New Orleans considers evacuation as Gustav looms
August 27th, 2008 . by TexasFredNEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Three years after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Louisiana coast, New Orleans residents on Wednesday again faced the prospect of an evacuation as Tropical Storm Gustav loomed.
Not since Katrina and Hurricane Rita, which followed in its wake, have residents faced government orders to evacuate their homes and businesses. Many are still struggling to rebuild their lives in a city famed for its jazz clubs and Mardi Gras festival.
On Wednesday, two days before the third anniversary of Katrina’s landfall on August 29, 2005, Gustav drifted away from Haiti and the Dominican Republic after killing 23 people. It could hit the U.S. Gulf Coast around Monday.
The storm was expected to strengthen to a hurricane over the Gulf’s warm waters, and U.S. landfall could be anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Texas.
But Gustav’s most likely track is directly toward New Orleans.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal put New Orleans residents on alert, declaring a state of emergency and saying evacuations could begin as early as Friday, just before the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Full Story Here:
New Orleans considers evacuation as Gustav looms
It is absolutely amazing the differences were seeing today as opposed to pre-Katrina, that’s what a REAL government and a GREAT Governor can do for a state.
As a lot of folks know, I am from Louisiana, I don’t live there any longer, I haven’t for years, but I have 3 daughters, a son and 3 grand-kids that are in south Louisiana right now. My son is a SGT in the Louisiana Army National Guard and was in Kuwait processing out with the 256th BCT when Katrina struck New Orleans.
His full time job is that of a Sheriffs Deputy and now that is his 1st responsibility should a hurricane hit. His Parish 1st and Guard call-up 2nd, but only because he is a law enforcement officer. We talked at length last night concerning preparations for this coming possibility and his 1st job will be to get his mother and sisters and the little ones headed to north Louisiana where we have family that they can stay with in the event Gustav turns really nasty.
My son has no choice but to remain and do his duty, they have great shelter, well supplied and equipped and their Sheriff is a great leader too. But as a father and a retired person that’s no longer involved in the actual *hands on* any longer, it doesn’t make this easy, no matter how it goes down.
I wish all the folks on the gulf coast well, our thoughts and prayers are with you, but to the people of New Orleans I say this, if the state orders an evacuation and you don’t go, and if your cowardly Mayor deserts his city again, to hell with you, all of you, maybe Gustav can finish what Katrina started.
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One difference I see, is that “red” states are handled much better, the people know what to do, and don’t go crying about how “Bush caused it”. In a “blue” state… well, I need not explain.
Just an external observation.
There are very few folks in our nation that know as much about the devastation Katrina brought, than those that lived through it, and those that went to aid them. As you know I was in the second group.
That being said, I hope things work out for the folks in NOLA if Gustaf hits. Because Nancy Pelosi would have start dating Karl Rove before I go back to that ungrateful, victim laden, sink hole.
[...] New Orleans considers evacuation as Gustav looms [...]
Hmmm - if they had all decided that living below sea level, that close to the ocean, might not be such a good idea any more and actually spent the BILLIONS that have been sunk into rebuilding so far into relocating, perhaps they wouldn’t have to worry so much?
Just a thought…
You know, the only thing that makes me really cringe about Gustav hitting N.O., I will be one of the lucky people, like many of the fine folks who read this blog, who would be the ones who actually pay for the repairs or re-settlement.
Tom
Tom, if NOLA goes under again, I am guessing that there will be a HUGE movement afoot from the American taxpayer to let that piece of shit mudhole just sink into the swamp…
Damn shame it wasn’t allowed to the last time, look at the BILLIONS we’d have saved that could all very well be just about to see the flush handle…
If this place gets hit again…bulldoze the dump, do the American Taxpayer a favor. Just don’t sent the outgoing trash my way.
I have faith that Gov. Jindal will handle this differently. However, NOLA still has School Bus Nagin…. Wonder if he found the keys yet….
I’m with Pat - just bulldoze the dump and save us alot of money!
On another note, did anyone else hear how giddy some of the media types at the Denver Freak Show (aka DNC convention) were at the possibility it would hit during the RNC convention? A new ticket - Obama/Gustav ‘08…..
Depending on the track of Gustav, and at this time that is still an uncertainty, the Guard is going to stage IN New Orleans…
I have no idea why, if NOLA takes a direct hit, you have that many Guard Troops that have gone from being Guard Troops to being victims…
Having a few doubts at this time… We’ll see how it plays out, but the track of this thing is in NO WAY written in stone, not yet..