By- Suzie-Q @ 9:00 PM MST
Tropical Storm Gustav is seen in a NOAA satellite image taken August 28, 2008. REUTERS/NOAA/Handout
On Third Anniversary Of Katrina, Officials Aren’t Confident New Orleans’ Levees Can ‘Handle’ Gustav
Think Progress- By at 8:29 pm
Three years ago today, Hurricane Katrina made landfall upon New Orleans. The storm was tragically followed by an abysmal disaster response from the Bush administration and ultimately took the lives of nearly a thousand of the city’s residents.
Last week, President Bush appeared in New Orleans to say that “hope is coming back” to the city, due to $126 billion in disaster aid sent to the region in the last three years. As the Progress Report notes today, there is still mountains of work to be done, including “significant debris management issues,” a clean-up fraught with environmental issues, and vacant homes.
Today, Tropical Storm Gustav “threatens to become a hurricane and poses the biggest threat to New Orleans since the killer 2005 storm,” the AP reports. In an interview with CNN yesterday, Mayor Ray Nagin expressed concern about the sturdiness of the city’s levee system:
Well we are ready to evacuate. The big question is, which shape are our levees in. For all the work that the corps of engineers has done, is it going to be sufficient enough to handle what is projected to be a category 3 that right now is poised and pointed towards New Orleans?
Watch it:
In a press conference yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told residents, “Don’t try to rely upon the fact that the levees are stronger than they were in Katrina to assume that that’s going to necessarily protect you from harm.”
ThinkProgress assembled a timeline of the administration’s failure to respond to Hurricane Katrina. See the timeline here.
Let’s hope the levees hold this time.
I knew that picture of Bush, McCain and the birthday cake would resurface, 🙂 They sure look concerned about NOLA, didn’t they?
They will NOT hold – they were “low bid” just like the rest … if a Cat 3 hits, it will doom the city and everyone in it.
Also, the police have decided there will be NO shelters – if you stay, you’re on your own. If you don’t evacuate, screw you (even if you don’t have the knowledge it’s coming).
This is called caging black voters – Dems of course.
Bush must be cracking open a crate of champagne.
Yes, Teak, Bush & McSame were eating cake while thousands drowned and the photos of Bush looking down at NOLA from the plane are rather disgusting, aren’t they?
Did you read the Think Progress Katrina Timeline?
http://thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline/
Basheert:
Are you serious? They don’t offer ANY shelters?
Yes, I read the timeline and found the pic.
That is horrible about not offering any shelters, not everyone has a place to go. I assume they are offering rides out of the city?
Teak:
I would imagine they are evacuating those who can leave.. and you are so correct… not everyone has a place to go to. 😦
7000 people in Mississippi are being told to leave from FEMA trailers, some from trailers in LA. Wonder where those poor souls will go?
Regarding posts 1 and 3:
It is scandalous that Senator McCain ate birthday cake on his birthday. And how dare his family, friends and colleagues gather together to sing him happy birthday on his birthday? All real Americans with a birthday that day had their parties canceled, threw away their cakes uneaten, and refused to smile all day long.
The reason they are not providing shelter is because they don’t want people to use that as a last resort plan, and choose not to evacuate. They are hoping that if people do not have that plan to fall back, they will be more likely to evacuate the city. And yes, they are offering transportation out of the city; from many different locations. On that note, they have been MUCH more organized than last time. They already have officers in the streets with bullhorns letting residents know that they need to evacuate (in case they are unaware) and letting them know where they can go to catch buses out. They are particularly focused on “high risk” areas where there is a larger possibility of people either not knowing to evacuate, or refusing to evacuate. Hopefully it goes better this time.
Also, for those that have no place to go, shelters (stadiums, schools, military bases, churches, etc) are set up in other areas of LA, and in TX as well.
Miami Mike:
If they were Government Officials and if they were REALLY concerned about the welfare of Americans, who were drowning…. absolutely, they should have canceled their birthday parties…
But, perhaps, Repugs have different values, when it comes to human life??
Hi Hoakley:
Welcome to the Suzie-Q blog and thank you for the information!
MiamiMike
Dear idiot – the fact that doddering old McFart celebrated his birthday resoundingly with Chimpy McFlightsuit in Phoenix WHILE NOLA drowned 2 years ago is totally relevant.
More so for Chimpy than for McKept.
The fact that they ignored NOLA until they were forced to view it from 37,000 feet – was disgusting.
It was simply the door opening on the whole Republican “kill the Democrats” movement. Most people in NOLA were black, and with little resources (read here: CAR) – they let them all die. The levees are bad and were bad.
It’s not the birthday celebration – it was the whole Photo Op while an American city in inundated and neither of those white Republican bas*ards gave a dam*.
McKept and his wife Mrs. McMealticket are reviled in Arizona – he’s always been an abusive pig and he always will be – the fact that they laughed and celebrated while NOLA died should be legend in this country and it will be.
Thanks to that legendary “flyover” that showed how CARING the Administration really is.
Hoakley:
Hopefully not quite as many people will be left to drown when their cheapo levees break again.
Just remember: You can’t fool Mother Nature – she’s celebrating the Republican National Convention the only way she can.
Suz =
A note to humanity…never ever depend on this or the McInsane Administration to assist you in a natural disaster, ESPECIALLY if you are BLACK, and DEMOCRAT.
Chertoff’s really got his job handed to him this time.
At least they’re saying people can bring their pets! A lot of people wouldn’t leave them and that’s why they died last time – over 50,000 pets died in Katrina in NOLA as well.
Then again, it WAS a lovely birthday cake …
Wow…basheert….such venom. 😦
I can’t say I necessarily disagree with all of your opinions, but WOW. Surely there is a bit more diplomatic way of making your points?
And, yes, I am hoping too that less people are endangered by poor planning this time around.