Comments on: Some good news in N.O., but West Bank still at risk

By: Brendan Loy

Brendan Loy — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:30:00 +0000

That actually concerns me a bit, because this storm may not actually test them that severely. Gustav may teach people to “trust the levees” when they really shouldn’t. False security is bad.

By: doctorj2u

doctorj2u — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:26:55 +0000

Brendan,
People will evacuate until they trust the levees. Right now they don’t. If they hold up in this storm, it will go a long way towards the healing of the city.

By: Brendan Loy

Brendan Loy — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:08:01 +0000

Thanks!

10,000 in New Orleans is a big improvement over 2005, even adjusting for the decreased population. People got the hell out. Good for them. The question if, if (as seems likely) they “dodge a bullet” with Gustav, will they “get the hell out” again, the next time?

By: doctorj2u

doctorj2u — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:05:48 +0000

Mitch Landrieu, the Lt. Governor told Anderson Cooper about 10,000 are left in the city and probably 100,000 left in coastal LA. Ivan van heerdon said they expect 100 deaths by drowning. 1.9 million evacuated from lower LA, about 95% of the population.

By: Brendan Loy

Brendan Loy — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:55:22 +0000

Rebecca, I’ve done the best I can to answer your latter questions in various other posts on this blog. You just need to scroll down a bit. The short answer is, we don’t know exactly what is going to happen, but it looks like New Orleans will be spared a worst-case scenario. As for whether New Orleans is empty, I confess I haven’t heard any statistics on how many people are left behind. Hopefully not too many, just in case the levees don’t live up to expectations and/or the storm makes an unwanted rightward jog.

By: doctorj2u

doctorj2u — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:48:22 +0000

Brendan,
I know this is a little off topic but I know you are a Notre Dame man. I saw this documentary on PBS on the anniversary of Katruna. It is called Chhurch on Dauphine Street. Watch the youtube promotional video. It really was so inspiring and uplifting. It showed how New Orleans has been rebuilt, by natives that refuse to give up on a city and culture they love dearly and unbelievably wonderful human beings that volunteer that hands and hearts to help their fellow man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF0kwNx6Be8

I LOVED it!

By: abhishek

abhishek — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:39:46 +0000

Here’s another blog by a guy who is riding out the hurricane.
http://ridingustav.blogspot.com

By: RebeccaH

RebeccaH — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:37:52 +0000

Is it just me, or are these video clips (particularly the still photos) less than compelling? Is New Orleans empty, or not? And is Gustav going to cause a giant storm surge, or miss, or peter out altogether?

By: doctorj2u

doctorj2u — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:19:33 +0000

Greg,
As I am sure you know, LA came up with a plan, the Baker Plan, that would have done just that but the White House pulled their support for it after supporting it for months. The very next day the President had a news conference where he said he would “like to support those folks in that part of the world if only they had a plan”. It was at that point he lost my support.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:10:04 +0000

Like everyone else, I woke up the morning after Katrina and thought we had dodged the bullet. Then, I heard on the radio that someone in my old neighborhood said she was in the attic and the water kept coming up. Her cell phone was still working.

I think this time we have dodged the bullet.

Again, we can Monday morning quarterback this, but the whole idea of trying to repopulate all of New Orleans was foolish, even though it is not happening anyway.

My family came to New Orleans in 1852, and I don’t like saying it, but the city should be the high ground and not much else.