 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
This time tomorrow, the city of New Orleans, Louisiana will be destroyed. Hurricane Katrina, a Saffir-Simpson Category Five storm, is aiming directly for the city.
Winds are expected to be greater than 175 mph, and the storm surge is going to be between 18 and 30 feet. This is expected to be the most disasterous storm to ever strike a major U.S. city. New Orleans already sits below sea level by about 10 feet, and engineers expect that the levees that keep out the ocean will be destroyed. The surge is also expected to destroy the sewage systems in the city, and the chemical depositories that the major port holds. So, whatever's left when the hurricane is over will be covered in about 20-30 feet of water that's mixed with essentially toxic shit. The city is shaped like a bowl, so unless pumps are installed (or the existing pumps are somehow powered), it will remain under this mess for weeks.
Because of transportation problems in and out of the city, more than 150,000 people are still stranded in the storm's path. Many of these people have been moved into The Superdome, a large domed football stadium that's supposed to be hurricane-proof. However, since the stadium was constructed in the 1970s, no Category Five storm has struck it to ensure that fact. For that matter, no Category Five storm has struck a major city in the U.S. The last Category Five was Andrew, in Homestead, Florida in 1992. Homestead is no New Orleans.
In terms of hazards, this is a set-up like The Perfect Storm, where all the factors are combining to cause one hell of a mess. Hazards people are estimating that 1 million people are going to be homeless. At least. Possible death tolls, since apparently nothing else can be done, are in the thousands. Some of the higher figures are saying to expect 10,000 fatalities. That's ten thousand people. Gone. And that's if The Superdome holds up. Very few buildings can withstand a 40 foot wall of water AND 175 mph winds. The Superdome may be the first. We can hope. In hurricanes, farther from the ground means higher wind speeds. The skyline of New Orleans should be gone. At this point, it's like a 25 mile wide tornado is bearing down.
New Orleans, I've read, is a city of historic significance. I've never been there, but I've always wanted to go. It's the only place of Cajun culture in the U.S., because it's where the French-Acadians settled when expelled from Canada by the British. It has the historic French Quarter, hosts Mardi Gras every year, and is the birthplace of jazz music. Tomorrow, all of that may be gone. It's a shame, really. But honestly, I couldn't give less of a shit about that stuff right now.
What bothers me the most is that 150,000 people are left in the city. Sure, there are some morons that are going to 'ride it out' and get wasted in the process. Those people are signing their own death warrant, and the best of luck to them. The others are stuck for medical or socioeconomic reasons. They physically cannot evacuate, or they have no money or car.
It bothers me that the U.S., as the most technologically advanced country in the world, which had hundreds of satellites watching this situation develop and had more than enough resources to get people out, is still shrugging at the possibility of thousands of people dying for something that could've been prevented.
Why, if we can put 250,000 soldiers anywhere on the globe in 24 hours time, aren't we helping these people get out? Politicians have shrugged at these folks, and have promised a Federal Disaster Declaration as soon as the storm ends. So, how is this going to help those 10,000 possible fatalities? Or their families?
My thoughts and prayers are with those people left behind tonight. I wish the best for them, that maybe this storm will go somewhere else, or that somehow they'll get through. I hope will all of my heart that The Superdome proves to be hurricane-proof. When they make it through, it will certainly be one hell of a ride that they'll tell their grandkids about.
My scorn, on the other hand, is with every politician and wealthy person in the country. Where the fuck have they been during this failed evacuation? Why aren't they helping get these people out? Why aren't we using military transports and riverbarges to get these folks to safety? And now, six hours from landfall, it's too late. Hope you folks that are left behind don't mind.
They should all be ashamed of themselves.
Posted by Your Friendly Neighborhood DJ on August 28, 2005 10:38 PM | Permalink
Share this entry:
