New Orleans

**Dreadbelly** · 30th August 05, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by bubba

Yup Dread, alot of stuff has been on TV this morning. What makes me sick is before the flooding looting was rampant. The vermin were near emptying homes in evacuated areas pushing shopping carts full of loot. I hope they all drowned in the flood. At this point there are still people trapped in their homes unable to get out that rescue workers haven't gotten to yet.

Cell phone callers on the radio say the same thing about looters. A lot of folk killing each other. Vigilante justice. Mayor did declare martial law, and said all civil rights are suspended. I guess this means that looters can be shot on sight by National Guard and whatever police force still functions.

Sounds like NO is about to be declared an environmental disaster. Oil everywhere. Toxic sludge. Sewage spewing out everywhere.

Sobering.

**Dreadbelly** · 30th August 05, 09:51 AM

Floating balls of pissed off fire ants. Ravenous aligators are actually in the streets, and there are an untold number of snakes everywhere.

The Superdome is flooded with 3 feet of water, and it is feared that the water levels will keep on rising.

In many areas, the water is toxic. Boiling pools of acid.

Not a whole lot of info here, but there are some updates. http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG.ac3fcea.html

It's stupid to keep bringing people to the Superdome as it is flooding. At least three feet of water and it's rising, but they are still evacuating people to this location. Somebody mind telling me what sort of genius thought of that idea? What are they going to do, keep moving people inside to the higher levels? What are they going to do, cart people in by the boatload and dock with uper level balconies?

Seriously, that makes no sense to me. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

**Dreadbelly** · 30th August 05, 09:57 AM

The head of FEMA said there is a severe shortage of National Guard units because so many of them are deployed in Iraq. There is a critical shortage of manpower. Heard it on radio, will look for online source.

That is a sobering thought that we have spread our selves that thin.

**Dreadbelly** · 30th August 05, 10:02 AM

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/...rina.recovery/

Edit.

If anybody is sick of news updates being consolidated here, just let me know and I will stop. I am trying to be helpful. I, I do not know how to deal with this situation and it weighs heavily on my mind. The only thing I know to do when feeling like this is to try and be helpful. But if anybody is sick of it, I will stop. This is giving me something to do and that makes me feel better, not so helpless.

**Dreadbelly** · 30th August 05, 10:11 AM

Red Cross needs people badly. They need people to answer phones in almost all major cities in the US, blood is at a critical demand, and they need man power at donation and distribution centers. Most of all, they need your time!

http://www.redcross.org/

**Dreadbelly** · 30th August 05, 10:16 AM

Pic from a flyover

**macsim** · 30th August 05, 10:18 AM

Looks like the Saints will be playing all their games as away games this year. Man....just think of that one business....an NFL team with no home for who knows how long (not that football is important at a time like this but just as one example). No one will be able to afford to go to games, even if they could play them there. All the extra people like hot dog and peanut vendors, parking attendants, the guys who sell the t-shirts, ticket booth people and so on will all be out of work. The trickle-down effect from this will be a major blow to the city. Now multiply that by however many businesses there are in New Orleans. Think of all the meetings and seminars - my wife attended one there fairly recently. No tourism. Gas has gone up here by 30 to 35 cents today because of the oil rigs. This is shaping up to be a disaster of "biblical" proportions for much, if not all of the country.

**Archangel** · 30th August 05, 10:25 AM

Official news is updated frequently here on the reuters home page: http://today.reuters.com/news/default.aspx?refresh=true

there are links from here to photos and video.

**Rigged** · 30th August 05, 10:33 AM

As bad as things are, they could have been so much worse. Things could still get worse if the weakened levees break.

I feel sad for the people who wanted to leave but couldn't. I find I'm a bit angry at the people who could have left, but stayed.

In any case, my prayers go out to them. They have some tough days and weeks ahead.

**Dreadbelly** · 30th August 05, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Rigged

As bad as things are, they could have been so much worse. Things could still get worse if the weakened levees break.

I feel sad for the people who wanted to leave but couldn't. I find I'm a bit angry at the people who could have left, but stayed.

In any case, my prayers go out to them. They have some tough days and weeks ahead.

Rigged my friend, the weakened levees are breaking. At least 3 or 4 of them, and more are on the verge of failure.