Evacuations halted at Superdome

[dUSt]

Alas, Babylon.

[hierochloe]

[quote name='CatholicAndFanatical' date='Sep 1 2005, 04:37 PM']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.
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A big group of Air Force dudes and dudettes deployed to LA from the installation I work at today. I think (HOPE) in the next 24 hours the scene will change drastically in there. Man the choppers with a sniper or two to aid in the cleanup during the evac I say.

Babylon, indeed.

[Paladin D]

One thing I do not get about this: [b]WHY DIDN'T THE PEOPLE EVACUATE!?[/b] The government was evacuating and urging people to leave, but nooo... we'll just ride this one out. If you live in a city that is below seal level, almost completely surrounded by water, with a category 5 hurricane coming, [b]THEN YOU BETTER TAKE OFF![/b]

Though no doubt some couldn't leave, but many of the people that were there could've found someway to get out. Even if they weren't sure where to go, they still should've gotten out. Because of this, we're spending even more money and resources to help these people.


I can't type today, blah!

[azaelia]

[quote name='Paladin D' date='Sep 1 2005, 07:03 PM']One thing I do not get about this:  [b]WHY DIDN'T THE PEOPLE EVACUATE!?[/b]  The government was evacuating and urging people to leave, but nooo... we'll just ride this one out.  If you live in a city that is below seal level, almost completely surrounded by water, with a category 5 hurricane coming, [b]THEN YOU BETTER TAKE OFF![/b]

Though no doubt some couldn't leave, but many of the people that were there could've found someway to get out.  Even if they weren't sure where to go, they still should've gotten out.  Because of this, we're spending even more money and resources to help these people.
I can't type today, blah!
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I was thinking the same thing.

[Lil Red]

how can poor people with no car, no money to rent a car, or with elderly or handicapped people get out???? there was no way for them to get out! the majority of people are people who didn't just want to "ride out the storm". there was no way for them to leave.

[Paladin D]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='Sep 1 2005, 07:16 PM']how can poor people with no car, no money to rent a car, or with elderly or handicapped people get out???? there was no way for them to get out! the majority of people are people who didn't just want to "ride out the storm". there was no way for them to leave.
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Local law enforcement and (I believe) the National Guard were evacuating people.

[Dreamweaver]

Well, even if local law enforcement/National Guard offered people rides to evacuate, where would they stay? Many have commented that they had no extra money to scrap together to rent a motel room for an unspecified amount of time. Maybe they were worried about their job (nurses and other people who can't really ask for time off). Anyways, when faced with a disaster like this, peoples' judgements are sometimes clouded. Perhaps they thought the storm wouldn't be as bad as it was.

[shelly_freak]

Because they felt this would be like every other hurricane they've ridden out and every hurricane their house has been through. They didn't know it was going to be this bad. How could they? Yes, maybe from where we are it seems stupid but these people are in completely diffrent situations.

[Lounge Daddy]

freaking insanity - thats all that comes to mind when i hear any news from that area

[Norseman82]

[quote name='robguitar' date='Sep 1 2005, 03:49 PM']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.
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This worries me, as my cousin's daughter, who was living in New Orleans and working as a reporter for the Times-Picayune, will be relocating there.

[jmjtina]

I've been evacuated before. We didn't have money for food, or hotels.

They open gyms, schools and have free HOT food. It will be difficult but only those who are able to and can, actually move out. The excuse of no hotels or money for food shouldn't even come into play.

I did know people who didn't and couldn't move. Yes, it's possible to have some who can't move at all and will need help.

There are also some who CANNOT leave due to thier jobs. My friend works for the city and he cannot leave, just like the ambulance people, etc.

but then you have those who choose not to move because they think it's fun or some crazy idea.

It's a sad tragedy that is now filtering into Texas. We had a family register in our school today that fled from New Orleans. The alamodome in HOuston is now full as well I read.

God have mercy on us.

[Ash Wednesday]

One of my closest friend's family came from New Orleans. She was very sad at the prospect of what would happen to the French Quarter. But on the other hand, from other things she has told me, New Orleans has become in general a big dirty ghetto and probably one of the worst places to live in the entire country as far as crime and health are concerned. Not only as far as the terrain is concerned, in many social aspects it sounds like there couldn't have been a worse place to have a hurricane as far as how people would handle it. It is sad really, because New Orleans was one of the places on my list that I had always wanted to visit but hadn't made it yet.

I realize I sound unfair, since I haven't seen the city with my own eyes, but for the most part it's the impression I've gotten.

[Seven77]

Sacred Heart of Jesus be merciful to us

[Birgitta Noel]

There is another thing to remember about people not leaving. Many as has been noted, COULD NOT leave on their own. I won't go into that, the reasons have been posted.

The other thing at play here is that there are a few probs. This is all pre-storm...

1. there is a relatively short window of time in which you have to decide to move folks who can't move themselves, a limited time to get the plan into place and then how do you collect them all? People who can't leave their homes to evacuate, can't get to the superdome to be evacuated.

2. How do you stage such an evacuation without inciting a panic/riot. THere's a reason all the people on the titanic weren't let up on the deck. That doesn't make it right, but it is a consideration. My family lives in Florida and we have heard many times that there was a need for a large scale evacuation, but that it wasn't safe to make it a mandatory. So they'd just "strongly recommend";....

Ok, it's late, I'm not making much sense. Hope y'all can follow that....

Clearly things will be handled differently in the future, but for now....