Evacuations halted at Superdome

[Lil Red]

Evacuations halted at Superdome after shots fired at helicopters
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS - The evacuation of hurricane refugees from the Superdome was suspended Thursday after shots were fired at a military helicopter, an ambulance official overseeing the operation said. No immediate injuries were reported.

"We have suspended operations until they gain control of the Superdome," said Richard Zeuschlag, head of Acadian Ambulance, which was handling the evacuation of sick and injured people from the Superdome.

He said that military would not fly out of the Superdome either because of the gunfire and that the National Guard told him that it was sending 100 military police officers to gain control.

"That's not enough," Zeuschlag. "We need a thousand."

He said that shots were fired at a military helicopter over the Superdome before daybreak.

He also said that during the night, when a medical evacuation helicopter tried to land at a hospital in the outlying town of Kenner, the pilot reported that 100 people were on the landing pad, and some of them had guns.

"He was frightened and would not land," Zeuschlag.

He said medics were calling him and crying for help because they were so scared of people with guns at the Superdome.

[Norseman82]

This reminds me so much of the movie "Escape from LA" - and after typing this I just realized the double meaning of that abbreviation.

[CatholicAndFanatical]

*sigh*

why on earth are people doing this?

You know whats sad? we can raid the beach of normandy, Iraq, veitnam and other foreign countries better than we are New Orleans.

They say 15,000 troops are on the way to help. Honestly how long does it take for them to get there?

Im not meaning to sound harsh..It just tears me up to know that there are, at this moment, people still in their attic, or on a roof..there for days without food or water...even KIDS..and because of the looters and idiots there, they call off the search and rescue.

Let the National Guard to their job and take out the thugs who are threatening everyone else.

They can defintly do whats needed within a day or so..but its been more than two days now.

Ok, for instance the tsunami that hit recently. The amount of manpower that was sent out from the US to them was enormous..Im not seeing that here.

Again, I know there are people there doing what they can and alot of help is there..I just dont see why they are letting a few punks stop the help.

Oh yea, I read that the buses that were suppose to take the people to Houston Dome, were being stolen by the people they were saving and driving off. The bus drivers were thrown out and only a few people got on.

evil..pure evil.

[curtins]

It sickens me that people can't pull together after a disaster like this. That they can't help each other out instead of being selfish and go robbing stores just cause they won't get caught.

[Lil Red]

it is very evil what is happening and the devil is loving every minute of it.

we need to pray and sacrifice for america right now.

[CatholicAndFanatical]

I see someone finally came out and spoke exactly what I was just saying:

FROM MSNBC.COM

NBC, MSNBC and news services
Updated: 3:05 p.m. ET Sept. 1, 2005
NEW ORLEANS - Thousands of desperate, stranded residents begged for help Thursday as conditions deteriorated here, with heavy rain compounding a tense situation that led to fights, fires and fears for the safety of emergency responders.

Officials said thousands more National Guardsmen were being sent to the city, and Congress planned a special session Thursday night to approve emergency aid. But across the city, residents complained that aid was not arriving and a local official blamed the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“This is a national disgrace,” said Terry Ebbert, head of New Orleans’ emergency operations. “FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control,” Ebbert said. “We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims but we can’t bail out the city of New Orleans."

"We have got a mayor who has been pushing and asking but we’re not getting supplies.”
He said the evacuation was almost entirely a Louisiana operation. “This is not a FEMA operation. I haven’t seen a single FEMA guy.”
“This is a desperate SOS,” Mayor Ray Nagin said in a statement made available to CNN. “Right now we are out of resources at the convention center and don’t anticipate enough buses. Currently the convention center is unsanitary and unsafe and we are running out of supplies for 15,000 to 25,000 people.”
Outside the center, people complained that they were evacuated, taken to the convention hall by bus, dropped off and given nothing.

“We are out here like pure animals. We don’t have help,” said the Rev. Isaac Clark, 68.

People there, some holding crying babies or elderly barely able to stand up, shouted for help as TV news crews passed by.

Doctors at two desperately crippled hospitals with 360 patients called The Associated Press pleading for rescue, saying they were nearly out of food and power and had been forced to move patients to higher floors to escape looters.

“We have been trying to call the mayor’s office, we have been trying to call the governor’s office. ... We have tried to use any inside pressure we can. We are turning to you. Please help us,” said Dr. Norman McSwain, chief of trauma surgery at Charity Hospital.

Other parts of the city saw similar desperation. “We need help,” Polly Boudreaux, clerk of the St. Bernard Parish Council, told WAFB-TV in a phone interview in which she broke down crying.

“We're just been absolutely devastated,” she said, and many residents still need to be rescued.

Little outside aid has reached the parish, she added. “We are not seeing it.”

While most stranded residents were orderly, police warned reporters to be careful given the desperation.

“We were told don't drink or eat in public as it could lead to a mob situation,” NBC's Michelle Hofland said. “We were told that by sundown to get out of here.”

Federal rescue workers were pulled back from some areas of the city where gunfire was heard or reported, a Department of Homeland Security official told NBC News.

“Hospitals are trying to evacuate,” said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesan, spokesman at the city emergency operations center. “At every one of them, there are reports that as the helicopters come in people are shooting at them. There are people just taking potshots at police and at helicopters, telling them, “You better come get my family.”

Police Capt. Ernie Demmo said a National Guard military policeman was shot in the leg as the two scuffled for the MP’s rifle. The man was arrested.

“These are good people. These are just scared people,” Demmo said.

Superdome airlift suspended
The situation at the Superdome, where thousands of people were being evacuated by bus to the Houston Astrodome, also deteriorated. Paramedics were alarmed by the sight of people with guns.

A crowd broke through a line of National Guardsmen and were stopped by 19 heavily armed state policemen, all in Kevlar vests.

State police Officer K.W. Miller told a reporter, “You better move to the back. This is ready to break. We’ve been here since 6 a.m. and this is getting worse and worse.”

“There’s so many people there. It’s a desperate situation with no air conditioning and no water,” added Louisiana National Guard Lt. Col. Pete Schneider.

Fights broke out. A fire erupted in a trash chute inside the dome, but a National Guard commander said it did not affect the evacuation.

An air ambulance service official said helicopter transfers of the sick and injured were suspended after report of a helicopter being fired on overnight.

Able-bodied evacuees were still being moved by bus to Houston's Astrodome, the National Guard said, correcting a Guard official who said that operation was on hold as well.

Texas on Thursday announced that it would house 25,000 more evacuees in San Antonio.

[Lil Red]

all those poor people!

[hierochloe]

Never underestimate the capacity of people to truly be animals...

[shelly_freak]

What's the quote? Something about hard times trying men's souls. That's exactly what we're seeing. This is like a test of American morals and as you can see they aren't so great. It shows you how corrupt some people are. Complete corruption.

I like what my youth minister said at Dachau...in order to do such evil you have to completely turn your back on God and when you do you open yourself up to the devil and he just totally consumes you.


At the same time we can't forget the brave and courageous who are risking their lives to save and help others in the same situation as them. And I don't mean just Red Cross and other volunteers but for example a 14 year old boy who demanded they take up all the women children and elderly to safety before taking him.

[Christie_M]

[quote name='Norseman82' date='Sep 1 2005, 10:40 AM']This reminds me so much of  the movie "Escape from LA" - and after typing this I just realized the double meaning of that abbreviation.
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[/quote]
LA..or Los Angeles

[robguitar]

I live in Baton Rouge. Unfortunatley, East Baton Rouge Parish has been pushed to the limit as Baton Rouge is now the largest city in LA. I'm all for helping out the vicitms, waiting in long lines to buy gas (when you can find it) and food, because I know it's temporary. Our population has almost doubled in 3 days.

What scares me is that even with Marshall Law declared in N.O., the looters and gangs are running around free. As some of them are relocated here, it's getting hard for police to keep order in Baton Rouge. If the looters were just taking food and water, I wouldn't blame them. But when you take beer, cigars, electronics, and cars, that is pathetic.

There are a lot of rumors on the talk radio stations here of carjackings, gunfire, and a WalMart being looted. My boss has a gun on his desk right now and we have the doors locked. He's shown me how to use the other one that is on mine. We're open, but our power is from a generator.

I've got mixed feelings for what I can tolerate and where the line is crossed regarding my safety.

[Dreamweaver]

Prayers for all the police and military personnel in New Orleans, may they be able to safetly rescue and evacuate people without fear from looters.

Well, now I know what happens when Americans are placed in a natural state. I'm sure that the majority of people are good and a bit frustrated and stressed, but its the rotten minority which ruins everything. I've read news stories about elderly people dying in the evacuation points and not being able to receive medical help. Wow...that and shooting at a military helicopter at a hospital....

[robguitar]

Check out [url="http://www.nola.com"]NOLA Webpage[/url].

This morning I read about an elderly man who had died in a chair and young children playing around his body.

Chaos.

[FlyLikeABird]

Many prayers! :prayer:

[quote name='Norseman82' date='Sep 1 2005, 10:40 AM']This reminds me so much of  the movie "Escape from LA" - and after typing this I just realized the double meaning of that abbreviation.
[right][snapback]707447[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]


[quote name='Christie_M' date='Sep 1 2005, 02:01 PM']LA..or Los Angeles
[right][snapback]707618[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]
LA or Los Alamos?

[CatholicAndFanatical]

A few hours ago I read on fox news that they are sending 10,000 National Guards to New Orleans..

This was at 2:00pm today (Thursday).....

lets see how long it takes them to get there.