This is really a sad coincidence that another major storm is projected to strike the gulf coast, so close to the day that Katrina hit. They're still burying bodies from Katrina. I hope folks get the heck out of the way. According to reports we all should fill our tanks, as the price of gas is going to go way up. Oil production threatened As much as 80 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's oil and gas production could be shut down as a precaution if Gustav enters as a major storm, weather research firm Planalytics predicted. Oil companies have already evacuated hundreds of workers from offshore platforms. Retail gas prices rose Friday for the first time in 43 days as analysts warned that a direct hit on Gulf energy infrastructure could send pump prices hurtling toward $5 a gallon. Crude oil prices ended slightly lower in a volatile session as some traders feared supply disruptions and others bet the U.S. government will release supplies from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Gustav was projected to hit Cuba's Isle of Youth, then cross the main island into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday night or Sunday. Cuban state television announced that effective Saturday, all buses and trains to and from Havana will be suspended until further notice. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Hanna was projected to curl westward into the Bahamas by early next week. It had sustained winds near 50 mph late Friday. Along the U.S. Gulf Coast, most commemorations of the Katrina anniversary were canceled because of Gustav, but in New Orleans a horse-drawn carriage took the bodies of Katrina's last seven unclaimed victims to burial. President Bush declared an emergency in Louisiana, a move that allows the federal government to coordinate disaster relief and provide assistance in storm-affected areas. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said an evacuation order was likely, though not before Saturday, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it expects a "huge number" of Gulf Coast residents will be told to leave the region this weekend. Closer to the storm, workers at the Westin Causarina Hotel on Grand Cayman island shored up ground-floor rooms with sandbags. "We've taken in all the balcony furniture, all the pool furniture, the marquees, tied up what needs to be tied up, cut down any coconuts," said hotel manager Dan Szydlowski. Gustav plows through Caymans - - MSNBC.com
It's possible Mobile AL. could be hit too, it's the east side of these things that carry the most rain and storm surge. I hope FEMA gets it right this time.
It could be any city of any majority population, the response from the top down was shameful. I bet most people get the hell out of there this time though.
The problem with the response the last time was that the feds couldn't do anything pre-preemptively or respond after that fact without a proper request from the local and state governments and that is where the problems started. The local and state governments didn't ask for help in a timely and appropriate manner. Will that be the case again? You have to wonder since Nagin is still in office. At least at the state level the governor was replaced.
Can you explain exactly what and why it was shameful? Wow, even my governor was smart enough to activate the NG for Gustav. National Guard troops activated as Gustav grows | AP Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle Fortunately, Bobby Jindal has a head on his shoulders and the LA NG has been activated - without his superiors having to tell him to do so!
With Katrina, it was a mess! The planning, the lack of proper evacuations, or enforcement of it, how long it took to save people, and the ice and food, melting and rotting away, the poison trailers, it was a bureaucratic nightmare, and let's not forget the cronyism associated with the rebuilding contracts or the funding for the levees that was sidetracked somehow, that caused most of the deaths when they were breeched. I stand by my comment, it was shameful.
I'd like to know what your benchmark is since you've used such relative terms as proper and long. When has this happened before for you to say that saving one thousand people a day is a mess/shameful? Both governors Barbour and Riley declared a state of emergency BEFORE the hurricane hit. Would we still be having this discussion had Blanco issued the SOE?
As long as the next earthquake that hits Los Angeles or San Francisco, we just "leave it be" also. No favoritism. Most Republicans I talk to fail to mention the Fed handling of the Katrina response. There constantly lay blame on the "damn democrats" in office at the time. There was more than enough blame to go around. And most people DID get out before Katrina. The only ones left were the ones who claimed to have no means, the ones who wanted to ride it out and the ones who stayed behind to make a profit. 1.5 million people left the area. State government activated the Louisiana National Guard 48 hours prior to landfall. Evacuation orders were mandatory for lower parishes and the city of New Orleans. This wasn't our 1st ballgame. We had been through it before. The problem came when they failed to realize the potential destruction the storm had. Even though the studies showed there was a significant risk most officials from local all the way to federal failed to take it seriously enough. IF the levees had not failed then we wouldn't even be talking the scale of destruction Katrina had on New Orleans. Sure the areas in New Orleans East would have suffered due to tidal surge from the storm but levee failures were why you saw all of the "made for TV" commotion in the city. Bobby Jindal has the advantage of learning from the previous administrations mistakes...hell ALL leaders from local to federal have that advantage now. You can't compare the situation now to 3 years ago. It's a whole new world...also see my response above for an answer to your "hey we are so smart, we called in our troops ahead of time".
Yeah it looks like George Bush fired up his hurricane machine again! They just announced that the RNC has been essentially cancelled with the exception of the party getting together to officially constitute the convention. No party's, No Sheryl Crow, No Hope or change. shucks.... I know the demmies will turn this around on the GOP and say "they used Gustav as political tool to gain momentum or sympathy" or some sillyness like that, Its text book leftizm, wait a couple days, you will see. M/P08
I am shocked that you'd stick up for Blanco on not calling the state of emergency. A. Learning from the past? How about... 1849 1882 close call in 1927 1947 1965 -- big flood of the Lower 9th Ward 1995 B. Both Mississippi and Alabama called the state of emergency before Katrina hit. Both governors had as much information as Blanco. I am a Jindal fan.
Well it appears that I may have to correct myself. After further reading, it appears Blanco did declare NO under a SOE. I'm going to read further into this as time permits.
Jindal fan too. Didn't like Kathleen Babling Blank-stare from the time she took office. She was smart to not try for a second term and I'm sure this will surprise some of you, but Nagin was a very good Mayor. He made mistakes during Katrina, but he was exactly what the city needed after the previous 20 or more years of corruption. I shudder to think what NOLA would be like if Morial was still in office when Katrina hit
Regardless of who's fault Katrina was, isn't this your candidate?... TheHill.com - Rep. Paul bemoans government role on Gustav
