Hurricane Katrina Damage

[FM]

the only media outlet I've seen report on that so far was from Democracy Now!...that many of those who DIDN'T evacuate were the poorest, sickest, oldest, etc. Basically those that didn't have the resources or the $$$$ to get out. It is a pretty poor region down there for the most part.

Someone was quoted as saying that it now looks like a 3rd world country down there...I don't doubt it. It will be for quite some time.

[Kobe]

Re: Hurricane Katrina Damage

If I didn?t know that was happening in the USA, I?d think those images were from Bangladesh or Mozambique...

I can't believe my ears everytime I head the word "refugees" in reference to this. I just can't believe this is happening in this country. Like you said, this is something you typically see in some remote corner of the world. It's fucked to say this, but it is really different when it hits so close to home.

[clintlove]

Re: Hurricane Katrina Damage

If you want see just how bad the flooding is in New Orleans, check out this link. http://hosted.ap.org/specials/intera...ite/index.html You can zoom in and out of this satellite image.

Many of my friends lost everything they have. Their homes are flooded and even if they could get to them, there's probably nothing worth salvaging. This whole thing is killing me. I love that place.

[Yao]

the only media outlet I've seen report on that so far was from Democracy Now!...that many of those who DIDN'T evacuate were the poorest, sickest, oldest, etc. Basically those that didn't have the resources or the $$$$ to get out. It is a pretty poor region down there for the most part.

Someone was quoted as saying that it now looks like a 3rd world country down there...I don't doubt it. It will be for quite some time.

I remember getting flamed in the politics section by some people for stating this...the south being a poor region in the US. And people are admitting it. Jeez...Anyway, it is indeed true the Europe gets to see only little of the southern part of the US in the media here, it's mostly the northern parts that are shown to us. But that is just a side-observation made in this whole shitty situation.

My dad mailed me that the crane vessel he's on is moving towards New Orleans right now, I hope they can do at least something on the coast line or on the drifting oil drilling rigs (which is their job anyway, placing and maintaining them). I remember him speaking fondly of the place, since he's been there a few times. He especially seemed to like Bourbon St. and some other, the ones with some old-skool clubs...

[skahound]

Was thinking about you earlier clintlove. Definitely wish all the best for everyone that you know that's still down there.

[frisky]

Re: Hurricane Katrina Damage

Ya bro... good to hear that!!!

Has anyone heard from Tony Estrada??? He lives in New Orleans. I sent him an email the day of the hurricane and havent heard back... Getting worried now... I hope him and his family are OK!
f.

[skahound]

Re: Hurricane Katrina Damage

Has anyone heard from Tony Estrada???

He sent me a PM on AIM a few days ago (Monday maybe?) and he's been on AIM all day today.

[Kobe]

Re: Hurricane Katrina Damage

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_national/neworleanssatellite/index.html You can zoom in and out of this satellite image.

speachless

[superdave]

Re: Hurricane Katrina Damage

Things are getting worse in New Orleans. I don't know the details or circumstances, but it seems that aid isn't getting to the people quick enough.

The people will continue to get more violent because in their opinion they're just trying to survive. Plus, they feel ignored by the rest of the world because they've been stranded without food, water, and shelter for days now.

[FM]

exactly. Part of the problem is just getting it there, period, but the other part is that you just can't suddenly mobilize up and have everything shipped down there overnight...:?

[FM]

read some blogs out there...crazy-shit; media definitely isn't telling much else of the stories going on out there...

[evangelion]

Re: Hurricane Katrina Damage

my god evangelion!!!Dont be SO paranoic..!!! he is only trying to say that that stuff is only shown when this kindda things happen, and i TOTALLY agree with him.

Im not tryin to criticize you or your people, im just agreeing with Kinetic, US is shown worlwide by media, tv, movie industry, etc as a DIVINE place, where nothing wrong could happen and where everyone is happy. Kinda alice in wonderland stuff.... ... so the rest of the world gets to know the "real thing" when these things happen...its a shame.

LOTS of North Americans (I say north, because im an american too) show a kind of "im better than you" attitude when you speak to them...so, that can explain why a "YOU and US" topic exists...I guess its everybodys fault though, your education, and our hard feelings towards that...

So it's somehow our fault that our movies, media, TV, whatever, make this country out to be some iliadic utopia?? So all of a sudden when you see poor people on TV it's "How there are poor people in America??? Who knew??" What is a shame??? That people believe everything they see and fail to realize that the U.S. is no different from anywhere else in certain aspects???

But that is not even my point. My point is why does any of this matter right now?? People, not Americans..people, are dying, rioting, looting, seeing dead bodies strew across the streets, and some of you want to dwell on how poor the people on TV look, the "YOU and US" topic, how are media makes our country seem perfect. For ONCE can't the people going through this be HUMANS and not AMERICANS, with all of your preconceived judgements???

[FM]

in a way, yes...in a way, no...

check this post out on a blog...

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:

"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.



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.

And now the Astrodome is full...after 11,000 people

http://www.click2houston.com/news/4924019/detail.html

So much for the 25K initially "promised"

The government etc. has absolutely no clue what is going on or how to handle things...FEMA head says he just heard about the Convention Center earlier today...ummmm, ok sure. Unbelievable. Out of control.

[Jibgolly]

man that is messed up FM, where are you reading those?

[FM]

above came from Interdictor on Livejournal:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/

these people have been riding things out in a high-rise building that's in a relatively intact section of town (re: some damage, but low flooding)