Official Hurricane Katrina Thread

[Kip Fanatic]

Anything for some Jelly. LOL. You're welcome.

[ChumpDumper]

Yeah, the Superdome area is one of the highest in NOLA -- plenty others are much lower and reporters were wise to not stay there.

[Kip Fanatic]

I stayed off that Lake back in April. There was a good restaurant there. I forgot the name of it. It was up the street from that casino that was on the Lake.

[whottt]

The French Quarter still lives...Shepard Smith just did a live broadcast from Bourbon street and there is very little damage and no standing water on the streets.

[Jelly]

:lol
Anything for some Jelly. LOL. You're welcome.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Reports are that the French Quarter/Uptown (Tulane University) area came through pretty much untouched, but that the east side of town got rocked.

[MannyIsGod]

This is so bizarre. The storm was definetly a Cat 4 at landfall, but the loss of convection just rendered the western side weak as all hell. 30 miles was the difference here, if not less!

[MiNuS]

My prayers are with everyone in the affected areas.I wish everyone well and hope for a speedy recovery.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

30 miles was the difference here, if not less!

Actually I'd say one mile, given what the French Quarter is dealing with (wet streets, no flooding) compared to the eastern side of NO (14 ft. of water in the streets).

[MannyIsGod]

You're probably right on that AHF. Pretty amazing.

Here are some numbers Jeff Masters just posted:

Storm surge and rainfall
According to NHC and NWS sources, peak storm surge values were 22 feet in Bay Saint Louis, MS, and 20 feet along many areas of eastern Louisiana. Southwest Lake Pontchartrain received a 10-12 foot storm surge. Mobile Bay received a 9-12 foot storm surge, and Biloxi at least 10 feet. Exact surge heights have been difficult to measure since most of the tide gauges were destroyed by the hurricane. Peak rainfall from Katrina was over the central coast of Mississippi, where radar estimated 8-12 inches fell.

Six weather radars fail
As of 11am EDT, communications with six National Weather Service radar sites failed. No radar information is available from the New Orleans, Lake Charles, and Fort Polk stations in Louisiana, Jackson and Columbus AFB stations in Mississippi, and the Red Bay station in the Florida Panhandle. The NWS offices are still able to send out warnings and forecasts.

------------

Camille still holds the record on surge at 24 feet, but this was very close to that.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Camille still holds the record on surge at 24 feet, but this was very close to that.

I think when it's all said and done, Katrina will have generated a surge greater than that.

I understand their prelim reports, just expect them to change.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Nearly 800,000 Without Power Approximately 770,000 Entergy electric customers are without power -- and officials say it could be a month before power is restored to the New Orleans area. In some neighborhoods, only the rooftops of some homes are visible. In the central business district, cars are overturned, trees and power lines are downed, and cars were crushed by falling bricks.

[Ginofan]

Office Depot is reported to have already made a million dollar donation to the Red Cross along with other donations in the form of supplies. And they are challenging any other company to match their donation.

[Manu20]

http://headlines.accuweather.com/news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&myadc=0&article=5

Where does Katrina fit into History?

Atlantic Basin Hurricanes
Lowest Pressure

1. Gilbert (1988)
888mb
2. Labor day (1935)
892mb
3. Allen (1980)
899mb
4. Katrina (2005)
902mb
5. Camille (1969)
905mb
6. Mitch (1998)
905mb
7. Ivan (2004)
910mb

*Andrew (1992)
922mb

[2pac]

Super Typhoon Tip hit 870mb
At its largest, it was 1300 miles wide -or about Arizona to Canada

[Ginofan]

I told you all there would be very few deaths, if any. Has anyone died yet?

Ten deaths so far. But all these reports are initial. They haven't even begun to get to the worst hit areas. Keep your pants on.

[Kori Ellis]

I told you all there would be very few deaths, if any. Has anyone died yet?

Yes. 3 People died in New Orleans last night and there may be 100's dead in Mississippi.

[Jelly]

I told you all there would be very few deaths, if any. Has anyone died yet?


how is it that you have access to a message board but not to the news?

[CosmicCowboy]

I told you all there would be very few deaths, if any. Has anyone died yet?

yes.

And the emergency crews can't even get out and LOOK yet...you can still expect 100+ deaths from this one...

[TOP-CHERRY]

Sorry if these have already been posted...

http://hosted.ap.org/photos/L/LAEG10408290634-big.jpg

http://hosted.ap.org/photos/L/LAEG10108290639-big.jpg

The people inside the Superdome.

[Jekka]

how is it that you have access to a message board but not to the news?

He's an (expansively)selective idiot.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

This is so bizarre. The storm was definetly a Cat 4 at landfall, but the loss of convection just rendered the western side weak as all hell. 30 miles was the difference here, if not less!


who says hundreds of thousands of prayers all at once can't cause a little miracle now and then

[CosmicCowboy]

http://www.cincinnati.com/postcard/img/photos/bag_head.jpg

funny..that looks like the superdome but they don't LOOK like Saints fans...

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I told you all there would be very few deaths, if any. Has anyone died yet?

They have no clue how many died yet, because they haven't had a chance to get out and look for bodies.

[Mixability]

Im not the one dating Donkey Kong.


On the News, they have not reported any deaths. Im watching CNN

dude, :stfu already

it makes me wish you were in New Orleans right now :pctoss

[Ginofan]

The weather channel is where I heard the figure of 10 deaths, but I heard about the 3 people in N.O. on the local feed.

The strong bands are popping up tornado warnings all over the place. Montgomery, AL and all of its surrounding counties look to be in the red and a few counties just outside of Atlanta, GA were put under warning.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

The AP is reporting that one of Shell's oil rigs broke loose, and the surge has pushed it into the Mobile River bridge.

That's messed up (sorta like captain asshole - ginobili is god - in this thread).

[Old School Chic]

Well, I practically stayed up all night praying and praying for everyone to be ok...

Especially, the children, the elderly, & all of the animals. I hope they all got out safe.

[Mixability]

THat was a sweet thing to say Danny boy.

compared to the shit you've been spewing, it is

[Kori Ellis]

We should be focusing on New Orleans and such, not a 12 year old boy named Daniel complaining.

So how bad is it gonna hit Ohio?

It will probably be just a tropical storm by the time it gets to Ohio.

[Mixability]

We should be focusing on New Orleans and such, not a 12 year old boy named Daniel complaining.

So how bad is it gonna hit Ohio?

before you focus on New Orleans, you should focus on fixing your attitude. oh yeah, I forgot, "GiG" is just a character you play on these boards :rolleyes

[timvp]

What's going to suck is the next time there is a hurricane in the gulf, no one is going to leave NO. They hyped this storm up to the point that I wouldn't have been surprised to see Noah sailing over 200K dead in the 'toxic soup'. Next time, the percentage that stays behind will be a lot higher.

Hopefully the death toll will remains low. The damage will undoubtedly be major, but I have hope that the loss of human life can remain relatively low if the proper precautions were followed and the rescue missions go off without a hitch.

[Mixability]

What's going to suck is the next time there is a hurricane in the gulf, no one is going to leave NO.

i agree

[TOP-CHERRY]

What's going to suck is the next time there is a hurricane in the gulf, no one is going to leave NO.
Tell that to the ones trapped in their homes right now.

[SPARKY]

NO will unfortunately break about 100 dead considering what part of town was hit hard. Between the rest of southeastern LA and the coasts of MS and AL as well as inland it would not be surprising to see another 100+ dead.

[Old School Chic]

What's going to suck is the next time there is a hurricane in the gulf, no one is going to leave NO. They hyped this storm up to the point that I wouldn't have been surprised to see Noah sailing over 200K dead in the 'toxic soup'. Next time, the percentage that stays behind will be a lot higher.

Hopefully the death toll will remains low. The damage will undoubtedly be major, but I have hope that the loss of human life can remain relatively low if the proper precautions were followed and the rescue missions go off without a hitch.

I agree 100%

[Extra Stout]

What's going to suck is the next time there is a hurricane in the gulf, no one is going to leave NO.Just because the predictions of apocalyptic doom didn't come to pass doesn't mean that NO wasn't seriously fucked up by this storm. This one will be remembered.

[TOP-CHERRY]

Yeah. I actually think the percentage of people leaving next time will be a lot higher.

[timvp]

Just because the predictions of apocalyptic doom didn't come to pass doesn't mean that NO wasn't seriously fucked up by this storm. This one will be remembered.

No doubt.

But the hype machine that passes for news nowadays made it out to be that everyone who stayed back would die. I realize that it was a possibility and that NO got lucky again, but the residents there will be more hesitant to leave the next time.

[2pac]

The hurricane washed a whale up on the Pensacola pier!


























http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ap_katrina_050828_01_ssh.jpg

[TOP-CHERRY]

No doubt.

But the hype machine that passes for news nowadays made it out to be that everyone who stayed back would die. I realize that it was a possibility and that NO got lucky again, but the residents there will be more hesitant to leave the next time.
Sometimes it's better to scare these people into getting their butts out of there instead of simplifying it... Better safe than sorry, so they say...

[Dos]

thats there one them endangered species whales... red bull type...

[nkdlunch]

The hurricane washed a whale up on the Pensacola pier!
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ap_katrina_050828_01_ssh.jpg


If that's a whale, then this country is whale country. I see them all over the place!

[KEDA]

Office Depot is reported to have already made a million dollar donation to the Red Cross along with other donations in the form of supplies. And they are challenging any other company to match their donation.


How did you beat me to that!


I found out this morning, and was all ready to post it!


you stole my thunder, flushknocker!

[Shelly]

Katrina Claims May Rival $16 Bln Northridge Quake (Update11)

Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Hurricane Katrina may rival the 1994 Northridge earthquake as the third most costly U.S. catastrophe, according to preliminary forecasts of insured losses.

The storm's estimated cost for insurers such as Allstate Corp. will probably be $9 billion to $16 billion, said Eqecat Inc., a storm modeler. Eqecat cut its estimate from as high as $30 billion as Katrina veered east of New Orleans, sparing the city a direct hit.

``People are breathing a sigh of relief that the storm has lost strength and that New Orleans appeared to be on the weak side of the storm,'' said Ray Stone, vice president of catastrophe operations at St. Paul Travelers Cos., the second- largest U.S. commercial insurer.

Insurers paid a record $22.9 billion last year for four Florida hurricanes. Storm-related payouts almost erased third- quarter earnings last year at Allstate, the biggest publicly traded auto and home insurer.

Katrina's tally may be in line with the 1994 Northridge quake, which Fitch Ratings said cost about $16 billion. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks cost $20.1 billion, Fitch said. Hurricane Andrew, in 1992, was the most costly U.S. disaster, with insured losses of $20.5 billion.

Today's storm came ashore just south of Buras, Louisiana, with winds of 140 mph (225 kph) after weakening overnight, the National Hurricane Center said. Risk Management Solutions Inc., another modeler, predicted claims of $10 billion to $25 billion. AIR Worldwide Corp. estimated $12 billion to $26 billion.

Storm Weakens

Katrina was downgraded to a Category 1 storm after coming ashore as a Category 4 and was about 20 miles west-southwest of Hattiesburg, Mississippi at 2 p.m. local time, the National Hurricane Center said. Last night, it was a Category 5, the most severe on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Only three Category 5 storms have ever hit the country.

``The hurricane tracked somewhat east of downtown New Orleans and the western side of the storm showed evidence of weakening as it moved inland,'' said Kyle Beatty, a meteorologist at Newark, California-based Risk Management. ``Both of those served as positives for New Orleans.''

Fitch Ratings said Katrina will probably be the most costly single event for the insurance industry since Sept. 11. The terrorist attacks spurred the federal government to provide as much as $100 billion to help insurers in future attacks, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

St. Paul, Allstate

[2pac]

Tons of bodies are floating around the 9th Ward.

:(

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Where'd you hear that 2pac?

[SpursWoman]

Tons of bodies are floating around the 9th Ward.

:(


WHAT?!?! :wow :wow

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

From FNC...


An estimated 40,000 homes flooded in St. Bernard Parish just east of New Orleans

[2pac]

Mom heard it on the radio and called me.

[ObiwanGinobili]

Tons of bodies are floating around the 9th Ward.

:(


:wow oh my god. :depressed

[Kori Ellis]

Hurricane Katrina may rival the 1994 Northridge earthquake as the third most costly U.S. catastrophe, according to preliminary forecasts of insured losses.

I lived in Northridge for that one :(

[ObiwanGinobili]

Governer of Miss. said that "there is alot of dead people out there tonight"

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

2pac - I haven't seen this confirmed elsewhere. I don't doubt she heard it, just doubt it's true until I see some verification.

[MannyIsGod]

I would not be suprised to see the dead get up to 500 or so.

This storm wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, but it was pretty fucking bad. There will always be people that refuse to leave, but those numbers being tossed around by the media weren't made up. They were derived from simulations.

Hopefully NO can fix some of their problems soon.

BTW, Tropical Depression 13 formed yesterday in the Atlantic and died today but within a day we should have TD14 form out there as well. The peak of hurricane season is still 3 weeks away and we then have a couple of months to go before it ends.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

http://www.wdsu.com/index.html

Go there and watch the old man drive into the water, gets rescued. Crazy.

[2pac]

Scott - I have been looking for it as well and havent found it.

Looks like they will reopen NO on Friday. I will be among those getting in the city.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Good luck man. Take some protection (not condoms, I mean Smith & Wesson).

I've been posting the updates from WDSU's blog all day, and they haven't said anything about the bodies everywhere.

[Spurminator]

Nice footage of looters.

Assholes.

[2pac]

I got a box yesterday for my Ruger 9mm. Got two clips, so that should be enough.

My ax is in SA, but I have backups in NO. I plan to clean up my grandma's place as much as possible, but also there to take pics.

[TOP-CHERRY]

http://www.wdsu.com/index.html

Go there and watch the old man drive into the water, gets rescued. Crazy.
The guy didn't think twice about running out there. That's really something...

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Fox News is showing I-10... under 15 feet of water from Pontchartrain.

[2pac]

Fox News is showing I-10... under 15 feet of water from Pontchartrain.

Where? East or west?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

75% of buildings in Gulfport, MS now have no roof.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

2pac - west. They drove in from Beaumont earlier today. Just broadcasted from I-10, they were 2 miles outside of town, everything's underwater.

[2pac]

West of town, I-10 goes directly over Ponch.

East of town, I-10 crosses Ponch again on the way to Slidell.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Yeah I've driven through there a couple of times going to Florida. They said it was the I-10, 610 interchange they were stuck on.

Which would be really fucked up because if I remember right there's a good 25-30 city blocks between the lake and that interchange.

[Kori Ellis]

2pac - I don't know if you saw this ...


Louisiana evacuees should stay away for at least a week to avoid "a wilderness" without power or drinking water that will be infested with poisonous snakes and fire ants, state officials warned Monday.

[2pac]

Yeah - that is past the Galleria mall, Causeway and stuff. That interchange is way inland. Thats horrible news.

Thanks Kori - I did see that. My grandma's house is stocked, as well as I will bring supplies with me for the weekend.

[TOP-CHERRY]

Louisiana evacuees should stay away for at least a week to avoid "a wilderness" without power or drinking water that will be infested with poisonous snakes and fire ants, state officials warned Monday.
Wow.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Yeah I hope that chick was wrong about where she was, but they were definitely at an interchange.

If she was spot on their location, that's a shitload of NO that is underwater right now.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

FUCK, CNN is in the same spot that the Fox News chick was, and is confirming that everything between the 610/I10 interchange and Pontch is underwater. Says they have boats out trying to find survivors.

Awful... for those of you not familiar with La., that interchange is 25 blocks inland from the lake, with nothing but houses in between. Spoke to a survivor, said the water came up in a short period of time after the worse of the storm was over. Sounds like a levee broke or the lake crested the levees big time.

[2pac]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=veterans+blvd+and+west+end+blvd&ll=30.000733,-90.114498&sll=29.994415,-90.114412&spn=0.071462,0.118721&sspn=0.037614,0.062485&num=10&start=0&hl=en

Thats a TON of NO underwater. Lets hope she is way off.


The I-10 & 310 Interchange before the Airport makes more sense.
The I-10 & HWY 51 would be even better.

[SpursWoman]

I think I just heard the WalMart will be donating $1,000,000 for relief, too.


Watching more & more video since I got home....this is just awful. :(

[2pac]

Yeah, I think I have heard WalMart, Office Depot and Best Buy.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I-10/310 would be better, and make more sense given the industrial canal levee break earlier today, but this is both reporters, different channels, saying same thing :(

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I think I just heard the WalMart will be donating $1,000,000 for relief, too.

Not to trivialize a donation like that, but given how much money that family has I think they could come up with a bit more.

[SpursWoman]

If they could just start sending in non-stop food and bottled water that'd be even better, IMO.

[KEDA]

what about the plumbing system at the Superdome?


how is it going to hold up with all the flooding?

[2pac]

I wish I was there now. :(

[KEDA]

they need to shoot all of the looters


not arrest, shoot


thats rediculous

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Worst hit suburbs: Kenner and Metaire, according to Fox News. Metaire is in the 610/I-10 interchange area (gulp) and Kenner is out west by the airport at the 310/I-10 interchange.

[KEDA]

oh, and add another casualty to the hurricane


CNN's Hurricane 1 was totalled earlier this afternoon, a 200 pound piece of fencing flew through the air and landed on top of it, everyone inside was safe, but the vehicle was totalled.

[tlongII]

I have an aunt in Louisiana. Fortunately she's dead so this won't affect her much.

[SpursWoman]

they need to shoot all of the looters


not arrest, shoot


thats rediculous

If you're talking homes, hell yes. If you're talking Winn-Dixie's for food and bottled water....I'd let that go.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Damn, CNN lost a truck. That's too bad :lol

WTF is with these people? CNN showing people bitching wanting to go back to their homes already, mad that state police won't let them in. HELLO, it's underwater dumbass.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Originally I was going to defend the looters getting food, but then they showed the ATM machine had been smashed to hell (someone looking for cash), cap those fuckers.

[KEDA]

shoot them and let them float away!

yeah, if it was for food and drinking water, thats one thing, but there was a busted out ATM too!

since there are no jails, just shoot them!

[2pac]

Originally I was going to defend the looters getting food, but then they showed the ATM machine had been smashed to hell (someone looking for cash), cap those fuckers.

I'll be there soon. :fro

[Ginofan]

The news footage coming in on FoxNews is pretty horrible. Entire neighborhoods are under water...I hope most of it evacuated and didn't stay to ride it out.

[TOP-CHERRY]

shoot them and let them float away!

yeah, if it was for food and drinking water, thats one thing, but there was a busted out ATM too!

since there are no jails, just shoot them!
The press would love you as a cop.

[KEDA]

a little redneck justice never hurt!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Damn, Fox just showed aerial vid over New Orleans. Water as far as you can see. Everything's flooded...

[Ginofan]

Damn, Fox just showed aerial vid over New Orleans. Water as far as you can see. Everything's flooded...

Yeah it's pretty bad. We will probably see worse as reporters and journalists start to get into these areas that were hit the hardest.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Oh I'm not doubting that at all, they were all hunkered down in the "safe" parts of the city. No one's really come back with vid from the areas reported hardest hit in NO, let alone what the coast of Mississippi looks like.

[2pac]

AHF - are you in Houston still?

[timvp]

I say if your house is destroyed and you are homeless with no money, jacking up an ATM should be fair game. Shii-i-ii-ii-iiii-it, it's not like the bank or the person who owns it who is charging you $2 per transaction will be hurting for that money.

Looting houses is something totally different, but an ATM isn't that bad ... considering the circumstances.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Well there you go 2pac.

CNN reporting that emergency management personnel out in boats are reporting bodies floating in the water dead.

I-10 being used as a boat ramp.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I was in Htown, but I'm in College Station now.

[2pac]

http://www.peeniewallie.com/images2/katrina29.jpg

HOLY SHIT

[TOP-CHERRY]

CNN reporting that emergency management personnel out in boats are reporting bodies floating in the water dead.

Damn.

[TOP-CHERRY]

http://www.peeniewallie.com/images2/katrina29.jpg

HOLY SHIT
How many tons did they say that thing weighs?!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

More:


More than 50 rescued from floods in New Orleans


parts of 6 parishes completely underwater.

[Ginofan]

http://www.peeniewallie.com/images2/katrina29.jpg

HOLY SHIT

That is fucking insane! At least it wasn't thrown into a neighborhood though.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

http://www.peeniewallie.com/images2/katrina29.jpg

HOLY SHIT

So, what happens when the water goes down? :lol

Tey almost need to get boats out there and tow that thing out, or they're going to have to disassemble it to move it back off of dry land.

[Kori Ellis]

When the Northridge quake happened, I lived in Northridge. Power, etc was out and water was supposedly contaminated, so we had to go to the store to get drinking water. They didn't actually allow you to go into the grocery stores, they had a stand in the front door and you could go up and ask for what you wanted and then they would come bring it out to you and charge you - cash only.

So I went and asked for water and some sandwiches and stuff like that. They told me that they couldn't sell me sandwiches - only thing they were selling was water and batteries. I didn't need batteries (I had a flash light and lots of batteries), so I asked for just two gallons of drinking water (that was the max they would give per person). They charged me $20. :flipoff

I then went to a smaller store -- mom and pop style convenience store. I asked for 4 sandwiches and 2 more gallons or water. $47! :flipoff

If I didn't have cash and I was starving and didn't have a means of transportation to go out of the area -- damn right I would have looted an ATM for cash.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

How many tons did they say that thing weighs?!

Tonnage doesn't really matter in water, it's easy to displace.

[Shelly]

When the Northridge quake happened, I lived in Northridge. Power, etc was out and water was supposedly contaminated, so we had to go to the store to get drinking water. They didn't actually allow you to go into the grocery stores, they had a stand in the front door and you could go up and ask for what you wanted and then they would come bring it out to you and charge you - cash only.

So I went and asked for water and some sandwiches and stuff like that. They told me that they couldn't sell me sandwiches - only thing they were selling was water and batteries. I didn't need batteries (I had a flash light and lots of batteries), so I asked for just two gallons of drinking water (that was the max they would give per person). They charged me $20. :flipoff

I then went to a smaller store -- mom and pop style convenience store. I asked for 4 sandwiches and 2 more gallons or water. $47! :flipoff

If I didn't have cash and I was starving and didn't have a means of transportation to go out of the area -- damn right I would have looted an ATM for cash.


That's ridiculous!

[Ginofan]

When the Northridge quake happened, I lived in Northridge. Power, etc was out and water was supposedly contaminated, so we had to go to the store to get drinking water. They didn't actually allow you to go into the grocery stores, they had a stand in the front door and you could go up and ask for what you wanted and then they would come bring it out to you and charge you - cash only.

So I went and asked for water and some sandwiches and stuff like that. They told me that they couldn't sell me sandwiches - only thing they were selling was water and batteries. I didn't need batteries (I had a flash light and lots of batteries), so I asked for just two gallons of drinking water (that was the max they would give per person). They charged me $20. :flipoff

I then went to a smaller store -- mom and pop style convenience store. I asked for 4 sandwiches and 2 more gallons or water. $47! :flipoff

If I didn't have cash and I was starving and didn't have a means of transportation to go out of the area -- damn right I would have looted an ATM for cash.

Good grief, that's expensive!!! Are people allowe to jack up prices like that in these types of situations?

[2pac]

Price Gouging is illegal and should be punishable by death.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I think it was a result of that Northridge nonsense that the federal government has put price gouging laws into effect.

You can go to a federal pound me in the ass penitentiary for price gouging now.

[Trainwreck2100]

Price Gouging is illegal and should be punishable by death.

20 bucks for a bag of Cheetos? That, my friend, is what we call inflation

[2pac]

20 bucks for a bag of Cheetos? That, my friend, is what we call inflation

Thats what you would call it if Jimmy Carter was still president.

[Kori Ellis]

I think it was a result of that Northridge nonsense that the federal government has put price gouging laws into effect.

You can go to a federal pound me in the ass penitentiary for price gouging now.

Yeah it was out of control after the Northridge quake - there was a lot of press about it afterward.

The point of my story was that though all of us know that stealing is wrong. There's some situations that you can understand someone taking money from an ATM.

[2pac]

Paula Zaun is amazingly intelligent.

"What can you tell us about the people stuck at the Astrodome? How long do you expect them to be stuck there?"

[KEDA]

yeah Paula isnt the brightest crayon in the box

[timvp]

Paula Zaun is amazingly intelligent.

"What can you tell us about the people stuck at the Astrodome? How long do you expect them to be stuck there?"

Maybe she was talking about the Oilers.

:depressed

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Dang, levee in St. Bernard's parish is gone.

I wonder if the Corps of Engineers blew it up with dynomite like they did for Betsy :lol

[Shelly]

Has anyone heard from Guru?

[2pac]

Where did you see thatAHF?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Weather Channel made the comment about the levee being gone.

I'm sure living in NO you know the folk tale about the Army Corps of Engineers and the St. Bernard's levee during Betsy.

[2pac]

Rumors that the city would do that preceed Betsy.

[Guru of Nothing]

Has anyone heard from Guru?

The "technical resource" is still doing fine here at the office. T1 is down, so I had to hunt around to find a real phone jack (one near an outlet).

I'm about to go outside and see what the weather looks like. I'm ready to head on home (where hopefully the power is on and the huge oak next to my house is still standing).

All in all, not to bad here in downtown, MS. The worst of it is in the form of power outages and downed trees. One lady got killed when a huge tree fell on her house.

Looking forward to hot and freaking muggy tomorrow.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Yeah, but the folk myth is that the city had the Corps blow it to save downtown during Betsy.

[2pac]

Oh yeah. And anytime there is any type of rainstorm, residents of the 9th Ward call NOPD and report seeing people putting TNT into the levee.

[TOP-CHERRY]

When the Northridge quake happened, I lived in Northridge. Power, etc was out and water was supposedly contaminated, so we had to go to the store to get drinking water. They didn't actually allow you to go into the grocery stores, they had a stand in the front door and you could go up and ask for what you wanted and then they would come bring it out to you and charge you - cash only.

So I went and asked for water and some sandwiches and stuff like that. They told me that they couldn't sell me sandwiches - only thing they were selling was water and batteries. I didn't need batteries (I had a flash light and lots of batteries), so I asked for just two gallons of drinking water (that was the max they would give per person). They charged me $20. :flipoff

I then went to a smaller store -- mom and pop style convenience store. I asked for 4 sandwiches and 2 more gallons or water. $47! :flipoff

If I didn't have cash and I was starving and didn't have a means of transportation to go out of the area -- damn right I would have looted an ATM for cash.
Hope you at least gave them a piece of your mind, girl.

[Kori Ellis]

The "technical resource" is still doing fine here at the office. T1 is down, so I had to hunt around to find a real phone jack (one near an outlet).

I'm about to go outside and see what the weather looks like. I'm ready to head on home (where hopefully the power is on and the huge oak next to my house is still standing).

All in all, not to bad here in downtown, MS. The worst of it is in the form of power outages and downed trees. One lady got killed when a huge tree fell on her house.

Looking forward to hot and freaking muggy tomorrow.

Be safe, Matt. Hopefully your power is on and all is well at home.

[Shelly]

The "technical resource" is still doing fine here at the office. T1 is down, so I had to hunt around to find a real phone jack (one near an outlet).

I'm about to go outside and see what the weather looks like. I'm ready to head on home (where hopefully the power is on and the huge oak next to my house is still standing).

All in all, not to bad here in downtown, MS. The worst of it is in the form of power outages and downed trees. One lady got killed when a huge tree fell on her house.

Looking forward to hot and freaking muggy tomorrow.


Glad you're safe and sound and the kids are also!

[Trainwreck2100]

Paula Zaun is amazingly intelligent.

"What can you tell us about the people stuck at the Astrodome? How long do you expect them to be stuck there?"


Was there some sort of line at a boat show.

[Clandestino]

damn...the last place you want to be is outside during a hurricane. They are lucky they didn't get impaled.

no, it was a couple days before the storm hit is when they started.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

2pac,

http://www.weatherserver.net/livevideo.htm

The second video they're showing police out in boats and stuff. One of the camera shots was Dahlia Walk & Bay St., one block north of the 610/I-10 interchange.

All you could see is the very top of the houses :depressed

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Damn the second feed is crazy. They just pulled a family out of an attic, including an 85 year old grandmother.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Shit, Tom, Fox is live from I-10 right now at 610, and the water is rising.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Harris County (Gulfport, MS) confirming at least 55 dead.

[MannyIsGod]

Insanity. And to think this was not what was expected. Isane.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Manny, the water is 15 feet high at the 610/I-10 interchange in New Orleans. There's 30 blocks (thanks Google Earth) of housing between there and Pontchartrain.

I've got a feeling those death totals are just going to start going up exponentially the next week or os.

[MannyIsGod]

Which interchange AHF? Or is it both the east and western one? I don't have cable here, so I'm trying to find out as much online as possible.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

610 and I-10, coming into the city from the west.

Try this.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=610+and+I-10,+new+orleans&ll=29.995678,-90.117931&spn=0.066240,0.120352&num=10&start=0&hl=en

[MannyIsGod]

I'm looking at google maps, I just didn't know which interchange. There are 2 of them.

[boutons]

"There are 2 of them"

"west" one is on the left, the "east" one is on the right.

[boutons]

anybody hear anything about the refineries to the east of NO that were supposed to break up and deliver a toxic, flammable soup?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Manny, it's dead center on the map I linked. If nothing else find Pontchartrain Blvd. and come south down it from the lake until you hit the 610/I-10 interchange.

[MannyIsGod]

I know which one it is after you told me. :lol You guys do understand the tense of the words I'm using right?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

To take a little off the sensationalism of the oil rig floating into the bridge, it was in dock in the bay before the storm hit.

[Ginofan]

FoxNews reported that in some areas along the Miss. Coast, 1/2 a mile to a mile inland there was nothing left. Casinos, hotels, etc. etc. are completely gone.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

They said the 55 people killed in Gulfport were all in one apartment complex that tried to ride it out.

Dumb dumb dumb.

I have a bad feeling too that they're going to find a lot of bodies in attics in New Orleans when its all said and done.

[2pac]

Wasn't expected? I have been saying this for two days.

Now - like I said - above ground gas tanks (deisel and propane) are floating and breaking. Then they let the fuel out, which floats and ignites.

[2pac]

I-10 between New Orleans East and Slidell is gone.

This is from Lakefront airport to slidell

[2pac]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=6125+Flower+Dr,+Metairie,+LA+70003&spn=0.017860,0.029680&hl=en

My aunt's house is destroyed. :(

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I-10 between New Orleans East and Slidell is gone.

Did the overpass get knocked out?

[2pac]

Supposedly the bridge part (Challmette to Slidell) was destroyed. Unconfirmed.

I10 and Elysian Fields is underwater.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Damn if that bridge got wiped I'll be amazed.

I-10 and Elysian Fields, isn't that right at the 610/I-10 interchange?

[2pac]

Eastbound interchange, but I think it intersects south of there too.

[TheTruth]

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/8025/asuperdome3729eq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
don't know if this has been posted yet.

[Jelly]

wow. intense stories going on CNN guys. People with severed limbs and everything. Horrible.

[ChumpDumper]

Bad news on CNN -- a Tulane University Hospital official says the Lake levee has a two-block long breach and they have 6 feet of rising water around their building. Said it was rushing down Canal St.

[2pac]

Water is rising at 1 inch every five minutes.

My aunts house is gone, my uncle's house is probably gone. My grandma's house is probably in decent shape.

[ChumpDumper]

Did you catch where they said the breach was?

[2pac]

Yeah, its near downtown
canal that is suppsoed to take water north to the lake is overrun and the levee burst
Right down the center of the town

[ChumpDumper]

I thought I heard 17th street -- that seems to make sense.

This could make things much worse.

[Kori Ellis]

Holy cow - I am listening to the lady from the hospital. This is going to be horrible. The water has risen six feet in an hour. If it gets to the second floor, that's where their backup generators are -- they have a lot of critical care patients who need the power. She is saying they are trying to get in touch with FEMA to evacuate the hospital (1000 patients) by air from the heliport on top of the building. :(

[ChumpDumper]

Yeah, that was recorded almost an hour ago -- the Corps of Engineers is supposed to make a statement once they figure out what's happening.

[Kori Ellis]

Is the breach 2 blocks WIDE?

[ChumpDumper]

That's what I heard. Can't channel flip much now -- only CNN is live.

[boutons]

breach is 200 ft long on cnn.com

"New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin confirmed the breach in a local TV interview. City fire officials said the break was about 200 feet long in the levee surrounding the 17th Street Canal."

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

When you hear people say that the water came up from nothing to 6 ft. in their homes in less than 5 minutes, the levee breaks make sense.

Mayor of New Orleans says that 80% of his city is underwater, up to 20 ft. in some places.

Damn.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Officials in New Orleans say 80 percent of the city remains underwater. Crews continue working to rescue more people trapped in the attics of their homes. The city of Slidell is almost entirely underwater, as are the southernmost parishes -- especially Upper and Lower Plaquemines, where Hurricane Katrina first landed on Monday. --WDSU Anchor Norman Robinson


The extent of casualties is still unclear in New Orleans, but in neighboring Mississippi, officials know that at least 80 are dead. The death toll is expected to rise as the recovery effort continues. On the Gulf Coast near Biloxi and along the shoreline, the damage is almost unfathomable, officials there said. "It's complete devastation," Gulfport, Miss., Fire Chief Pat Sullivan told The Associated Press. --WAPT-TV, Jackson, Miss.

[MannyIsGod]

Wasn't expected? I have been saying this for two days.

Now - like I said - above ground gas tanks (deisel and propane) are floating and breaking. Then they let the fuel out, which floats and ignites.
Tom, what was expected was far worse than what is happening in NO right now. Believe it or not.

[samikeyp]

On the Today show this morning, Brian Williams was in the French Quarter and said the water was rising.

[MannyIsGod]

You know, the thing that really amazes me is the fact that this could have been so much worse. I think the damage estimates on Katrina were on the light side, and this coudl rival Northridge and Andrew.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Tom, what was expected was far worse than what is happening in NO right now. Believe it or not.

How can you say that? 80% of NO is underwater, with the water rising. The entire city of Slidell is underwater.

And they really haven't been able to get in the hardest hit areas yet.

I guess you could say it wasn't as "bad" as the doomsday scenarios where all the buildings in NO collapsed, but it's looking pretty friggin' bleak from where I sit right now. Think about it - 40,000 homes underwater. How many of those have people inside that the authorities have no way of getting to until they get the water out (which is still rising)?

[2pac]

THe 40,000 homes underwater is just in the 9th Ward.

[MannyIsGod]

How can you say that? 80% of NO is underwater, with the water rising. The entire city of Slidell is underwater.

And they really haven't been able to get in the hardest hit areas yet.

I guess you could say it wasn't as "bad" as the doomsday scenarios where all the buildings in NO collapsed, but it's looking pretty friggin' bleak from where I sit right now. Think about it - 40,000 homes underwater. How many of those have people inside that the authorities have no way of getting to until they get the water out (which is still rising)?
AHF, New Orleans 'barely' got catagory 3 winds. As bad as you see that flooding, if you throw catagory 5 winds into the mix you would have seen much more destruction. After seeing what cat 3 winds did to the dome, I'm positve cat 5 winds would have pulled the roof off.

Also, you would have seen a larger storm surge come through. Its bad that the water is rising now, but had the surge been with cat 5 winds, it would have all come at once.

[KEDA]

I saw a report that at least 2 people have died at the Superdome

[2pac]

Manny - I grew up there, I knew what the expectations were in a storm like this. Just because something worse than Brian Williams or Paula Zaun predicted, doesnt mean it was worse than expected.

People thought they were out of the woods cause it wasnt raining - but people that have lived there and know the area is under the most danger from the levees bursting and the threat from the second biggest contained lake in the US.

[MannyIsGod]

All I'm saying - and its a pretty moot arguement when there is so much water over NO right now - is that this could have been FAR worse had it not fallen apart on NO's side. The fact that it did all of this while in a weakend state is a testament to that.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

http://www.foxnews.com/images/175745/13_24_082905_kartina_damage2.jpg

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050830/i/r2325266489.jpg

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/afp/20050830/capt.sge.dan11.300805113848.photo00.photo.default-282x384.jpg

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/afp/20050830/capt.sge.cyn78.300805074130.photo02.photo.default-384x245.jpg

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20050830/capt.laeg11808300124.hurricane_katrina_laeg118.jpg

[SpursWoman]

Also, you would have seen a larger storm surge come through. Its bad that the water is rising now, but had the surge been with cat 5 winds, it would have all come at once.


So now it's just coming a lot slower and more painfully than they anticipated.

How, exactly, does that make it not worse? Whether it's leveled all at once or completely underwater within the next few hours, there's no real difference in destruction...with no way to get that water out other than evaporation, how long will those cities be under water? No way will that be inhabitable for a long, long time.

And I thought it was still a CAT 4 when the Superdome roof was being battered? I was talking to Chris about the amount of wind it was tested for (200mph), and he explained that the safety ratio is 3:1 on structures like that...which means if it's safe for 200mph, it's actually should withstand up to 600mph winds...and only the top covering was damaged, the roof itself did not fail. Who knows if it actually would have, though, but that's not something you can be so positive of, because theoretically it could have taken quite a bit more.

[MannyIsGod]

So now it's just coming a lot slower and more painfully than they anticipated.

How, exactly, does that make it not worse? Whether it's leveled all at once or completely underwater within the next few hours, there's no real difference in destruction...with no way to get that water out other than evaporation, how long will those cities be under water? No way will that be inhabitable for a long, long time.

And I thought it was still a CAT 4 when the Superdome roof was being battered? I was talking to Chris about the amount of wind it was tested for (200mph), and he explained that the safety ratio is 3:1 on structures like that...which means if it's safe for 200mph, it's actually should withstand up to 600mph winds...and only the top covering was damaged, the roof itself did not fail. Who knows if it actually would have, though, but that's not something you can be so positive of, because theoretically it could have taken quite a bit more. Those people are alive and have a chance to get out. If the water had come in with a 28 foot storm surge, those houses would have been wiped out.

Do you remember the images of the Tsunami and how little warning those people had? Imagine that with winds of 165-75 over your head. It would have been worse.

Remember the places those people were at yesterday? All of the pictures we got and how there was no water in the French Quater untill last night? That would have all been inundated during the storm much more quickly.

The storm was a cat 4 when it came ashore, but I explained in earlier posts why NO didn't get cat 4 winds. In fact, I think the highest confirmed wind I saw out of NO isn't even cat 3, but cat 2.

As for the Superdome, I'm just going off of the holes in the roof I see. I'd imagine once the integrity of the roof is damaged, then the wind would be able to tear the remaining roof off in a much easier manner.

[Extra Stout]

All I'm saying - and its a pretty moot arguement when there is so much water over NO right now - is that this could have been FAR worse had it not fallen apart on NO's side. The fact that it did all of this while in a weakend state is a testament to that.This still is the scenario that was feared. It will take a long time to get the water out of there.

It is true that if a full-fledged Category 5 had beaten on New Orleans, that it could have been worse, but yes, it is a moot point, because whether you're run over by an 18-wheeler or a freight train, you're still dead.

[ObiwanGinobili]

yeah Paula (zahn) isnt the brightest crayon in the box


did you see her sound bit last night where in one breath she went from "there will certainly be more reports of tyhose who did not survive this storm" to... "but for those thats did I'm sure there main concern will soon be home insurance adn for help on filing claims we now go to So&So insurance expert"..

:wow.

take a breath lady.. that was one cold hearted transistion.

[ChumpDumper]

Damn, seeing this is breaking my heart. It just seems to be getting worse and worse as time passes.

[samikeyp]

Per some expert on CNN...

The Superdome was built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane 30 plus years ago when it was built but with 30 plus years of wind, salt, rain and other elements that may have added to the condition of the roof.

[2pac]

The north shore of Lake Ponchatrain was hit with a 20' tidal wave surge.

[MannyIsGod]

If they built it to withstand a catagory 4 'cane, there is no way in hell it was going to withstand 200mph winds.

[MannyIsGod]

The north shore of Lake Ponchatrain was hit with a 20' tidal wave surge.
The shore opposite of NO?

[boutons]

I can't watch PZ. Her eye-closing/head-dropping tic is as annoying and distracting as that eye-closing antics of little fat shit, whathizname, Lou Dobbs and his go-nowhere "campaigns".

What a bunch of fakers, "it's all about me, my style, and my signature tics". Just STFU, look straight in the camera, keep your eyes open, head steady, no chat, no editorializing, no ersatz emoting, and read the fucking tele-prompeter. That wasn't hard, was it?

[ObiwanGinobili]

guess what happened yesterday while the world was watching Katrina??

some nut job up in north texas shot to death a parishiner and the pastor of the church across the street from his house... then he drove around the blck a bit, stopped at an intersection and shot to death to woemn who were hauling a horse trailer. Witness's heard /saw the woem n screaming and scrambling ot get out of thier truck. Then the nutjob goes back home, has a little stand off with SWAT and shoots himslef in the head.

:depressed.

Aug. 29th was one black day.

[2pac]

Yes - north shore encompasses Covington, Mandeville and Slidell.

[j-6]

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/

http://www.newseum.org/media/dfp/lg/CA_SFC.jpg

http://www.newseum.org/media/dfp/lg/CO_RMN.jpg

http://www.newseum.org/media/dfp/lg/IL_CST.jpg

http://www.newseum.org/media/dfp/lg/LA_TP.jpg

[MannyIsGod]

Look at those pictures and look at the people being rescued.

If this storm come in as advertised, those rescues woudln't have happend.

[MannyIsGod]

Yes - north shore encompasses Covington, Mandeville and Slidell.
It was definetly less than that on the southern shore then.

AHF, have you seen an aerial or satellite photography of the area yet? I'd imagine that is going to happen in the near term to get a better handle on the damage situation.

[2pac]

If the eye went over Lake Ponchatrain, the lake and the river would be one large body of water now.

[SpursWoman]

If they built it to withstand a catagory 4 'cane, there is no way in hell it was going to withstand 200mph winds.



Apparently there are *experts* with really conflicting views on what the roof was meant to withstand. Whatever the hell channel I was watching had some guy saying 200mph (CAT 5+)....so I guess engineers who designed and built the 'Dome weren't required to follow the standard safety ratio for public buildings of that size.

The age and wear of the elements on the building is definitely something to consider, though. But given the number of boxes and conference rooms that are typical in buildings like that, there were plenty of safe places (relatively speaking) for those people to go if it had given out.

I think the only real difference in it getting leveled all at once or what's happening now are the people they've been able to rescue from attics, etc...but 50 or 5000 lost, is that really less devastating?

Not that the ones rescued don't matter, obviously. :)

[SPARKY]

Not sure if this is true but I heard that Bay St. Louis was hit with a 32 foot storm surge.

Also, water is continuing to rise in NO. The Quarter is under knee deep water, so I've heard.

[j-6]

Strangely enough, the best graphical analysis of Katrina's assault is from the SA Express-News.

http://www.newseum.org/media/dfp/lg/TX_SAEN.jpg

[MannyIsGod]

Not sure if this is true but I heard that Bay St. Louis was hit with a 32 foot storm surge.

Also, water is continuing to rise in NO. The Quarter is under knee deep water, so I've heard.

I really doubt anywhere got a storm surge of 32ft. The highest number I've heard is 10 feet less than that.

Katrina's surge was lower by a few feet than Camilles, but the thing that is fucked up is this:

It covered 3 times as much land.

[MannyIsGod]

If the eye went over Lake Ponchatrain, the lake and the river would be one large body of water now.
Pretty much. If that storm comes with an intact eye, then that is what you are looking at.

[MannyIsGod]

Apparently there are *experts* with really conflicting views on what the roof was meant to withstand. Whatever the hell channel I was watching had some guy saying 200mph (CAT 5+)....so I guess engineers who designed and built the 'Dome weren't required to follow the standard safety ratio for public buildings of that size.

The age and wear of the elements on the building is definitely something to consider, though. But given the number of boxes and conference rooms that are typical in buildings like that, there were plenty of safe places (relatively speaking) for those people to go if it had given out.

I think the only real difference in it getting leveled all at once or what's happening now are the people they've been able to rescue from attics, etc...but 50 or 5000 lost, is that really less devastating?

Not that the ones rescued don't matter, obviously. :)
Yeah, the numbers I heard were 200mph. Who the fuck knows though. I'm glad the building survived. I would have ahted to be the person hearding people into those small rooms with a roof collapsing over their heads.

[Extra Stout]

If the eye went over Lake Ponchatrain, the lake and the river would be one large body of water now.Yeah, Pontchartrain would be the new mouth of the Mississippi River if that had happened, and New Orleans would have ceased to exist.

In that sense, they "dodged a bullet" in that someday the city again will be habitable. But this is still one of the worst, if the not the worst hurricane to hit the U.S. coast.

[MannyIsGod]

I'm pretty sure it will go down as the worst, ES.

At this point, I wonder if people rebuild those neighborhoods knowing just how vulnerable they are.

[SWC Bonfire]

I'm pretty sure it will go down as the worst, ES.

At this point, I wonder if people rebuild those neighborhoods knowing just how vulnerable they are.


People have short memories.

[SpursWoman]

People have short memories.



And if you need confirmation of this, just drive north on 35 about 30 miles and glance down over the Guadalupe bridge and see all of the mentally challenged individuals who have rebuilt TWICE in the last 6 years from being wiped out in floods.

:fro

[ObiwanGinobili]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a305/wryknow/NO.jpg

MY friend Maria, from my April '04 mommies group, grew up in NO. this is a picture of her parent's neighborhood Chalmette...

Her parents and her younger brother who is still in school were able ot get to Houston early yesterday so they are safe.. btu all they own now is in thier van, and that ain't much.

[samikeyp]

I'm pretty sure it will go down as the worst

dollarwise yes.

Loss of life-wise...hopefully nothing will ever come close to Galveston.

[SpursWoman]

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/docs/docDownload.aspx?guid=7BE27A58-AF5D-4369-AFD5-863E3BBF9E26&webtag=iv-ppplayapr04n

MY friend Maria, from my April '04 mommies group, grew up in NO. this is a picture of her parent's neighborhood Chalmette...

Her parents and her younger brother who is still in school were able ot get to Houston early yesterday so they are safe.. btu all they own now is in thier van, and that ain't much.


can't see without registering at iVillage...but at least they are okay. :)

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Those people are alive and have a chance to get out. If the water had come in with a 28 foot storm surge, those houses would have been wiped out.


What good does it do if they got wiped out then or now that the levee's flooded they get wiped out?



The storm was a cat 4 when it came ashore, but I explained in earlier posts why NO didn't get cat 4 winds. In fact, I think the highest confirmed wind I saw out of NO isn't even cat 3, but cat 2.

I've seen clocked reports of 130 mph, I think that falls in the cat 3 or 4 range...

[ObiwanGinobili]

can't see without registering at iVillage...but at least they are okay. :)


I fixed it..

she said her house is one of the ones on the left......

[MannyIsGod]

And if you need confirmation of this, just drive north on 35 about 30 miles and glance down over the Guadalupe bridge and see all of the mentally challenged individuals who have rebuilt TWICE in the last 6 years from being wiped out in floods.

:fro
I was thinking the the same thing when I read that post.

[samikeyp]

speaking of dollarwise....per CNN.com:

Hurricane Andrew cut a path through the northwestern Bahamas, the southern Florida peninsula and south-central Louisiana. Andrew came ashore in on August 24, 1992, near Homestead, Florida, resulting in 26 deaths. More than 700,000 insurance claims were filed relating to Andrew. Initially rated a Category 4 storm, it was later upgraded to Category 5 status.

Total cost...26.5 Billion

[2pac]

The Superdome was built to resist 200mph, but has only recently been tested to withstand 130mph.

[Extra Stout]

I really doubt anywhere got a storm surge of 32ft. The highest number I've heard is 10 feet less than that.

Katrina's surge was lower by a few feet than Camilles, but the thing that is fucked up is this:

It covered 3 times as much land.Well, there's a courthouse in MS at elevation 30 that got 1-2 feet of water from the storm surge.

[MannyIsGod]

AHF, they have a chance. That alone is worth a lot. Those people that have been rescued right now, would have been dead along with a lot of other people who are currently safe. The 20% of NO that is left dry, wouldn't be.

130mph is cat 3, but it is borderline to cat 4 winds. I haven't seen anything that high as far as sustained winds go (for NO), but it would not be unreasonable in the least.

[j-6]

I'm pretty sure it will go down as the worst, ES.

At this point, I wonder if people rebuild those neighborhoods knowing just how vulnerable they are.

I'm probably reading into this too much, but here goes. I say no, for now. Especially the poorer, run-down sections of the city. They won't be able to afford to rebuild anything when they are paid out on the estimated value of their destroyed homes and whatever the federal subsidy will be. They'll flee to Mississippi or Alabama, where the cost of living is lower.

Some enterprising developers will buy up all this land and build a bunch of "affordable" cookie cutter suburban homes for middle-class Orleanians. These will eventually age and go to shit, then when Hurricane Dorothy comes in 2045, the same damn thing will happen again.

We never learn when it comes to shit like this.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

CNN's John Zarrella, in a hotel on Canal Street, said the water level was "much higher" than it had been during the height of Katrina's onslaught, rising all morning Tuesday and topping the sandbags meant to keep the water out of the building.

"Water has now filled the basement of the hotel," he said. "All of the entrances to our hotel are completely surrounded, and the water is slowly creeping up the side of the building.

"Yesterday during the hurricane, the water was no where near this high."

[Extra Stout]

And if you need confirmation of this, just drive north on 35 about 30 miles and glance down over the Guadalupe bridge and see all of the mentally challenged individuals who have rebuilt TWICE in the last 6 years from being wiped out in floods.

:froFederal flood insurance has a three-strikes-and-you're-out policy. After the third flood, they'll pay to build you a home on higher ground, but you can't rebuild in the flood zone.

[MannyIsGod]

Well, there's a courthouse in MS at elevation 30 that got 1-2 feet of water from the storm surge.
I belive that when I see it. Even at its strongest this storm would have had a lot of trouble getting storm surge that high.

I'm not saying its impossible, I just find it unlikely given the strength.

[2pac]

Waves in Bay St Louis were probably over 32 feet.

[MannyIsGod]

I haven't seen pictures of the hole in the levee (how the hell do you spell the word?), but basicallly you will see water pour through the hole untill both sides are equal or the water level drops below the break.

There's no way to stop the lake from pouring in at this point.

[Extra Stout]

AHF, they have a chance. That alone is worth a lot. Those people that have been rescued right now, would have been dead along with a lot of other people who are currently safe. The 20% of NO that is left dry, wouldn't be.

The math is still not encouraging.

NO population: 480,000
20% that did not evacuate: 96,000
Ones that did not go to the Superdome or other shelters: ~85,000
People that made it onto their roofs waiting to be rescued: ~1,000

What of the other 80,000+ ?

[MannyIsGod]

That picture Obiwan posted is fucked.

[2pac]

FYI Manny - Slidell (north of NO) had recorded wind gusts of 175MPH.

[MannyIsGod]

The math is still not encouraging.

NO population: 480,000
20% that did not evacuate: 96,000
Ones that did not go to the Superdome or other shelters: ~85,000
People that made it onto their roofs waiting to be rescued: ~1,000

What of the other 80,000+ ?
Yeah, its still a monumental disaster. Hopefully we won't see the deaths go into the thousands.

[Extra Stout]

I belive that when I see it. Even at its strongest this storm would have had a lot of trouble getting storm surge that high.

I'm not saying its impossible, I just find it unlikely given the strength.Well, besides the storm surge itself, a big ol' wave came through and knocked out the back wall of the courthouse.

That's what the news out of Gulfport says, anyway. Given that the courthouse housed the Emergency Operations Center for the county, and that it's where most of the officials were, that sounds pretty reliable.

[Extra Stout]

Yeah, its still a monumental disaster. Hopefully we won't see the deaths go into the thousands.I think that's inevitable. The only question is whether it will eclipse Galveston 1900.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

The mayor of NO is on the live stream of WWL-TV right now. Some lowlights...

* Oil tanker run aground in South Louisiana, leaking oil

* Water rising in NO, including French Quarter

* Big levee break at 17th Street and Canal, water coming in from Pontchartrain

* Barge broke free and hit the causeway, causeway is unstable

* No water for a minimum of 4 weeks

* Slidell, La. completely submerged up to Spanish Trail (nothing above surface)

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=spanish+trail,+new+orleans&ll=30.255064,-89.761906&spn=0.066066,0.120352&num=10&start=0&hl=en

[SpursWoman]

Federal flood insurance has a three-strikes-and-you're-out policy. After the third flood, they'll pay to build you a home on higher ground, but you can't rebuild in the flood zone.


That's encouraging at least....these people are very lucky they lived through the two. You'd think at some point they'd realize that luck runs out eventually and not keep putting themselves at risk.

[samikeyp]

The deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, the Galveston hurricane of 1900 is estimated to have killed between 8,000 and 12,000 people. The Category 4 hurricane struck on September 8, 1900, leveling 12 city blocks, nearly three-quarters of the island city of Galveston, Texas

[MannyIsGod]

FYI Manny - Slidell (north of NO) had recorded wind gusts of 175MPH.
Sidell receieved the NE section of the eyewall, which was the strongest. most of NO recieved the 'open' section of eyewall on the western side.

Its like AHF and I were talking about yesterday, a few miles really made a HUGE difference here.

[MannyIsGod]

Also, Oil is once again trading right near 70 dollars today. I have a feeling when they get a feel for the damage to the oil industry that is only going to go up.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Mayor: "everything north of I-10 is completely underwater"

[SpursWoman]

The mayor of NO is on the live stream of WWL-TV right now. Some lowlights...

* Water rising in NO, including French Quarter

We were watching the news last night, and there was a bar open in the French Quarter and even without electricity people were celebrating not being flooded out.

Guess they spoke too soon. :(

[MannyIsGod]

This reminds me of the summer 15 years or so ago where the Mississippi flooding that devestade the Midwest.

[1369]

I heard on the radio (Fox on XM) that the federal government will pay 75% of as J-6 asked. I also read online somewhere (searching for the link) that in either Mississippi or Alabama that flooding reached six miles inland.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Man, I hope this info. is wrong, but it comes from the WWL message boards...


I AM SO SORRY TO HAVE TO SAY THIS . MY HUSBANDS BAND MATE WENT THROUGH ST. TAMMANY PARISH IN A BOAT ....THERE IS NO MORE SLIDELL......


LACOMBE IS UNDER WATER. EAST ST. TAMMANY PARISH DOES NOT EXIST ANY MORE.

THIS TEARS ME UP .
I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE MASS PANIC BUT I THINK WE ALL HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW THE TRUTH.

THIS IS JUST A REPORT I HEARD" 200 HUNDRED BODIES WERRE FOUND NEAR OAK HARBOR.

I KNOW THIS IS HARD ...I AM SO SORRY TO REPORT THIS ....I DEBATED ON POSTING THIS

[1369]

Another thing I read on ABC's news site is that the ports in an around New Orleans is the world's fifth largest and the largest in the nation handling over a quarter of all surface tonnage in the U.S. With the Mississippi river closed for who knows how long, barge traffic will be shut for a while and this will affect the entire economy. Yesterday the Chicage trading board saw everything from beef to soybeans rise 1%-4% in prices.

[TheTruth]

Probably a stupid question (cause I know its probably the red cross), what would be the best organization to donate money to? Have they started fund specifically for this yet?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Only way out of New Orleans is West
The only way people can leave the city of New Orleans is to get on Crescent City Connection, head to the West Bank and take Highway 90 to Interstate 310 or I-10 on to Lafayette, authorities said this morning.

Interstate-10 eastbound, toward Slidell and the Gulf Coast, can't be traveled. Several sections of the Twin Spans have washed away and other sections of the bridge are structurally unsound.

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway has been opened to police, fire and other emergency vehicles after an initial inspection concluded the 24-mile long bridge was sound, WWL Radio reported this morning.

No other vehicles will be allowed on the bridge; and access to St. Tammany Parish remains restricted. The condition of U.S. Highway 11 across the Lake is not known.

[TheTruth]

[QUOTE=ObiwanGinobili]http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a305/wryknow/NO.jpg
[QUOTE]
Dear God!!

[boutons]

Orleanians

:), People in Nouvelle Orleans are called "Orleannais"

"devestade"

Manny-bonics, we luv ya! :lol

[1369]

Man, I hope this info. is wrong, but it comes from the WWL message boards...

I wonder how many of the bodies were corpses from all the above ground cemeteries?

[samikeyp]

I have heard rumors of the national oil reserves possibly being opened because of this....aren't they in LA too?

[MannyIsGod]

This area east of the city itself is the same area where positively catastrophic wind damage was reported by 2PM today - with images of whole brick structures leveled. Across from New Orleans -- the devastation is complete in many locations from Gulfport where the all-time record tidal surge was 22ft, and water reached inland up to 5 miles. This type of storm surge damage extends to near Keesler AFB some 40 miles to the east. Ocean Springs, right near the base -- is flattened -- live coverage showing scenes that match in every way those of Camille and Andrew -- but covering 3 times the aerial extent. Right NOW, winds are still gusting to 5 0Kts in Mobile Bay where it appears the storm surge has set a record near 12 feet. Downtown Mobile BIZ District - at the north end of Mobile Bay - is under 8 ft of water right now - which extends inland for 8 city blocks.

[MannyIsGod]

that was from last night at about 2

[samikeyp]

Obi...in that pic...is that Lake Pontchitrain (sp?) in the top right hand corner?

[1369]

I have heard rumors of the national oil reserves possibly being opened because of this....aren't they in LA too?

There's a graphic in the Political forum showing the locations of the reserves. If I remember right, they are all west of N.O. extending into Texas.

[2pac]

The math is still not encouraging.

NO population: 480,000
20% that did not evacuate: 96,000
Ones that did not go to the Superdome or other shelters: ~85,000
People that made it onto their roofs waiting to be rescued: ~1,000

What of the other 80,000+ ?

500k is the population of NO. THere is 1.3mm in the metro area.

[MannyIsGod]

I think he means the national reserves. I don't know where those are held Mikey.

:lol @ Manny-bonics.

[Extra Stout]

500k is the population of NO. THere is 1.3mm in the metro area.I don't know what percentage of the metro area evacuated.

It's difficult to believe this won't eclipse the Galveston disaster.

[samikeyp]

Yeah...the national reserves. Anyone think that this be a good time to tap into them? Yes? No?