HURRICANES!

[Cosmo Electrolux]

taken from the "Young Republicans guide to Natural Disaster recovery"

[kellychaos]

Originally Posted by GAsux

I think a lot of the fatality issues resulted from flooding, etc. I don't suppose an underground bunker would be very desireable in that case.

With the city twelve city below sea level, I doubt that basements were ever a viable construction.

[Skulhedface]

At any rate... now they're being evacuated out of the New Orleans Superdome and moved all over the state. We have an influx here even.

The levee's busted and most people are saying it's basically going to be about two months before New Orleans is really habitable again. Some evacuees have gone as far west as Houston.

Since UNO is closed we have a bunch of college students coming here and finishing out the semester. However, the most aggravating thing about it...

I listen to talk radio. It beats regular radio, because my vehicular CD player is technology, and technology is my kryptonite. But at any rate, what seemed most frustrating is that while everyone in the state is helping refugees from as far as Mississippi, a good 75% of the phone calls being made were in reference to football season.

As if it's the end of the world not because homes and lives were lost, but because there might be one less LSU and Saints game this year.

(EDIT): Amazingly, with all the damage in New Orleans (local news puts the city as 80% flooded), the French Quarter is surprinsingly intact. So there will still be boobs here come February.

[Esuohlim]

Originally Posted by kellychaos

twelve city below sea level

[Studio8]

Fuck Fuck Fucking shit.
I was north of my home for the storm and when it passed, I lived in darkness and heat for a couple of days and now I'm in Dallas with family. My house is fucked, my roommates and improv teammates (i.e. the most people important people regarding my immediate future) are scattered across the country, and everyone has a different plan for regrouping.
Some people are talking serious moving, some people are in a rush to get back to New Orleans to rebuild. I don't know what to do.

I'm still in disbelief about all of this, especially now that people are shooting at rescue chopters and looting EVERYTHING. It's like the scum of New Orleans thinks they can take it over.

[Skulhedface]

Well, New Orleans isn't gonna be opened to live in again for at the VERY least another month. They have nine pumps to pump all the water out of the city, and IF all nine were working at 100% capacity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it'd take 21 days to pump ALL the water out of New Orleans.

Now the biggest story is that people are getting shot and carjacked in Baton Rouge when they stop and fill up with gas.

They say tragedy brings out the best in humanity, but it doesn't let you forget that there's still scum out there.

Oh yes and apparently Rush Limbaugh is saying that the reason New Orleans isn't getting as much help as it needs from the National Guard is because they have more important things to do in Iraq.

How... touching.

[Slinky Ferret]

Okay today I saw a map of new orleans and I now understand why under ground bunkers are a seriously bad idea.

There's some really scary pictures on the news. British reporters getting threatened and all sorts. You guys must have seen the footage thousands of times by now but 4/5ths under water? Thats just crazy.

So what happens after the water is pumped out? How long does it take to rebuild houses? Are all the houses there made of wood or do they have red brick like over here (cheap pink tat if build from 90s onwards)? I guess it doesn't matter what its made of it will still get washed away.

[sadie]

you sure are chatty lately.

[Skulhedface]

No matter how you slice it, they can't even begin to rebuild New Orleans for another month at least. Realistically speaking, it might take them about a month and a half to two months to pump all the water out, unless they manage to get all nine pumps fixed and maintained at 100% for three weeks.

Most of the buildings in New Orleans are of brick and wood, but you can imagine with a category 5 hurricane, if the buildings aren't made out of adamantium there's gonna be shit torn down.

Yes, New Orleans is 80% underwater. It's a big city, it's below sea level, and if you want to be technical, even the tallest houses in the city have water up to the windows. Admittedly, though, Gulfport and Biloxi suffered MUCH worse, both cities having been turned into gigantic parking lots. Some riverboat casinos were found blocking interstates as far as miles away.

I hear tales that if New Orleans is to be rebuilt it's supposed to be rebuilt Seattle-style, a city on top of a city if you will, to prevent such a thing from happening again.

The National Guard is sorely needed as far west as Baton Rouge because looters and carjackers have become a BIG problem. The local college campus is recommending that students travel in groups.

Here's another "Worst in humanity" story: A hotel in Shreveport had allowed evacuees to stay in their empty rooms but promptly kicked the evacuees out of the rooms when people showed up to claim their reservations.

Seems to me this'd turn into a massive PR fiasco. They could've just not let the evacuees in in the first place, or at the very least told them they could stay until the reservations were to be honored, or maybe you know, told the people that DIDN'T lose everything that they couldn't accomodate them and give them an apology. I'd think the evacuees would need the room a little more than a vacationing pack of brats, but hey... that's just me.

[Studio8]

Now there's fires. And the looting has spread to Baton Rouge and the Northshore. Fuck.

[Girl Drink Drunk]

I here that the United way and Pay Pal are pretty crooked, so I would advice that money be donated to the Red Cross. I myself, will donate $10.

[the_dudefather]

i hate how the news here keeps using ironic references to things such as

"this car, which a few days ago would have been driven, is now empty"

or

"it seems no-one here knows where to go from here, including this railroad track (shot of twisted railroad)"

its all very ironic

[DSBurroughs]

Did anyone else here about these Christian nut jobs who were saying that they saw an image of a fetus in the radar of the hurricane, and so it must be god's way of punishing people for allowing abortion? Or that since there was supposed to be some kind of gay pride gathering in the French Quarter the day the hurricane hit, it was god's way of pushing homosexuality?

...Cuz I did. And I thought it was lame.

[xbxDaniel]

Some kids at school talked about the fetus thing, but it was pretty fucked up, they were saying that it was a curse on New Orleans from the lord.

[Skulhedface]

Well while we're discussing outlandish theories maybe it's because Bush sucks. Divine retribution.

It's the explanation I feel best with.

[Chojin]

If it was a curse on New Orleands from THE LAWD, chances are it had a lot more to do with it being the most dangerous city in the nation and a lot less to do with dead babies.

[kellychaos]

I saw an image of a feces in the hurricane. Holy Shit!

[Skulhedface]

With all the looting going on in the aftermath, it looked less like divine retribution and more like a fabulous prize jackpot bonanza.

God is a game show host.

[Matt Harty]

NINJA LOOTER

[sadie]

from what i understand, the french quarter was one of the least damaged areas of new orleans.

[Cosmo Electrolux]

the French Quarter is the oldest area in New Orleans, and the highest too.....

[Slinky Ferret]

Can someone explain why they want everyone out? If people want to stay there can't they be given food and water. I know pumping the water out is going to take some time but surely its a choice. Some people are trying to return to normal or are clinging on to all they have left.

What I don't understand is why the looters are taking televisions? What use is a huge television when there is no electricity?

[Studio8]

They want people out because everything is gross and people are dying. Looters want television sets because they are not smart people and just want free stuff.
I know everything.

[DamnthatDavid]

Aye, the land is covered in water. Many houses still have dead trapped within them, turns out, the living are more concerned about rescuing the living before plagues set in.

[kellychaos]

Originally Posted by Slinky Ferret

Can someone explain why they want everyone out? If people want to stay there can't they be given food and water. I know pumping the water out is going to take some time but surely its a choice. Some people are trying to return to normal or are clinging on to all they have left.

What I don't understand is why the looters are taking televisions? What use is a huge television when there is no electricity?

Sewage, dead bodies floating, ecoli bacteria, dmaged gas and electrical lines, ect.

I.E. The usual stuff after a major catastrophe. :/