Hurricane Thread

[Ponyguy]

I just think it's quite outrageous that the whole area is now essentially a civil war zone, with roaming gangs of armed looters shooting at everyone from the National Gaurd to the rescue workers to each other.

This is a civilised country in the year 2005!

Indeed.... and you wonder why I dont care. Americans dont even care for each other in time of crisis, which is amazing given that they have the resources to cope but not the experience. You'd think people would work together wouldnt you.

They do, but that doesn't make the best most dramatic headlines. And we all know, if you don't read it in the news, then it's not happening, right? You don't hear about the thousands, the tens of thousands of acts of personal sacrifice and charity, because frankly that's just not exciting enough to sell the product called "News." There's thousands of people in the area -- heck, across the country -- opening up their homes to the refugees. Even news crews are ferrying refugees in their trucks. In a situation like that, you're still harping on the sanctity of personal property, and how awful people are for neglecting to honor that. Dude, even the police are having to resort to looting to supply themselves.

Stop being a media tool and believing the apocalyptic crap that makes exciting copy. Use your brain, and your heart. Imagine Liverpool under 20 feet of water, and think how civilized and courteous everybody would be after the fourth day. Except of course that Liverpool doesn't have crocodiles, mosquitos, water moccasins, 95 degree heat, fire ants and black flies.

That being said, I'm all in favor of shooting dead those who are looting nonessentials. It could only be an improvement in the species.

[oddbob0]

Imagine Liverpool under 20 feet of water, and think how civilized and courteous everybody would be after the fourth day.

I don't know how civilized and courteous it'd be, but there'd be even more hubcaps missing...

[Rod_S]

Imagine Liverpool under 20 feet of water

/coat

[jrc313]

Imagine Liverpool under 20 feet of water

/coat

[Zen-Chan]

The current "Breaking News" banner on cnn.com reads:

New Orleans hospital halts patient evacuations after coming under sniper fire, a doctor who witnessed the incident says. More soon.

[PFVA]

It were the gayers wot dun it.

On a side note a religious leather stating the hurricane that destroyed the Gulf oil riggs, and submerged a city could be penitence for a country that invaded a defenseless one to control their oil would probably be classified as a terrorist, and maybe even be considered a nacional security threat. Blaming gays is just a lot easier, of no consequences, and even serves the purpose of the ones who do not want their actions analysed.

[Rod_S]

The updates from that blog I linked to are insane:

Situtation is critical.

I'm not leaving, so stop asking. I'm staying. I am staying until this shitstorm has blown itself out. Period. End of discussion.

Now for some updates:

1. Been too busy to debrief the police officer, so that will come later. Low priority now.

2. Buses loading people up on Camp Street to take refugees to Dallas, or so the word on the street (literally) is.

3. Dead bodies everywhere: convention center, down camp street, all over.

4. National Guard shoving water off the backs of trucks. They're just pushing it off without stopping, people don't even know it's there at first -- they drop it on the side in debris, there's no sign or distribution point -- people are scared to go near it at first, because the drop points are guarded by troops or federal agents with assault rifles who don't let people come near them, which scares people off. It is a mess. When people actually get to the water, they are in such a rush to get it that one family left their small child behind and forget about him until Sig carried him back to the family.

5. Lots of pics coming soon when Sig has time to update.

It's raining now and I guess that's a relief from the heat. It's hot as hell down there in the sun. Crime is absolutely rampant: rapes, murders, rape-murder combinations.

I have really cut back answering IMs. Not enough time. I apologize people.

In case anyone in national security is reading this, get the word to President Bush that we need the military in here NOW. The Active Duty Armed Forces. Mr. President, we are losing this city. I don't care what you're hearing on the news. The city is being lost. It is the law of the jungle down here. The command and control structure here is barely functioning. I'm not sure it's anyone's fault -- I'm not sure it could be any other way at this point. We need the kind of logistical support and infrastructure only the Active Duty military can provide. The hospitals are in dire straights. The police barely have any capabilities at this point. The National Guard is doing their best, but the situation is not being contained. I'm here to help in anyway I can, but my capabilities are limited and dropping. Please get the military here to maintain order before this city is lost.

Doing what we can, this is Outpost Crystal getting back to work.

Fuck.

[TheGoodbyeGirl]

I read this at lunch time and all i can say is, that guy should get a medal for sticking it out, it sounds like it is desending into hell, i have read Lord of the flies and this is it in action here and now.

The story about them firing on the helicopters airlifting the people from the dome was just scary beyond belief.

[Fluteloop]

Well, first, I wanna thank a Yakyak user who I know personally, for getting me into yakyak, and now my opinion on the hurrican.I can't believe you guys are here talking about the hurricane but NOONE has talked about the biggest most important issue facing New Orleans today. That's really insensitive . The issue has not been addressed by Bush, by the Governors, the Senate, the media or the New Orleans Mayor. It's injustice. It's the only thing I've been worried about since the hurricane happened . And that issue is. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE NFL NEW ORLEANS SAINTS THIS SEASON?. THe Superdome is partially destroyed, it's now known if the city will even be inhabitable ever again, and the season opener is the 18th of September and the Saints have nowhere to play. Right now only the NFL and the team are discussing this problem. The NFL wants to see if the 18th can be played in New ORleans, otherwise 3 other venues that The Saints have proposed. Man, I am so worried about this season , poor Saints. They should permenantly move to Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

[goldfish]

Uncanny. Fruit Loop by the Beasties came on as I was reading your post. Higher powers I tell thee.

Simon

[PFVA]

The Saints were evacuated before the arrival of Katrina. They are in San Jose, CA training at the San Jose State Uni Spartans Stadium for the upcoming match. You may want to offer the option but I'm not sure if they'll exchange San Jose for Calgary, though.

[PFVA]

New Orleans Mayor Issues 'Desperate SOS'
AP - 51 minutes ago
NEW ORLEANS - Storm victims were raped and beaten, fights and fires broke out, corpses lay out in the open, and rescue helicopters and law enforcement officers were shot at as flooded-out New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday. "This is a desperate SOS," the mayor said. Anger mounted across the ruined city, with thousands of storm victims increasingly hungry, desperate and tired of waiting for buses to take them out.

[Orava]

What bugs me about this is that the flooding really shouldn't have been a surprise (or an issue). Can't do much about the storm, but this type of flooding's something that's relatively easily prevented.

-W

What bugs me is that a lot of the people left behind in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast could actually not evacuate as they had neither the money nor any other means to actually get away.

This really surprises me that the worlds mightiest country can fail so many of its people and leave them behind to die.

So, if you don't have a car / can't drive one for some reason and cannot afford a place to stay in then, well, though.

[Wibble]

New Orleans is not only sandwiched on 3 sides by water, and 6ft below sea level, but it's also built on SWAMPLAND. Now who appart from me thinks that is a bad idea ? If anyone says it isnt, they deserve locking up - thats plain bonkers and plainly defiant against common sense.

Ever bother to look at the Netherlands? Half the country's well under sea level, and big chunks are built on material similar to swamp land.

I guess that means we must all be bonkers then.

Seriously though, it may not be the best spot to have a city, but if you have to, it's not that hard to do it safely. Location really isn't the problem - As Orava points out, it's the fact that what passes for government in that area seems to have been unable to take care of its people for whatever reason. If you ask me, simple planning, investing in infrastructure and water defenses could've reduced the impact of Katrina a lot.

Beh.. I'm starting to ramble.

-W

[Rod_S]

I read this at lunch time and all i can say is, that guy should get a medal for sticking it out, it sounds like it is desending into hell, i have read Lord of the flies and this is it in action here and now.

Yeah, he's the new geek superhero, defending his server room with an unspecified amount of firearms and maintaining a live cam and blog from the centre of all the madness. A military trained server guru, can you believe it?

Then we had to take a router down to city hall to try to get the city rolling on their internet. That included wading through water. God, the city is a mess when you head down Poydras that way. The Superdome looks like the Jenin refugee camp. God help this city. Whether or not it ought to be rebuilt is secondary to the real issue: can it be rebuilt? Looking around, I wouldn't know where or how to start. Good luck with that.

Madskillz.