The Hurricane Katrina thread

[Sterlingdog]

I'm starting to think that the FEMA officials need to watch CNN.  I heard the one guy from FEMA say he just found out about the people at the convention center and was getting some help for them.  But CNN had been reporting on them for days.  So either the FEMA dude is lying, or he's got less information than the reporters. 

[Dr. Blutarsky]

We certainly were caught with our pants down on this one.

When New Orleans is rebuilt, the levee system needs to be much better at handling powerful hurricanes. Or we`ll go thru it all over again. It is certainly sad how some people have been acting, murders, rapes, shooting at helicoptors giving aid, etc. How easily our society can unravel.

[POPmetal]

Europe is set to offer oil aid from its reserves.

Oil drops as Europe plans U.S. oil aid
Fri Sep 2, 2005 9:39 AM ET

By Janet McBride

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell by more than a dollar on Friday as the West's energy watchdog prepared to tap emergency reserves to help ease a fuel crisis threatening the United States.

As the world's biggest consumer runs short of gasoline, President George W. Bush asked the International Energy Agency to release petrol reserves and urged Americans to conserve fuel.

The Paris-based agency, coordinator of emergency reserves for 26 OECD countries, may decide soon to release up to two million barrels per day (bpd) of fuel from Europe.

U.S. crude oil <CLc1> was down $1.42 at $68.05 a barrel at 0929 EDT, having hit an all-time high of $70.85 on Tuesday. London Brent crude <LCOc1> was down $1.15 to $66.57 a barrel.

Hurricane Katrina killed thousands and knocked out U.S. rigs and refiners when it ripped through the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week. Oil prices soared to levels not seen in real terms since 1980, the year after the Iranian revolution.

European allies sprang to the rescue. Germany and Spain said they would back the IEA if it asked them to dip into stocks. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said a release of two million bpd for 30 days was under consideration.

It would take at least 10 days for European gasoline to reach the United States once a decision is taken. Europe has already booked up to 30 cargoes of petrol to move to the United States, prompting brokers to warn of an impending shortage.

The Paris-based IEA says it is still consulting members and awaiting a report on the extent of Katrina's damage to U.S. Gulf refiners before deciding on a stock release.

The IEA last ordered an emergency release in January 1991 as a U.S.-led coalition ejected invading Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

Gasoline prices, which have led the market's gains on fears that already low stockpiles would be squeezed severely, traded 17.95 cents lower at $2.2295 a gallon.

Washington loaned out emergency crude supplies, eased environmental regulations on motor fuels and waived a shipping law to allow better flow of oil into the Gulf region, where most oil output and eight refineries were idled for a fifth day.

Some regional pipelines also started pumping supplies around the country and power was restored to a number of plants.

But the U.S. government said it might take months to recover from the killer storm, which struck at the heart of an industry already running nearly flat-out to satisfy two years of exceptionally strong demand growth around the world.

GASOLINE CRISIS

President George W. Bush warned retailers about price gouging as New Orleans and the Gulf Coast struggled to recover from one of the nation's most savage storms.

Soaring gasoline prices -- up more than 20 percent from just a week ago -- have attracted dozens of gasoline cargoes from Europe but most of those supplies will not arrive until October, leaving open the prospect of a month-long supply squeeze.

Canada's oil companies could defer autumn maintenance at refineries to maximize gasoline exports south of the border.

Gasoline supply fears have overshadowed the loss of nearly all Gulf of Mexico crude production, a quarter of the nation's total, which is more easily compensated with robust commercial stockpiles, strategic inventories or additional OPEC output.

(Additional reporting by Paul Marriott in Sydney)

[Will]

From New Orleans' local newspaper: http://www.nola.com/hurricane/katrina/

[Eva GnRAxlRosette]

I'm starting to think that the FEMA officials need to watch CNN.? I heard the one guy from FEMA say he just found out about the people at the convention center and was getting some help for them.? But CNN had been reporting on them for days.? So either the FEMA dude is lying, or he's got less information than the reporters.?

We've been watching CNN and Fox news... right now airing The O'Reilly factor.  The guy really seems to be making a concerted effort to identify and put out on the air for the authorities that they know are tuned it, specific needs at specific locations.

[SLCPUNK]

Get the cruise ships there ASAP. They have food, showers, beds, every single ammenity these people need. You won't need to ship them here and there and hope they have a place for these people!!!!! These ships can help immediately!!!

I guess there is some type of tent town set up in Tarpon Springs for some of these people. I am going sometime next week and do whatever they need me to do, on my days off.

[Rain]

I'm starting to think that the FEMA officials need to watch CNN.? I heard the one guy from FEMA say he just found out about the people at the convention center and was getting some help for them.? But CNN had been reporting on them for days.? So either the FEMA dude is lying, or he's got less information than the reporters.?

Yeah I saw that on CNN too yesterday afternoon (Paris time) and I was what the fuck , I had seen this on french TV and FEMA wasn't aware that there were people at the convention center that were needing help ? 

[SLCPUNK]

So....

Lets not be petty and dishonor the victims of this hurricane with political rants.

Lets help them.

We can focus on what public figures may or may not say, or we can dig deep, remember we are human beings, and make a difference.


http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate3/

[POPmetal]

OK, I'll continue in this thread.

SLC, I'm glad you now agree that we shouldn't dishonor the victims with political rants. And if you couldn't imagine Jackson being so petty in a time like this, wait till you hear these quotes:

"I assume the president's going to say he got bad intelligence... I think that wherever you see poverty, whether it's in the white rural community or the black urban community, you see that the resources have been sucked up into the war and tax cuts for the rich." -- Congressman Charles B. Rangel

"Many black people feel that their race, their property conditions and their voting patterns have been a factor in the response... I'm not saying that myself, but what's self-evident is that you have many poor people without a way out." -- Rev. Jesse Jackson

"In New Orleans, the disaster's impact underscores the intersection of race and class in a city where fully two-thirds of its residents are black and more than a quarter of the city lives in poverty. In the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, which was inundated by the floodwaters, more than 98 percent of the residents are black and more than a third live in poverty."
-- David Gonzalez, NY Times

taken straight off of Michael Moore's web site

[POPmetal]

another way to help:

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org

[SLCPUNK]

The point I am making is to ignore what people are saying left or right. It is a waste of time to pay attention to that, or draw attention to it.

You bringing them to the forum takes away and dishonors the victims.

People are going to say things, there is a Christian Group claiming that it's God's fault because of the gays. However I am not going to focus on that, but rather focus on helping the victims.

And don't be a hypocrite, we don't "agree" on anything. You say we shouldn't dishonor the victims for politcal reasons, and then go ahead and paste something from MM's website...

[POPmetal]

The point I am making is to ignore what people are saying left or right. It is a waste of time to pay attention to that, or draw attention to it.

You bringing them to the forum takes away and dishonors the victims.

I love how you like to turn things around. It's me simply bringing it up on the board that dishonors the victims, not the people who actually make the political rants. Riiiiight

People are going to say things, there is a Christian Group claiming that it's God's fault because of the gays. However I am not going to focus on that, but rather focus on helping the victims.

The Kanye West statement happened on national television. Jesse Jackson is considered an icon by many democrats and whenever he says something, people listen. You seem to be the only one to have heard of this fringe Christian group saying that. Do you see the difference?

And don't be a hypocrite, we don't "agree" on anything. You say we shouldn't dishonor the victims for politcal reasons, and then go ahead and paste something from MM's website...

I agree "that we shouldn't dishonor the victims with political rants" which is what you said. Posting other people's political rants doesn't make me a hypocrite. It's interesting how, while claiming to be against political rants, you have said nothing against the people who make them, but instead you jump all over me for merely bringing up rants others have made. Make up your mind. Are you truly against politicizing the situation? Or are you simply against me stating that others have politicized the situation? If it's the later, then I guess we don't agree.

[Will]

Ok guys, can we focus on the victims and on what's going on there and let the rest aside for a while? Thanks.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/03/katrina.impact/index.html

[POPmetal]

Good idea.
Here's map based wiki with information from people there
http://www.scipionus.com/

[Prometheus]

The point I am making is to ignore what people are saying left or right. It is a waste of time to pay attention to that, or draw attention to it.

You bringing them to the forum takes away and dishonors the victims.

I love how you like to turn things around. It's me simply bringing it up on the board that dishonors the victims, not the people who actually make the political rants. Riiiiight

People are going to say things, there is a Christian Group claiming that it's God's fault because of the gays. However I am not going to focus on that, but rather focus on helping the victims.

The Kanye West statement happened on national television. Jesse Jackson is considered an icon by many democrats and whenever he says something, people listen. You seem to be the only one to have heard of this fringe Christian group saying that. Do you see the difference?

And don't be a hypocrite, we don't "agree" on anything. You say we shouldn't dishonor the victims for politcal reasons, and then go ahead and paste something from MM's website...

I agree "that we shouldn't dishonor the victims with political rants" which is what you said. Posting other people's political rants doesn't make me a hypocrite. It's interesting how, while claiming to be against political rants, you have said nothing against the people who make them, but instead you jump all over me for merely bringing up rants others have made. Make up your mind. Are you truly against politicizing the situation? Or are you simply against me stating that others have politicized the situation? If it's the later, then I guess we don't agree.

sorry Will cant let him have the last word there.

look long story short in the other thread where you brought all of this out, one simple question had to be made. If you are so agnist the political side of how things have gone why introduce a new thread with blame being laid squarely on the adminstration, when clearly its the right that is doing the majority of the blaming? and the second question is why blame the left of twisting things when there are people that you ahve quoted blmaing everyone for whats going on... and not really doing a god damn thing..... i mean come on, go on tv and blame the world..... blame is somethign that is not needed now, co-operation is what is needed now...... notice the left is tring to put all aside for the msot part.... and the right is the one bitching......

We all should agree that its a time for action, and things are happening...... deathly slow to some, but you ahve to remember that you cant simply compare this even to last years in FL..... we are dealing with a much larger area with a much more diffcult terrain.


and talking about reporters..... Katie Kurric is a moron......one question i heard her ask was...."Why was there nothing done, no assests in place when the levies broke to go immdately and try and seal the breaches?"

lets see 175mph winds...... heavy flooding....... not knowing exactly where it was going to break......=loss of crew and eqiupment......

is it really that hard........

stupid questions........

[Will]

sorry Will cant let him have the last word there.

Right, and he won't let you have the last word, and SLC won't let him have the last word, etc., etc.

Can't we put our differences aside just for a while, that's all I'm asking. If you can't do that, well, I can't force you to do so, but I'm just asking some common sense.

The General (Honore?) who is leading the troops in New Orleans is doing the right thing when he asks his troops to "point their guns down, this is not Iraq".

[SLCPUNK]

Ok guys, can we focus on the victims and on what's going on there and let the rest aside for a while? Thanks.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/09/03/katrina.impact/index.html

Hey man, that was the point of my posts.....

[Where is Hassan Nasrallah ?]

all this story is insane.
the united states sure have to re-think their system.
the tv footages remind me of african disasters, and it's supposed to be the richest country in the world.
and mtv is showing re runs of the vmas with nice cars in miami ...

[Mr. Dick Purple]

all this story is insane.
the united states sure have to re-think their system.
the tv footages remind me of african disasters, and it's supposed to be the richest country in the world.
and mtv is showing re runs of the vmas with nice cars in miami ...

You are right, it reminds me a lot of African disasters, but that doesn't mean anything can fail and that nothing can hit you, perhaps they didn't think the hurricane could've hit them, has anything of this happened in N.O before??

[Will]

the tv footages remind me of african disasters, and it's supposed to be the richest country in the world.

Money can't move water, and it can't control the weather.? For the first few hours, no one even knew what what going on in N.O. They just moved 10 billion dollars and Bush said it was just the down payment. Sure, there's a debate going on about whether or not things could have moved faster but the real issue now is to take care of the victims, of the people still in New Orleans, and people there are really doing their best now. Troops are trying to regain control of the city and it's progessively working.

Now another issue is the fires going in the city, and they don't have the necessary firemen to take care of this.

Yes, Mr. Dick Purple, N.O have been hit severely several times since the 1700's by disasters, but it has never been that bad. They knew it was going to happen eventually, and they were working on the levees surrounding the city, but fundings had been cut recently and they had to stop working on the levees. But analysts say maybe N.O couldn't have been protected from Katrina with a better levee system (not totally anyway), it's hard to say now.

Footage from the last few days is very hard to watch indeed and it could happen anywhere, we just have to show our support to the victims and hope their situation will get better soon. Read the online version of the N.O paper to get the latest from there (I gave the link earlier).