New Orleans
What in the world is going on in New Orleans?
I was listening to NPR on my way home from work today and the reporter stated that The World™ is shocked to discover that the United States can have a war in one of its own cities and not have the federal government step in to help.
Okay. First of all, The World™?? Define that. Who in the world? You're telling me that people in Ethiopia are sitting down around mugs of hot, steamy Starbucks and discussing this? Secondly, how is the federal government not helping?
I called Ohio Dave because I figured he would have more information on the situation than I would since I don't have cable. He informed me that rescue/evacuation helicopters are being called off because people are threatening the pilots with guns. He also said that when the looting started the first places broken into were gun shops.
Then just now I got a "Breaking News" alert from CNN that stated, (and I quote), "New Orleans hospital halts patient evacuations after coming under sniper fire, a doctor who witnessed the incident says." WHAT IS GOING ON??
Please, somebody who has been following the situation, let me know what's happening. The internet is sketchy when it comes to reporting the news and it's hard to get it from the radio as well, as everyone seems to be quite intent upon sensationalizing EVERYTHING. Or maybe they're not sensationalizing anything and maybe it really is as bad as they're saying.
God I hope not.
1 comment:
It's really that bad. It's probably worse.
Every highway out of the city is destroyed except for the one leading west. The French Quarter is ok, but is surrounded on three sides by other districts that are heavily flooded (think 12-15 feet of water). 12,000+ people went to the superdome for shelter during the storm, and were unable to leave because the levy's broke around them and the water was rising... all of the electricity and AC is out, the toilets are broken, and people are crammed in a stadium that is literally covered in piss and shit and vomit and corpses and is about 95 degrees. There are two hospitals downtown containing a total of about 400 people that haven't yet been evacuated, are out of food, and keep raising patients to higher floors and the roof, because the floors below them are filling up with water.
The entire area is underwater. They turned off all running water to the city to force evacuation, but people havent all left. Helicopter pilots can't land, because people are shooting at them with guns. They have no idea how to get out, and are trying to force a rescue of their family, even as the national guard prioritizes. When they DO manage to land and pick up people, they have to figure out where to take them once they are in the air, since there is no organization.
People are angry, running on pure survival instinct, and generally nuts. One guy jumped 50 feet to his death in the superdome because he "had nothing left to live for."
New Orleans and the surrounding areas are GONE. _GONE_. All that is left is a ton of rubble, a few pockets of dry areas full of people, and a ton of people surrounded by 12 foot deep lakes of toxic water sludge.
The people I've seen posting on forums and such after having escaped are not planning on going back. They are looking for shelter and new jobs and homes wherever they ended up.
Just imagine the worst tragedy you can think of for a costal city, and double it, and you might be close.
9/11 didn't really get to me. This horrifies me.
-R
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