100,000 Dead??

[Iapetus999]

From CNN:

BLITZER: You heard the mayor, Ray Nagin, say just a little while ago that hundreds, perhaps thousands of people are dead. Is that the kind of information you are getting as well?

HEERDEN: Yes. That’s what we’re hearing. And I want to point out that the estimate is that 80 percent of the people evacuated New Orleans. That means approximately 250,000 to 300,000 stayed behind. Now our initial computer models are telling us that maybe as much as a third of those have drowned.

Doing the math, that means computer models are initially showing that 80,000-100,000 people are already dead. Considering the area of devastation beyond New Orleans, adding in deaths to come from disease, trauma, dehydration, violence, exhaustion, and other factors, that number, if it proves accurate, will climb substantially.

I doubt it's 100,000 but the number's going to be BIG.
And of course that's mostly poor and elderly.

[Perry]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

And of course that's mostly poor and elderly.

Why would a city, sitting below sea level, protect itself with a levee system designed only for category 3 hurricanes? With the increasing severity of storms over the past decade the odds against avoiding one multiplied in each passing hurricane season.

And, what about the rest of the world? Why is it the US is the first in line to offer assistance in a disaster but when it hits us we have to go it alone?

/rant

[mamakimberly]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

I know the whole thing is horrid

I was near tears on the elliptical at the Y, watching the coverage on tv. An older lady was weeping because her children were missing. She'd buried her sister the week before and couldn't find any of her kids. Terrible

And then a husband whose wife was missing. Just awful

[Iapetus999]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Why would a city, sitting below sea level, protect itself with a levee system designed only for category 3 hurricanes? With the increasing severity of storms over the past decade the odds against avoiding one multiplied in each passing hurricane season.

And, what about the rest of the world? Why is it the US is the first in line to offer assistance in a disaster but when it hits us we have to go it alone?

/rant

Actually if you go to cbc.ca or bbc.co.uk they have features about "local relief efforts"

In Edmonton, Canada's Public Security Minister said said Canada will do whatever it can for the U.S.

Anne McLellan said that could involve a wide variety of things, including sending military engineers.

But McLellan said medical drugs may be among the first items Canada is called upon to ship south.

Kewl...canadian drugs eh?
thanx Canada!

BTW Seattle, LA, SF, etc are all sitting on earthquake zones capable of producing 9+ earthquakes. 90% of the building codes only require withstanding 8.0 or so.
You can only do so much.
And that's commercial buildings...residences only can withstand 7-7.5

[Perry]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Nice, but I'll believe it only when I see it in the national news.

[rybread]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Kewl...canadian drugs eh?
thanx Canada!

Canadian aid was mentioned on our national news here, today.

I came upon this in my travels today. I can't say I'm surprised.

[mcotton]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

These people need all the help and prayer they can get.

[Bugaboo]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

I came upon this in my travels today. I can't say I'm surprised.

Lousiana didn't suddenly become below sea level. They've known the danger they were in for a long long time. These people along with Mississippi and other areas need our support, prayers and aide more than anything else. Watching the whole thing just breaks my heart more than I can say.

[sadie147]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Why would a city, sitting below sea level, protect itself with a levee system designed only for category 3 hurricanes? With the increasing severity of storms over the past decade the odds against avoiding one multiplied in each passing hurricane season.

And, what about the rest of the world? Why is it the US is the first in line to offer assistance in a disaster but when it hits us we have to go it alone?

/rant

Please don't jump to conclusions about the rest of the world...

From CTV nation news:

A specialized urban search and rescue team from Vancouver will be joining the rescue efforts in Louisiana in the wake of hurricane Katrina.

B.C. Solicitor General John Les said the province decided to send Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) after officials in Louisiana asked for help.

Earlier Wednesday, Canadian officials said they're prepared to send whatever type of aid the U.S. needs.

"We want to reassure the president and the people of the United States that we are their best friends and their neighbour, and we will be there to help them in a situation that truly is without parallel in our country or theirs,'' said Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan.

She added that on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Human Health Services contacted Canada's public health agency, asking for an inventory of emergency supplies that Canada could send at a moment's notice.

That inventory was completed Wednesday.

McLellan said U.S. officials are still assessing their needs, but Canada will be prepared to send everything from water purification systems to the Canadian military's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART).

The full article is here: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

From CBC news

Canadian relief agencies have moved to help the U.S. states hit by Hurricane Katrina.

Winnipeg-based Mennonite Disaster Service said Wednesday it is gathering donations to help send hundreds of volunteers to rebuild homes.

Lois Nickel of the Mennonite group said volunteers from nearby states could be in Alabama by the weekend, helping to clear roads of fallen trees. She said a U.S. team is heading to Gulfport, Mississippi, where they hope to establish a base camp for volunteers next to the city's Mennonite church.

Nickel said a call for hundreds of Canadian volunteers may not happen for several weeks, depending on how long it takes to set up the church camp.

Canadian Red Cross volunteers with experience in large scale disasters were being contacted Wednesday and officials hoped a handful would be travelling to the southern U.S. by the weekend.

Suzanne Charest of the Red Cross said they'll likely send more than 100 volunteers in the coming weeks to help serve hot meals, assess the needs of displaced families and to train other volunteers.

In Edmonton, Canada's Public Security Minister said Canada will do whatever it can for the U.S.

Anne McLellan said that could involve a wide variety of things, including sending military engineers.


full article here http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

Other countries may very well have offered their services as well. I will only post for mine. From the news reports I have heard the help has been offered but all has not been accepted yet as they are still trying to work out a plan, get a grasp of the situation.

Oh and it was reported on our news tonight the Canadian Red cross switchboards are overwhelmed with people calling asking how they can help.

from www.redcross.ca: At present the American Red Cross has not requested any type of donations from the Canadian public for Hurricane Katrina. We do however encourage Canadians who wish to help to contribute to our 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund, to assist the most vulnerable victims of hurricanes this season.”

[Finelly]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Why would a city that is below sea level not spend the money on protecting itself from this?

Because Americans kvetch and moan constantly about taxes, which is where the money for doing it comes from. Because nobody was willing to pay for it. You think Louisiana is alone? Our infrastructure is crumbling. Roads are bad all over. Bridges are ready to fall down. Railway systems are barely functional. But "no new taxes" rules. Temporary tax rebates are not temporary, but become permanent. We are a disgrace.

And why don't we hear more about other countries helping out? Do we NEED other countries to help out? I don't think so. We are the richest country in the world. We have the resources necessary. Let's save the efforts of other countries for disasters in places like Indonesia where the country cannot possibly afford or be capable of recovery on its own.

[sadie147]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

And why don't we hear more about other countries helping out? Do we NEED other countries to help out? I don't think so. We are the richest country in the world. We have the resources necessary. Let's save the efforts of other countries for disasters in places like Indonesia where the country cannot possibly afford or be capable of recovery on its own.

I heard exactly this on one of our local stations. Basically they pointed out the US is not a 3rd world country. they have manpower and they have resources. we have offered our help and resources and we will be there, should they ask for it.

[rybread]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Finelly, I think I love you.

To be honest, I haven't been able to pull myself away from the hurricane coverage for days. My tv has been glued to CNN. Every 15 minutes, I check Google News for updates. Watching Harvey Jackson talk about losing his wife brings tears to my eyes. I can't stop thinking about all of these poor people... their homes, their jobs, their entire neighbourhoods... gone. What are they going to do now? What do you do with your life when you have nothing left anymore?

There's been a whole ton of things going on, personally, but I mean, I can't sit here and complain about trivial stuff like the fire alarm going off in our building at 4am, or about the batch of jam I made that is still a runny mess, when there are people's *homes* floating away from them. When there are people trapped in their attics or on their roof. When there are dead animals tangled up in power lines. When CROCODILES are swimming through the streets of New Orleans.

Its all just so devastating.

I'm still waiting to hear from a friend who evacuated at the last possible second - she was planning to evacuate to Baton Rouge. She had to leave her cats behind. And another friend is currently on her way to San Diego to live with her parents, where she and her husband will try and find jobs while they wait to see what happens with their destroyed house, and what to do with the mortgage they hold in New Orleans for a house that no longer exists.

So sad. I wish I could drop everything and go there to help, somehow.

[Finelly]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

Ry - You can love me! I don't mind!

I live in the San Diego area. Please pm me to let me know what i can do for your friend. At the very least we can take them out for coffee, and perhaps help provide them some job contacts and/or some basics to make a new life.

[wannabethintoo]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

And why don't we hear more about other countries helping out? Do we NEED other countries to help out? I don't think so. We are the richest country in the world. We have the resources necessary. Let's save the efforts of other countries for disasters in places like Indonesia where the country cannot possibly afford or be capable of recovery on its own.

I was thinking exactly the same thing but didn't dare mention it here. I'm a fraidy cat....

[Perry]

Re: 100,000 Dead??

You're missing my point. Of course we are rich enough to do it alone. However, we gave $$ billions to relief efforts during the last Tsunami and to some 'leaders' we didn't give enough or react quickly enough for them.