They Still Have Not Evacuated The Hospitals In NO!!

[leftchick]

This makes me so angry. Where is the cavalry???

<snip>

Charity's backup generator was running out of diesel fuel. Nurses hand-pumped ventilators for patients who couldn't breathe. Doctors canoed supplies in from three nearby hospitals.

"It's like being in a Third World country. We're trying to work without power. Everyone knows we're all in this together. We're just trying to stay alive," said Mitch Handrich, a registered nurse manager at the state's biggest public hospital.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said 2,500 patients would be evacuated from hospitals in Orleans Parish, but it wasn't immediately clear where they would be moved.

Police were working to get more generators to Charity and its 300 patients. The most critically ill would be evacuated first, with the rest to go later this week.

Outside Charity, water was 3 to 4 feet deep in the street. Inside, halls were dark and slippery. Workers ferried supplies up and down darkened stairs. Everyone needed flashlights.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050831/ap_on_re_us/katrina_medical

[Bob3]

1. this might be a silly idea

but in Boston and Philadelphia they use army surplus DUWKS (amphibious trucks that hold about 30 people) for tourist tours around the city and in the water. These sound like they would be ideal for the situation they have in New Orleans now - does anyone know if there are anything like that can be sent to New Orleans?

The sluggishness of the response by the federal government is just awful - they are the only ones with the resources to handle a disaster of this size affecting 3 states and millions of people. RIGHT NOW there should be caravans of trucks with supplies and equipment heading for the area, we are going to have to feed and shelter at least one million people who have either lost their homes or their homes are under water - you don't need to have a high level meeting to figure that out - that's bloody basic. But god forbid * shows the slightest bit of urgency about this. got to get that last bike ride in.

[MADem]

2. The amphibs, each of which have 600 bed hospitals and can actually

accomodate more people who are somewhat ambulatory and who do not require hypercritical care, are ON THE WAY--four of them.

We do not yet have the capability to teleport vessels, a la Star Trek, from point A to point B. They are steaming at 30+ knots. What else can they do?? They have the pedal to the metal...

You cannot evacuate unless you have somewhere to go. The amphibs have helo capability and LCACS for water transport. You have to take these things in stages.

I am not faulting the responders...the policies (wetlands, global warming) that made this situation worse than it needed to be, sure, I will fault those, and those who made those decisions, but the folks who will be stuck delivering the assistance and cleaning up the mess, they have my respect and admiration.

[Bob3]

4. Good to hear - It just seems like too many people in

charge in DC are sitting on their hands waiting for someone to tell them what to do. I could be wrong but that is the impression I'm getting.

[MADem]

10. They aren't

As soon as FEMA asks for NORTHCOM help, everything happens. And I know that the elements that are tapped by NORTHCOM were watching this storm carefully well in advance of any formal directives to provide support, and already making contingency plans.

Now, had chimpy not been eating cake and playing the gee-tar, the order may have gone out sooner...or maybe not, who knows? But the military components jump RIGHT ON IT as quick as they get the word, and most of them were likely two steps ahead of the actual orders.

[leftchick]

7. I don't understand why they did not evacuate them before Katrina hit

They did call a mandatory evacuation didn't they?

[MADem]

9. The people who are still there were either too ill to be moved

...or had nowhere to go in their condition--it's one thing to go home and rest up with your broken legs, another thing to try to get to the Superdome.

They rolled the dice.

Imagine the lawsuits if they moved Aunt Edna, she died, and the hurricane petered out.

Now, those poor medical personnel are sitting there manually bagging the respirator patients. They just have to hang in there until the patients can all be moved.

[leftchick]

11. cnn just showed the Navy Ships leaving VA

they just left. How long will it take for them to get to NO? Are these the military help you were refering to upthread?

[MADem]

12. Which ships? nt

[leftchick]

14. They said they were amphibious somethings

and I did not catch the names of the Ships. There were three I believe. I am sorry I am really bad at the military jargon. :(

I will look for a link.

[MADem]

15. OK, I get ya--those will take three or four days

Bataan was in Texas, though--they should be there pretty quick.

I understand they are also sending USNS vessels, and civilian swift boat teams via C5 from CA.

[leftchick]

17. I found a little more information....

3 0r 4 days? :(

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2005/08/31/build/nation/33-katrina-navy.inc

<snip>

WASHINGTON - The Navy is sending four ships carrying water and other supplies to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, while medical disaster teams and Red Cross workers from across the country converged on the devastated Gulf Coast region.


and this..

<snip>

The Pentagon has sent the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan to the Louisiana coast. The ship's helicopters are being utilized for rescue missions. The ship can produce large quantities of fresh water and is equipped with 600 hospital beds. Several Navy ships are on their way from Norfolk, Va., including a rescue and salvage vessel and the USS Iwo Jima, another amphibious assault ship.

A floating hospital based in Baltimore, the USNS Comfort, is expected to depart for the Gulf coast in a few days.

http://homelandresponse.org/full_story.php?WID=13942

[MADem]

18. The actual speed of those vessels is classified

But you assume something slightly more than thirty knots. If they aren't weighted down with close to 2K USMC and their gear, they can move a bit faster. Also, if they take the Harriers off, that can speed things up too.

Bataan was in TX, so she should be along presently to get things rolling.

COMFORT is a kickass ship--you can do open heart surgery on her...fucking incredible vessel.

[leftchick]

19. USS Shreveport left VA

it seems the other three are on hold until some civilian authority at FEMA gives the okay. wtf?

I love ships. My Dad was in the Navy for 6 years on a destroyer in WWII. I have visited a few on the east coast and am amazed at the cities on the water! I am claustrophobic and could never sleep in those bunks.

[MADem]

20. They might want to send them where they send the people

If they put the people in Houston for further transfer to other, for want of a better word, "refugee" sites, it makes sense to station the vessels offshore from where the people will congregate. I'm guessing they are still sorting out where the people will go, and I suspect that is where the delay is coming from.

Bataan, near as I know, is already enroute. COMFORT should be placed near the largest refugee camp, as it has the greatest med capability.

[Stewie]

16. A lot of people didn't want to leave

I grew up in hurricane country, and we NEVER left, even when Category 4s were coming at us. We were more worried about getting killed on the roads or being robbed blind once we left, all for a hurricane that may never hit and usually peters out once it gets close to shore. The worst we ever had happen was a massive magnolia scraping off part of the roof and nearly killing a horse.

[Hugin]

3. "Where is the cavalry???"

Umm... Iraq?

Only a guess.

[leftchick]

6. I know

I was being sarcastic. I heard a survivor in Biloxi say it this morning.

[Hugin]

8. I was being sarcastic too.. ;)

The *best* idea I've heard so far was sending some cruise ships
to float those people out.

Wouldn't that be great!

:no-sarcasm:

[seabeyond]

5. i heard, one hospital had like 20? helicopters sent, has landing on

roof and has been sending out since last night. was doing thru night. only two-3 people per helicopter. every twenty minutes

another hospital i heard desperation. what the fuck are you guys doing. get us out. late last night

[theboss]

13. Hospitals usually have one helo pad if any

The waters too shallow for any large boats.

So...what do you do?