Curse

Akilles · Aug 30, 2005, 03:28 AM // 03:28

well I am safe, my mother and myself drove to houston which would take 6 hours but this time was 22 hours in traffic....the entire way. We got it very bad but to say mississippi got it worse is hard to imagine, hope you guys did well.

I luckily got net connection in my room so i can chat with ppl and keep in touch. the wall passed right over my area and it is SO unbelivable to see my town on CNN underwater and shredded up. Millions of lives will be turned upside down.

Phone service is unusable as my area code is being flooded with calls i guess, gettig a call out is hard. The national guard will NOT let ppl drive back in so we are stuck out of town. they say at least a week till we get back and even up to 6 months to get water pumped out and a month at least for electricity. This is very hard to deal with....seeing the devestation and not knowing for sure. It still could have been worse.

Guillaume De Sonoma · Aug 30, 2005, 03:56 AM // 03:56

Good luck too any one with a tornado coming your way

dansamy · Aug 30, 2005, 10:01 PM // 22:01

I'm in Mobile, AL. We got hit pretty hard, but not as bad as Biloxi/Gulfport, MS did. We'll be without power for a week or 2. I'm posting from my Treo650. (Sprint PCS + Treo650 ftw!) I'll be back in-game after my power and internet are back up. Saying prayers for those hit harder than we were. Lots of folks are homeless now. They'll need all the help they can get.

Infinitys Ending · Aug 30, 2005, 11:27 PM // 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akilles

well I am safe, my mother and myself drove to houston which would take 6 hours but this time was 22 hours in traffic....the entire way. .

Been watchin the news all night and today. I'm glad to see you posted, was hoping you made the decision to get out. It looks horriffic! I wish there was more I could do. This is the first time I've wanted to volunteer to help clean up in anysituation like this, but don't think I could get the time off work. My prayers are with all who have been struck with the disaster.

Swampgirl Inez · Aug 31, 2005, 01:19 AM // 01:19

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. I was finally able to get information from Plaquemines Parish where the eyewall made landfall near my parent's home. The whole southern half of the parish is several feet under water. My hometown was wiped out, but as far as I know, everyone I knew down there made it out safe.

I'm still praying... for everyone.

ty3c · Aug 31, 2005, 04:02 AM // 04:02

good thing most people left that storm was a horrable event in history.

i hope everyone is safe and alive

but sadly that doesnt always ring true.

Mercury Angel · Aug 31, 2005, 04:03 AM // 04:03

For those not keeping up with the news:

Quote:

New Orleans plunges deeper into chaos and despair
Hurricane death toll and cost expected to rise

By Howard Witt
Tribune senior correspondent
Published August 30, 2005, 10:37 PM CDT

BATON ROUGE, La. -- With the death toll mounting, floodwaters rising, health concerns multiplying and looters racing to grab their fill, New Orleans plunged deeper into chaos and despair Tuesday, one day after Hurricane Katrina pummeled three states along the Gulf Coast and triggered what officials predict will be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

At least 100 people were reported killed in the Mississippi county of Harrison, home to Biloxi and Gulfport, and officials there feared the body count would go much higher still.

Louisiana officials reported the deaths overnight of four infirm or elderly patients who were among more than 15,000 refugees huddled inside the New Orleans Superdome, but many other deaths across the city remained to be counted. One man inside the Superdome reportedly died when he tried to jump from one section to another.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said rescuers were bypassing floating bodies to concentrate on saving the untold numbers of victims still clinging to rooftops more than 24 hours after the killer storm roared through. State and federal rescuers in boats and helicopters pulled more than 3,000 victims to safety on Tuesday and were flying precise search-and-rescue grid patterns over the city to try to find more.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was making unprecedented preparations to house at least 1 million people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama whose houses were damaged or destroyed.

"That figure could even go up," said William Lokey, FEMA's coordinating officer for the disaster. "This whole situation is simply off the scale."

As many as 2 million people across the South were without electricity or fresh water.

Officials said more than 80 percent of metropolitan New Orleans was under water that was 20 feet deep in some places--a problem that grew even more dire early Tuesday when two major levees burst, sending knee-deep floodwaters coursing throughout downtown New Orleans.

A local TV station later quoted Nagin as predicting that the floodwaters could rise to nine feet on St. Charles Avenue, the celebrated route that takes New Orleans streetcars past historic multi-million-dollar mansions.

The Army Corps of Engineers was rushing to figure out how to plug the levees, which normally protect the below-sea-level city from flooding like a giant soup bowl.

The floodwaters in turn forced the urgent evacuation of several downtown hospitals that had been caring for critically ill patients who had been deemed too sick to survive transport out of the city last weekend in advance of the storm.

"Some of these people are in such dire need, no matter what we do with them, they are at risk," said Dr. Jimmy Guidry, the state health officer. "This (evacuation) is stretching all of us beyond what we ever thought we could do. And we're just getting started."

With no electricity, clean water or fresh food inside the downtown core, and unknown numbers of animal carcasses likely floating in the floodwaters, concerns were rising about potential epidemics of dysentery, tetanus, cholera and even snake bites among those still stranded inside the city, which is normally home to 480,000 people.

The filthy floodwaters were lapping at the doors of the Superdome, which itself was becoming a growing health hazard for the refugees inside because of the lack of air conditioning or sanitation.

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said authorities were now making plans to evacuate the thousands of residents and tourists stuck in the Superdome and downtown hotels, after the first round of urgent life-or-death rescues is completed.

Her eyes welling with tears, the governor recounted for reporters a helicopter tour of the devastated area she took on Tuesday. Although her official party landed near the Superdome, Blanco said, floodwaters prevented her from getting close enough to talk to the trapped victims whose despair she could see from afar.

"The first light of day today revealed what we had feared," Blanco said at a news conference. "The devastation is greater than our worst fears. It's just totally overwhelming."

The economic damage was almost unimaginable, but with insured losses alone expected to top $26 billion, officials said Hurricane Katrina is destined to rank as the costliest American natural disaster ever.

Oil prices spiked Tuesday by more than $3, climbing above $70 a barrel, amid uncertainty about the extent of the damage to the Gulf region's refineries and drilling platforms.

Blanco, describing the devastation in metropolitan New Orleans as "endless," said she saw "mile after mile after mile of homes inundated," with only their rooftops visible.

Officials shut down all roads and highways leading into the city, most of which were underwater or destroyed by the hurricane, and pleaded with the hundreds of thousands of displaced residents not to try to return to their flooded neighborhoods. But mounting desperation, or sheer foolishness, drove some of them to attempt to see the damage for themselves.

Some got stuck in the floodwaters and then had to be saved, officials said, distracting rescuers from other victims who urgently needed their help.

"They are going to get stuck, or electrocuted, or bitten by snakes," said Mark Smith, a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security. "We are trying to impress upon people that they simply can't go home right now."

When they might be able to return, officials were not willing to guess, offering only vague predictions of "weeks or months" before all the water could be pumped out and safety assessments completed.

Blanco and Louisiana's two senators promised that, eventually, New Orleans would be rebuilt.

"Slowly, gradually, we will recover; we will survive, we will rebuild," Blanco said.

But mostly the officials sounded stricken by the devastation they had witnessed.

"What I saw today is the equivalent to what I saw flying over the tsunami area in Indonesia," Sen. Mary Landrieu said. "There are places that are no longer there."

Emergency medical teams from across the country rushed to the region and President Bush cut short his vacation by several days and returned to Washington to monitor the government's response to the disaster.

In devastated Biloxi, Miss., the Associated Press reported that areas that were not underwater were littered with tree trunks, downed power lines and chunks of broken concrete. Some buildings were flattened. The floating barge casinos crucial to the coastal economy were in ruins. At least three of them were picked up by the storm surge and carried across the ground, their barnacle-covered hulls sitting up to 200 yards inland.

One of the deadliest spots was Biloxi, where officials estimated some 50 people lost their lives and feared the toll could grow.

"What I'm authorized to say now is we expect the death toll to be higher than anything we've ever seen before," said Jim Pollard, civil defense spokesman for Mississippi's Harrison County, which includes Biloxi and Gulfport. Looting broke out in both New Orleans and Biloxi, where the shattered casinos proved too tempting for looters to resist.

On New Orleans' flooded Canal Street, the AP reported, dozens of looters ripped open the steel gates on clothing and jewelry stores, some packing plastic garbage cans with loot to float down the street.

One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store. "No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store!"

One police officer was shot in the head by a looter in New Orleans, but was expected to recover, according to Sgt. Paul Accardo, a police spokesman.

Not going to post any charity links, this is intended to be purely informative. If you desire to donate, there're plenty of charities pushed to the forefront that a simple search will yield. No need to spam them across every single message board, in my opinion. [which is just mine. After looking at several other message boards and seeing 10+ donation link threads on every page, seeing one free of them is a welcome site. It's not that I don't like charity, it's that I don't like spam.]

On a related note, I'm a broke college student anyway, so I couldn't afford it if I wanted to. I'm definitely considering giving blood, but no matter how old I get, I still hate needles. Hopefully I'll suck it up and get it done. Blood and time are unique gifts that can't be bought with money. Well, they technically can, I suppose, but I mean in the sense that no amount of money can buy you back the time you spend, and blood is mined or grown, either.
Bear in mind, I've clocked in 60 hours of community service volunteering at a local school this year, although not for purely unselfish reasons. Volunteering really does look good on a transcript, and I don't want to be stuck in a low-end community college for longer than I have to. I'm no altruist by far.

As a pre-cursor, please none of those, "Why didn't they get the [GORED ENGINE] out of there before the hurricane hit!?!?!" posts.
The bulk of the people that remained behind were the financially underprivileged, or however politically-correct poor is said these days. They probably wanted to, but just couldn't build up the motivation to hop into their imaginary cars and fly to safety, what with the overwhelming amount of rich people offering rides to the primarily black victims. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the rich people had to cancel and take a rain-check.
Attitudes like those just reek of the "No real people were harmed" sentiments.

Anyway, hope everyone has a good day/night, and if applicable, adds in an extra prayer for the victims. Gas leaks, rising waters, fires, sewage, and rain are compounding to make it a sad night indeed.

And speaking of gas, keep an eye on the gasoline prices. They're predicted to see an incline, and are already above $3 in some places.

Ok, now REALLY, I'm done, before I ramble some more.

Guillaume De Sonoma · Aug 31, 2005, 04:04 AM // 04:04

Man that thing tore the place up. I think you can't even go to or leave with New Orleans

Spartan2 · Aug 31, 2005, 04:13 AM // 04:13

The thing that is the most disparing is the fact that now that all of this carnage has passed, people are starting to loot the wreckage and rubble of the city. New Orleans looks like it may be under martial law for quite a while.

I know of some children that have cousins that are seeking refuge with them in my state, Texas. They are having to sign up to our school district and live with their relatives because they most likely will have nothing to return to because either the storm took it all away or the looters took everything that remained. This is a very sobering event indeed.

Mercury Angel · Aug 31, 2005, 04:29 AM // 04:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spartan2

The thing that is the most disparing is the fact that now that all of this carnage has passed, people are starting to loot the wreckage and rubble of the city. New Orleans looks like it may be under martial law for quite a while.

At THIS point, I don't think it can get much worse, but the carnage has still far from passed.

The water is contaminated, and for the few worldy goods they may get, they'll most likely pay for it with sickness and disease anyway. I hope at least THAT is satisfying enough for the people that want them shot on sight =\
Killing people should only ever be a last resort thing, in my opinion.

As the water encompasses more of the cities past the rooftops of houses, I don't think a brand new X-Box is seem worth it, either. And I don't know what the protocol is, but I'm guessing rescuers taking people to safety probably don't include them in bare essentials for people to carry with them, either.
Jewelry, on the other hand, people will probably be able to conceal and get away with far more easily.

Anyway, it's not really justification, but please bear in mind that most of the remaining people, especially those able to loot (I somehow doubt the elderly and the ill are out there <.<) are the poorest of the city, who were most likely unable to leave the city. It's unfortunate that some feel forced to turn to crime, but people that have never had to live in extreme poverty shouldn't be so quick to judge. As with saying they "got what they deserved for staying behind", it's something you really have to appreciate from their point of view first.
And yes, I acknowledge that the reality isn't ideal. I doubt many of them are Robin Hoods, and I'm sure some of them will blow whatever profit they make off of looting on drugs or other frivolous items. Just saying they wouldn't chose to live a life of poverty if they could, most of the time. A little empathy goes a long way.

And yes, this is from the person that doesn't think the whack-o child rapist/serial killer should be talked of so harshly. You'd have to read the post for the entire reasoning though. Just keep in mind I'm not excusing anyone's behaviour. I'm just trying to establish a little context, so people realize that condemnations of hell and death are a tad rediculous.

Mercury Angel · Aug 31, 2005, 05:42 AM // 05:42

Apologies for the double post, but this is a seperate bit, and another article.

Official: Prisoners Riot, Take Hostages in New Orleans

Quote:

Aug. 30, 2005 — Inmates at a prison in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans have rioted, attempted to escape and are now holding hostages, a prison commissioner told ABC News affiliate WBRZ in Baton Rouge, La.

Orleans Parish Prison Commissioner Oliver Thomas reported the incident to WBRZ.

A deputy at Orleans Parish Prison, his wife and their four children have been taken hostage by rioting prisoners after riding out Hurricane Katrina inside the jail building, according to WBRZ.

Officials are expected to hold a press conference regarding the riots at 9 p.m. ET.

A woman interviewed by WBRZ said her son, a deputy at the prison whose family is among the hostages, told her that many of the prisoners have fashioned homemade weapons. Her son had brought his family there hoping they would be safe during the storm.

Edit:

Quote:

Prison riots

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said late Tuesday that her office hasn't been able to verify reports of a prison riot and hostage-taking at a New Orleans jail.

Orleans Parish Prison Commissioner Oliver Thomas told an ABC News affiliate that inmates at the prison have rioted, attempted to escape and are now holding hostages.

Thomas told WBRZ News in Baton Rouge, La. that a deputy at the prison, his wife and their four children have been taken hostage by rioting prisoners after riding out the hurricane inside the jail building.

Blanco said downed communications systems have made it impossible to confirm the report.

"I do know that this morning we were trying to transfer prisoners form Jefferson (Parish Jail) and Orleans to other state prisons, because there's no electricity, no food," she told CNN.
"I'm not sure exactly what's going on."

So it's actually unconfirmed at this point.

Borealis · Aug 31, 2005, 07:44 AM // 07:44

I've been watching this on the news all day and I'm just in awe if what it did to the south, best wishes to all those down there or who have families down there.

Top if off they keep saying water will rise another 5-6 feet in the next 24 hours o_0

Guillaume De Sonoma · Sep 01, 2005, 06:45 AM // 06:45

Yeah they're taking prisoners adn are looting everything its pretty bad and national gaurd is slow.

Edge Martinez · Sep 01, 2005, 06:53 AM // 06:53

This is terrible. They showed pictures of what used to be Biloxi. I hope you're ok Divinus.