Katrina, Category 5 Hurricane

[mirror]

Experts expect Katrina to turn New Orleans into Atlantis, leaving up to 1 million homeless

"We're talking about in essence having - in the continental United States - having a refugee camp of a million people," van Heerden said.

Aside from Hurricane Andrew, which struck Miami in 1992, forecasters have no experience with Category 5 hurricanes hitting densely populated areas.

"Hurricanes rarely sustain such extreme winds for much time. However we see no obvious large-scale effects to cause a substantial weakening the system and it is expected that the hurricane will be of Category 4 or 5 intensity when it reaches the coast," National Hurricane Center meteorologist Richard Pasch said.

Sure am glad that I have already had an opportunity to visit the Big Easy - it may never be the same again!

Apparently Canadian Red Cross workers are already there to assist.

[mirror]

This definitely does not look good. Did you see the stream of traffic heading out of New orleans this evening? It must be terrible to have to leave your home like that, and not knowing what kind of condition it is going to be like upon your return.

Canada with its huge land mass is quite fortunate that it has been spared a lot of the serious weather problems that regularly occurs around our planet.

Hurricane Katrina

[B. Max]

If this storm does everything they say it likely will, it might very well be the end of new orleans and the birth of lake new orleans. All the dikes they've built will now hold the water in. Anyone who stayed could be trapped.

[SirSpanky]

It was amazing to watch the radar pictures of it. It took up like a third to a half of the gulf of Mexico. They said its the third worst storm to hit the southern US. Scary

[cybercoma]

Hurricane Camille 1969 was a Cat. 5

[August1991]

As Katrina pummels the northern Gulf Coast, a massive logistics effort is launching across the United States. From phone calls recruiting volunteers to moving truckloads of supplies, federal agencies and private organizations are preparing to clean up the disaster Katrina is expected to leave in her wake.

CBS

Is anyone from around the world offering any assistance? It's not really required because the US people are prepared for this type of thing on their own, more or less.

I note too that the perception of US governments as being mean, neo-con, fend-for-yourself is belied by the basic humanity of people, and the way this has been organized.

The US governments work alot better than the governments surrounding the Indian Ocean which faced a tsunami, and arguably better than our own governments which faced an iced storm.

[Riverwind]

The US governments work alot better than the governments surrounding the Indian Ocean which faced a tsunami, and arguably better than our own governments which faced an iced storm.

This is the kind of comment that prompted Mirror to accuse you of always being negative on Canada. You have no basis to make a statement that the co-ordinated response of the Canadian gov't to the ice storm was worse than the US response to the hurricanes since you are not down in New Orleans experiencing it and seeing first hand where the problems are. And even if it can be shown that that the Canadian gov't response was lacking, the ice storm was a once-in-a-century event that cannot be compared to a major hurricane which seems to roll through the southern US several times a year.

[Guest eureka]

I have a nephew who teaches Geochemistry at an American University. His wife teaches geophysics at the same school

The wife teaches a course on Natural Disasters: Tsunamis', Hurricanes, Earthquakes and so on. She had said, at the time of the Tsunami that the US is not prepared for an event like this. It may have all the emergency response facilities but cities in likely paths are not constructed to adequate standards; and that there are not the facilities to shelter people.

We are seeing that now.

[kimmy]

The New Orleans police and public officials seem to have done heroic work over the past 24 hours. One can only imagine how many lives were saved by opening the Superdome and bringing in the poor and others who didn't have anywhere else to go or any way to get out of town.

In response to August's comment about the ice storm, I think we'll have to wait and see. The shortcomings in the response to the ice storm weren't apparent right away. It wasn't the immediate response that was lacking, it was the length of time it took to get power restored in some areas. We won't know how the response in Lousiana compares until the process of dealing with the aftermath begins. I have heard that up to 80% of homes in the city may have been destroyed. And that the flooding will mix with sewage and contaminate large areas of the city and leave them uninhabitable for potentially months. As with the ice storm, the response to Katrina will be judged in the long-run on how efficiently operations restore life to normal. It could take a very long time.

-k

[mirror]

Apparently Canadian Red Cross workers are already there to assist.

[August1991]

This is the kind of comment that prompted Mirror to accuse you of always being negative on Canada. You have no basis to make a statement that the co-ordinated response of the Canadian gov't to the ice storm was worse than the US response to the hurricanes since you are not down in New Orleans experiencing it and seeing first hand where the problems are.

I suppose I was being a "troll" - posting with the sole purpose of provoking controversy. I guess I was bored.

But I am irritated when some Canadians portray the US as a crude jungle where no one gives a damn about anyone else while Canada is a warm home where our governments take care of us.

In response to August's comment about the ice storm, I think we'll have to wait and see.

So true.

[mirror]

Canada is going to be impacted by Katrina, even out here in Canada's rainforest which has not seen much rain this summer by-the-way. We are probably going to be paying higher gas prices at the pumps because of the devestation, and could deliver a shock to the Norh American economy.

[B. Max]

I'm surprised someone hasn't blamed it on bush.

[Black Dog]

I'm surprised Pat Robertson hasn't blamed it on gays. Again.

[August1991]

I'm surprised Pat Robertson hasn't blamed it on gays. Again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nah, New Orleans has protection...

Has anyone noted how many hurricanes suddenly lessen as they approach Catholic-laden New Orleans -- despite the warm Gulf waters that should cause them to gain strength?

Spirit Daily

[B. Max]

I'm surprised Pat Robertson hasn't blamed it on gays. Again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nah, pat has his sights set on lefty pinko these days.

[mirror]

Rescuers Search for Survivors as Higher Death Tolls Are Feared

According to this NY Times article CNN was reporting looting in New Orleans with NO ONE to stop them. How sick to have this happen during what is a obviously a tragedy of momentous proportions for the people in the Gulf coast region.

[mirror]

Pierre Bourque has a message for Canadians

Bourque: "Now Is Time For Canada To Help !"

A personal message from Pierre: "Folks, you've been following the terribly destructive effect of Hurricane Katrina. Hundreds, likely thousands, of people have died. Hundreds of thousands have been devastated, they've lost everything. Millions have been affected in one way or another. As tragic news pours in from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and elsewhere in the American south, it seems incredible that the Government of Canada and various Provincial Governments have not stepped up to offer aid wherever/however they can. Not a peep, zip. "I don't know, that's not my department, I'm on holidays", joked one Ontario Cabinet minister encountered by Bourque at an Ottawa restaurant early this afternoon. Come again, Mr. "Honourable" ? Is that how his American counterparts reacted when the devastating ice storm wreaked havoc through Ontario and Quebec back in 1998 ? ... Let me be the first in this country to publicly ask the Prime Minister and Provincial Premiers to publicly offer up our collective help. Time to belly up to the bar, boys. Time to pour forth the milk of human kindness. Send in food, send in water cleaning machines, send in our military, send in a couple of hundred 2-seater Sea Doos to help save people from their rooftops ... Whatever you need to do, do it now, do it while it can make a difference, do it while it can save lives ... And one last thing, this a request to my readers, please spread the word, get the message out far and wide, shout it loud, talk to your MP or MPP, call the PMO (613) 992-4211, email the PM, tell your elected official that we need to help and we need to do it now. Thanks, - pierre

[mirror]

"It's downtown Baghdad," said Denise Bollinger, a tourist from Philadelphia, as she watched looting in the French Quarter, the Associated Press reported. "It's insane. . . . I thought this was a sophisticated city. I guess not."

This is unbelievable. Looting is taking place in full view of the Louisiana State Guard and the New Orleans police however it is quite conceivable that a lot of the looting is just people in survival mode. I suppose they have higher priorities such as saving lives, and dealing with the flooding.

Everyone has to leave New Orleans and even the Superdome is going to be evacuated as the water levels are still rising.

[mirror]

This is the most catastrophic destruction ever experienced on US soil.

Some people have blamed this storm on global warming, but I think God is upset with the US, and this is her way of showing Pat Robertson that he should never have made those comments about killing Chavez.

[Renegade]

If you are touched by the devastation that this hurricane has caused and want to help:

American Red Cross (800) HELP NOW (435-7669) English; (800) 257-7575 Spanish

Operation Blessing (800) 436-6348

America's Second Harvest (800) 344-8070

[Montgomery Burns]

I'm surprised someone hasn't blamed it on bush.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Germany's environmental minister already has blamed it on Bush. As has the ultra-popular leftwing site, The Democratic Underground.

This Bush Derangement Syndrome by the left is turning into an epidemic.

[Montgomery Burns]

This is the most catastrophic destruction ever experienced on US soil.

Some people have blamed this storm on global warming, but I think God is upset with the US, and this is her way of showing Pat Robertson that he should never have made those comments about killing Chavez. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's right. Only the "progressives" at Air America are allowed to call for the assassination of world leaders (they've called for Bush's assassination twice - the last time alledgedly earning them a visit from the Secret Service).

And ditto for the UK's Guardian newspaper who also called for Bush's assassination.

[mirror]

Please stop spewing garbage here, eh!

If you are going to make these kind of sicko accusations back them up with links which you obviously left out as they don't exist. The Guardian newpaper is one the English speaking most credible international publications.

[Guest eureka]

What other than sicko accusations would he make? Have you ever seen a post by him on any topic that is not the issue of a fevered mind?