The progress of New Orleans updated on the NYTimes interactive graphic to which I introduced you a few days ago. The water recedes a bit by bit. Additionally, nola.com has rounded up some statistics. A couple from the long list:
– In the past 48 hours, no one has fired shots at rescue workers or security forces in New Orleans, officials said Friday morning.
– Corps of Engineers estimate that the flood water can be drained from the city, 36 days after the levees are rebuilt and pumps restored. They hope to have pumps operational in seven days.
Please take the drainage time stat with a grain of salt.
Problems still abound.
Troops: All of the accessible footage is from around the downtown areas of the Superdome (90% of the evacuees out) and Convention Center (30,000 remain to be evacuated).
What about troop activity in other poorer parts of the city? What are the final troop numbers?
The Columbus Dispatch reports on red tape delaying military efforts. Officers complain that “no military assets can be touched without an official request from FEMA” and that they now feel compelled to persuade FEMA for the sake of progress.
“There is a tremendous amount of frustration here, that we have assets stacked up ready to go and we don’t have the requests for them,” said an officer who asked not to be identified. “All we can do is nudge the folks at FEMA and say, ‘How about if we do this or that?’
Complaints about FEMA’s impotence may carry some truth after all, but blame-slinging now is inappropriate. Take notes, argue later. Get a coordinator on the ground NOW, preferably one who has authority over FEMA and our troops. Stick him/her with one who knows the area well. This is no time for bureaucratic slowdown.
Whatever the conflicts, let’s hope that Nagin is right and that evacuation successfully ends in less than a week.
Evacuation of the obvious is important, but now nola.com reports that 2000 will not be evacuated until tomorrow. More as this develops.
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Security: A third of our police force (NOPD) abandoned their posts as the hurricane approached. Go back and help your city right now! To paraphrase an NOPD officer on CNN TV this morning, you didn’t get that badge for nothing. My heart goes out to my PD: they are overwhelmed. Troops are required to relieve them soon and all over the city!
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Pumping: The NYTimes reports that FEMA estimates “six months to drain the city and another three months to dry it. State officials said that it would take more than a month, and that pumping would begin on Monday.”
A month? Six months? Of course, the reality of the situation is that the pumping is fraught with problems ranging from system reliability to the water getting and staying out.
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This morning sees our mayor, Ray Nagin, assured that aid and resources under the Bush administration will make it through to New Orleans and that all is not lost.
It was terrifying to hear the leader of our city break down in tears yesterday. I am confident, however, that he never gave up hope and that his bitter SOS was just that: a call to America to help us in our time of need.
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Schools & Universities: Tulane has canceled its fall semester. Students are requested to attend other universities who will give credits, grades and free tuition. I have a strong feeling that Tulane and other NO universities will not re-offer fall classes in the spring term. Student evacuees, live somewhere else for a semester and take classes. It will take your minds off what’s going on at home and NO will wait for you until after Christmas break.
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Evacuees, Send Out Your Stories Now! Were you affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath? If so, The New York Times invites you to share your story. Let them know how the hurricane and delayed aid have affected our city and your neighborhood and lives.
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What The Rest Of America Can Do: We still need your support, neighbors! New Orleans is the birthplace of core American musical forms such as jazz and Dixieland, the mother of American Mardi Gras, a port city which supports the oil & gas industry for our national use, the quintessence of preserved old-world culture in our young nation and the home of easygoing and caring Americans who wouldn’t do any less for you. Don’t be fooled by the presence of troops there right now; we don’t have as many as was promised. So, please continue to give the devastated region anything you can in terms of financial and emotional support. Petition your community and state leaders and find out why this level of emergency does exist in the world’s most civilized nation. This could happen to you.
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A Note On The Racism Of Federal Response: The population of New Orleans is 70% non-white. This is the first city in which I have lived that has a lot of the richest and poorest black people in America, but mostly poor. It is not surprising then that a predominance of non-white people are in this plight. Having said this, our nation’s delayed response to a mainly black constituency in the south is quite appalling. Did they not have a plan? Would this be what the people of L.A. receive after a quake or New Yorkers get following another terrorist attack? My hope is that this disaster shows America how their fellow citizens truly live in parts of the south. Yes, we have fun, culture, food, drink and our share of the rich and famous, but we also have abject poverty, crime, deplorable schools and humiliation. Please take this opportunity to open your eyes to what occurs in your own country and do something about it.
Nothing too much here in BR right now – rumors have died down, but people are still sure they’re not telling us everything (OK, gotta say I believe that to a point). Gas is hard to get, traffic is still bad, maybe it’ll improve after the weekend. I’m still laying low for now.
One thing this may do is make people think differently of the
inhabitants of Baghdad, Fallujah, etc.
You gotta know that people are thinking that this is the Justice of
God, and regardless of one’s religious beliefs or lack thereof, it’s
pretty freakin’ hard to argue.
A harsh lesson, but hopefully one that will be learned…
And what might that lesson be? I can’t seem to understand what God might have meant to convey.. Do tell us.
Cornell University is accepting Tulane students and faculty, some of them are arriving on Tuesday.
Oh, there are absolute nutballs out there that think the hurricane was sent to New Orleans by god because of its hedonistic ways. May I remind them that New Orleans is predominantly Catholic and houses at least one church per bar. At least.
In his New Rules, Bill Maher suggests that hurricanes are god’s way of saying “Get off my property!” Wait until I see Maher’s sorry ass after “the big quake” hits L.A. and sends his home sliding into the Pacific.
Ahem, cough cough, Matri. ..please don’t hold idiotic comments against all us Californians.
But I’m glad to hear your friends are feeling safer. Good luck acclimatizing to the suburbs for now.