Beboots
Randall's Head Servant (300-799)
Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a plague in Equatorial Guinea that I have to attend.
Posts: 646
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Post by Beboots on Aug 30, 2005 10:14:31 GMT -5
I know it sounds cliché, but I have to say that that just sounds horrible! *gives Pitbulllady a hug*
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Post by RandallBoggs on Aug 30, 2005 14:09:22 GMT -5
Is there a recovery stage in store for them?
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Beboots
Randall's Head Servant (300-799)
Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a plague in Equatorial Guinea that I have to attend.
Posts: 646
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Post by Beboots on Aug 30, 2005 18:01:32 GMT -5
I read several articles on the hurricane in the Edmonton Journal this morning (it's the more matter-of-fact newspaper that I can get, as opposed to the Edmonton Sun, which is more sensationalist). It was quite informative - litterally half of the front section was dedicated to the hurricane, who/what was affected, what exactly it is, it's probable course over the next few days, and past natural disasters in the area.
I did read that the historic buildings in the French quarter were largely undamaged, though, which is a bit of good news.
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Post by pitbulllady on Aug 30, 2005 20:08:16 GMT -5
I read several articles on the hurricane in the Edmonton Journal this morning (it's the more matter-of-fact newspaper that I can get, as opposed to the Edmonton Sun, which is more sensationalist). It was quite informative - litterally half of the front section was dedicated to the hurricane, who/what was affected, what exactly it is, it's probable course over the next few days, and past natural disasters in the area. I did read that the historic buildings in the French quarter were largely undamaged, though, which is a bit of good news. THAT was before another levee broke loose today. Now, much of the French Quarter is under water. Looting and killings are rampant as homeless people who have absolutely nothing try to survive. I still have not heard from anyone I know in that area, and it's likely that some, at least those in southern Mississippi, did not make it. My friend Chris, who lives in western Tennessee, left a message on my answering machine, but I have not been able to get back in touch with her. I could tell by her voice she was really upset. Some of the people we both know in Louisiana are like family to us both, and not being able to find out if they are OK are not is really hard. This is damage on a scale with the tsunamis that hit southeast Asia last December. Some entire towns in Mississippi have been totally wiped out, as if they never existed. There's no sign of even the roads that once led into and out of those places. Here in South Carolina, WE even got hit with some pretty bad thunderstorms and tornadoes this afternoon, all spawned by the remnants of Katrina, and there are people without homes now all the way as far north as Michigan, due to this storm, which goes to show how immense it was. pitbulllady
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Post by pitbulllady on Aug 31, 2005 5:56:30 GMT -5
Well, I heard from some of my people-Christine is OK; Tennessee did not get hit nearly as bad as was predicted. Those living around the Lafayette, Louisiana, area, were not affected much at all, but no one has yet heard from the ones in the Baton Rouge area, and they got hit really bad by the winds. I have heard news of one person in Mississippi, who is OK, but lost her house. Some others still remain unaccounted for.
pitbulllady
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Post by lizardgirl on Aug 31, 2005 9:53:42 GMT -5
I heard on the news that although several states were devastated by Katrina, apparently it veered off course at some point, so the destruction could've been a lot worse. It was amazing hearing from some Americans who had been affected by it all saying how relieved they were! Not exactly an emotion I'd be expecting in the wake of such a disaster!
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Post by pitbulllady on Aug 31, 2005 11:06:51 GMT -5
The storm was supposed to hit New Orleans directly, but did veer slightly to the east at the last moment. Keep in mind that in an Atlantic hurricane, the strongest and most destructive winds and rain are in the northeastern portion of the storm, or between the one l o'clock and 3 o'clock positions, if you think of it as a clock. The weaker side is on the opposite side of the circle, and this is that part that ended up affecting New Orleans, with mere 120 mph winds instead of 145, and only 15 inches of rain. Southern Mississippi got hit with the worst part. New Orleans thought they'd dodged the bullet, for the most part, but then the real disaster hit-the earth levees that keep huge Lake Pontchartrain from flowing into the bowl-shaped depression in which the city is built broke loose. Now the entire city is underwater, and it's getting deeper. There have been no repairs on the levee breaks, and basically this enormous lake is now draining completely into one of America's larges, most heavily-populated cities. Everyone has been ordered out of the city, and mass military evacuations are being undertaken on a scale never before seen in US history. This is the first time an entire city is having to be totally evacuated, and New Orleans is a city roughly the size of London, just to put this in perspective. It is completely unlivable at this point.
pitbulllady
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Post by RandallBoggs on Aug 31, 2005 14:06:53 GMT -5
My sis Stacey actually told us that the storm was heading OUR way. Pfft...like it could... Me and Ran just sat watching a DVD without worry....
Anyway. Saw a piece of the news... Seems like a real bad hit...hopefully they'll wheather this...anybody hurt? I mean...anyone you know Pitbulllady?
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ScrewyOldDame
Randall's Head Servant (300-799)
The classes that wash most are those that work least.
Posts: 402
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Post by ScrewyOldDame on Aug 31, 2005 14:20:22 GMT -5
Yes. I've real a lot in the Post too. Seen a lot on the news. It looks just awful! I am so sorry Pitbull Lady. It is good to hear Christine is alright. Have there been any deaths?
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Post by pitbulllady on Aug 31, 2005 15:35:42 GMT -5
There are friends of mine still unaccounted for, so no one at this time knows if they made it or not. As for overall deaths, I'm sure that once all is said and done, the death toll will be in the several hundreds, if not thousands. There is simply no way at this time to recover bodies in order to make a count, and many countless dead are buried under debris or still floating around in flood waters. Right now, the effort is concentrated on finding and rescuing the living. Rescuers in New Orleans are having to push floating corpses out of the way to reach those living people still stranded on rooftops and in attics. There will probably be many people who will never be accounted for. This is absolutely surreal that something like this is happening in a major, modern North American city.
pitbulllady
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Post by RandallBoggs on Aug 31, 2005 16:01:11 GMT -5
I didn't know Louisiana was a Major...
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Beboots
Randall's Head Servant (300-799)
Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a plague in Equatorial Guinea that I have to attend.
Posts: 646
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Post by Beboots on Aug 31, 2005 18:05:14 GMT -5
As for overall deaths, I'm sure that once all is said and done, the death toll will be in the several hundreds, if not thousands. There is simply no way at this time to recover bodies in order to make a count, and many countless dead are buried under debris or still floating around in flood waters. Right now, the effort is concentrated on finding and rescuing the living. I heard about that - someone was saying that right now, they're just pushing aside the dead bodies to try to rescue those who survived. I suppose it'll be weeks, if not months, before all the bodies are found and identified. I just hope your friends are safe and sound, and just unable to reach you right now, Pitbulllady.
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Post by pitbulllady on Aug 31, 2005 20:39:00 GMT -5
I didn't know Louisiana was a Major... Major WHAT? Louisiana is the largest producer of sugar and rice in North America. It is the most important source of most of the seafood, especially shrimp, that many of us enjoy. New Orleans is the second-largest port city in North America, after its sister city, New York. Take THIS into consideration: 85% of the natural gas, petroleum, and oil that is used here on the eastern seaboard of the United States originates in refineries located in southern Louisiana or is pumped from the Gulf of Mexico just offshore, including 2/3 of the petroleum products available here in South Carolina. Do you have any idea what this is going to do to gasoline prices and heating oil prices? New Orleans is also THE port from which grain and other food products from America's heartland reach the rest of the world, heading for Europe, Africa, etc. With that city shut down, much of the world which depends on US exports soy, corn, and other important grain products cannot receive their shipments, which will drive world grain prices sky high, and escalate famine conditions in many areas. Most of Louisiana is very rural, so the entire state depends on revenues generated by that city, in its port facilities and very, very popular tourism industry. Just imagine the impact on the Mid-Atlantic states if New York City suddenly, for all practical intent and purposes, ceased to exist, or on England if London was just no longer there. Such an impact won't be felt just regionally; every one of us, no matter where we live, will be negatively affected by what has happened in the Gulf states eventually. pitbulllady
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Post by lizardgirl on Sept 1, 2005 8:04:42 GMT -5
There were four pages in the newspaper my family gets dedicated to showing what's been going on in America. It looks terrible, and it quoted an American official saying that New Orleans may not be in a liveable state for something like three, or more, months.
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Post by RandallBoggs on Sept 1, 2005 14:22:25 GMT -5
...Hmmm....Gas prices are up here... Did people here....EXPECT there to be a disaster......Hmm...
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