Anyone in Hurricane Katrina's Path?

[E-bo Obi]

Ok, you wanna go with my knowledge gained from the military then lets go with it. When the President comes to town its a major pain in the ass. If he is coming on the ground they close down roads and it causes a huge disruption to normal traffic let alone a relief effort.

If he flies in his helicopter they clear the airspace around him. Now, If they close the airspace so the president can take a looksy wouldn't you think that would impede the rescue or supply efforts of all the relief workers?

But I am sure its just the President doesn't like the people of Louisiana or he just doesn't give a damn. I think if you look at history many Presidents have delayed immediately visiting disaster sites because of the disruption it causes to relief efforts. Believe it or not they pay people a lot of money to think about these things.

And to be completely honest if I was starving or dieing the last person I would want to see is the President unless he had a stack of food and something cold for me to drink.

I think you should lodge a complaint to the highest authority over this travesty of him not showing up the day after to look around though.

[Jabe Adaks]

I can see just about everybody's points here, including the idea that a sort of "darwinism" is basically killing off the dumbasses that didn't leave. But they are there and so something has to happen.

What really irks me to no end is the starvation at places like the superdome. I don't see what the major problem is getting at least 2-3 choppers and raiding the nearest wholesaler for crates of drinking water and getting some snacks or something to eat out there. Maybe even getting a hold of a few dozen portable shitters wouldn't be so hard either. We're talking about the continental United States, I can't imagine these things can't be that far out of reach.

A lot of you guys know a lot about how and why things are the way they are and I won't argue with you. I just think its a shame that we're so well prepared to supply relief efforts as a result of war yet when it comes to a natural disaster on our own soil it would appear that we're reactive and and not pro-active. To the common shmuck like myself, it looks like our priorities are completely fucked.

Jabe

[Skorixor]

I can see just about everybody's points here, including the idea that a sort of "darwinism" is basically killing off the dumbasses that didn't leave. But they are there and so something has to happen.

the funny thing is even though I am apparently getting into an argument, I really agree with 90% of the things being said in this thread

1. People who stayed were dumbasses. I myself will never live near any coast because there are just too many circumstances for shit to wipe you out.

2. Does it suck for the military to go in and restore order, bring food and supplies, protect the people left behind? Yes it sucks, but its their job. Just because they're dumbasses, they're OUR dumbasses.

3. The whole aftermath situation is being handled very poorly. There were never any disaster plans for something so obvious that could happen. All levels of government have failed, the local/state/federal.

[Dwilah]

One of the things you have to remember about the people who didn't leave is that many of them couldn't afford to. A lot of the people who stayed were the underpriveledged who didn't have transportation or didn't have the money to stay in a hotel anywhere or drive away, or leave their jobs even before things closed.

And I have to disagree with Skor. I think the government...I think FEMA, but I only really kinda heard about it yesterday...has disaster plans for everything. It's just hard to put something from paper into effect. Paper doesn't take into account people.

When people are tired, hungry, and things are breaking down everything is chaotic. When I was listening to the radio yesterday about people dying and getting raped in the convention center I was angry at the media for just reporting and not actually doing something for these people. I was also angry at the people themselves. The streets aren't entirely flooded and people can move around, media can move around... I'm hoping that despite the miscommunication and everything going on, that there are people out there maybe not just "getting the word out" and harassing local relief officials, but instead taking a hand in saying---there's a staging area here. If you guys follow this road that I know is clear, you can get there within a couple blocks.

[X'an Shin]

FEMA director Michael Brown said the agency just learned about the situation at the convention center Thursday and quickly scrambled to provide food, water and medical care and remove the corpses.

UMMM, don't they have tv's or read the newspaper????
"hurricane? wha hurricane?? New orleans under water??? Shut up man, quit messin with my head"

I heard Ted Coppel or however his name is spelled try this same tactic on the FEMA director, as if television or news reports anything as facts anymore.

Here's what the news would have you believe, if we were to have Federal Agencies follow their lead. My apologies for a not horribly scientific timeline of events:

Thursday, the 26th: "SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS THIS IS THE MOTHER OF ALL HURRICANES, IT'S A CLASS 5 BASTARD GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT."

Friday the 27th: "Whoops, we kinda screwed up there, looks like it's only a Class 4, and it's going to miss Florida this time, good news! Sorry about the screwup there folks, oh, and hey New Orleans you might want to take cover."

Saturday, the 28th: "Hey, all clear, New Orleans is fine, not much damage at all and only some light flooding!"

Sunday, the 29th: "OH HOLY SHIT NEW ORLEANS IS HOSED RUN FOR YOUR LIVES ITS EVERY MAN FOR THEMSELVES DOWN THERE!!!! HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED WE WARNED YOU ALL!!!"

It's all so clear now. FEMA should have just watched the television and they would have been so well informed!

I can't imagine why they'd want to assess the situation on their own!

;P

[Oniss]

we got crappy weather and lost power for half a day...

[Viceroy Odantis]

Uhm....

ok, i don't buy into "they couldn't leave because they wer epoor"

how much money does it cost to walk your ass to the bus stop?

i'd buy that if every victim was some crippled old grandmother. But for every elderly impoverished person i see 50 18-22 fit males standing around grinnding with 5 bags full of tshirts/shoes and jewelry they looted, I see them shooting at rescue people and i see them trying to basically take this as a chance to 'claim" the city.

I'm sorry to offend anyone from that region but long before this hurricane this place was a cesspool, you walk one street off the lit tourist area and you get your throat cut for your shoes on your feet. I can't feel sorry for a town that foul.

If i know my city if about to be underwater, i could be hungry, zero cash, and barefoot and i guar-an-fucking-tee i'm not gonna be in city limits when it hits.

I love that the FIRST THING i hear from the governor of that fair state is a slam on bush, yes, the evil tyrant bush caused a fuckign hurricane this time. Its all a conspiracy!

"We'd be fine if we didn't have troops in iraq" BS, there were THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of guards ready to go, if the lowlifes would stop raping, shooting, and looting for 5 minutes we'd go in.

But like x'an (i think) said, he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't...

he goes in...some idiot shoots at a national guard, in return he gets filled full of lead and now "Bush murders survivors just looking for food"

quit looking for someone to blame, its a damn natural disaster tha tjust happened to hit one of the US's largest Sewer's of a city

/rant off