Good info!Originally posted by: AmerDoux
I received a call last night. A friend who is in the regular Army and was scheduled to leave for Iraq this month was informed that their entire unit has two days to get ready and will be moved out for deployment to New Orleans. They were informed they would remain in New Orleans for a minimum of 2-3 months. There is nothing yet in the news about this and I cannot provide any confirmation for you. Just thought I would share what info I have received.
Originally posted by: aircooled
Originally posted by: conjur
The mayor is PISSED!! (he just goes off near the end)
I hope everyone listens to this in it's entirety. This is the mayor of New Orleans, he knows this more than anyone. very emotional statements...
A leading risk assessment firm is projecting the economic loss from Hurricane Katrina and flooding in New Orleans at over $100 billion.
Risk Management Solutions says the losses are the result of two separate catastrophic events: the landfall of Hurricane Katrina last Monday, and the New Orleans flood which resulted from failure of the levee systems that protect the city.
The company says at least 50% of the total economic loss is expected to come from flooding in New Orleans, in addition to hurricane losses from wind and coastal surge, infrastructure damage, and indirect economic impacts.
On Monday, RMS issued preliminary insured loss estimates of up to $25 billion for Hurricane Katrina, prior to evidence of the levee failure and flooding.
Credit rating agency Standard and Poor's has said that damage from the hurricane could reach $50 billion once damage to bridges, roads and other public infrastructure is counted.
Originally posted by: conjur
The mayor is PISSED!! (he just goes off near the end)
Originally posted by: aircooled
Originally posted by: conjur
The mayor is PISSED!! (he just goes off near the end)
I hope everyone listens to this in it's entirety. This is the mayor of New Orleans, he knows this more than anyone. very emotional statements...
Originally posted by: icepik
CNN's got a live shot of the military FINALLY arriving at the convention center with supplies. The good news is that the soldiers are well armed!
Originally posted by: icepik
Originally posted by: aircooled
Originally posted by: conjur
The mayor is PISSED!! (he just goes off near the end)
I hope everyone listens to this in it's entirety. This is the mayor of New Orleans, he knows this more than anyone. very emotional statements...
This mayor is the only politician who is saying what needs to be said. This quote pretty much sums it up.
""I don't want any more God d*mned press confernces. They need to get up off their a##es and get out there and take control!"
Originally posted by: icepik
CNN's got a live shot of the military FINALLY arriving at the convention center with supplies. The good news is that the soldiers are well armed!
Thursday, September 1st, 2005
10:46 pm
The Real News
The following is the result of an interview I just conducted via cell phone with a New Orleans citizen stranded at the Convention Center. I don't know what you're hearing in the mainstream media or in the press conferences from the city and state officials, but here is the truth:I have "Bigfoot"'s phone number and will gladly give it to any city or state official who would like to tell him how everything is under control."Bigfoot" is a bar manager and DJ on Bourbon Street, and is a local personality and icon in the city. He is a lifelong resident of the city, born and raised. He rode out the storm itself in the Iberville Projects because he knew he would be above any flood waters. Here is his story as told to me moments ago. I took notes while he talked and then I asked some questions:
Three days ago, police and national guard troops told citizens to head toward the Crescent City Connection Bridge to await transportation out of the area. The citizens trekked over to the Convention Center and waited for the buses which they were told would take them to Houston or Alabama or somewhere else, out of this area.
It's been 3 days, and the buses have yet to appear.
Although obviously he has no exact count, he estimates more than 10,000 people are packed into and around and outside the convention center still waiting for the buses. They had no food, no water, and no medicine for the last three days, until today, when the National Guard drove over the bridge above them, and tossed out supplies over the side crashing down to the ground below. Much of the supplies were destroyed from the drop. Many people tried to catch the supplies to protect them before they hit the ground. Some offered to walk all the way around up the bridge and bring the supplies down, but any attempt to approach the police or national guard resulted in weapons being aimed at them.
There are many infants and elderly people among them, as well as many people who were injured jumping out of windows to escape flood water and the like -- all of them in dire straights.
Any attempt to flag down police results in being told to get away at gunpoint. Hour after hour they watch buses pass by filled with people from other areas. Tensions are very high, and there has been at least one murder and several fights. 8 or 9 dead people have been stored in a freezer in the area, and 2 of these dead people are kids.
The people are so desperate that they're doing anything they can think of to impress the authorities enough to bring some buses. These things include standing in single file lines with the eldery in front, women and children next; sweeping up the area and cleaning the windows and anything else that would show the people are not barbarians.
The buses never stop.
Before the supplies were pitched off the bridge today, people had to break into buildings in the area to try to find food and water for their families. There was not enough. This spurred many families to break into cars to try to escape the city. There was no police response to the auto thefts until the mob reached the rich area -- Saulet Condos -- once they tried to get cars from there... well then the whole swat teams began showing up with rifles pointed. Snipers got on the roof and told people to get back.
He reports that the conditions are horrendous. Heat, mosquitoes and utter misery. The smell, he says, is "horrific."
He says it's the slowest mandatory evacuation ever, and he wants to know why they were told to go to the Convention Center area in the first place; furthermore, he reports that many of them with cell phones have contacts willing to come rescue them, but people are not being allowed through to pick them up.
Addendum: Bigfoot just called to report that "they" (the authorities) are cleaning up the dead bodies at the Convention Center right now.
"A few moments ago, he stopped a truck full of National Guard Troops ... and said, 'Point your weapons down, this is not Iraq,'" said CNN's Barbara Starr who is traveling with the three-star general.
"He is very determined to keep this looking like a humanitarian relief operation," Starr said.
Originally posted by: EKKC
the bush trip to biloxi is nothing but a publicity stunt. i cant believe no one came up to him and smacked him. do they screen these "victims" before they're allowed to appraoch bush?
...Out in the parking lot, dozens of buses filled with more evacuees are waiting to unload. Bryant says Harris County Tax Assessor Paul Bettencourt said as many as 18,000 people may be on the grounds by noon.
A doctor told Bryant some people have died on those buses.
On the Astrodome floor, people sleep in cots, some getting real rest for the first time since taking shelter in New Orleans' Superdome. But a few have been arrested for fighting over those cots.
Volunteers are bringing badly needed supplies to the volunteers, but when they pull into the parking lot, they are often swarmed by the desparate.
It's about 10:30 p.m. and Eric is reporting that people continue to flow into the Astrodome.
It's been less than a day and already the crowds are beginning to take their toll on this gigantic dome turned shelter.
The toilets are overflowing and when Eric went to the restroom he found out only one toilet was flushing.
Originally posted by: EKKC
the bush trip to biloxi is nothing but a publicity stunt. i cant believe no one came up to him and smacked him. do they screen these "victims" before they're allowed to appraoch bush?
Originally posted by: MrChad
Any update on Schadenfroh? Has anyone heard from him?
No.Originally posted by: MrChad
Originally posted by: MrChad
Any update on Schadenfroh? Has anyone heard from him?
I must admit I'm surprised it has taken so long for a major oil leak to develop.Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
CCN reporting a huge oil spill south of NO on the mississipi
People bitched when he wasn't there, people bitch when he is there, bitch, bitch, bitch. The guy just can't win.Originally posted by: icepik
Originally posted by: EKKC
the bush trip to biloxi is nothing but a publicity stunt. i cant believe no one came up to him and smacked him. do they screen these "victims" before they're allowed to appraoch bush?
Correct. That is purely a photo-op, which accomplishes nothing but getting Bush's face on TV.