home

Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina

By Jeralyn, Section Huricanes Katrina and Rita
Posted on Sun Aug 28, 2005 at 11:17:31 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Update: New Orleans has been spared a direct hit by the most damaging part of the hurricane. There was still plenty of damage though.

Red Cross Online Donation Form or call 1-800-HELP-Now. Use the Red Cross, they know what they're doing.

I've been writing about Katrina and New Orleans since yesterday. I'm glued to the tv. Part of it is that New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in America. I'm there at least two times a year, usually for legal meetings - it's a favorite of just about every organization I belong to - but also because for more than 20 years I have gone there just for weekend jaunts and it never disappoints. I have stayed with friends on Lake Ponchetrain as well as in the hotels. The restaurants, art galleries, shopping, local historical sites, the beignets, the bars, the music venues, Mardi Gras, the Jazz Festival, even the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals where I've argued cases, are an indelible part of my memories.

Here's a place for your thoughts on New Orleans, your memories and your best wishes for those imperiled by this disaster.

< Katrina: The Generosity Begins | Religous Extremists Protest Soldiers' Funerals >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina | 24 comments (24 topical)
    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#22)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Aug 30, 2005 at 11:24:52 PM EST
    Kitt, Not sure where you receive your info on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS, Mormons), but if you're ever in Salt Lake, be sure to take a tour of the humanitarian center to see first hand their massive, world-wide relief efforts. God bless all those affected by this devistating natural disaster.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#23)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Aug 31, 2005 at 01:52:13 PM EST
    THE MORMON CHURCH CONTRIBUTED ALMOST 350 MILLION DOLLARS TO THE PEOPLE AFFECTED MY THE LAST TIDLE WAVE. THERE ARE VERY FEW IF ANY MEMBERS LIVING IN THAT AREA

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#24)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Aug 31, 2005 at 02:38:36 PM EST
    I would just like to say that i could cry for the people of new orleans in the wake of this terrible disaster. I live in England where although we get alot of rain we dont experience extreme weather. I can only start to imagine what they are going through at this very moment. My thoughts are with the people of this wonderful city and i know they will find the strength to rebuild and survive.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#25)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:37:54 AM EST
    As for the Mormons, they are always helping those in need and doing service. This weekend, there will be LDS going out to help from as far off as Georgia, Florida, Texas, etc, and this is out of their own pockets not church funds, but he church funds also come in but with food and supplies not the service which the members give to people whether they are members or not.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#1)
    by BigTex on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Here's a good radar to look at for tracking the eye while the sat image takes its nightly hiatus. MSY radar (MSY is New Orleans) If the link fails to work here is the way to go http://www.intellicast.com then click on radar and click around New Orleans and the MSY radar will load. God be with them.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#2)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Telling people to take shelter in the Superdome as absolutely asinine. The roof could easily be brought down by 150 mph winds.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#3)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Big Tex et al: Heres another radar site that shows velocity data. Click on the "0.5 deg" link under the header "STORM RELATIVE MEAN VELOCITY". Where you see little patches of red and green next to eachother...those are circulations indicating tornadoes. Hurricanes are prolific producers of tornadoes and Katrina is warming up the coast by throwing a few dozen supercells their way right now (2 am EDT). The real fun begins when the concentric rain bands around the eye come on shore. Sustained winds way over 100 mph and gusts over 150 mph will be moving onshore by daybreak.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#4)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Addendum to the Superdome: last post replace "as" with "is". Also, even if the roof holds...the place could be completely flooded if the levees fail.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#5)
    by MikeDitto on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    I was in New Orleans for the coldest day in recorded history. It must have been '88 or '89. It was 5 degrees below zero. Downtown, a century-old brick building that housed an ice factory caught fire (!), and dozens of fire trucks rushed to the scene to put it out. By the time they were done, the old ice factory looked more like an ice palace, with a layer of ice several inches thick and huge icicles hanging down from the eaves. The street was paved with a foot-thick layer of ice, and the fire trucks were permanently embedded there. A couple of days before that I was in Ft. Walton Beach, FL, where it was zero degrees. In the distance out over the water I watched the power stations that had been converted out of old oil platforms exploding one by one because there was such an intense load from everybody in the south running their heat pumps all at once. Damndest thing I ever saw. In 1992, I was in Florida the week after Hurricane Andrew hit. I was there for the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour, on which my high school astronomy group had an experiment flying. I spent the night on the floor of the gym at Patrick Air Force Base with about 1500 refugees from Homestead AFB. The devastation was unimaginable. I saw miles and miles of street grid faintly visible through the sand that had been deposited by the storm surge, but all buildings, trees, and even debris was gone. It was like a desert with the occasional concrete foundation sticking up. And this was several miles inland. Even if the levees survive and the storm surge comes over at a rate that New Orleans's huge pumping system can cope with, the devastation is going to be immense. We can only hope that people find refuge and the loss of life is kept to a minimum.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#6)
    by BigTex on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    What's your meteorological background EDM? I'm not being judgmental here, just trying to get a feel of how much you know from study, even if not organized, and how much you are simply culling from various sources.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#7)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Tex...got a degree in meteorology from Penn State...always been a "weather weenie". Been following hurricane coverage since Neil Frank was the head of the Hurricane Center, back in the relatively tame hurricane seasons of the '70s. Tonight is kinda eerie... like when Andrew was headed for Miami, because if this thing doesn't veer or weaken pretty quick this is the worst case scenario that has been mentioned hundreds of times since then: Cat 5 to New Orleans.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#8)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Golbal Warming? no el nino this year? NYC is also in line for The Big One this September.
    If a storm like the Long Island Express (1938, a borderline category-4 hurricane) makes a direct hit on the city, everything below Broome Street will be inundated, some parts under as much as 20 and 30 feet of water.
    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#9)
    by Kitt on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    The live cam I'm watching in a corner of my screen has been getting increased wind & rain. It looks like the wind has really picked up within the last 20 minutes. I'm sure some of these things are still operating. Going to bed and hoping Nah Orlens is still on the map when I get.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#10)
    by Kitt on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    up.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#11)
    by MikeDitto on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    CNN is definitely the channel to be watching. At least being in Atlanta, most of their people at least know the geography. According to MSNBC, Baton Rouge is in Alabama, and according to FOX, Biloxi is in Louisiana.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    The Weather channel is saying it is milder than expected, which is certainly good news, even though the damage is still going to be horrible. CNN can stuff it.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#13)
    by john horse on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Paul in LA, Been watching the weather channel too. Looks like emergency management in Louisiana were well prepared (though I bet the 3,000 Louisiana National Guard in Iraq would rather be home right now). My guess is that plenty of folks from other states are on their way to Louisiana to help (Red Cross, utility workers, etc.) Still too early to assess damage. Can't do it until after the storm has passed and the water has receded. Rule of thumb is if a road is under water, you'll have major road damage. If water reaches the walls of a house, you'll have severe home damage. Another rule of thumb, is if Jim Cantore comes to your town, watch out (this is a weather channel reference).

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#14)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    From what i understand the city will be ok.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Best of luck to all my southern friends weathering the storm.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#16)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Bush must be happy today the great hurricane will not hit that old city and thank the gods for that, its turning east, vut the winds are 145 mph and have caused mass damage but the city and its people will be ok for now; but this is the start, mother earth will start acting up in the coming future that will make this storm look like nothing. some day you will see hurricanes with 300 mph winds.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#17)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:53 PM EST
    Test

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:56 PM EST
    Also I would note that the Church of Latter Day Saints (aka: Mormons) have a very good on-the-ground relief effort. Not a Mormon, just appreciate the work they very quietly do at 0% overhead. -C

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#20)
    by Kitt on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:56 PM EST
    Update: New Orleans has been spared a direct hit by the most damaging part of the hurricane. There was still plenty of damage though. I was just watching a segment from one of the NO television stations and the mayor was giving a rundown. Pretty damned devastating & thankfully it wasn't a direct hit. As for the Mormons (LDS) - there is overhead, Cliff; it's not 0%. For the most part they would prefer that you are members and although they are willing to help, it is neither long term nor on repeated basis for nonmembers.

    Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#21)
    by MikeDitto on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:56 PM EST
    CNN just reported that the levee on Lake Ponchartrain has failed. A two-block breach has opened up, and water is pouring into the city. Water levels at Tulane University Hospital downtown were rising at one inch every five minutes, and the rate was increasing. The hospital is now begging FEMA to airlift the remaining critical patients out of the hospital before their generators are flooded out.

    Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina | 24 comments (24 topical)