Hurricane Katrina

[1972zed]

Regardless of the shots we usually take from Bill O'Reilly and the rest of FOXNews. We Canadians are, and will be there for our American cousins, and as usual are in no need for accolades.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050831_katrina_template_050831/?hub=Canada

[GunnerRob]

The worst part is, we have no one to blame except mother nature.

You can also blame short sided economics. Pay now to prepare for the eventual superstorm, like the Netherlands have, or pay later in catastrophic losses.

Who knows, maybe next Bush will launch a global "War against Mother Nature" regieum. At least until somebody tells him that mother nature isn't an actual mother..........

Everybody KNOWS this is Bush's fault. He had to know better. After all, he's got an MBA from Harvard! Maybe he slept through the meteorology class. Ya, that's it! That makes him the dumbest moron we ever "didn't" elect. It's GOTTA be HIS fault.

[chickenwafer]

I wasn't saying this was Bush's fault, but instead taking a crack at him. Besides, you already pointed out that we should have been more prepared. And you also right, that we DID NOT elect him the first time. Oh, and that he's a dumb moron- you were right about that too.

And when did Bush attend Harvard? He went to Yale and graduated in the bottom 2% of Yale history- ever. The only reason he got in was because his daddy made a huge donation to the school- Bush virtually got an honary degree.

Dave

[MikeZcar]

It's there and more is coming. You can get a short wave radio pretty cheap and listen in world wide, there are relief efforts most everywhere for this disaster. Think about it, when the US helps someone it's on our news outlets, unless you are watching, German, French, Canadian etc etc TV odds are you are not going to see the collection center at the local bank in Britian. Besides we used to be the richest country in the world and the country most able to afford to offer help after a disaster that is untill those tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%, the 200 BILLION dollar WMD war(wonder how much that would help the hurricane victims), half a trillion dollar deficet, oops I digress, my thought and prayers to all those jammed up by Katrina, Mike.

[CoastGuardZ]

Just be glad that you live in a country that lets you bad mouth it's president without fear of persecution.

I've got many shipmates down there helping out right now, long days and even longer nights. I can only hope that more are found and saved via Search and Rescue than the recovery and clean up.

Nate

"If you can read this thank a teacher. If you're reading this in English thank a Military Vet!"

[kenz240z]

My employer has asked for volunteers to go to New Orleans to help restore communications (I'm an RF Engineer for a wireless provider). I have offered to go, and at least two of my co-workers have offered, too. I should know tomorrow if they will still need us. I figure it would be a good way for me to help out directly, there are so many people who don't know if their family or friends are ok simply because cell phones & landlines are out of service.

[Victor Laury]

If you'd like to donate some cash, I just dropped just a little more than comfortable at http://www.networkforgood.org

Mine was to the American Red Cross, earmarked "Katrina Relief"

[boostedz]

The biggest thing that gets me is why arent these people being helped at all. I spent about 1 hour yesterday just watching vidoes from msn, the devastation and the state that the people are in are horrible.

Bodies just left to lay and rot in the street, 4+ days without food or water, children dying. Why isnt there any help for these people why are the still there and still wanting.

We can travel across the globe and in two days take care of others, we cant even help our on and its almost been a week, yet they still starve?????

WTF is wrong with Bush and this country?

[zguitar71]

This will end up like all other disasters in this country. 9/11 is still being probed and in the end they found many stupid mistakes were made, many out of pride as evident with the FBI. This will be investigated and the probe will find that the levees were in bad shape and they should have been repared years ago and upgraded for larger hurricanes along with so many other problems in the evac plan for the city and so on. And in the end the probe will be too late like the releif is, a probe might change the future but hindsight is not 20/20 it is just an admission of , and usually purposfull, blindness. I watched a NOVA show on PBS about 8 months ago, it took place in N.A. The topic was about the problem with the out of date levee system and what would happen if they were hit by a large hurricane. Their prediction was 100% correct, meanwhile the Army Corps of Engineers budget for repairing the levee's and other projects was cut by more than 20% this fical year to help fund the Iraq war and Home Land Security. The U.S. Government should be ashamed for too many reasons.

[jmark]

My employer has asked for volunteers to go to New Orleans to help restore communications (I'm an RF Engineer for a wireless provider). I have offered to go, and at least two of my co-workers have offered, too. I should know tomorrow if they will still need us. I figure it would be a good way for me to help out directly, there are so many people who don't know if their family or friends are ok simply because cell phones & landlines are out of service.

Very nice Ken. Easy for most to throw money at the problem. Not many would offer to go. As far as those thugs attacking those who try to help I hope they get what they deserve. I hope the NG cleans house. The gangs & druggies running around doing whatever need to be dealt with harshly.

[CoastGuardZ]

Theses people chose to live in a city below sea level that was nestled between a lake and the Gulf. This is not the problem... The problem is they also chose not to leave when a category 5 hurricane had them in her sights, even though it had been recommended. I am not trying to make light of this situation... it is in deed a horrible tragedy. The same reasons that are currently stopping these people from getting out are the same reasons that are stopping the help from getting in. You're right though, President Bush is doing nothing. If recalling the Coast Guard reserves and placing many USCG cutters and many large U.S. Navy warships off the coast to head up the efforts is to be considered nothing. The very same communications that are down that Ken has volunteered to go repair are many of the same ones that allow emergency crews of different organizations to communicate with each other. Hence the need for the the Navy... floating airports with large communication suites to act as a communication hub for the ground crews. Think about how little Mr. Bush is doing the next time you watch the news and see a Rescue Swimmer risking his life to save people trapped in the attic of house and having them lifted to the safety of a helicopter waiting above.

Maybe Mr. Bush would be doing a lot more for the situation he drove a bulldozer down the streets leading a cleanup effort. I wonder if he has a heavy equipment operators license?

Yes, and as far as disasters going better in other countries... are you out of your right mind? They aren't called disasters for the heck of it. These NEVER go well. I from Charleston, SC and I can tell you that hurricanes are never to be taken lightly. They destroy everything that you do and use everyday... electricity, water, sewage, cars, houses, work, bridges, stores and on and on the list goes.

Right now there are military, national guard, police, firemen, electrical workers, water crews, communication, nurses, doctors and other workers literaly risking their lives to help others. Complaining never helps...

"IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION, THEN YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!"

:mad:

[MikeW]

I think it's important to get the facts about the levee system. It was only designed for a category 3 storm so even if the whole project was complete it might not have helped with a category 4 or 5. The levee projects being discussed as underfunded are scheduled for completion in the year 2015 even with a full budget.

Here is the Army Corps of Engineers for New Orleans site with lots of reliable information:

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/response/index.asp

Here is a project specific to the New Orleans vicinity. The other projects are up and down the river:

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/visitor/lkpon1.asp