Latest news from NO

[ash&abby'smom]

Last night the Mayor stated that there was a leak in one of the levees. Hopefully it isn't bad. They did say the lake was lower so hopefully they can fix it without it causing more problems.

45 bodies were found Sunday in Memorial Hospital downtown that was surrounded by floodwaters. A spokesperson said a significant number had died before the hurricane. All other living patients were evacuated Friday before the storm.

Also, 30 nursing home patients drowned. They were not evacuated and they are trying to locate the owners.

Just wanted to post the latest news out of NO.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks for the update..

I was awake till about 2:30 this morning and by that time they had decided that there wasn't a new breach in the levee afterall.. Hopefully that hasn't changed since I went to bed..

The nursing home deaths is really disturbing.. It seems like they're leaning towards the fact that the staff just left them there.. Hopefully that is NOT the case.. So sad..

Are you in an area that received damage?

 

[ash&abby'smom]

Last I heard last night was that the levee wasn't breeched, but had a leak. Hopefully that has changed.

Very disturbing about the nursing home patients. I don't understand how they could just leave those poor people.

We were very lucky. The only damage in our areas were trees down, power outages etc. I think if that storm would not have made the turn, we would have been worse off. Thanks for asking.

 

[CEDmom]

Ash&Abby'smom, I hope you're ok.

I saw on CNN early this morning that the levee wasn't leaking it's just that so much water was going through it that some came back over the top. They explained that it was like throwing a bucket of water into a sink and having some of it splash back out because the drain couldn't handle all of it quickly enough.

I also heard that the bodies in the hospital were those of patients that had died before or during the storm. There is a federal investigation starting about the nursing home residents. It sounds at this point at least that they were left there when staff evacuated. I can't imagine how horrible it must have been for those people.

 

[C.Ann]

Good to hear you were spared any severe damage.. It must have been terribly nerve wracking waiting to see where that storm was going to go though.. I can't even begin to imagine what that would be like..

 

[snappy]

Does anyone know WHICH levee they were talking about having a leak? My in-laws homes are close to the London Ave levee breach and the water remains quite high in that location, we believe still up to the top of the first floor on the house. No one is able to enter the area yet, unlike Jeff parish and certain areas in Orleans. The last we read the breach at this levee was deeper and more difficult to repair.

There was a huge meeting in B.R. at the state capitol yesterday for St. Bernard Parish residents. Several THOUSAND attended. They are being told not to expect to be able to move back in until next summer. They don't even know when they will be allowed to go in to just tak a look. A good deal of oil has leaked in from a refinery Chalmette and coats a number of homes.

Glad you are ok ash&abby'smom. Stay safe.

 

[C.Ann]

Does anyone know WHICH levee they were talking about having a leak? My in-laws homes are close to the London Ave levee breach and the water remains quite high in that location, we believe still up to the top of the first floor on the house. No one is able to enter the area yet, unlike Jeff parish and certain areas in Orleans. The last we read the breach at this levee was deeper and more difficult to repair.

There was a huge meeting in B.R. at the state capitol yesterday for St. Bernard Parish residents. Several THOUSAND attended. They are being told not to expect to be able to move back in until next summer. They don't even know when they will be allowed to go in to just tak a look. A good deal of oil has leaked in from a refinery Chalmette and coats a number of homes.

Glad you are ok ash&abby'smom. Stay safe.

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

If I'm not mistaken, I think it was the London Avenue that they were talking about.. However, they made it sound like it wasn't a serious concern at all..

Next SUMMER? Wow! That's a LONG time to have to live elsewhere..

 

[snappy]

Not sure if any St. Bernard Parish residents will use them but FEMA is bringing in thousands of small travel size trailers for temporary housing that will be set up in a number of locations around the B.R. area (four named so far). The FEMA housing area commander, Brad Gair, is quoted in our paper here today that FEMA will continue to house evacuees for 3-5 years in Louisiana.

The paper says they are planning for 300,000 FAMILIES, most in travel trailers and mobile homes. so far 6,000 of the trailers have been moved to Louisiana with hundreds more arriving each day.

A contractor out of New Iberia is working two shifts 12 hours each to get one of the locations in Baker (north of B.R.) ready with the roads, lighting, and sewage needed. They have less than two weeks to get the job done.

 

[C.Ann]

Not sure if any St. Bernard Parish residents will use them but FEMA is bringing in thousands of small travel size trailers for temporary housing that will be set up in a number of locations around the B.R. area (four named so far). The FEMA housing area commander, Brad Gair, is quoted in our paper here today that FEMA will continue to house evacuees for 3-5 years in Louisiana.

The paper says they are planning for 300,000 FAMILIES, most in travel trailers and mobile homes. so far 6,000 of the trailers have been moved to Louisiana with hundreds more arriving each day.

A contractor out of New Iberia is working two shifts 12 hours each to get one of the locations in Baker (north of B.R.) ready with the roads, lighting, and sewage needed. They have less than two weeks to get the job done.

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

Wow! That's amazing!!

On a side note, I have a question for you.. I was planning on driving from Florida to Texas next February.. The route I looked at would take me right through the areas of AL, MS and LA that were severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina.. What do you think the conditions will be by then? Would flying be a better idea?

 

[mickeyfan2]

Last I heard last night was that the levee wasn't breeched, but had a leak.

They said the pressure of the water was causing the leak. The reduced the rate of the pump and the leak stopped.

 

[mickeyfan2]

On the radio they stated that residents of one parish (can't remember the name) will be returning in 5 years. By then you will have set down roots somewhere else.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I sawa this on tv this morning--and they said it was because a pump was turned on and that it briefly topped the levee and was no longer a problem.

Is this the same levee?

 

[snappy]

On the radio they stated that residents of one parish (can't remember the name) will be returning in 5 years. By then you will have set down roots somewhere else.

I am betting it was St. Bernard Parish, judging by what I posted above from info in the B.R. paper today. One of my cousins who has lived in St. Bernard for years is trying to buy a home here. They are selling like hotcakes.
Her kids have already started in Catholic School here.

They were able to get a home loan, no down payment, good interest rate.
She and her husband are very employable but have lost their N.O. jobs.
They will get whatever their limit is on their flood insurance policy, I think the upper limit is $250,000. Luckily, there are some houses left in that price range here. The house has enough bedrooms for several of her sisters, her in-laws, her nieces to share. This storm has had a way of bringing families together. When we walk our dog and my in-laws dog in our neighborhood, you meet lots of folks staying with family. We won't need to have a family reunion this year!!

 

[arminnie]

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

On a side note, I have a question for you.. I was planning on driving from Florida to Texas next February.. The route I looked at would take me right through the areas of AL, MS and LA that were severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina.. What do you think the conditions will be by then? Would flying be a better idea?

I won't try to answer on the state of the roads - I don't really have any information so it would just be a guess.

But if the roads are ready I do hope that you will consider making the drive. It would be well worth the drive, and the people there desperately need for tourists to come back.

As far as New Orleans goes - the 20% of the city that is not flooded is the historic area that most tourist go to. The French Quarter, Uptown and the Garden district fared the very best.

 

[C.Ann]

I won't try to answer on the state of the roads - I don't really have any information so it would just be a guess.

But if the roads are ready I do hope that you will consider making the drive. It would be well worth the drive, and the people there desperately need for tourists to come back.

As far as New Orleans goes - the 20% of the city that is not flooded is the historic area that most tourist go to. The French Quarter, Uptown and the Garden district fared the very best.

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

Thanks! The only reason that I was thinking I should fly instead was that I didn't want to "be in the way" of any progress.. I'd love to take a liesurely drive to Texas via those states and have already sent away for tourist info from each area I would be passing through..

 

[snappy]

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

Wow! That's amazing!!

On a side note, I have a question for you.. I was planning on driving from Florida to Texas next February.. The route I looked at would take me right through the areas of AL, MS and LA that were severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina.. What do you think the conditions will be by then? Would flying be a better idea?

I think the conditions will be better by then but I would definitely avoid New Orleans. DH's niece came to our house last week from Jacksonville. She checked with state police in FL before she left for roads that were open. I am not sure but I think she went through Alexandria and went north of Jackson through Mississippi.

The I10 from Slidell to New Orleans that is built over Lake Pontchartrain (they are called the twin spans) were greatly damaged, I think I read that it will cost $500 million to repair them. One side may be partially "fixed" by Feb. but I would not count on it. It may be worse than the I10 over Pensacola Bay that staill only has one side open after a full year. It is a real bottle neck. You can easily bypass the twin spans by going through Hammond on I12. It is open now although I think gas is limited along I12 right now. I would expect that to be improved by Feb.

Ask this question again before you leave in Feb.

 

[Planogirl]

Keep checking on progress C.Ann. I-12 is a good bypass though and one we take anyway unless we plan to stop in New Orleans.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks for the tips on my travel plans.. I'll be sure to post again asking for additional info in February..

 

[arminnie]

FYI - February 28th is Mardi Gras. Ordinarily I would tell you to avoid the two weeks prior to Mardi Gras, but I don't think that applies this year.

I do believe that Mardi Gras will be celebrated - not sure to what extent.

 

[ducklite]

What I'm hearing is a scaled back version of Mardi Gras will happen. I know they want to have the parades!

Not surprisingly, VooDoo Fest is cancelled for this year.

The JazzFest will go on in 2006!!

Anne