The Evacuation

[Benjamin Sipprell]

Originally posted by Alex Lamers
Shepard Smith on Fox News Channel was on Borbon Street live interviewing some hardheaded people. Apparently the bars are full and thousands aren't leaving.

The one guy said that its always overexaggerated and that they lose million in revenue because hurricanes are always hyped.

I guess it always takes one bad storm to wake people up that when theres a warning of this magnitude...they need to evacuate.

...Alex Lamers...

What's great is how news channels are showing traffic pictures from this morning and saying everything is gridlocked ... there's a guy I think on Fox who says he hasn't moved an inch outside of Biloxi ... hype hype

I think what's classic is how news agencies can't agree if the eye passes to the west of NO or to the east of NO is worse ... either way I heard CNN say that over 10 guns now have been confiscated and multiple knives and alcohol from people going into the superdome ... they are also not allowing in any TV's or playstations, etc ... those people are going to be bored and on edge ...

I honestly hope everyone will be okay and no chaos will break out ... fingers are pointing already for the evacuational mess ... eep

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Originally posted by Benjamin Sipprell

What's great is how news channels are showing traffic pictures from this morning and saying everything is gridlocked ... there's a guy I think on Fox who says he hasn't moved an inch outside of Biloxi ... hype hype

Some roads ARE gridlocked. This NOT hype. They had live video from highway 61 just outside New Orleans that is literally gridlocked. Nobody moving. Yes, a lot of the freeway video near NO has shown little traffic, but many of the side roads are gridlocked. I can't imagine why people wouldn't get onto the freeway, but still... Some awesome wave action hitting seawalls on Fox now.

 

[Benjamin Sipprell]

Originally posted by Jeff Snyder+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeff Snyder)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-Benjamin Sipprell

What's great is how news channels are showing traffic pictures from this morning and saying everything is gridlocked ... there's a guy I think on Fox who says he hasn't moved an inch outside of Biloxi ... hype hype

Some roads ARE gridlocked. This NOT hype. They had live video from highway 61 just outside New Orleans that is literally gridlocked. Nobody moving. Yes, a lot of the freeway video near NO has shown little traffic, but many of the side roads are gridlocked. I can't imagine why people wouldn't get onto the freeway, but still... Some awesome wave action hitting seawalls on Fox now.[/b]

You're right ... just checked the traffic cams around Baton Rouge (may need to refresh) and out toward Biloxi MS on I-10 and there is grid lock ... but at least those people are out of the worst path ...

NO-LA site for traffic cameras is slow

 

[Rob_Davis]

Yeah, they stopped the contraflow at 4pm, so it's even slower now.

They're not allowing alcohol in the Superdome, but they are allowing cigarettes, yet smoking is prohibited. Yeah... that's gonna work. :roll:

That place is going to be a powderkeg. If the storm doesn't destroy it, the people might.

 

[MClarkson]

Imagine what the superdome would be like with those guys stuck there for days.

Its starting to look like they may not complete their evac in time.

 

[Rob_Davis]

They said it holds 70k people, but that includes the lower levels which won't be safe. It's a given that they're more than likely going to lose power, turning it into an oven. They're going to have to literally manage that place like a prison to prevent chaos. I'm not sure they can do it.

 

[Warren Eckels]

People often at their best in disaster

For the 16 months after 9/11, I worked for the Red Cross as a Disaster volunteer and later on the Health and Safety paid staff. The universal experience of disaster workers, at least for the last 25-30 years, is that disasters bring out a lot of altruistic behavior. The National Guard also knows how to keep order should the victims not do so themselves.

This said, there are a lot of ghouls who will prey on the victims, and some victims will become ghouls themselves. Just don't expect much indecorous behavior at the Superdome tonight or tomorrow.

If you would like to help the Red Cross in its work, please dial 1-800-HELP-NOW. If you want to make sure that aid goes to NO, just say so.

 

[Anonymous]

What's great is how news channels are showing traffic pictures from this morning and saying everything is gridlocked ... there's a guy I think on Fox who says he hasn't moved an inch outside of Biloxi ... hype hype

Some roads ARE gridlocked. This NOT hype. They had live video from highway 61 just outside New Orleans that is literally gridlocked. Nobody moving. Yes, a lot of the freeway video near NO has shown little traffic, but many of the side roads are gridlocked. I can't imagine why people wouldn't get onto the freeway, but still... Some awesome wave action hitting seawalls on Fox now.

As a native of the area, Hwy 61 is ALWAYS gridlocked damn neverending construction.

 

[Bill Tabor]

They said it holds 70k people, but that includes the lower levels which won't be safe. It's a given that they're more than likely going to lose power, turning it into an oven. They're going to have to literally manage that place like a prison to prevent chaos. I'm not sure they can do it.

Woah, that's scary. They say if the are floods the area may be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Imagine being stuck in the Superdome, with no electricity. That means after the storm passes it's still August and the sun comes out. The bottom interior section of the dome would still be flooded for a long time. That means it's just an oven baking with no light and no AC!!! This for weeks and weeks?!!! How could they survive?

 

[Robert Dewey]

They said it holds 70k people, but that includes the lower levels which won't be safe. It's a given that they're more than likely going to lose power, turning it into an oven. They're going to have to literally manage that place like a prison to prevent chaos. I'm not sure they can do it.

Woah, that's scary. They say if the are floods the area may be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Imagine being stuck in the Superdome, with no electricity. That means after the storm passes it's still August and the sun comes out. The bottom interior section of the dome would still be flooded for a long time. That means it's just an oven baking with no light and no AC!!! This for weeks and weeks?!!! How could they survive?

Maybe start airlifting people out? Rescue rafts? It would take awhile, but it seems like a good option to me.

 

[Anonymous]

It would be relatively easy to boat people out from there if the city was flooded. Worst case scenario, survivors would only be trapped for a day or so. Also, due to the large amount of offshore oil platforms there commercial helicopters/ heliports are everywhere in the region.

 

[Guest]

Shepard Smith on Fox News Channel was on Borbon Street live interviewing some hardheaded people. Apparently the bars are full and thousands aren't leaving.

The one guy said that its always overexaggerated and that they lose million in revenue because hurricanes are always hyped.

I guess it always takes one bad storm to wake people up that when theres a warning of this magnitude...they need to evacuate.

...Alex Lamers...

Boy, brilliant! This sounds like a bad tv disaster movie where the ignorant politicians are more concerned about the tourist trade than the welfare of the people! All I can say is, I hope these people have nofied their next of kin!

Pete

 

[Tim Vasquez]

A Jefferson Parish (New Orleans) official just reported that 1/3 of the population did not evacuate.

I don't have a source on this but it is somewhat believable.

 

[Shannon Vasquez]

A Jefferson Parish (New Orleans) official just reported that 1/3 of the population did not evacuate.

I don't have a source on this but it is somewhat believable.

I saw it on CNN a few minutes ago, they were talking with him on the phone. Sorry I didn't catch the name/title of the guy.

 

[Rob_Davis]

I have a modestly extensive background in disaster relief. I know that, thankfully, adversity tends to bring out the best in people. But there are always bad seeds. I saw people looting the bodies of the dead at the crash of Delta 191 at DFW Airport in 1985. I saw looting in Wichita Falls in 1979, as well as most large scale disasters I served at. Just as this storm is unprecedented, so are the human factors involved.

Put 14,000 people, a large percentage of them from the lowest socio-economic categories of the most violent city in America, inside a dark, wet, hot, smelly concrete concourse less than 10 acres in diameter with grossly insufficient supplies of water and food. Put them there for a week or more with no chance of immediate rescue and you have all the ingredients for a true "Lord Of The Flies" scenario. How long before those hungry people get restless? How long before the crack addicts, the nicotine addicts, and the alcoholics lose control and become unruly? How long before common thieves simply can't keep their hands off of other peoples belongings? How long before common predators can't keep their hands off of other people?

I wouldn't want to be in that place.