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| Author | Topic: Hurricane Katrina |
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jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/28/2005 at 9:45:00 AM ET
Please pray/send good thoughts to people in southeastern Louisiana. They are talking 15 to 20 feet storm surge above sea level. New Orleans is below sea level. My parents and grandmother are here with me in Houston.
This has the potential to be one of the worst natural disasters in American history. Right now, it's category 5 at 150 mph. I'm looking at the satellite map and that is a well-defined eye (a definite eye is not good).
Jenn
|  Mandy
Registered User
Registered:
8/14/2003 | posted: 8/28/2005 at 9:47:37 AM ET
I was just wondering about you and if you still had family/friends there. I will definitely keep the entire city in my thoughts.
"Let's admit one thing right upfront: With the possible exception of Bernadette Peters, not everyone stays young and cute forever." (NYPost 2/2/05)
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/28/2005 at 9:53:33 AM ET
Mandy, my parents and grandmother still live there, and that's it for my immediate family. Lots of friends still there. My sister and brother are in the Dallas area.
Thank you for your thoughts.
I could smack this broadcaster on CNN. He was talking to Senator Landrieu. The gist of his comments was that the founding fathers of our city were pretty stupid to build a city (New Orleans) where it is.
Well, Landrieu let him have it (in a nice Southern way). She basically told him that this country would have been very different if it were not for New Orleans, a very important port city since its inception. She also told him, "We're not sunbathing on the Gulf Coast" and how important our coast is to energy and other important artifcats of American life. I literally cheered for her.
Plus, hello! This city was around even before the country was officially created. It's a little late to question the creation of the city!
The outerlying areas of New Orleans will also be very affected as well.
Jenn
| Mandy
Registered User
Registered:
8/14/2003 | posted: 8/28/2005 at 10:06:02 AM ET
It is such a fantastic city to visit and so full of history and culture. It is unlike any other city I've ever visited in the US and one of my favorites.
Jenn, I'm glad your parents and grandmother are with you now. My grandparents used to live in Myrtle Beach and I remember them having to come stay with us when a hurricane would threaten to hit them (Hurricane Hugo-in particular.)
I agree with you about the CNN reporter. It's a little late to be criticizing those who built a city on land below sea level. I am sure that New Orleans is as prepared as anyone can be in this type of situation and maybe even more considering they are are well aware of the vunerability of the city.
"Let's admit one thing right upfront: With the possible exception of Bernadette Peters, not everyone stays young and cute forever." (NYPost 2/2/05)
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/28/2005 at 10:26:52 AM ET
If anyone knows people in SE Lousiana, these are two excellent sites to get instant news and updates:
Times Picayune website and blog
WWL-TV live stream
Mayor Nagin has just issued a mandatory evacuation for New Orleans.
There are lots of people who cannot get out, though-those without cars, elderly people, and tourists. And New Orleans has a big homeless population.
Jenn
|  SingOutAnnie
Registered User
Registered:
8/23/2003
From:
Bradenton/Sarasota, FLA | posted: 8/28/2005 at 12:18:18 PM ET
They built a city at the mouth of the mighty Mississippi. How was that stupid? Somebody would have someday. Amsterdam, Venice, why were these great cities built?
Who was the CNN reporter? Not the brightest bulb in the chandelier...
I grew up in Miami and remember 40 years ago when Betsy took about the same route, hit Miami and then headed straight for New Orleans. And I remember later visiting my aunt when she live in Metairie (and spoke proudly of her house sitting on the highest spot in town). It was after 1969's Camille, with 200+ mph winds. She drove me to Biloxi and we saw the remains of houses on the coastline wiped out by storm surge -- nothing but steps leading up to nothing.
I was stunned this morning to learn Katrina is now Category 5 -- like Andrew. My thoughts are with all those folks in the great city of New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast who will be affected.
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/28/2005 at 2:15:49 PM ET
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...
.HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.
MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.
HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.
AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.
POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BEKILLED.
AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.
ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE!
***************************************
Worst case scenario was that New Orleans would get a direct hit. After the 1:00 coordinates, this is a certainty. They are asking National Guard troops from TX and surrounding states that have been trained to deal with death to help with the aftermanth.
Jenn
|  Sister Rose
Registered User
Registered:
5/4/2004
From:
NYC | posted: 8/29/2005 at 10:28:11 AM ET
Everbody is talking about it - it looks like this one will be causing lots of problems along the gulf states. I hope everybody fares okay - property damage is bad, but injury and/or loss of life is worse.
New Orleans is one of my favorite cities too - there is just no where in the world like it.
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/29/2005 at 7:25:51 PM ET
OK-I found a post on nola.com's message board, and it looks like the area around my parents' home has flooding and some house damage, but nothing devastating. Main point is-the houses are still there.
St. Bernard Parish-just outside the city- has been devastated. Many houses have been completely submerged. They are now reporting seeing bodies floating in the streets (according to Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans). At one point, there were about 100 people trapped on their rooftops, and people have fallen into the water. Some fires have broken out, and fire trucks cannot get to these people. Some buildings have collapsed in other areas in the area and in New Orleans, and people are trapped. Rescue workers are having trouble getting to them. And this is early info coming out of the parish. This area is in severe trouble.
Hospitals are flooded and windows are out. Every building in downtown New Orleans has been damaged.
The Superdome sustained damage and of course, there's no power. It's beginning to smell in there, apparently, and people are getting restless.
They said power could be out for weeks to months, and the drinking water in New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and obviously St. Bernard is contaminated.
The mayor of Gulfport, MS says his town is destroyed.
The news stations now have aerial coverage of the destruction.
Jenn
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/30/2005 at 8:49:05 AM ET
The danger is not over, and the stories are trickling in.
A reporter on CNN last night described real-life nightmares in New Orleans. She was near tears and in shock. She heard people yelling, dogs crying....other reporters have said that they have seen bodies,a lady with a leg missing, and people have been electrocuted from the down power lines.
If you pray, please keep praying. A levee has been breached and more flooding is going into the city. So basically, Lake Pontchartrain is going into the city.
I've heard unconfirmed reports...the amount of human life lost from this storm in Louisiana and Mississippi could be unbearable.
Jenn
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 8/30/2005 at 2:34:41 PM ET
Hundreds expected dead in the Biloxi area.
Don't know about Louisiana yet.
The French Quarter is flooding.
Tulane Medical Center is airlifting patients. Water is rising and they're afraid the emergency generators may go out. This is a big complex including a charity hospital and a children's hospital within the hospital.
Fires are breaking out. Gas is leaking in the water.
They're going to evacuate everyone out of New Orleans.
Jenn
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