The Mayor of New Orleans just said on MSNBC that

[LiberalArkie]

25% of the US's oil comes through New Orleans

[barbaraann]

1. My tin foil hat is too tight--it's giving me a headache.

I feel like my head might explode.

[KyndCulture]

5. that's an understament.... I can't get my tinfoil hat to come off today.

dammit..

[barbaraann]

11. Maybe "oiling" our hats would help.

n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

12. I feel that way too

:crazy:

[Bok_Tukalo]

2. I'm filling up in about an hour

<ope>

[rodeodance]

3. an AP story a bit ago said oil cut by 1/3 already cause of this.

think it was AP.

[NYC]

4. There was information regarding that

in a thread last night, but it was one of the very long hurricane threads. I'm on dial up so I won't go find it for you. Sorry.

If I come across other related information, I'll post it here.

Welcome to DU.

[Karenina]

9. Nobody knew how much oil and gas distribution

is centered in the area... Nothing to see here. :eyes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1732375

And WHO would have EVER expected the "big one" to hit NO, otherwise someone would surely have drawn up plans... :grr:

Nothing to see on Barbaraann's thread here either...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4480507

[Karenina]

17. Never could have imagined...

Babylonsister posted this on another thread.

23. This article bears repeating:

THE BIG ONE
A major hurricane could decimate the region, but flooding from even a moderate storm could kill thousands. It's just a matter of time.

"A catastrophic hurricane represents 10 or 15 atomic bombs in terms of the energy it releases. Think about it. New York lost two big buildings. Multiply that by 10 or 20 or 30 in the area impacted and the people lost, and we know what could happen."

Joseph Suhayda
LSU Engineer


By Mark Schleifstein and John McQuaid
Staff writers

The line of splintered planks, trash and seaweed scattered along the slope of New Orleans' lakefront levees on Hayne Boulevard in late September 1998 marked more than just the wake of Hurricane Georges. It measured the slender margin separating the city from mass destruction.

The debris, largely the remains of about 70 camps smashed by the waves of a storm surge more than 7 feet above sea level, showed that Georges, a Category 2 storm that only grazed New Orleans, had pushed waves to within a foot of the top of the levees. A stronger storm on a slightly different course -- such as the path Georges was on just 16 hours before landfall -- could have realized emergency officials' worst-case scenario: hundreds of billions of gallons of lake water pouring over the levees into an area averaging 5 feet below sea level with no natural means of drainage.

That would turn the city and the east bank of Jefferson Parish into a lake as much as 30 feet deep, fouled with chemicals and waste from ruined septic systems, businesses and homes. Such a flood could trap hundreds of thousands of people in buildings and in vehicles. At the same time, high winds and tornadoes would tear at everything left standing. Between 25,000 and 100,000 people would die, said John Clizbe, national vice president for disaster services with the American Red Cross.

"A catastrophic hurricane represents 10 or 15 atomic bombs in terms of the energy it releases," said Joseph Suhayda, a Louisiana State University engineer who is studying ways to limit hurricane damage in the New Orleans area. "Think about it. New York lost two big buildings. Multiply that by 10 or 20 or 30 in the area impacted and the people lost, and we know what could happen."

Hundreds of thousands would be left homeless, and it would take months to dry out the area and begin to make it livable. But there wouldn't be much for residents to come home to. The local economy would be in ruins.

The scene has been played out for years in computer models and emergency-operations simulations. Officials at the local, state and national level are convinced the risk is genuine and are devising plans for alleviating the aftermath of a disaster that could leave the city uninhabitable for six months or more. The Army Corps of Engineers has begun a study to see whether the levees should be raised to counter the threat. But officials say that right now, nothing can stop "the big one."

Much more at:

http://www.nola.com/washingaway/thebigone_1.html

[NYC]

18. Category 2 within a foot of the levee in 1998.

...a Category 2 storm that only grazed New Orleans, had pushed waves to within a foot of the top of the levees...

But officials say that right now, nothing can stop "the big one."

Poor New Orleans. It is just a matter of luck.

[tulsakatz]

6. I'm glad I filled up......

....a couple of days ago. It sounds like gas prices will go up.......again!!

[ohio_liberal]

10. I just sent my son out to do it an hour ago....

I'm fairly confident that gas prices will jump significantly in the next day or so.

[ThomWV]

7. Its Probably More Than That

But whats more important is the Natural Gas that comes up through t the Henry Hub.

[FreedomAngel82]

15. Winter is going to be tough

[ohio_liberal]

8. Get ready for higher gas prices

There's already been much speculation here locally and also on this board that gas prices will make a jump Monday. Best to fill up today.

[Carni]

13. Is that guy laid back or what???? Damn-

I just listened to him and his calm was truly amazing...he was even able to joke around. What is that guy's secret?

[bribri16]

14. He said 25% of "domestic production" comes for NO. That's a huge

difference from 25% of all our oil.

[seabeyond]

16. yes. just posted a thread on filling up vehicles. like a universal thing

not only the decadence that robertson will say devastation from the evil of that town, but now the refineries, (lots of oil works in that area), with bush and his greed.

gods wrath, i ask you

against the decadence or greed

wink

[Maiden England]

19. Don't forget the decimation of production platforms

Right now there is no production in the gulf, its all shut down and evacuated. Most rigs will be destroyed, or severely damaged by a Cat 5, which means US gulf oil production will be suspended for months. The Loop is right in the line of fire down at Port Fourchon - a main hub for the bringing oil into the US. If that is damaged, it gets even worse.

Its going to take millions, if not billions to put it all back together, and I guarantee you, that won't come out of the oil companies profit margin - its going to come from rises at the pump.

[Imagevision]

20. geeez! I hope New Jersey doesn't get a hurricane!

http://downingstreetmemo.com/

[PurityOfEssence]

21. The great depression was largely triggered by a drought...

...maybe this one will start with a flood.

Insurance costs could be astronomical, too. I hope it somehow changes its path or something; this is just what's been feared so long for that city.

Good luck out there.