Hurricane Katrina

[rusty bumper]

Just wondering if any MOL members got hit by the hurricane.

Looks like it was pretty bad according to the new's reports.

[rusty bumper]

Just got news that New Orleans is having to be evacuated due to breaks in the levees.

[travisdecpn]

Yeah, it sounds pretty drastic, 80% of the city is flooded. I am very sorry for anyone who is being affected by this.

[showtime]

I kind of think it's funny living in WNY hearing everybody complain about the weather here. Besides a snow storm every now and then that forces you to stay home for a night, we don't have anything in terms of disasters. I don't think you can dig out from 20 feet of water.

[Superior Shine]

I survived david and andrew. Andrew was big, I here katrina is bigger!

WOW,

pray for them.

[Mike Phillips]

Thank you Rusty Bumper for bringing this to our attention. It's real easy to become comfortable in life when in reality everything you have can be taken away in an instant...

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by Superior Shine
I survived david and andrew. Andrew was big, I here katrina is bigger!

You remember David?

I was in the Haiti when it came through in 1979. It was supposed to hit Port-a-Prince where we were staying at the time, but it veered north and missed us thankfully.

We flew into the remnants of it on the way back home though.

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by Mike Phillips
Thank you Rusty Bumper for bringing this to our attention. It's real easy to become comfortable in life when in reality everything you have can be taken away in an instant...

Your welcome Mike.

When Hurricane Frances hit eastern NC a few years ago, I remember how people were trapped in their attics from the rising flood waters back then.

The folks in the gulf area are having that same problem now. I hope I never have to endure anything like that!

[jfelbab]

Fellow detailers,

Have you donated yet? With all the pain and suffering as a result of Katrina I encourage everyone who can to donate something to the American Red Cross.

These people, our fellow Americans, need our help badly. Most have lost everything. No amount is too small. Please help our friends and neighbors through this catastrophe.

American Red Cross
1 800 HELP NOW
or
Online donation.

[rusty bumper]

A lot of people have been giving to the cause around here. And the city of Charlotte has volunteered to take a few hundred refugees from the gulf area. They started arriving by plane tonight.

It's awful about how the residents of New Orleans have had to suffer these past few days, as well as the rest of the storm victims too.

[Mark2]

I have donated money to the American red cross, but i can't understand why it too a week before anything happend?
They could have handled this much better.
Many 100s of lives would have been saved if they had done something earlier..

[jfelbab]

Originally posted by Mark2
I have donated money to the American red cross, but i can't understand why it too a week before anything happend?
They could have handled this much better.
Many 100s of lives would have been saved if they had done something earlier..

The hurricane struck Sunday evening into Monday and the levies gave way Monday evening into Tuesday. A week ago at this time (5pm CDT) the eye of the hurricane had not yet made landfall. It was not a week before anything happened.

Some National Guard troops were on the ground Wednesday morning as was the Coast Guard. Aid was beginning to arrive but what many seem to fail to grasp is the magnitude and scope of this disaster. The US has never seen any disaster (actually two back-to-back) of this severity and size. The extent of the damage is still not fully known as it covered four states with wreckage.

Sure we had some warning a hurricane was on the way and indeed some assets were in fact put in place but you don't put your troops and aid workers in the path of the hurricane. You would need to keep them some 250 miles out at the very closest. Once Katrina had passed it took with it the power and communications. It also took out all but one major road into NO. You can't dispatch aid until you can evaluate where they are needed and how you can get them there. You clearly can't put troops and aid workers in the area without some logistical support for their effort. What will they eat and where will they triage the causalities? What supplies, food and medicine has to travel with them? Where will they be staying? How do you get into areas in 6-16 feet of water? This is not like helping a small isolated group of people.

Sure, it's easy for people who haven't any idea of the logistics of such a monumental support effort, the largest in US history, to say we did a poor job but I think that is pure BS. I believe it will be shown in the months to come that we did an outstanding job and saved thousands because of our monumental effort.

Lastly this is a Pi$$ poor time to be pointing fingers and placing blame. I'm not directing this at you Mark2, but there are loads of jerks in the media doing this. It's very irritating. This is a time to help rescue people and assist those who have lost everything to put their lives back together. To these pinheads I say, if you can't help, get the hell out of the way and hold your piece until after all the possible rescues can be made and until we have comforted and assisted all those poor Americans who are suffering. You pinheads will have plenty of time to point fingers and wag your tongues later. Right now how about expending your energy in helping those suffering.

If you can't physically help, donate money. If you have already donated, thank you but please try to donate again in the weeks and months ahead. This problem is not going to go away overnight.

[RamAirV1]

They thought they had escaped the brunt of the hurricane when the winds died down.....But then the levees gave way! They knew it was coming but they were still caught by surprise. How do you prepare for one of the worst disasters in US history?

If we are going to cast blame, we should blame the French for building a city in a bowl located below sea level!

Regardless of who, if anyone, is to blame, the residents all need our prayers big time!

RamAirV1

[Mark2]

I'm sorry I didn't want to offend anybody.
That's just the picture I get when I'm watching the news. You probably know better exactly what's going on there right now.

[rusty bumper]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
When Hurricane Frances hit eastern NC a few years ago, I remember how people were trapped in their attics from the rising flood waters back then.

The folks in the gulf area are having that same problem now. I hope I never have to endure anything like that!

Just a small note of correction here.

It was Hurricane Floyd, not Frances that hit eastern NC back in 1999.