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[cati]

LuLu, I am so sorry for your loss of your things. I can not even imagine what you and others are dealing with. Where I live, we are so far away there is little we can, except offer money, clothes, and prayers for you - and of course hugs I do hope you are able to go back and get your things. I was just worried about how it would be safe with the contamination and all. But alot of people have explained alot to me on this thread. I also did not realize that NO was not all destroyed. I am happy for that for you and others in your situation. Keep safe. Are you with family now or where?

 

[lulu71]

Keep safe. Are you with family now or where?

I am almost embarrased to say this, but we are "living" at Old Key West. We have DVC points so we figured we might as well use them!

 

[N.Bailey]

Not sure you would feel that way if your family member was missing and possibly alive (or not) somewhere in NOLA.

This is my thought too.

Look how devastated family members were after 9-11 when it was physically impossible to find and ID all those bodies.

I didn't like it in after 9-11, but I do understand. I would never understand in this situation.

 

[cati]

lulu, you should not be embarrassed. I am glad you are safe and maybe you and your children (if you have children) can at least find a bit of happiness in this disaster. What better place to run to - WDW!!!!! LOL I am glad you are ok.

 

[N.Bailey]

A body becomes buoyant as the gases build up, so for the most part, these bodies will be floating on top of the water. If the body has sunk, it too will rise as these gases build. It's at this time that the bodies will need to be pulled out of the waters and they should be able to be ID'd. Eventually they will sink again, but hopefully they'd be pulled out of the water prior to that time. Those that are buried under water in their homes should be able to be ID'd for the most part by location.

After 6 months though, a corpse will be pretty skeletal (contrary to CSI). The exception to that would be in really cold waters where it would act as a refrigerator/freezer (depending on how cold the water was) and that would slow decomposition. In NOLA however, decomposition would be sped up due to the warmness of the water. If it takes 6 months, I wouldn't expect to see much flesh if any and very little in the way of organs left.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I am almost embarrased to say this, but we are "living" at Old Key West. We have DVC points so we figured we might as well use them!

Well last year I evacuated to Hawaii! Not on purpose--but the timing was good.

Very wise of you!

Where are you going after OKW?

 

[lulu71]

Well last year I evacuated to Hawaii! Not on purpose--but the timing was good.

Very wise of you!

Where are you going after OKW?

Probably Houston, where DH and his company cohorts will be working temporarily to get the company back up and running.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this but the French Quarter and the Garden District were also not badly damaged and escaped most of the flooding too. I think that areas may need bulldozing at some point but not the whole city.

 

[ducklite]

duck- you obviously have not read all of the threads. Please do so and then comment. I am not suggesting you bulldoze the homes that are not affected!!!!!

You wrote: "completely level everything in NO once they have the floods out of there"

You asked for wholesale destruction of the city. You didn't bother to get your facts straight before saying such a ridiculous thing. I stand by my post.

Anne

 

[seashoreCM]

(I did not read all the replies)

No, don't bulldoze it yet. Leave it as-is for the time being letting owners assess their own damage.

Give owners free disposal of debris including possibly contaminated soil.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[RadioNate]

You wrote: "completely level everything in NO once they have the floods out of there"

You asked for wholesale destruction of the city. You didn't bother to get your facts straight before saying such a ridiculous thing. I stand by my post.

Anne

As the thread continued she updated several times as she was given more information.

I know that I have never been to NO and am not at all familiar with the city and that from nation news reports I was also under the impression that the ENTIRE city was flood damaged and contaminated. Yes that is incorrect but I didn't know that until people with more knowledge of NO clarified that for me.

I haven't had a 24 hours news station on all day and didn't realize that a lot of the city wasn't flooded.

The OP has clarified her remarks several times once she had a better understanding of what the facts were.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Here's the city pic--not sure if I posted it earlier...so just posting again....mostly wet area--but several large dry spots:

wow---just checked.. they have a very detailed document with pics and they've included the flood lines and such:
http://www.digitalglobe.com/images/katrina/Hurricane_Katrina-New_Orleans.pdf

 

[ducklite]

Again, my problem is that she didn't bother to get her facts straight before going off half cocked.

Anne

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Again, my problem is that she didn't bother to get her facts straight before going off half cocked.

Anne

She has tried to make amends--she didn't know.

 

[bengalbelle]

Again, my problem is that she didn't bother to get her facts straight before going off half cocked.

Anne

I've read every post (and every edit) since the beginning of this thread and I agree with you. The remark could have been made on one of the equally insensitive threads already on this board instead of starting a new one. Absolutely no thought was given to how upsetting seeing "bulldoze" in the title would be for many of us living in and near NO. There's no mistaking, reading that title, what she's referring to. If her primary concern was the health and safety of the people returning to NO, then a more appropriate way to approach the subject is HOW will they be able to ensure the health and safety of the residents of New Orleans given the current situation.

 

[bengalbelle]

She has tried to make amends--she didn't know.

That's the point. Watching CNN a few hours a day doesn't make you an expert on the situation. She's entitled to her opinion, but when that opinion is hurtful and based on untruths, be prepared for the fallout. Whether she made amends or not, Ducklite is right - she didn't have the facts.

ETA: This is still the first thing you read when you open this thread:
I think they should take a bulldozer and plese read all of my responses b4 flaming me

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completely level everything in NO once they have the floods out of there.

 

[ducklite]

She has tried to make amends--she didn't know.

Making amends would be changing the insensitive title of the thread.

Anne

 

[cati]

So is the thread name better????? If you had taken the time to read the threads then you would have realized that the only coverage I am getting is that all of NO was gone. I have since learned otherwise.

 

[seashoreCM]

All sewage treatment plants will discharged untreated sewage if they become overwhelmed. To minimize this, cities are gradually installing a second set of sewer pipes to handle rain water separately from sewage, and new streets must have the second set of pipes that lead directly to a river or the ocean.

The feds may give the go-ahead to drain New Orleans with no regard to treatment of the water in order to get the job done faster. For all intents and purposes the city's pumping stations are overwhelmed. Keep in mind that, up until the hurricane, the pumping stations were going constantly discharging a normal amount of water. In order to accomplish any net draining from today's condition the pumping stations upon restart have to do more than what they were doing prior to the storm.

There are apparently some areas today where the level of water inside the city is higher than the level of water in the Mississippi River or Lake Ponchartrain. To expedite draining the city, breaks will be made in the levees at these points to let the water equalize the other way, and this water flow will not be treated.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I don't think anyone intentionally was being insensitive. I think the scope of the devastation is just so overwhelming. Don't be too harsh.
Those with no connection to NO are figuring most everything is trashed and nothing but horrible memories remain.
We all know how devastating this was. It is just overwhelming for many, esp those with no connections to the area.
It would be nice to see the area (ground) BUILT up during the reconstruction. But it sounds like that is not feasible. I think many are just worried and wondering when this will happen again.
We all would like to think something good will come from this horror.