabama leadership team, and they re impressive too.
I pity the people of New Orleans and Louisiana
Me too, but apparently that's not really working.
Thanks for the tip I am set to record the replay on my Tivo.
Blanco and Nagin did not step up. Sadly, it's not them who are finished: it's New Orleans.
Sean and alan are interviewing a former LA Attorney General about the looting that's going on in New Orleans....another LA idiot! Sean was showing video of looters while this guy was saying, "the food will ruin anyway". He said, there's a difference between looting and people needing food for survival. Sean said, looting televisions and clothes is what we are seeing.
Not directly reachable by water. But you could take the Mississippi to Natchez and then go by highway from there. Since Katrina went northeast, and that's just north and slightly west from NO (to Natchez) that should be OK. Ft Polk is well to the West of the Mississippi.
I don't think the I-10 bridge could be safely spanned by portable bridging.
As I see it the big problem is getting them out the city. One they are clear of the below sea level areas, moving them elsewhere is a matter of using trains, buses, trucks or what have you.
I was going to say, as any apologist begins that argument, feign shock and amazement and say "You mean things are so bad they have begun eating televisions?"
Someone upthread mentioned the military dropping huge concrete barriers into the biggest breaks.
I've never been to NO, but we had plans to someday tour the state when we have the money. Not during Mardi Gras, either.
This whole situation is just awful. Those poor people.
Well, I guess that depends upon what you were praying for. I kind of hoped that New Orleans might survive. And now it looks iffy.
ML/NJ
I prayed for mercy and a miracle that mass
amount of lives would not be taken
and that the city wouldn't be
completely wiped off the map...
our prayers were answered..now we
pray for Gods help for these poor people
stuck in this situation
if you feel like God didn't
come through..you'll have
to take that up with him...
God Bless
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.