St. Bernard officials paint grim picture at Capitol. [ Chalmette, Arabi areas]

2TheAdvocate ^ | 9-12-05 | BRETT TROXLER

[deport]

By BRETT TROXLER

btroxler@wbrz.com

2theadvocate.com staff
From a report by ABC 26's Yungi DeNies

Hundreds of St. Bernard residents lined up at the state Capitol on Monday to talk about the future of their parish.

Local leaders painted a grim picture of the status of St. Bernard Parish, an area that was perhaps hit harder by Hurricane Katrina than any other location in Louisiana. Every part of the parish has flood damage, with some areas receiving as much as 12 feet of water.

One local representative said some neighborhoods will have to be entirely demolished.

Parish President Henry Rodriguez said that while the flood waters are receding, the parish is facing another potentially long-term problem.

"We have a massive oil spill," Rodriguez said. "Some of you will never go back to your homes. Some of you may never be able to even go back until they clean up the streets and detox. I didn't come here to give you false hope. We're all in the same boat. I had seven feet of water in my house. There's not anyone in St. Bernard Parish that can say they are in any better shape."

Parish officials gave no time frame for when residents will be allowed back in. The Environmental Protection Agency is assessing and cleaning up the oil spill, and until the agency is done, no one will be allowed to reenter the parish.

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From NOLA which must be excerpted.....

St. Bernard Parish residents overflow the Capitol

9/12/2005, 5:29 p.m. CT By MELINDA DESLATTE The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Thousands of St. Bernard Parish residents who journeyed to the state Capitol, desperate for information about their homes, received only grim news Monday: Every part of the parish was flooded by Hurricane Katrina. Some homes were coated with oil from a nearby refinery. And one official estimated no one would live in the parish until at least summertime.

"When you go back to St. Bernard, the only memories you're going to have is what you left with," Parish President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez told a crowd in the House chamber that lined the walls, filled up the balcony and spilled down the stairs of the building.

Boasso said 30,000 homes were completely lost and he's heard estimates that it would take at least four months to clean up the parish that is home to 68,000 residents.

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[lexington minuteman 1775]

This can't be, isn't St Bernard about 85% white? OMG now Bush hates white people too?

[Mind-numbed Robot]

St. Bernard is outside the levees, right? Where does it drain?

[deport]

Where does it drain?

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The Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico....

[Mind-numbed Robot]

It can't drain naturally to the river because of the levee. If it has natural drainage to the gulf that means the gulf has encroached and may never recede. Right? Wrong?

[Redbob]

Chalmette can only get better - it was the armpit of New Orleans.

[Cedar]

I met some evacuees from Chalmette today. Lost their home in Chalmette from Katrina; then a few days ago had their only vehicle stolen while living in a hotel.

They seemed like pretty decent people.

What's wrong with Chalmette?

[sweetliberty]

Many of the evacuees here are from Chalmette. All the ones I've met seem like decent people.

[LibSnubber]

"Chalmette can only get better - it was the armpit of New Orleans."

Our families here in LA have lost a total of seven homes - totally destroyed. Six of those homes were in Chalmette and surrounding area. These are good, good people and didn't deserve what has happened to them. Your comment hurt - a lot.

[PAR35]

isn't St Bernard about 85% white?

88.3%, per the Census folks. I'm not sure I believe the count of houses, however. It sounds high for the population given, particularly in Catholic south Louisiana. There may be a scam going on - the latest Census figures show just over 25,000 occupied housing units. Even when you add in empties, you don't get high enough.

[clee1]

Are you stoned, or just stupid?

The City (NOLA) ITSELF is the pit - the suburbs were MUCH better places to live.

[libtoken]

Rodriguez also went on WWL 870 and recorded this message, which I paraphrased:WWL 870 played a tape of what one St Bernards leader said: (paraphrase)

I have seven feet of water in my house. All the way from Araby to Violet, no one else is better off, and most of you have nothing left. But we know you need closure. So we will let you in in sections once we can, but we will need to clean the mud off the roads first. There are some areas that you WILL not be able to get to, because there was a big oil storage facility where the drums were twisted and the oil spilled. We expect the oil company will buy those homes. We will also need to air out your homes for four or five days first, because of the air quality issues. We will be testing the environment first to see if it is safe for you to come back. DO NOT BRING YOUR CHILDREN BACK. You cannot do things here and watch them too. If you come back to see, bring rubber gloves and boots and also masks. We will wash off your car when you enter and especially when you leave so that this contamination isn't spread to other places.

[jeffers]

St Bernard Parish is inside its own levee. These two pictures, and post 40 in this thread explain:



http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/jeffers_mz/Katrina/floodanalysis1sm.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/jeffers_mz/Katrina/floodanalysis2sm.jpg

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1482715/posts?page=40#40

[Mind-numbed Robot]

You did an excellent job there. I was not aware of the extent of the individual levee systems. I lived in River Ridge for a year and worked in Kenner. There was one "flood" from a heavy rain which covered the streets. I remember it because I had to cancel a dental appontment. :-)

That is also when I read that there were three very old pumps which kept the city dry, about 200 years old I think, that were of French design and parts were no longer available.

[Washington_minuteman]

"Chalmette can only get better - it was the armpit of New Orleans."

"Our families here in LA have lost a total of seven homes - totally destroyed."

Don't let remarks by the likes of that fella cut you too deeply. Those kind have their reward already; they are without hope.

I'm sorry for your family members in Chalmette. From your statement, it would seem that God in His mercy has preserved their lives though, which makes them more fortunate than many. I have a dear friend who used to live near Alexander Ave. and Easy St., in Arabi, whom I've not been able to find. Her house looks like it's up to the roof in the NOAA photos I saw. I have no idea what has become of her. Being some 2000-miles away doesn't help.

But I trust God for her life and soul. You do the same for all of yours affected by this terrible storm.

minuteman

[LibSnubber]

That was beautifully said, minuteman. Thank you. It's going to take a while to locate all our loved ones, isn't it? I hope and pray you find your friend soon.

[Cedar]

I agree....great job you did with the pictures and post.