It is likely to be weeks before the health consequences of Hurricane Katrina are known. But recent experience with similar natural disasters in the United States suggests that most deaths will have occurred when people trapped in automobiles drowned, that many survivors have minor injuries, and that large-scale outbreaks of disease will not occur.
In particular, epidemics of cholera and typhoid sometimes seen in the developing world when drinking water becomes contaminated are impossible because the microbes are not present in the population.
OK, small favors, cholera and typhoid are ruled out.
But, from Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, via CNN:
Quote:
"We are gravely concerned about the potential for cholera, typhoid and dehydrating diseases that could come as a result of the stagnant water and the conditions," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said Wednesday after announcing the emergency.
There's an unreal quality to it, as if nobody can quite wrap their heads around the vastness of what's happening.
You keep hearing "the water is still rising in NO", but I don't think anybody can really say what that means.
My mother just told me that in my hometown, which is about 400 miles due north of Gulfport/Biloxi, is running out of gasoline. The Jackson paper is running alerts notifying people of where they can buy it.
i know that this was going to be a terrible situation but i cant help but think utter devastation and chaos could have somehow been prevented. why arent they gettin out to the levees to fix them as soon as they break?
I am trying to avoid politicizing this right now. America just got about a million new homeless people with nothing?nothing. No jobs. No homes. No possessions. Dead family members. No mail. No way to pay the bills. No pieces to pick up.
Those who aren't homeless are either lucky or soon to be dead.
I'll politicize later, maybe when everyone is evacuated or when Lake Ponchartrain is finished drowning New Orleans and the levees are rebuilt or when all that water is pumped out or all those bodies found and removed or all the houses torn down or all the power and water and gas and phone lines rebuilt and all the interstates and highways and roads rebuilt.
I'll politicize then.
Tony Snow turned the tsunami into a crap statement about global warming and came off as a real heartless bastard, and he got called on it by Limbaugh's listeners.
i know that this was going to be a terrible situation but i cant help but think utter devastation and chaos could have somehow been prevented. why arent they gettin out to the levees to fix them as soon as they break?
leave politics out of this. even if that had been funded the city would have been fucked. it's below sea level surrounded by water and a category 4/5 hurricane hit it. you do the math.
seriously, you have to be really pathetic to immediately jump to politics when a disaster such as this strikes. rather than trying to blame someone for a natural disaster why dont you focus your efforts on something more productive for the situation
I am trying to avoid politicizing this right now. America just got about a million new homeless people with nothing?nothing. No jobs. No homes. No possessions. Dead family members. No mail. No way to pay the bills. No pieces to pick up.
That is a little overly dramatic - all of the businesses and most of the people will be reimbursed by their insurance, and they will re-build a cleaner, newer version of New Orleans. Since morgage lenders require home insurance, the only people that lose everything are ones that rent without insurance, or own their home outright without insurance - the second category would be very few people.
Statement by the Prime Minister on the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Prime Minister Paul Martin today issued the following statement concerning the tragic results of Hurricane Katrina:
Quote:
"Like all Canadians, I am distressed by the destruction and loss of life wrought by Hurricane Katrina. On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I offer our sincere condolences to the American people. During this most difficult time, Canada stands with you, and we are ready to provide whatever support you may require in the days, weeks and months ahead. "Even before the enormity of the devastation became clear, I asked Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan to lead the Government of Canada's response to any requests for assistance. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. I know that she and a number of her Cabinet colleagues have been in touch with their American counterparts and have begun to determine what assistance Canada can offer. We have made it clear that we are prepared to offer any and all possible assistance, and we will continue to work closely with our neighbours as they deal with this terrible event."
That is a little overly dramatic - all of the businesses and most of the people will be reimbursed by their insurance, and they will re-build a cleaner, newer version of New Orleans. Since morgage lenders require home insurance, the only people that lose everything are ones that rent without insurance, or own their home outright without insurance - the second category would be very few people.
I suggest that you spend more than a 2 day vacation in New Orleans before you go talking about stuff like that. And it might help if you take a good, hard look at the houses that have been destroyed and the people who are refugees. Seriously.
You might also ask yourself this: sure, they'll rebuild. But what are they going to do in the meantime?
To which I should add: the gulf coast's economy took thirty years to recover from Camille in '69.
my wife and i got out on sunday to hammond. we live in covington north of the lake and i work in new orleans. we returned the day after the storm to our house -- barely -- to find covington and the north shore a war zone, but very little loss of life (i can't speak for slidell, though, which appears to be under water). all of eastern new orleans and eastern st. tammany parish is either detsroyed, underwater, or both. do you have any idea how many working people cannot work anymore for any one of a thousand reasons now? the cascade effect of this disaster on the already pathetic economy of louisiana is downright scary.
all phone service is down in southern louisiana. period. cell phones, everything. we left for my brother-in-law's in houston yesterday to get phone contact and to geta visual on what we had been hearing in the news. we also had no power, water, phones, or strong enough equipment (a la chainsaw) to take care of the crushign amount of damage around our property. plus we smelled gas on our street, and downed powerlines in our front yard. we plan to go back as soon as we assemble some supplies to take care of the damage. if there is anyone reading this post and worried about anyone north of the lake, it is very likely that if they are in mandeville or covington, they are alive and well, though terribly shaken, ad possibly with minimal or massive property damage. we promised to make a phone call for a neighbor to a family member once we got phone service past baton rouge to let them know that they were alive and well.
new orleans is literally destroyed folks. the amount of devastation to so many poor people in that city is inconceivable. people stayed because they had no money to go anywhere, or no vehicles. (yes, there were a few "i'll ride it out" fools, but the majority truly had nowhere to go, and now they have nowhere to stay). and to anyone else outside this region, this storm went from run-of-the-mill summer 'cane to biblical LITERALLY overnight. usually we could see these things coming up across cuba for days, but this was on us in 48 hours.
my wife and i are so lucky to have what we have. our house still stands, and is still structurally sound (though with a bit more, um, "ventilation"). my business will be attempting to start up again from donated remote offices and at-home internet and on-site work with our clients.
but new orleans, well, i'm not much of a religious person, but my god...
That is a little overly dramatic - all of the businesses and most of the people will be reimbursed by their insurance, and they will re-build a cleaner, newer version of New Orleans. Since morgage lenders require home insurance, the only people that lose everything are ones that rent without insurance, or own their home outright without insurance - the second category would be very few people.
I saw on CNN that floods are usually not covered in most insurance plans.
I'm sure a lot of people blame Bush. It's all his fault. Global warming caused this disaster. Of course there's only talk of global warming in the summer when it's hot as hell, and not in the winter when there's a few feet of snow on the ground, but I don't care. Global warming killed those people and the people in southeast asia from the tsunami.
And all those suv's guzzling all that fuel are driving our country to hell in a handbasket. We all brought in on ourselves, people.
Of course I'm kidding. This is some of the mentality I've heard lately. Amazing isn't it?
If you live in a flood plain the insurance companies make you get flood insurance. Now the amount that you are covered for is dependant on how much extra you pay and how it is written in. Most do not cover replacement cost. Therefore many people will get some money but not near enough to rebuild or replace lost or destoyed property. Many will not have income or even be allowed to return to their residence for weeks or months and normal business will be out even longer ( if they don't relocate ). I foresee many people just leaving the area and the entire area starting from scratch. It is all very sad.
Can someone show how big an area that has been hit? Like link to a google map and explain how large an area of devastation we are talking about? I really don´t have any idea...
Can someone show how big an area that has been hit? Like link to a google map and explain how large an area of devastation we are talking about? I really don´t have any idea...
I know, for all the coverage it's surprisingly hard to get a handle on what the actual situation is, isn't it.
I'm noticing that a lot of the news coverage, and even more discussion boards of various persuasions, are focusing on "looting" as somehow being the big problem. There is a lot of frankly lurid talk of how "lawlessness" has set in, and how "roving bands" are running free.
I won't speculate on the motive for this, but nevertheless:
Looting is not the problem. This is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Removing anyone who remains alive, housing and feeding them and providing medical care is the problem, now and for the foreseeable future.
Against the terribleness of what has been lost some stolen VCRs are as nothing.
Comments
From the Wahington Post:
It is likely to be weeks before the health consequences of Hurricane Katrina are known. But recent experience with similar natural disasters in the United States suggests that most deaths will have occurred when people trapped in automobiles drowned, that many survivors have minor injuries, and that large-scale outbreaks of disease will not occur.
In particular, epidemics of cholera and typhoid sometimes seen in the developing world when drinking water becomes contaminated are impossible because the microbes are not present in the population.
OK, small favors, cholera and typhoid are ruled out.
But, from Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, via CNN:
"We are gravely concerned about the potential for cholera, typhoid and dehydrating diseases that could come as a result of the stagnant water and the conditions," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said Wednesday after announcing the emergency.
Uh........ so which is it? Anybody know?
I can't watch this coverage anymore. Every time it's on I just want to vomit.
Originally posted by midwinter
If it takes more than a couple of weeks to completely evacuate the remaining people in the NO metro area, count on dysentery.
I can't watch this coverage anymore. Every time it's on I just want to vomit.
I know.
There's an unreal quality to it, as if nobody can quite wrap their heads around the vastness of what's happening.
You keep hearing "the water is still rising in NO", but I don't think anybody can really say what that means.
Originally posted by addabox
I know.
There's an unreal quality to it, as if nobody can quite wrap their heads around the vastness of what's happening.
You keep hearing "the water is still rising in NO", but I don't think anybody can really say what that means.
My mother just told me that in my hometown, which is about 400 miles due north of Gulfport/Biloxi, is running out of gasoline. The Jackson paper is running alerts notifying people of where they can buy it.
and look what bush has to say:
"I would love to give you federal aid, unfortunately for you all our recourses are being used in Iraq installing an Islamic regime..."
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...7/ai_n10176537
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/28/105541/380
unbelievable.......
i know that this was going to be a terrible situation but i cant help but think utter devastation and chaos could have somehow been prevented. why arent they gettin out to the levees to fix them as soon as they break?
Those who aren't homeless are either lucky or soon to be dead.
I'll politicize later, maybe when everyone is evacuated or when Lake Ponchartrain is finished drowning New Orleans and the levees are rebuilt or when all that water is pumped out or all those bodies found and removed or all the houses torn down or all the power and water and gas and phone lines rebuilt and all the interstates and highways and roads rebuilt.
I'll politicize then.
Tony Snow turned the tsunami into a crap statement about global warming and came off as a real heartless bastard, and he got called on it by Limbaugh's listeners.
Originally posted by TigerWoods99
and look what bush has to say:
"I would love to give you federal aid, unfortunately for you all our recourses are being used in Iraq installing an Islamic regime..."
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...7/ai_n10176537
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/28/105541/380
unbelievable.......
i know that this was going to be a terrible situation but i cant help but think utter devastation and chaos could have somehow been prevented. why arent they gettin out to the levees to fix them as soon as they break?
leave politics out of this. even if that had been funded the city would have been fucked. it's below sea level surrounded by water and a category 4/5 hurricane hit it. you do the math.
seriously, you have to be really pathetic to immediately jump to politics when a disaster such as this strikes. rather than trying to blame someone for a natural disaster why dont you focus your efforts on something more productive for the situation
Originally posted by midwinter
I am trying to avoid politicizing this right now. America just got about a million new homeless people with nothing?nothing. No jobs. No homes. No possessions. Dead family members. No mail. No way to pay the bills. No pieces to pick up.
That is a little overly dramatic - all of the businesses and most of the people will be reimbursed by their insurance, and they will re-build a cleaner, newer version of New Orleans. Since morgage lenders require home insurance, the only people that lose everything are ones that rent without insurance, or own their home outright without insurance - the second category would be very few people.
Prime Minister Paul Martin today issued the following statement concerning the tragic results of Hurricane Katrina:
"Like all Canadians, I am distressed by the destruction and loss of life wrought by Hurricane Katrina. On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I offer our sincere condolences to the American people. During this most difficult time, Canada stands with you, and we are ready to provide whatever support you may require in the days, weeks and months ahead. "Even before the enormity of the devastation became clear, I asked Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan to lead the Government of Canada's response to any requests for assistance. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. I know that she and a number of her Cabinet colleagues have been in touch with their American counterparts and have begun to determine what assistance Canada can offer. We have made it clear that we are prepared to offer any and all possible assistance, and we will continue to work closely with our neighbours as they deal with this terrible event."
Originally posted by e1618978
That is a little overly dramatic - all of the businesses and most of the people will be reimbursed by their insurance, and they will re-build a cleaner, newer version of New Orleans. Since morgage lenders require home insurance, the only people that lose everything are ones that rent without insurance, or own their home outright without insurance - the second category would be very few people.
I suggest that you spend more than a 2 day vacation in New Orleans before you go talking about stuff like that. And it might help if you take a good, hard look at the houses that have been destroyed and the people who are refugees. Seriously.
You might also ask yourself this: sure, they'll rebuild. But what are they going to do in the meantime?
To which I should add: the gulf coast's economy took thirty years to recover from Camille in '69.
all phone service is down in southern louisiana. period. cell phones, everything. we left for my brother-in-law's in houston yesterday to get phone contact and to geta visual on what we had been hearing in the news. we also had no power, water, phones, or strong enough equipment (a la chainsaw) to take care of the crushign amount of damage around our property. plus we smelled gas on our street, and downed powerlines in our front yard. we plan to go back as soon as we assemble some supplies to take care of the damage. if there is anyone reading this post and worried about anyone north of the lake, it is very likely that if they are in mandeville or covington, they are alive and well, though terribly shaken, ad possibly with minimal or massive property damage. we promised to make a phone call for a neighbor to a family member once we got phone service past baton rouge to let them know that they were alive and well.
new orleans is literally destroyed folks. the amount of devastation to so many poor people in that city is inconceivable. people stayed because they had no money to go anywhere, or no vehicles. (yes, there were a few "i'll ride it out" fools, but the majority truly had nowhere to go, and now they have nowhere to stay). and to anyone else outside this region, this storm went from run-of-the-mill summer 'cane to biblical LITERALLY overnight. usually we could see these things coming up across cuba for days, but this was on us in 48 hours.
my wife and i are so lucky to have what we have. our house still stands, and is still structurally sound (though with a bit more, um, "ventilation"). my business will be attempting to start up again from donated remote offices and at-home internet and on-site work with our clients.
but new orleans, well, i'm not much of a religious person, but my god...
Good luck.
Originally posted by e1618978
That is a little overly dramatic - all of the businesses and most of the people will be reimbursed by their insurance, and they will re-build a cleaner, newer version of New Orleans. Since morgage lenders require home insurance, the only people that lose everything are ones that rent without insurance, or own their home outright without insurance - the second category would be very few people.
I saw on CNN that floods are usually not covered in most insurance plans.
And all those suv's guzzling all that fuel are driving our country to hell in a handbasket. We all brought in on ourselves, people.
Of course I'm kidding. This is some of the mentality I've heard lately. Amazing isn't it?
And my thoughts and prayers are with you all.
reg
Originally posted by Anders
Can someone show how big an area that has been hit? Like link to a google map and explain how large an area of devastation we are talking about? I really don´t have any idea...
I know, for all the coverage it's surprisingly hard to get a handle on what the actual situation is, isn't it.
NYT has a pretty good graphic here.
Shows the relationship of the levee system to the flooded areas.
I won't speculate on the motive for this, but nevertheless:
Looting is not the problem. This is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Removing anyone who remains alive, housing and feeding them and providing medical care is the problem, now and for the foreseeable future.
Against the terribleness of what has been lost some stolen VCRs are as nothing.
Sorry, this has been really bothering me.