OT: Hurricane Katrina--New Orleans

[Rose Immortal]

It looks like Hurricane Katrina will be a major hurricane when it makes landfal here.

Hopefully it will miss New Orleans--but for those of you unfamiliar with the U.S., this is one of the absolute worst nightmares as far as hurricane scenarios.

Because New Orleans sits below sea-level, if a major hurricane hits, the storm surge may cause Lake Ponchartrain to wash out and flood the city even worse than the rain and storm surge itself. The city could be under several feet of water, and it will not have anywhere to go once it pours into the city.

Please, everyone bear in mind the people who will be affected by this, and consider prayer if you believe in such things.

And if you are in Louisiana, in areas that may be affected by this hurricane--listen carefully. I have seen what hurricane damage along the coast looks like in a situation where the flooding was nowhere near as severe.

GET OUT.

Do not play with this hurricane--better to evacuate for nothing than to get caught in this.

 

[Rose Immortal]

This is easily the most hellish weather forecast I've ever seen.

Apologies for the all-caps--the source I copied it from was this way.

------------

Urgent Weather Message from NWS New Orleans

WWUS74 KLIX 281550NPWLIXURGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA

1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005


DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED

HURRICANE KATRINAA MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969. MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. ATLEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED.


CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE. HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATEADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...


AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK. POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...


BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEWCROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BEKILLED.AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEARHURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE..


.ARECERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTUREOUTSIDE!LAZ038-040-050-056>070-282100-ASSUMPTION-LIVINGSTON-LOWER JEFFERSON-LOWER LAFOURCHE-LOWER PLAQUEMINES-LOWER ST. BERNARD-LOWER TERREBONNE-ORLEANS-ST. CHARLES-ST. JAMES-ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST-ST. TAMMANY-TANGIPAHOA-UPPER JEFFERSON-UPPER LAFOURCHE-UPPER PLAQUEMINES-UPPER ST. BERNARD-UPPER TERREBONNE-1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

 

[Kenneth R.]

Please, everyone bear in mind the people who will be affected by this, and consider prayer if you believe in such things.

i for one will take up this cause.

and echo that anyone in the area, leave while you can (or prepare yourself for the situation)

 

[-Rivfader-]

Man that thing is just crazy.

 

[Mantraschism]

I've got folks in New Orleans, but they've already gotten out. I used to live there myself -- this gives me a new reason to be glad I don't anymore. I hope this doesn't slam Baton Rouge, too, 'cause my grandparents live there and I'm supposed to be going out there in a couple of weeks.

 

[Rose Immortal]

Mantraschism--I'm glad your family got out. The pictures I'm seeing on the news from that area are truly horrible.

There seems to have been a bad loss of life from this storm. One coastal county in Mississippi had 50 confirmed dead.

 

[scanner313]

And if you are in Louisiana, in areas that may be affected by this hurricane--listen carefully. I have seen what hurricane damage along the coast looks like in a situation where the flooding was nowhere near as severe.

GET OUT.

Do not play with this hurricane--better to evacuate for nothing than to get caught in this.

Damn Rose, you hit the nail on the head with this prediction. Too bad so many people who actually live there and should have known this didn't pay any attention.

 

[Rose Immortal]

Damn Rose, you hit the nail on the head with this prediction. Too bad so many people who actually live there and should have known this didn't pay any attention.

That's what I get for watching so many weather documentaries when I was a little kid.

One of them had a computer model that showed exactly how Lake Ponchartrain would wash out onto the city and submerge it. I remember being really, really chilled when I saw that, and it stuck in my mind ever since. This threat has been known for years, but I guess not as well publicized as I thought.

I think the situation there was a combination of not knowing, in the cases of some people with less education and access to information, and not having the means to get out.

Mantraschism: Does your family have good accomodations for now? Any word yet on their property?

 

[Beelzebub]

http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_neworleans.html

They saw this coming three years ago.

Remember how I spent the summer on a ship? I just got back from helping to load it up with supplies, we're sending it down to New Orleans by the end of the week.

 

[proulxski]

wow, good calL! I love you guys, you have such big hearts for those in-need. makes me wanna hug someone! beelzebub thats really kind hearted and of course its a good cause! The only thinkg I've contributed to this is getting everyone on MSN to put a ROSE in front of their name in respect of those @ New Orleans

 

[Beelzebub]

Well, I did what little I could to help out. MARAD (the Maritime Administration) owns the ship so they're taking it down there, I'm not going anywhere. Even though it mightn't seem like much, I'm sure you could start up a collection at school or donate some clothes on your own or something. Every little thing helps.