sgraber
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 posted on 31/8/05 at 12:26 AM |
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Are you aware of the disaster in New Orleans?!
You probably all know about hurricane Katrina and the path that it took just to the right of the city of New Orleans. But were you aware that the
levies have broken and over 80% of the city is underwater? The authorities have been unable to stop the flooding and there is talk that the entire
city will be evacuated, with no set deadline for returning.
New Orleans is one of the few US cities with true character, history and charm... I can't tell you guys how big of a loss this is to all of
us...
After the hurricane passed everyone breathed a sigh of relief because N.O. had been spared, but then the levies broke...
Of course the devastation is much more widespread than just the City of New Orleans.
The stories from survivors (who should have evacuated, the stupid gits) tell of storm surge reaching over 3 stories high.
IT's BAD...
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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Hellfire
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 12:32 AM |
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Yeah I've just been watching the news Steve - it makes very sad viewing. Maybe now Mr Bush will do something about the Kyoto agreement. This
world is going to hell in a handcart... and paying 45p for a gallon of fuel is madness!
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Dale
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 12:35 AM |
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It has been a major disaster, hard to put into words. It looks like the third world things we see, death toll is going to be quite high.
Thanks
Dale
my 14 and11 year old boys 22
and 19 now want to drive but have to be 25 before insurance will allow. Finally on the road
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sgraber
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 12:47 AM |
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Hell in a hand cart... or is that hell in a Hummer? I would be willing to pay more at the pump if it meant that my neighbors all over this country
started conserving more energy...
Also, It would be great to be able pin this catastrophe on the actions of a single person.... but surely Hellfire, you must realize that hurricanes
have been hitting the gulf coast of USA since the beginning of time? The previous biggie was Camile in 1969. And before that in the 40's... Were
people talking about global warming and it's effect on hurricanes back then? and if not, then what was the cause back then?
But please, let's not get off on a tangent.
Steve Graber
http://www.grabercars.com/
"Quickness through lightness"
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Hellfire
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 01:02 AM |
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I agree that hurricane's have been hitting the Gulf coast since time began - however, this is apparently the worst one since records began. But
you're correct let's not get distracted by this....
It must be very worrying for all involved. Similar to the massive floods in Europe 2002.
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sean951
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 01:44 AM |
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it really is a huge loss, i was planning on taking a train to new orleans next summer. i just hope they can salvage or restore allot of the period
buildings the city was rich of. i really cant believe anyone would stay their, they had plenty of warning....and knew it was going to bad bad, why
stay? guess some people just think differently.
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niceperson709
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 06:28 AM |
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" Maybe now Mr Bush will do something about the Kyoto agreement."
Sorry but I just cant let this go through to the keeper , even if every aspect of the Kyoto protocol were ferfilled it would only make a tiny dent in
amout of carbon emmissions . any plan that excludes India and China is worse than useless . Any way I am yet to be convinced that there is any real
evidence of global warming and even if there was there is not enough imperical evidence that there is a causal relationship between percieved warming
and human activity as the lesson of history is that the climate does go through cycles of being hotter or cooler and that human activity has had no
part in the changes .
but back to the topic seems like a bad situation for the Gulf coast but the latest toll figure I have heard of 80 dead though bad is a lot better that
it could have been with out the evacuation .
Best wishes IAIN
life is not the rehearsal , it's the show so don't sit there thinking about it DO IT NOW
http://iainseven.wordpress.com/
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Lotusmark2
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 08:11 AM |
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Having been to NO a few times I am heart broken to see the pictures that we are getting over in the UK. My heart goes out to all involved.
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Ian Pearson
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 08:28 AM |
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quote:
It has been a major disaster, hard to put into words. It looks like the third world things we see, death toll is going to be quite high.
It's a terrible disaster, but will have a much larger impact on our News screens and Newspapers than a Third World Disaster, where people often
die in huge numbers while we in the West watch helpless with our hands tied by beurocracy.
We have a short memory. If the recent Tsunami had decimated parts of Europe and North America, we would still be watching that on all our
headlines.
We forget so easily the natural and man made disasters that are still with us. EG:
IRAQ
DARFOUR
NIGER
I could go on........
The suffering being experienced in the States at the moment is dreadful, and I don't wish to minimise the huge suffering that those people are
enduring. Disaster, death and suffering don't recognise boundaries and Nationality. That is left to the Powers that purport to rule our planet
in our name............
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mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 02:42 PM |
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They sould hang the town planners who built on the flood plain
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The Shootist
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 posted on 31/8/05 at 03:13 PM |
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Hang the town planners??
"They sould hang the town planners who built on the flood plain"
That would be the French, about 300 years ago.
NO is where it is because both the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River intersect there. The land IS a flood plain, but it sits on silt from the
river and is sinking.
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steve_gus
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 07:06 PM |
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ahh, the french, say no more.
Yes, its a tragedy that it happened and I hope that its sorted out asap for all concerned.
With hindsight, it is kinda daft that at least 20th century planners didnt consider it unwise to allow a city by the coast to expand when it sits in a
flood 'bowl' 10ft below the level of the ocean...........
Its pretty big news in the UK (check out http://news.bbc.co.uk ) but the levees breaking hasnt been that well mentioned.
Its so bad that Bush is shortening his vacation by 2 days......... (say what?)
atb
steve
EDIT EDIT EDIT
1000S DEAD????
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4201480.stm
[Edited on 31/8/05 by steve_gus]
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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steve_gus
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 07:14 PM |
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on a similar theme (but no dead) Boscastle in Cornwall flooded last year after heavy rain caused a flash flood. It was blamed on global warming and
the like.
excuse me, but didnt they build the village in a friggin river estuary? The whole place is basically a river valley
 
Rescued attachment boscastle_aboveview4x3.jpg
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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gazza285
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 07:40 PM |
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Floods about once every ten years, Boscastle. Its nothing new and if people want to live there its one of the known dangers. The wise man built his
house upon a rock, and the rains fell and the winds blew etc etc.
DO NOT PUT ON KNOB OR BOLLOCKS!
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Simon
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 08:06 PM |
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Steve (Graber)
Quite tragic, but can't really sympathise with those that didn't leave. Would we all though.
quote:
Originally posted by Hellfire
Yeah I've just been watching the news Steve - it makes very sad viewing. Maybe now Mr Bush will do something about the Kyoto agreement. This
world is going to hell in a handcart... and paying 45p for a gallon of fuel is madness!
Hellfire,
So Mr Graber doesn't have to go into it, the reduction in CO2 over the next 100 YEARS if the US DID sign the Kyoto agreement is 0.04%
Hardly worth getting exited about. I'd suggest people read Michael Crichton's State of Fear. More fact than the news agencies (more
stories)/ gov (more tax).
Steve (Gus)
Went to Boscastle a couple of weeks ago, and apart from a few buildings at the bottom of the village (near harbour) and signs on most buildings
pointing out the water level, it's pretty much back to normal. Was going to go when we were in Devon last year but the rain beat us to it.
There's actually three valleys converging, hence the amount of water.
Nothing wrong with building on a flood plain - most of Holland would be wet without the dams, quite a bit of Norfolk should be underwater!
ATB
Simon
[Edited on 31/8/05 by Simon]
[Edited on 31/8/05 by Simon]
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The Shootist
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 posted on 31/8/05 at 08:15 PM |
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People think North Sea storms are bad...
The two pink-roofed hotels in this pic, are casinos..... on barges.
The road along the beach is Highway 90 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
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The Shootist
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 08:17 PM |
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Anybody need a donor.....
CHEAP!!!!
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Dale
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 08:41 PM |
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Basically I guess it ended up getting hit with a 25 foot storm serge. It does not help that NO is mostly below sea level. Est are getting up to over
a 1000 probably much more.
This will be years before its back- if it ever is.
Dale
Thanks
Dale
my 14 and11 year old boys 22
and 19 now want to drive but have to be 25 before insurance will allow. Finally on the road
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sean951
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 09:27 PM |
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it will be a long time before anything returns to normal around the gulf. the city is loosing tons of money as long as the casinos are down, which
doesnt help. i really feel for the poeple around there, i wonder where they will go. this is also having a big impact on fuel prices, at least where i
am. from this morning when i went into work, and when i got home, the price has jumped 40 cents. every gas station has a long line extending into the
roads, even slowing down traffic. in short this is a big tragedy that is going to affect allot of people, maybe for a long while.
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steve_gus
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| posted on 31/8/05 at 10:48 PM |
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Simon - not all people are able to leave the city before the disaster - the poorer ones without cars, or the older ones, too infirm to move. Clips on
tv today showed a whole bunch of people on the roof of an apartment block .... looked like a 'black slum' type housing area.... perhaps
they didnt have the means to leave.
I doubt that USA signing up to protocols would have only 0.04% difference...... take LA for example - a massive urban sprawl that has little public
transport. I once had to go back and get my car in an outer chicago suburb (Elmhurst) as I couldnt cross the road on a 400 yard walk to mcdonalds -
the car was the only way. I think its important for people to have freedom of travel - but deoes it have to be a 4 litre SUV? We get stuck with 1.4
litre junk in europe cos of fuel costs whilst a 3 litre in america is considere a starting point. 
What is it with the american laws and psyche that bans gambling on land, but its OK on indian reservations, and on water? why not just change the
friggin laws and put them in a conventional building. Does a river somehow affect how much you gamble in a limiting way?
atb
steve
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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andyps
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| posted on 2/9/05 at 10:45 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Simon
Nothing wrong with building on a flood plain - most of Holland would be wet without the dams, quite a bit of Norfolk should be underwater!
But Holland and Norfolk don't regularly get hurricanes.....
Whilst tragic for all involved it makes me sorry for all those in the third world who suffer this sort of thing with very little publicity.
Maybe if the US army were closer to home things could get sorted sooner.
[Edited on 2/9/05 by andyps]
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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steve_gus
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| posted on 2/9/05 at 10:48 PM |
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i wonder.......
all the people I see in New Orleans seem to be poor black people.
Would the releif effort be any different if they were middle class white americans?
atb
steve
http://www.locostbuilder.co.uk
Just knock off the 's'!
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andyps
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| posted on 2/9/05 at 11:00 PM |
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Aren't the middle class white New Orleans inhabitants the ones we saw driving out of town last weekend?
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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Jasper
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| posted on 3/9/05 at 09:19 AM |
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Lots and lots of people driving around in gas gussling V8's and producing more green house gas emission per capita than the rest of the world by
a long way - no interest in the Kyoto Accord - increased global warming - hot seas - more hurricanes - big natural disasters in the South
Nearly instant Karma anyone ........
But the ones who suffer most - the poorer black people - not the whities in power......
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britishtrident
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| posted on 3/9/05 at 01:02 PM |
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No human tradgedy especially one on such a massive scale and be compared with another but in a macabre way New Orleans situation is actually worse
than the Tsunami --- The tsunami killed such a vast number of people that the aftermath didn't involve coping with such huge numbers of
survivors especially in a complex and dangerous urban environment.
I really have been less than impressed with the US authorities -- the only guy in the whole situation that has impressed me is the Mayor of New
Orleans. Everyone else from Bush through the State Govenor to the local police seem either to be ineffective or simply not to care.
[Edited on 3/9/05 by britishtrident]
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