Hurricane Katrina

[Hackalicious]

If the response is incompetent, people need to speak up immediately and put pressure on those in power to fix the problem.

There are lots of ways to put pressure on the government without pointing fingers and race/income baiting. Pointing fingers in front of the media will filters into the shelters and causes more problems for people who have been through enough…That is what I mean about reckless, irresponsible, and inconsiderate of the situation.

Agreed. But getting up on national TV and saying "Where the hell are the resources we begged for a week ago" is different. That's what I meant.

Individuals and private organizations are being forced to pick up the slack, and shouldn't have to.

People are not being forced to do anything. People are volunteering to help out just as they do in all types of disasters such as this one. It is called being human…You do what you can for your fellow man in times like this. I think the perception that Government must be the answer to all our prayers is a fallacy, and a problem in today’s society. Government can’t and shouldn’t be everything for everyone. There are gaps in which individuals, churches and charities are there to fill in the gaps.

First off, I mean "forced" in that people feel obligated out of the kindness of their hearts because the job is not getting done -- not "forced" at gunpoint.

Protecting its citizens is the core function of government. Expecting your $300 billion dollar taxpayer-funded defense aparatus to do its job is not expecting an "answer to your prayers". That's why we don't hear politicians denouncing "socialized national defense".

There are some things that are too large in scale for private organizations to address. "Filling in the gaps" works great if you want to run a soup kitchen or an after-school program. Evacuating a city? Not so great.

It's pretty pathetic when the government of a third-world country like Indonesia can respond to a more severe natural disaster better than our own government.

What evidence do you have that this is true? Are the two disasters even comparable in scope and magnitude? Was it only the government that responded or did they have individuals, private companies....etc helping out as well?

No one said it was "only government". Of course the tsunami relief efforts were both private and public. However, I do know that thousands of local troops were deployed the same day to evacuate people. That's in a poor country, with lousy infrastructure, dealing with a much larger crisis, over a much larger physical area.

I will grant that some things in the tsunami were less complicated. The water receded, so you didn't have people stranded. You also had a population that was much less dependent on food supply lines or power and water infrastructure.

Anyway, I don't want to get too negative. I really admire the efforts of people on this board who are organizing and running their own relief efforts. I'm mostly pissed off at the back-slapping politicians and appointed cronies who keep holding press conferences to tell each other what a great job they're doing.

[Tarzan]

But getting up on national TV and saying "Where the hell are the resources we begged for a week ago" is different. That's what I meant.

Or, that is a convenient way to draw attention away from your own failings and incompetence (I.E. blaming others so you can CYA). Hopefully the independent probe will shed light on the culpability.

There are some things that are too large in scale for private organizations to address. "Filling in the gaps" works great if you want to run a soup kitchen or an after-school program. Evacuating a city? Not so great.

This was a situation that was beyond any governments ability to adequately respond which is why private citizens chipped in with the effort.

I just wish the world could actually see the Scope of this disaster. The media only shows New Orleans…I would like to scream from the top of a mountain: New Orleans is not the only place hit by this disaster!! The people of St Bernard Parish for instance, are much worse off than N O. The scope is as enormous as the magnitude. Plus things changed dramatically after the levees broke and at that time communications were FUBAR.

However, I do know that thousands of local troops were deployed the same day to evacuate people. That's in a poor country, with lousy infrastructure, dealing with a much larger crisis, over a much larger physical area.

The deployment of the Louisiana NG and other NG’s will also have light shed on it with an independent probe. I personally have heard from very reliable sources that the finger pointing is in the wrong direction. Some people made bad decisions that resulted in slow response…You will soon see who is truly responsible, but I still think now isn’t the time.

[Sonny]

The deployment of the Louisiana NG and other NG’s will also have light shed on it with an independent probe. I personally have heard from very reliable sources that the finger pointing is in the wrong direction. Some people made bad decisions that resulted in slow response…You will soon see who is truly responsible, but I still think now isn’t the time.

You can say that again.... I've read a few detailed reports about how local and state governments failed to follow written emergency plans.

But I agree with you Billy. Now is not the time for finger pointing.

[OAKS]

But I agree with you Billy. Now is not the time for finger pointing.

As long as people are doing their best to help out, I think now is the perfect time for them to finger point (by finger point I mean asking who is responsible for mismanagement and where does the buck stop, I don't mean it as shifting the blame from yourself to someone else). I'm just talking in generalities here, but if something bad is going on, should the people just let it happen and wait until it's all over to find who was at fault and change it in the future? Granted if the finger pointing is hindering operations and help, it's not in the best interest, but if it wakes people up to issues that need addressing and can help the situation, people definitely need to ask questions. If someone is not capable of doing their job, the problem needs to be addressed and fixed. People should be helping out, but at the same time the things that are going wrong need to be pointed out and changed.

[Hackalicious]

But getting up on national TV and saying "Where the hell are the resources we begged for a week ago" is different. That's what I meant.

Or, that is a convenient way to draw attention away from your own failings and incompetence (I.E. blaming others so you can CYA). Hopefully the independent probe will shed light on the culpability.

I think there were leadership failures all the way from the local level up to the top. I hope a lot of heads roll next election.

Maybe I'm misdirected, but the biggest failure in my mind was FEMA. This is the exact reason they even exist in the first place. Their whole job and purpose is to prepare for and direct the response to exactly this type of disaster. What the hell have these people been doing for the last 4 years?

I know we can't count on a centralized authority to manage everything, but there will come disasters where local jurisdictions simply cannot respond properly. Imagine a terrorist attack -- it's not like Gatorbait Parish, LA keeps stocks of smallpox vaccines or anti-rad meds on hand.

[Tarzan]

Hackalicious I am with you on the fact that there will be lots of culpability spread around and hopefully the independent probe will find those responsible and expose them. I also believe that they will find lots of things that were completely out of all levels of government’s control and it didn’t matter who was at the helm. When they say this is the biggest disaster to hit the US, they mean it. I say it again…this thing is huge in scope and magnitude. What you see on the TV is nothing!!

Could it have been prevented…Sure, but it would have taken a lot of people (in red and blue States) to listen to us down here a few years back and then they could have sent us the money to prevent at least some of the flooding.
FEMA’s response could have been hampered by a number of reasons and again hopefully the independent probe will find out why!

Thank you all that have helped out and those that are still helping…Jay and Buff are my heroes for this week and I am not using that word lightly.

[Brent Burns]

Thank you all that have helped out and those that are still helping…Jay and Buff are my heroes for this week and I am not using that word lightly.

Tarzan has already considered Buff as one of his heroes, yet come spring of 2006, they will simply have a friendly, competitive faceoff (SFA vs. NSU).

[Thriller]

I had an idea when I heard the challenge by I forget who of all NFL players give $5000 each to the relief efforts. What if each team in the USL MD1A and B donated $100 a team, which is nothing, if i do my math correct it would be $18,400. Not much but every penny counts, what are your thoughts? we could put it into one account and then make the donation from the league.

[Tarzan]

Tarzan has already considered Buff as one of his heroes, yet come spring of 2006, they will simply have a friendly, competitive faceoff (SFA vs. NSU).

Buff is a friend no matter what happens on the field! NSU and SFA are Southland and LSA rivals...Both teams don't pull punches! My favorite game was the time we played the same weekend as the football teams in the fall...NSU lost both, but we had a blast.

[Brent Burns]

Tarzan has already considered Buff as one of his heroes, yet come spring of 2006, they will simply have a friendly, competitive faceoff (SFA vs. NSU).

Buff is a friend no matter what happens on the field! NSU and SFA are Southland and LSA rivals...Both teams don't pull punches! My favorite game was the time we played the same weekend as the football teams in the fall...NSU lost both, but we had a blast.

[mbuff]

Well now Mexican Army troops have crossed the bridge (imagine that!!!) at Laredo and are towing 15 trailers of water, 3 full field kitchens, and 7 mobile water purification machines. Rumor has it that the Daughters of the Revolution shuttered the Alamo and locked and cocked thier muzzleloaders.

Now about the time we're 5 or 6 and ready to head south of the border for the first time, someone gives us that sage advice about old Mexico "Don't Drink the Water". So El Jeffe sends 15 trucks worth just in case the Cholera ain't getting the job done. Water machines??? I could have sworn the requistion was for 7 mobile margarita machines. Don't they know how much cheap tequillia was looted? We're trying to raise people's spirits here because all of the Daqueri To Go stores are closed.

In all seriousness, you have to find the bright spots in all this where you can and the Mexican Army was just too good to pass up. Thank you Presidente Fox for your aid to the disaster areas. Mexico has also sent an expert S&R team that has urban experience from the Mexico City blasts.

Here in town, we're closing one of the shelters located at one of our largest churches. The folks that were there have all found other housing now. That's some good news.

Jay & Billy - how are y'all holding out?

[FormerTiger]

Get the kleenex out.

I am working at a new shelter now. I had to get out of Baton Rouge to maintain some type of sanity. I came up to my parents house in Shreveport, only to volunteer up here.

At the Century Tel Center (Shreveports equivelent of the astrodome) they have set up a place for displaced children. There are scores of kids there from ages 3-14 who dont know where their parents are, nor do they know if they survived.

Yesterday, I was trying to keep a few of the kids occupied while my friends got dinner ready for them....While I am still YEARS away from parenthood, my paternal instinct kicked in and I told the kids (about 12 of them) to color a picture while they waited...

Keep in mind, these kids are all from inner city New Orleans, Most of them are too young to understand whats going on, and they think they are just on some kind of trip. When they ask you where their parents are it breaks my heart, but I really just change the subject. I hope their parents are at another shelter somewhere, but the worst thought looms in my head with every question....enter the heartache.

Every last one of these kids sat down and drew a picture of their house in New Orleans with their parents and them standing outside of it. Absolutely heart breaking.

There is also a woman up here who was standing outside the superdome waiting to get on a bus to evacuate. A woman with a 10 month old baby was standing next to her when a supplies truck with bottled water pulled up. She asked this total stranger to hold her baby while she went and got water for them. While she was gone, the bus pulled up and the National Guard guys made everyone get on the bus, she tried to explain that this wasnt her baby and that the mother would be right back, but they didnt want to hear that. She was forced on the bus with the baby and the bus came to shreveport. Meanwhile, there is someone in New Orleans who thinks that her baby was stolen. She doesnt even know the lady's name.

Sorry to bring yall down on a Friday, but just think.....this is just one case like this and there must be thousands.

[Tarzan]

Jay...Thank you for the warning about the Kleenex. Keep up the good work.
I have been inundated with work over the last few days. I worked through the weekend and I have been confined to my desk, because the cell networks are still crazy. Also, I spend a lot of time waiting for people to get back to me.

I spent the weekend getting our C/O and remote sites back on commercial power. Lately I have been working with the influx of businesses that have relocated to the area and are requesting new service as well as local business that don’t have service, because their provider is down and are looking to switch back to us. Also, I finally located phone books for the evacuee phone banks. Plus the press keeps calling for clarification on this and that.

I did manage to go to my MBA class Wed night amongst the 1100 evacuees at NSU. It was very calm with lots of NG troops walking around. Plus, the tents set up to serve food and collect the things people donated are pretty overwhelming. Also, Students must wear our student ID’s or we can’t enter the buildings. Parking is tough, but that is of little concern.

Don’t know when we will get fall practice started. I have gotten a few emails, but I haven’t been able to meet with the campus rec director yet.

[Brent Burns]

I guess I'll just say a few words as my mind is not active nor perky because it is 104 degrees outside right now. Anyway, I am not in the mood to type in an URL address from Yahoo, but this is quite an interesting tidbit that I just read from Yahoo news: 6,000 doctors from roughly about 10 counties/parishes in Louisiana and Mississipi have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. I am sure Tarzan can attest to that fact.

[Sonny]

New data suggest Katrina was a less intense, Category 3 storm

BY KEN KAYE

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - (KRT) - Hurricane Katrina might have battered New Orleans and the Gulf Coast as a considerably weaker system than the Category 4 tempest initially reported.

New, preliminary information, compiled by hurricane researchers, suggests the system struck southeast Louisiana on Aug. 29 with peak-sustained winds of 115 mph. That would have made it a Category 3 storm, still a major hurricane but a step down from the enormous destructive force of a Category 4.

Katrina might have further downgraded to a strong Category 1 system with 95-mph winds, when it punched water through New Orleans' levees, severely flooding most of the city and killing hundreds. The levees were designed to withstand a Category 3 storm.

If verified, the wind information, compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division, could have chilling ramifications.

Notably, it would leave the specter that if a Category 4 or a Category 5 hurricane were to hit the same region it would be even more catastrophic.

"It's important from a public perception standpoint," said Mark Powell, the research scientist who plotted the new wind measurements, adding that most people think they endured a Category 4. "They won't want to hear it was a Category 3."

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/ne ... 813868.htm