Hurricane Gustav is about to cross the Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans is at the center of its projected path. While its at least 4 days away from US landfall, I wonder what will happen if New Orleans is devestated again by a hurricane. Do the Hornets move to the Sprint Center in KC? Will Bush 43 respond appropriately? Will Presidential candidates invade the area to take advantage of the media? Its not a good situation, and New Orleans isn't ready for another disaster...

How about the Mayor of N.O. Actually do something NOW.
you have a 4 or 5 day warning. Not like a tornado or earthquake.
Our do we wait for Uncle Sam to come give us a free credit card because we can't take care of ourselves.

Yeah, I've been watching this one too. I really hope N.O. doesn't get hit again.. I love that city. It's so alive and vibrant.

I'm just thankful Fay and now Gustav didn't hit two weeks ago while I was directly in their paths! Florida and the Caribbean.. prime time for hurricane season.

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" You've Been Thunder Struck ! "

Until you are directly involved in the N.O. situation and Katrina and Rita. You couldn't understnd what REALLY went on down there. I was ther 9 days after Katrina hit and was there for 9 months. I was there when Rita Hit and that was a mess......However, you have not heard from the People in Biloxi, Ms. Gulf Port, Ms. Bay St. Louis Ms, Kiln, Ms. Slidell, La....These towns were Blown off the face of the Earth...They got in there and got their lives back going no whining nothing.....Watch for the heroes not the Government. Anyone can write a check.....Don't complain or make erroneous statements if you weren't there......I still have sinus problems from the Black Mold.....oh well that's my ranting and raving for the evening. We need to pray in advance for the families in the path of Gustov.

At least they have a different governor this time around. Maybe they stand a chance that this governor won't get in the way of everything others are trying to do in the name of "turf."

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My apologies for ranting and raving..I was working for an Insurance
adjustment and buying agency. When the Mayor would come around they would put on such a show, I was there when they caught some people looting some of the stores. Instead of just arresting them, they "kicked" them "Jerked" them around and talked to them worse than some of the Texas fans when OU beats them.
I can't put into the written words some of the atrocities that I saw.....There were OVER 200 buses parked on the parking garage lot and they were flooded. The N.O. people had plenty, Plenty,PLENTY of opportunities to get the help to the people of the community. However, no one wanted to work (for a good wage) in the area. it is taking outside companies to come in and rebuild N.O. Don't blame the governor...I saw many,many Trailer Truck loads of ICE unloaded on parking lots (107 degrees outside) with ARMED military guarding them.....How fast do you think it melted????

Whew:...............Bad memories.............

Buy gas now.

__________________
...this shortest straw has been pulled for you

Wasn't Katrina a Category 5? I know a 3 is still strong, but not as strong as Katrina...

Oh no...oil companies gonna use this as an excuse to raise prices.

I don't get it. They make record profits and still complain they have to raise prices....They can lose some of that profits! It wouldn't hurt them at all!

Katrina was a 5, but made landfall as a strong 3 or weak 4.

As for people taking care of themselves... should the people without cars start walking?

No, they should sit on their butt and wait for someone to help them. And then complain about the way in which they did it.

I am sorry, I am the worst person in the world when it comes to being sympathetic for things that you can either avoid or take care of. I would have made an excellent drill sgt.

OK... thanks for the sarcasm. Can you give me a real answer now? What would you do if you were there with no way to get out?

Seriously - you want to know what I personally would do?? Well, from a personal standpoint, I am a single mother with a kid. So...I wouldn't be without a car in the first place. I would work 2 jobs, 3 jobs...whatever it took to be able to afford transportation. Just like I do now. I've been supporting myself since I was 15 and able to work. When my car was broken down, I called upon neighbors, friends, even strangers to get me to work so I could make money to repair it. I just pull up my big girl panties and do what needs to be done. I have never complained about being required to work and I am not on welfare.

I also am aware of my location and surroundings. I live in Oklahoma, therefore I have an emergency plan in place if ever a tornado were to hit my area. Like it did this last season. If I lived in a bowl on the gulf, I would expect that on occasion, there might be some flooding. I would have an evacuation plan in place should that happen. Whether it is someone I could count on to give me a ride somewhere, make sure my kid wasn't home by himself and taken to safety, or the pets were rescued, or we had a place to stay, etc.

Now, if I was disabled or mentally handicapped it would be a different story. I would have to rely on others to take care of me.

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ProjectOKC.com

Now that they understand and know what can really happen there, it is absolutely ludicrous to not take action - yesterday. Residents there need to secure transportation immediately. Don't wait out the storm.

Actually, the hurricane itself wasn't the problem so much as it effects, unprecedented flooding and broken levees.

I think that is what people weren't expecting.. yeah, maybe they could have ridden out the high winds but the floods, no.

I'm hoping the local government learned a lesson and gets those in need out as soon as possible.

But there's not much you can do for those refusing to leave.

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" You've Been Thunder Struck ! "

This is the operative part of you rpost.

Somehow I knew that was the response I'd get. I give up. Sometimes I wonder why I moved to this damn state.

So I guess all of those lazy idiots who don't have a way to get out had it coming. If they drown oh well...

What do you recommend happens?

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ProjectOKC.com

I don't know the answer. I personally don't think sitting back and watching people die is the answer though. Whatever we did in 2005 obviously didn't work. I just hope the city/state/feds have a better plan this time around.

I know I am preaching to the wrong choir here, so I am done with this thread.

The mayor Nagen I think left hundreds of city and school buses sit.
Because of not knowing where to drive the people who wanted to use them.
Try North!
The mass transit buses and school buses were part of N.O.'s disaster plan, every city and state has one. He sat on his thumbs for 4 or 5 days, then blamed the federal government.
There was a story here locally about one of the Katrina families relocated who is upset with her current situation, she is 58 and has never worked, she lives in a section 8 apartment, and was complaining of having to pay her high utility bills. She does not pay for the roof over her head. When she was asked about the 50" television in her tiny living room by the reporter, she said its not a plasma.

I wasn't being facetious.

I just hear complaints about the last time this happened and then complaining about the potential threat that is coming, but no solutions.

I really am just curious what you would recommend?

Seriously, if people see the storm coming and then sit in their home waiting for the government to rescue them, I blame them, not the government.

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ProjectOKC.com

Well, no need to worry anymore, FEMA's director and Micheal Chertoff are in New Orleans now.
Chertoff, FEMA chief arrive in Louisiana today - Breaking News from New Orleans - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com

I'll tell ya', as long as anyone puts their faith in a government program, they better be prepared to be diappointed.

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ProjectOKC.com

Maybe you knew that would be the response because it's the logical one. I can tell you are mad, but why are you mad at the state of Oklahoma because of my opinion? I certainly don't speak for everyone here nor do I think my opinion should bare that much impact. You asked what I would personally do and I responded. But yes, that is my opinion...if you know your house is going to be flooded and you choose to sit in it and do nothing then I don't feel sorry for you when it happens.

Amen.

Folks:.........I was there...not as a volunteer but as person dealing with Insurance properties...Both Commercial and Non-Commercial. Where do you want to start?

1. I had to bring in a crew of people from out of state...No one wanted to work...
2. There was a team of law enforcement ("Task Force") that would come around and threatened you with the fact that they could use deadly force if deemed necessary........Truthfully
3. The looters that I saw caught were from out of other towns not N.O....why? the people in N.O. wouldn't work hard enough to loot anything. Don't take me wrong, not everyone. There were plenty of people bustin' their rears on jobs trying to make their lives come back together. The people looking for a "free" hand-out just kept everything stirred up.
4. The Military were wearing their titles pretty high on their chest with a "gun" in their hand. I'll never forget a young Reservists shoving her M-16 in my stomach and telling me she was in charged..... My response was of "What"?...shouldn't have said anything but, she was way out of line.
5. What you saw and see on T.V. is not quite what was going on....There were many, many public transit buses left on the parking lot (100's) and if I knew how to put a picture with this response you would then believe what I am saying.
No one should be left to drown.....However, they had 7-9 days warning on Katrina...the people had 2-3 days warning on Rita.....During Rita a voluteer called me a pansy as I said I was leaving when a saw one of the tornadoes that Rita spawned.....that person was from Michigan.....This Okie got out and left... came back when it was over.
yes, my job descriptions requires that I go if Gustov is bad....But, the people in the path have been notified and the public transit authority knows that they are to help.....But, you can't drag them to the bus.......they need to help themselves....