Why the fuck didn't they get those people out of NO?

[flygal]

Pardon my French but I woke up to CNNI this morning seeing people waiting seven hours in line to get into the Superdome. There was no wind - no rain. Now I've flown on C-150's (I'm not sure I have that number right - former Navy wife here) they carried a shit ton of people and several vehicles.

There are several military bases around that could have handled busing and flying out these people. They knew it was going to be bad - why didn't they do something?

Sorry for the rant - I used to live there and seeing what's going to happen to my beloved city is getting to me. And seeing those people line up brought tears.

Shouldn't a president do something more than make a statement from his vacation? I fully expected to see a video clip of him talking this morning - but NO!!!! Asshole - do SOMETHING!

[Lenore]

1. All those cargo jets and stuff are already tied up in Iraq ... n/t

[tservo]

7. You would think that there would be a plan

for mass evacuations.

[expatriot]

10. that is not really true.

I see five or more c-130's on the tarmac of our Marine Corps Air Station (Yuma) all the time. Chinooks (transport choppers) fly in formations of 6+ all the time. Plus state air national gaurds have plenty of c-130's and other transports not in Iraq.

What about the school buses? city buses? UPS, U-Hauls, Fedex, semi-trailers.... what about loading the more healthier ones on freight trains and taking them out of the city to where they could be transported by other means or safer shelters?

[jfern]

2. Poor get fucked

This could be the worst flood for the poor since the 1889 Johnstown flood.

[expatriot]

3. I have bitching about it for like at least 12 hours now................

school buses, city buses, freight trains, military transports(both Marines and state air national gaurds from the lower 48), semi trailers, etc. This is a grave fucking crime that people will pay for if anything happens to those poor souls in the superdome and outside of it still in the city.

[colinmom71]

26. I mentioned to my husband that car dealerships should have...

Handed out or (for a small deposit as security) rented the cars in their inventory for people to evacuate with. Solves two problems...

1) (Most importantly!) People can get the hell out of town who normally wouldn't have had transportation with which to do so.

2) Saves mucho $$$ on their very expensive inventory, which normally gets written off or claimed on insurance as flooded. This can save the dealer *and* their insurer money. They may even later get a few sales out of those cars to evacuees (who enjoyed or found a purpose for the vehicle while they had it) rather than having to junk them due to flood.


But yeah, the state of LA and the municipal authorities of NO perhaps could have been a little more proactive in sequestering more transport to get the citizenry to safety. We'll likely know more once the figurative "dust has cleared" on what could be improved in NO's evacuation plan.

But I also give them kudos for coming up with a "check-point" system for transporting city residents who couldn't get out from official shelters (elementary schools, etc.) to the Superdome for shelter. Based on what I've seen on the news, they've done the best they were able considering how fast this storm turned on NO.

[KeepItReal]

4. There was a mandatory evacuation, but folks still didn't roll out

For all kinds of reasons.

I've heard mayors of towns say between 10-20% of residents are riding out the storm in the New Orleans area.

Emergency services are not gonna even function until *after* the storm is past. I hope those people can fend for themselves for the next 24 hours or so.

[tulsakatz]

13. so do I!

I work for a car rental company. Today I talked to a lady who has one of our cars, when she told me she was still in New Orleans, I thought.....why are you still there!! You should leave!! But it was her choice to stay.

I do hope these people will be ok. New Orleans is surrounded by water and swamps. If it's as bad as it looks, this could do a lot of damage to the city and it's people. I really hope it's not as bad as it looks but at this point, I don't know how it could be anything but a disaster. I would hate to see this kind of destruction to such a historical city.

[KeepItReal]

16. All I can say is we fled N.O. from lesser storms when I was there.

This is one that folks shouldn't test.

[Lorien]

18. It happens all the time here in Florida

tourists think it will be "cool" to be in an honest-to-goodness hurricane, so they hang out on the beaches and get drunk in our bars while the locals board up and evacuate. It really, really pisses me off. Once the storms hits, there's no one to help them, and once it's over the emergency services are taxed to the breaking point with those who COULD NOT leave, yet these thrill seeking tourists (and often new locals as well) demand that THEY receive emergency supplies and aid-when they had ample opportunities to leave!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Would you like a week?

rule of thumb is 72 hours, but this looks more like a week

[KeepItReal]

19. I'm referring to the time for the storm itsself to pass, not the waters

That is a whole 'nother issue.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. I am referring to the actual EMS response,

I used to do Emergency work, and just from looking at it, it does look like it will take them a week to get anything meaningful going. More if any stashes of equipment and emergency gear is lost.

[jsamuel]

5. i know, there are like 10-20 threads asking the same thing

[bribri16]

6. But it really is no one's "fault" Not enough time to know about a

direct hit and get those folks out AND besides the ones who didn't have any way to get out thousands "chose" to stay.

[jsamuel]

9. there has been plunty of time since the 1960's to plan for poor people

without cars. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out these people will not be able to get out without public transportation.

[Lorien]

21. Hell, I've evacuated with only ten hours to spare

and I drove 1,200 miles to get to a family member's home where I could stay for two weeks. I met many kind souls along the way who helped and even fed me so that I could afford the trip. IMHO, the government had ample time to evacuate thousands, but they either chose not to or were too disorganized to do it.

[orleans]

8. a little while ago the cnn woman reporting from NO said

there were -- (something like) -- a quarter of residents without cars and i think she might have said around 90,000 people without cars and the mayor chose not to run the busses to get everyone out of dodge.

anyone know why he didn't bother using the busses to evacuate?

[wli]

11. rethugs defunded emergency management for dem voting districts

one
two
three

And thus the scheme of Bushler's Reich is known.

[NYC]

20. Everyone should read those 3 links you provided.

Thank you.

[DemInDistress]

27. good find....

and thanks for posting...ONE TWO AND THREE...I urge other DUer's to read about the erosion of FEMA.I found it amusing Bush allowed FEMA to keep its name...

[wli]

28. I kicked off a dedicated thread, and it's got a new 4th link sent in n/t

[Corgigal]

12. No shit

I was freaking out around 2 o'clock this afternoon thinking about why no humanitarian airlift. While I went out to get errands done my hubby called around He called the Mayors office first, then unto the Emergency Operations Center, then to FEMA.

The Emergency Operations center thought that this would cause a run on the airport but wanted him to call FEMA. FEMA mentioned they don't have enough airplanes in the US to assist the population. HINT, HINT.

Hubby then called CNN and spoke to someone who couldn't believe FEMA's response. They asked him to send an email with the names of the people he spoke to, which he did. CNN is also worried about the SuperDome and said the local govt will put 70,000 people in there.

I personally still think it's Bull Shit that this country couldn't have done a humanitarian airlift. This country and it's govt should hang it's head in shame.

By the way I was in the USAF. I know they must have a bunch of c130's around for god sakes.

[freeplessinseattle]

14. Kudos to him, this needs to get out there! it's an outrage! n/t

[Hello_Kitty]

23. "they don't have enough airplanes in the US to assist the population"

The FUCK they don't! How many flights are taking place in this country at any given time? There are military cargo and personnel aircraft and commercial aircraft. Cancel some fucking regular flights and RE-DIRECT them. "Run on the airport" my ass. It could be done in a quick, organized, and coordinated manner. They've known this storm was coming for days. People are going to die FOR NO REASON!!! :nuke: :banghead: :grr:

[Corgigal]

24. No Lie Friend

That is what they told him. I could get you a name tomorrow. I don't want to wake the husband up but he did contact FEMA in Washington. All the information was send to CNN, at their request, lets see if it's ever brought up again.

[Hello_Kitty]

25. Thanks to you both for doing the checking

I can't believe the callousness displayed.

Well...actually I can...:cry:

[ladjf]

29. Civilian airliners could have been commandeered quickly.

[autorank]

15. Somebody said all politics in America boils down to race.

I think that's true, used to think it was economic class but the poor are split by race-baiting tactics...so, that's it from me.

[tx_dem41]

30. Excuse me, but what you are proposing is a logistical impossibility...

It had to be done in about an 18 hour window. In that time, you have to fly at least 100 planes (which don't even exist). You have to figure out how to transport 100,000 people to bases (there are two of them...not "several".) Both of these bases are accessible by one one road each that were clogged for the last 36 hours.

What I find even more upsetting, being from New Orleans myself and having loved ones there at this very second, is that this forum has decided to play politics with this situation when people's lives/property hang in the balance.

[Lars39]

32. People are paid big bucks to make evacuation plans,

to train organizers, and to train the citizens.
Gutting and privatizing programs has led to this fiasco.

[tx_dem41]

33. You're right.....and those local officials have done an amazing job....

my hat's are off to them. Looks like that hard work paid off. After past evacuations in the 90s had problems, it looks like the local and state officials have been doing their homework.

[Lars39]

34. An amazing job herding the poor elderly and frail into a sports arena.

NOLA should be a ghost town right now.

[tx_dem41]

35. The use of the Dome is a great idea.

Its in one of the higher points in the city. The structure of it (entrances to the Dome being 25-30 feet above street level) makes it almost impossible to flood. And, the fact that they were able to transport 35,000 people there in about 6 hours? Amazing.

Now, if you want to bitch about past evacuations, the ones in the 90s were botched.

[Lars39]

36. Remains to be seen whether it was a good idea or not.

Gambling with people's lives in this way is disgusting.

[tx_dem41]

37. I believe that gamble is paying off as we speak.

Waterwise, they are in a great situation to avoid flooding. At some point, shipping people to an evacuation area when you can't predict the path of the storm is a gamble as well. My guess is that many people "evacuated" themselves into more trouble.

[Bridget Burke]

38. Many of the special needs refugees have been moved to Baton Rouge

Houston's KHOU has been broadcasting WWL (another CBS station) on one of its "extra" digital channels. WWL is now broadcasting from Baton Rouge--New Orleans is too dangerous.

Many sick, old, etc. were moved by bus & ambulance from the Superdome to facilities in Baton Rouge. Lots of volunteer medical personnel are helping.

[Lars39]

39. Good.

[Blaq Dem]

31. Those are the people the Bush Cult hate and want dead.

The Bush Cult can careless if they have food and medical care to survive. The hurricane is just another blessing to them.

[tjdee]

40. He did do something--he cut NO disaster funding by 70 mil last year.

:grr: