Re: Thoughts and Prayers for those targeted by Hurricane Katrina

**Rampage** · 08-30-2005, 10:36 AM

Here's the numbers reported by Southern Company (owners of Alabama Power, Mississippi Power, Gulf Power (FL panhandle), Georgia Power and Savannah Electric:

Company Current Peak
Alabama 634,000 NA
Georgia 5,000 10,000
Gulf 78,000 117,000
Mississippi 156,000 156,000
That's as of 8am EDT today.

I lost power last night about 10pm central and it's still off, but the power company says it should be back on by 7pm tonight. Not too bad. Man, that howling wind was some scary stuff.

**Phelan Ward** · 08-30-2005, 12:28 PM

I live in Pensacola, FL and I was without power for about 6 hours. New Orelans will not be habitable for quite some time now. Power isn't essential for the survivors, the real problem will be getting them drinking water. With most of the city underwater (sewage water more than likely) the only drinkable water has to be flown in.

**Wyzcrak** · 08-30-2005, 01:58 PM

New Orleans, where my mother lives (she evacuated to my house), is, to quote the governer of LA, "greater than our worst fears."

Based on what we're hearing here (largely from WWL New Orleans' wonderful live video feed from their make-shift "station" at LSU in Baton Rouge), it looks/sounds like my mother's house is completely flooded, and levees on the Pontchartrain (less than a mile from her house) continue to break today. Waters continue to rise, unexpectedly and unpredictably, in various areas (not all) around the city. We can't know until someone sees her house first hand, but we've read unconfirmed reports that cars in the mall parking lot two blocks from her house were "underwater."

Even if your house is spared, the authorities in Jefferson Parish (in which my mother's house lies) have ordered its residents to not return until 6AM on Monday. With waters continuing to rise, I'm not sure that time boundary won't shift.

Rampant looting is one of the reasons authorities have threatened to arrest anyone they find on the streets in the meantime. 911 grids (in many areas) are down completely. And if your house isn't flooded, it's hard not to stress regardless, wondering if valuables will be stolen or destroyed when you return.

Then there's the sorrow that comes from thinking of your fellow residents who didn't fare as "well" as you did (which, in many cases, is merely measured by having gotten out alive).

Roaming dogs starving for food. Snakes swimming past your ankles and/or chest in the water. Mosquito infestations. Disease. No water (to drink, to bathe, to flush). No power. No food. No medicine. No asthma inhaler. No idea where your brother, who chose to stay in New Orleans, is now. No more fuel for your family's backup generator.

Two deaths have been reported this morning in Slidell: people who orginally and successfully evacuated, were desperate to return to their homes, and died in suddenly rising waters.

ENTERGY says 1,100,000 power outages reported so far (as opposed to 271,000 w/ Cindy).

Some pumps are coming online. Many remain completely submerged.

It really is, in a word, overwhelming.

**perry** · 08-30-2005, 02:49 PM

Yea, it seems much worse than I originally thought now that I've watched more news coverage. It seems like the levees in 'Nawlins heald during the storm but are now having problems keeping up. Mississippi's Gulf coast seems to have been hit especially hard since it was just east of where the eye made landfall. CNN is in Bay St. Louis, Miss, right now. Main street there looks like a warzone.

I watched some poor guy get airlifted off his roof by the Coast Guard last night. He was just wearing his boxers and water was up over the edge of his roof. Talk about losing absolutely everything.

They're now talking about power not being completely restored for months.

Just now I saw something on CNN about the Lousiana National Guard returning home in 8 days. I guess they're being brought back from Iraq to help with the cleanup? Poor guys.

One thing about Americans is that we will persevere and overcome this.

**AzzMan** · 08-30-2005, 02:59 PM

This can't end well, but I still do hope it does...

**perry** · 08-30-2005, 03:44 PM

The Coast Guard (and other rescue people!) are amazing. They say they've helped to rescue 1200 people from Katrina, so far. Right now on CNN they're showing a Coast Guard blackhawk pluck an entire family off of a rooftop.. I think I've seen em bring 6 or 7 people up. The rescue swimmer is down on the rooftop helping to load people in to the basket. The pilot is maintaining a perfect hover and bringing up person after person. Each person has a giant smile on their face -- happy to be alive. And now what looks like a National Guard Huey lowering a crewmember down to rescue a guy.

I didn't want to bring it up, but now that CNN has quoted an official from Mississippi.. this is "our tsunami."

**Wyzcrak** · 08-30-2005, 04:10 PM

Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard says there is no plumbing and the sanitary situation is getting nasty. He told WAFB-TV that he is carrying around a bag for his own human waste.

Jesus, man.

WWL-TV is reporting that they're going to let people into Jefferson Parish beginning Monday ONLY if they can give proof of residency. They'll be allowed in only for a brief time to collect clothing and essentials, after which Jefferson Parish will again ask (insist?) people to leave again for a month.

How awful.

The people in New Orleans are incredible. Soooo many survivors, who, in the same breath, will say they've lost their entire material lives and are "lucky by the grace of God," merely because they and their families are alive.

**Tempus** · 08-30-2005, 04:47 PM

There is nothing to come back to get.. Their lives in NO are over.. They can do nothing but start anew somewhere else. Sad indeed..

**Wyzcrak** · 08-30-2005, 05:00 PM

It makes me really angry to have to read that, but I fear it's true. So many people in that city (and elsewhere in the path) who are as fine as my mother and don't deserve this....

**Wyzcrak** · 08-30-2005, 05:01 PM

Actually, the more I think about it...

... and, while I'm sure lots of people will start anew elsewhere...

... New Orleans is such a proud city. They'll rebuild, and in fine form. It'll just take a long, long time.

**Clorox** · 08-30-2005, 08:40 PM

The Govenor has announced a total evacuation of New Orleans.
Front Page:
http://www.foxnews.com/

**SuperSteve** · 08-30-2005, 10:04 PM

I'm afraid to see the death toll in the end. The whole idea of it scares me, and those people have a hard road ahead of them. My thoughts are with them. I was born in Slidell Louisiana, and my Dad and I were watching the news when the were talking about the collapse of I-10. He drove that to work every day when we lived there, and now, it is in peices.

I lack sympathy for those who are looting for their own good though. To even attempt to benefit from such a horrific tragedy is inhuman in my opinion. Stealing food, drinks and clothing in the places where things have yet to become submerged in water I can completely understand, but some of those people are just stealing to steal.

**SuperSteve** · 08-30-2005, 10:59 PM

I've been watching Foxnews and I saw something on there that really made me angry. They had an Alabama congressman speaking about flying over the city and observing the damage. That is all fine, here is the problem; The name associated with the voice had a (R) next to it. That bothers me. Why? Because it should not matter what political affillation you have right now, if anything, it should be an (A) for American. Every American should have these victims in their thoughts, and leave all that out of things. This is off topic, but very disturbing. It is scary to see our country as divided as it is in such a time of need.

**Ferret** · 08-31-2005, 12:38 AM

Breaking News: Gunmen With AK-47s Fire at New Orleans Police Station

http://www.foxnews.com/

Nevermind the hurricane, nevermind the ignorant looters, but this, this? You've got to be kidding me...

**Ferret** · 08-31-2005, 12:45 AM

Still waiting to see what this latest breaking story is about, but about the looting...

I've been watching Fox News all day and the clips of looting is not only disheartening to see (in the wake of a tragic event as this none the less), but it just makes me lose faith in the human race.

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