This thing is downright scary. It has reached 165mph sustained winds and they have ordered the evacuation of New Orleans.

I believe NOLA is below sea level as it is and relies on levees. It's possible the French Quarter may not exist after this storm.

I lived there for 3yrs. the French Quarter will always exist,cher.

But,Kat is a biggin tho.They're still not positive it'll hit NO,right? Maybe Miss.,or Al?You know how sneeky Kats can be.

Perhaps Marie (LaVeau) will utter a few spells? I sure hope it misses N'Awlins - I want to go back and have some more fun some day!

I can't believe that the nightly news actually had a fella on from some national weather dept. saying that New Orleans will be completely wipe away! HOW STUPID CAN PEOPLE BE????
Even IF it's true(and just exactally do they know this?) you don't broadcast something like that! WTF!?

And I guess the other obvious rumors will start that this will raise the price of gas even more and that it's George Bush's fault that this storm started and hit the USA OR that the Muslims did it. OR that it's the oil nations that did it.It's all a conspiriacy
I bet ya anything that some doofus will be calling in with one or more of the above statements.

A large chunk of NOLA is 5-10 ft. below sea level. If it's a direct hit, that guy may be right. You have to tell people this because there will be the fools that think they can actually ride this out.

I hate to give in to the gas hysteria, but I think I'm gonna top off tonight or tomorrow morning.

I heard on FNC that 25% of our oil comes from the gulf and 40% is refined in the NOLA area. That's a double whammy. Look for $3.00 gas real quick.

It was also mentioned that 100,000 people were stranded in NO. Let's pray that Katrina zigs or zags rather than does a direct hit.

BTW Did you see the idiots jet skiing in the gulf?

I think it was CNN tonight said that ten percent of our oil comes from the gulf platforms. But, once shut down, as they are now, it takes weeks to get them back into production.

The news (not sure which one, I was surfing between, Weather Channel, CNN, FOX and MSNBC), said that our federal oil reserves are at 100% capacity, apparently that's a years worth of oil. If things get so bad in the gulf, Bush can make the decision to release some of that stockpile.

I filled up tonight. I laughed at the Hummer H2 parked beside me as it blasted past $60 on the pump.

they are opening up the Superdome for stranded residents.

AP article- Hurricane Katrina

Oil price per barrel jumpted to $70.00. One quarter of the oil we use in the U. S. comes from the storm area. I just cleaned up my bike and parked my truck.

I've been watching the coverage today, and as it makes landfall Katrina's path is supposed to head right over Kentucky. Be safe FIB!

Looks like it'll be west of most of us here. But it's still early. What a powerful storm!

x2

Welcome back girl, glad to see you're doing better.

If paying even more for gas is the worst that I suffer from Katrina I'll thank the Maker.

I pray for everyone in her path.

Thanks Naomi!
Yup they're calling for 4-6 inches of rain, winds 30-40 miles an hour with top gusts of up to 60 mph! We're currently under a flood watch, had some rain earlier and the next band is due to move in later tonight.

Is anyone watching this on cable? Is it just me or shouldn't this be all over every TV station?

There must be thousands of people dying or already dead in NO from what little coverage I've seen.

Please God, let me be wrong.

Alright.

I just spent just about the entire evening watching the reports on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, Weather Channel, etc.

Utter devastation. Still no word on the numbers of dead and dying as a result. Jackson Parish in LA has been wiped out. Towns have had nearly total devastation. Water continues to rise in NOLA. Biloxi will take years to rebuild.

Limited resources for food and water, though the Red Cross and FEMA seem to be hitting this thing head on.

My question:

Where in HE!! is the help from our international neighbors? You know the ones. The same ones that biatch and complain because the USA didn't send help quickly enough.

Spain.
France.
Germany.
Canada.
Italy.

The United States Agency for International Development -USAid- always spearheads the help/assistance assault on these countries. Not to mention the smaller third-world folks who couldn't help themselves if they wanted to.

We send aid all over the world for earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.

Now, where are these fine nations in our time of need? Did I miss something? Did I miss the shot/sound bite of France's huge container ship leaving Marseilles bound for the US? Did I miss the report of Germany's cargo planes heading for the US?

Dam, must have slept through that one.

How about all you folks that talk politics on this board, explain this to me... please.

We're facing one of THE WORST natural disasters in US history.

And. we're facing it alone...

I'm not sure most people in this country are even aware of the magnitude of this yet. That's why I asked why this isn't on the major networks.

How wrong am I for having a little cynicism in me about disasters like these? Let me explain. Using this example, residents of New Orleans have known for decades what the dangers were if a big hurricane ran right into it. Florida is an even better example. How many times do they get hit and rebuild?

I know you can't just abandon the gulf coast and most of Florida, but how many times does this need to happen before folks realize that maybe it isn't a good idea to live in these areas. It would take exactly one time for a reoccurring natural disaster to destroy everything I own before I would move. And that's if I would even move into an hurricane/earthquake/tornado area.

Help me understand why people would risk their lives, along with all of their material possessions, to rebuild something that could be destroyed again by the next storm.

The answer SMan, is that you can afford to move.

Good point you bring up though. For several years I had the perfect little town in southwest Florida all picked out to retire to. But after, last year and this year, I have reconsidered that plan.

But if the victims are receiving any government aid or compensation, couldn't the gov. say "Here's you money, but only if you rebuild somewhere else."? Same thing if they own a home and file an insurance claim. If I'm an insurer, I'm never writing insurance for that policy holder again if they choose to live in that area.

The insurance companies are already doing something LIKE that in Florida. I don't remember all the details exactly, but my brother told me that the damage to your property has to exceed a certain (high) percentage of the value of the property before you can even submit a claim. The threshhold was 10s of thousands, as I recall, and the insurance premiums are quite salty.

Fortunately, brother did not have significant damage (soffiting lost, pool screening destroyed, etc.) and paid for the repairs out of his pocket, but there are many low income and elderly folks in FL who would be wiped out if they had to make those repairs out of their pockets.

Morning everyone. Just a question. Has anyone seen how many relief workers have come to our southron neighbors to help with the relief efforts from Canada? or Mexico? or Europe? or Anywhere? Any funds coming in from China? or Indonesia? I appreciate you pointing this out in an earlier post, Yossarian. We need to keep the complaint active, no? Should the government put in a formal complaint to the UN?

Thanks for bringing my question back to the forefront, PR.
I'd really like to know the answer why we're being ignored by the international community.

Even our "friend" Tony Blair seems to be ignoring us.

We don't need their help. We can handle this. It is a disaster, true, but not of the proportion of the Tsunami.

It would be nice to know the other countries are there for us, at least. And I'm still waiting to hear if any of the "big stars" from Hollywood are going to contribute to the effort, as they have in the past.

I did hear that Wal Mart has contributed 1 million dollars to the Red Cross.

I call bullsh1t on that cfulmor.
Have you taken a look at the film from NO and especially from Biloxi? Granted the death toll is no where near the tsunami, but it is approaching some of the earthquakes suffered worldwide. Tens of thousands of people out of work, because they have no place to work. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses flattened. People with absolutely no place to go. Our Americans are living on the street. In most places with no sanitation facilities, no fresh water, no power.

Yeah, we can handle it ourselves. And just maybe the other nations can handle their catastrophes next time themselves.

Bullsh1t, cfulmor, bullsh1t....

Your strong rebuttal is noted.

nothing personal, of course. I'm just upset that no one in the international community has offered any assistance. But that same international community will criticize the USA for not sending help to them, quickly enough.

I was shocked that you expected any help from them, Yos. The thought never even crossed my mind until I read your post. I guess that's kind of sad that I feel that way about our allies.

I'm sure the FRENCH will help.

I guess they figure since they sold some of that land to us in the first place that would end their responsibility.

Last word from the French, though, was that they were still looking for someone to surrender to.

I was watching the news today over lunch. Germany has offered assistance. They said other countries were also offering, but only named Germany.

Even just an OFFER of help would be something.But as far as I know that hasn't even happened.Has it? It's not been reported on anyway.

I have to say that I'm surprised at the lack of compassion for the victims from our own people. I've made my donation to the Red Cross.It's all I can.
They will rebuild! Make no mistake about that.It's just not going to be "over night". It'll take time.

What gets me is the looting! WTF? TV's!? Fishing poles?! I could see diapers and formula,I'd do for my baby too,but some of these animals are just taking anything they can get their hands on. It's disgusting IMO. I even saw a female cop doing it too! And 1 LEO was shot by one the looters. Where the hell is the Army? The National Gaurds?! Come on people!

I think you were making a funny, tb, but this is the exact scenario that I witnessed on the news. I didn't realized you watched FNC!

Fox News Channel

Figures.

One big earthquake was all it took to make me move from California. It destroyed pretty much everything I owned.

This is a very sobering perspective.



Read the entire thing. It's very well written.

I heard its because of Iraq. Other countries say if we can afford the war, then we don't need their assistance.

I heard on the radio that Venezuela has offered help; anything we need.

Weird, isn't it.

September 16th marks the 2 year anniversary of Isabel. I lost my pier and a retaining wall and it's taken me this long and cost about $50K to get back to where I was. I was one of the fortunate ones, my house had only minor damage, and no one was hurt. (Of course I got out of Dodge early.) But I figure this is it for me, I'm not moving again. I've told my wife to dump my ashes off the end of the pier, and if a f-ing hurricane blows the pier away to build another one.

This is doubly weird for me. I was station at Keesler AFB in Biloxi for 8 months in 1971 and lived off-base in Gulfport. Hurricane Camile had devastated that area in Dec of 1969. Each squadron rotated clean-up detail even then, a year and a half later, and of course the newest to report got the duty. Two weeks! Because of a transfer in curriculum I ended up in 2 different squadrons during my time there and therefore had the detail twice.

One month of my life in 1971 was spent cleaning up from a hurricane that had struck 18 months previously. I still can only imagine what horror the victims faced then, and are facing now.

God help them.

I saw Russia offer assistance. It was scrolling across CNBC around lunchtime when I was in the eatery at school today.

I heard last night that the Saudi's have offered to help, to what extent, it wasn't clear; and specifically, it was mentioned that it was unclear if OPEC would do anything with more crude headed our way.

We have a new thread on ideas for how to help the victims of Katrina (not that the regulars won't already know about the thread...)

http://www.herald-mail.com/forums/index.php?showforum=62

I heard the EPA temporarily eased regulations on gas so the refiners don't have to do the custom blends before shipping it to the different places with the different requirements. This should help to ease dist. problems.

I can see people with nothing to drink or eat "looting" to get some, but ideally the national guard would monitor distribution to prevent hording and payment can be worked out later. But anyone seen carrying TV's, computers, or jewelry, etc. from a store should be given one warning to put it back or be shot on site. This is bull$$$$.

Peacenicks and anti-gunners can laugh, but this is an example of what happens when a few bad apples find a place with no law available and they are the only ones with guns. Sadly, I bet you will hear of armed thugs not only looting stores but "boatjacking", "foodjacking" and maybe even rapes, etc. against unarmed and basically defenseless people. I wouldn't wanna be someone there with a boat or some gas, food, or water stashed for my family and not have the means to defend it.

It is worse than I thought

By ROBERT TANNER, AP National Writer
2 hours, 42 minutes ago



NEW ORLEANS - Managers at the Covenant Home nursing center were prepared to cope with power outages and supply shortages following Hurricane Katrina. They weren't ready for looters.

The nursing home lost its bus after the driver surrendered it to carjackers. Groups of people then drove by the center, shouting to residents, "Get out!"

On Wednesday, 80 residents, most of them in wheelchairs, were evacuated to other nursing homes in the state.

"We had excellent plans. We had enough food for 10 days," said Peggy Hoffman, the home's executive director. "Now we'll have to equip our department heads with guns and teach them how to shoot."

Looters around New Orleans spent another day Wednesday threatening survivors and ransacking stores. Some were desperate for food — others just wanted beer and TVs.

The risk to safety prompted Mayor Ray Nagin to order virtually all the city's 1,500 police officers to leave their search-and-rescue mission and return to the streets to stop the thefts that turned more hostile as the city plunged deeper into chaos.

"They are starting to get closer to heavily populated areas — hotels, hospitals, and we're going to stop it right now," Nagin said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Amid the turmoil Wednesday, thieves commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break the glass of a pharmacy. A crowd stormed the store, carrying out so much ice, water and food that it dropped from their arms as they ran. The street was littered with packages of ramen noodles and other items.

New Orleans' homeland security chief, Terry Ebbert, said looters were breaking into stores all over town and stealing guns. He said there are gangs of armed men moving around the city. At one point, officers stranded on the roof of a hotel were fired at by people on the street.

Authorities said another officer was shot in the head and a looter was wounded in a shootout. Both were expected to survive.

Looters also chased down a state police truck full of food. The New Orleans police chief ran off looters while city officials themselves were commandeering equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.

Tenet Healthcare Corp. said late Wednesday that it would evacuate one of its fully functioning hospitals in Gretna after a supply truck carrying food, water, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals was held up by gunmen. The hospital has about 350 staff members and 125 to 150 patients.

"There are physical threats to safety from roving bands of armed individuals with weapons who are threatening the safety of the hospital," spokesman Steven Campanini said.

In another incident, two officers drew their guns on looters, but the thieves left without incident. One of the officers said he was not going to arrest anyone for snatching up food and water.

"It's really difficult because my opinion of the looting is it started with people running out of food, and you can't really argue with that too much," Nagin said. "Then it escalated to this kind of mass chaos where people are taking electronic stuff and all that."

Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she has asked the White House to send more people to help with evacuations and rescues, thereby freeing up National Guardsmen to stop looters.

An additional 10,000 National Guard troops from across the country began pouring into the Gulf Coast on Wednesday to shore up security, rescue and relief operations. The new units brought the number of troops dedicated to the effort to more than 28,000, in what may be the largest military response to a natural disaster.

"We will restore law and order," Blanco said. "What angers me the most is that disasters like this often bring out the worst in people. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior."

___

Associated Press Writers Kevin McGill and Brett Martel contributed to this report.

Custom blends or not, the problem right now is that both of the pipelines are down due to power outages. At this point it doesn't matter what the EPA says they have to do at the end of the pipeline...

However, from what I heard they should have the pipelines up and running by this weekend. I read something about the offshore oil terminals surviving relatively unscathed. I'm pretty sure the refineries willbe a up and running in a couple of weeks too. So far, all I have heard about are just short-term delays before we'll be back and going at full capacity or nearly so.

Shootings, looting, rapes and carjackings where are the police, aren't they supposed to protect the public.

This should make for a good anti gun pro gun debate.

I heard on the news tonight that there are some police officers from Virginia localities that are going down to N.O. to assist, since it's gotten so out of control.

Police? WTH are the national guard doing to control the looting/crime in N.O.??? I guess the administration in charge of the guard was asleep while the forecast of a Cat 5 hurricane was predicted to hit LA and MS...

Don't you think they would be prepared to react quickly, instead of finally getting troops in 3 days later to control the chaos. Its ridiculous.

GOD help us if we have a 'multi-city' 9-11 event. i have a feeling this country would implode. It makes me think of the Roman Empire and how they fell...

before Katrina & after-
Satellite Imagery of New Orleans

In Iraq.