STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

bex · Chanel

RE: horrifying scene at convention center...

luckylily · Gucci

laken1 wrote:

Why did those people at the convention center stay in the city? That is what infuriates me. The very people who didn't heed the evacuation warnings are now what we have to worry about - if they had all left AS THEY WERE TOLD - the officials could be dealing with the flood issues & restoring the city. Sorry, I know I am no expert, but i think the national news shows the heartbreaking stories that are just that - but they don't show what we know we always see locally - all the people saying "I'm not leaving my house, I don't care what they say" then cry foul when the worst happens. -- Edited by laken1 at 16:16, 2005-09-01

I totally get what you are saying, Laken. You obviously have more local knowledge than I do. But, my recollection from visiting New Orleans many times (it is actually by far my favorite city in the U.S.) is that there is quite a bit of poverty. While I'm sure there are a lot of people who didn't want to leave their homes. I wonder if there aren't also many people who just didn't really have the means to leave the city.

Edited to add: Ooops, I see bex and I posted similar comments at the same time.

-- Edited by luckylily at 16:43, 2005-09-01

laken1 · Hermes

I guess it's hard for me - and any of us I venture to guess - to not have ANYWHERE to go or have ANY money to get out. I mean really, it's like a $10 bus ride to BR. But back to preparedness - they should have had a place in the outer rim for the people who couldn't afford it to go - there is a convention center - even though it's much smaller - in Baton Rouge. I guess it's just frustrating to know that someone in my family may have to risk their life to go save people that should have been gone anyway. Also, I know no one wants to believe this, but people do stay there for the looting opportunities - it happens during every storm. It's just never been this bad so it isn't reported on national news. You know, you can't MAKE people leave forceably, not even the poor people (not that they were given this option, but if they weren't - shouldn't we be asking why?)

Sorry, i know i am fired up & emotional about this - i really am trying not to say anything but i just can't let it die. We should be focused on what to do I know....i never thought i'd see the day that we'd have refugee camps in the United States, much less my home state. It's so heartbreaking....

-- Edited by laken1 at 16:52, 2005-09-01

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

I can honestly say that I haven't felt this helpless since 9/11. It's not even happening to me or the state I live in, but the condition this country in is what's leaving me with this horrible feeling of helplessness. Every thing is so out of control. While it's great that other countries are willing to lend a helping hand in our time of need, it's scary that we need the help since we are the ones who are usually doling out the help :(

jj · Kate Spade

Too bad the Superdome was only a good solution in theory. If they had enough generators, food, water, and waste facilities, it would have been the perfect shelter for people who couldn't leave town - even with the holes in the roof.

It's kind of poor planning, in hindsight they should have brought in truck loads of supplies before the hurricane hit.

laken1 · Hermes

jj wrote:

Too bad the Superdome was only a good solution in theory. If they had enough generators, food, water, and waste facilities, it would have been the perfect shelter for people who couldn't leave town - even with the holes in the roof.
It's kind of poor planning, in hindsight they should have brought in truck loads of supplies before the hurricane hit.

Well, not to chime in again, but I must - the mayor TOLD them not to go to the superdome - they didn't want to encourage people to be there because they anticipated that it would be bad. Maybe sneak in supplies would have been a good idea since they came in droves anyway after being told not to. But even without the leaks, they have no way to flush the toilet, no power, etc - that's why they told them not to come there. Can you even imagine that? I sure don't want to - So it wasn't a solution at all - not a planned one anyway.

lsubatgirl · Gucci

Louisiana is a very poor state and has always been poor. We can't just go and rebuild levees and fix things so stuff like this doesn't happen. We also have too much old, crooked politics which is also hard to get money to the right things in the budget. 50% of the population if not more is on Welfare and hasn't completed high school. NO was already over run with criminals and gangs so its not really surprising that there is fighting and gun violence. I don't think the gang members and criminals evacuated.

Honestly yes they knew it would happen one day but I mean how can you prepare for something like this? You can't rebuild the city from the ground up.

laken1 · Hermes

I also have to say this too because i think no one is focused on it - I am watching the news & they are showing the helicopters coming back with HUNDREDS of people at a time that they have rescued - I think the focus is on that one area & I know it is horrible, but it's not like they aren't doing anything at all. There are thousands of volunteers / military / even the wildlife & fisheries trying to get people out but there are so many to help - there is good being done but of course, that isn't really news....so no one reports it.

The other thing that is really aggrivating me since I am on a rant again...the reporters that are doing that story - how did they get in & out? Why aren't they helping? Why didn't they bring water & food? Obviously they have some means....so you just leave the people there saying "we don't know when they are coming for you"? Just wondering.

-- Edited by laken1 at 17:11, 2005-09-01

jj · Kate Spade

Hmmmm...that's strange, but you would know better than I. We were watching the news over the weekend, and they were explaining how the Superdome is the largest relief shelter in the area and they were expecting 10-15,000 people to stay there. At the time, I thought Oh My God, I would rather be swept away than be in that disaster-waiting-to-happen.

Obviously, it did get out of control and more people showed up than they could handle.

I guess the bottom line is, in the future, people will not fool around when a hurricane is about to hit, and use whatever means necessary to leave like they are supposed to.

bex · Chanel

laken1 wrote:

The other thing that is really aggrivating me since I am on a rant again...the reporters that are doing that story - how did they get in & out? Why aren't they helping? Why didn't they bring water & food? Obviously they have some means....so you just leave the people there saying "we don't know when they are coming for you"? Just wondering. -- Edited by laken1 at 17:11, 2005-09-01

laken1- i thought of this too. but then i realized that there is probably 3 people in that media van- a cameraman, a driver and the reporter. and there are hundreds of people lining the streets. even if the media did bring food/water to offer- they wouldn't get surrounded in no time with people looking for food and water and it could get nasty. so the best thing (for their safety) is to offer nothing. sad... but true.

laken1 · Hermes

jj wrote:

Hmmmm...that's strange, but you would know better than I. We were watching the news over the weekend, and they were explaining how the Superdome is the largest relief shelter in the area and they were expecting 10-15,000 people to stay there. At the time, I thought Oh My God, I would rather be swept away than be in that disaster-waiting-to-happen.

THis is from a news story on Sunday - the speech the mayor gave:
"We are facing a storm that most of us have feared," (mayor) Nagin said. "I don't want to create panic, but I do want the citizens to understand that this is very serious, and it is of the highest nature."

Nagin said the city's shelters should be used as a last resort and said that people who use them should bring enough food, water and supplies to last for several days. He said that the Superdome, the city's main shelter, "is not going to be a very comfortable place at some point in time."

"The shelters will end up probably without electricity or with minimum electricity from generators in the end," Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said. "There may be intense flooding that will be not in our control which would be ultimately the most dangerous situation that many of our people could face."

It is indeed a good plan in a different circumstance but they anticipated it would be that bad. Last resort, bring your own food & water (sorry, to me that clearly says stay away? That's how I took it anyway - thus me trying to find the quote that made me think that). I wonder where the people that are at the convention center came from? That's not the same people that are at the superdome that are not dying & have water (military supplies were brought there in the meantime). But the convention center is farther into the city & also surrounded by water......

-- Edited by laken1 at 17:38, 2005-09-01

bumblebee · Coach

what i don't understand is why anyone would shoot at a med-evac helicopter? obviously that thing is there trying to help the sickest dying people to get help. even if you are a desperate and violent person on the ground, how does it help your cause to shoot at a medical helicopter? the worst case scenario for you is that the helicopter would land and would evacuate someone other than you, but then, how are you any worse off than you were before? if you are successful and you down the helicopter, then you are dealing with a helicopter crash and more disaster on the ground. i just can't get my mind around it.

-- Edited by bumblebee at 17:57, 2005-09-01

theotherjess · Chanel

laken1 wrote:

I guess it's hard for me - and any of us I venture to guess - to not have ANYWHERE to go or have ANY money to get out. I mean really, it's like a $10 bus ride to BR.

My dad made a really good point that since it was at the end of the month, a lot of people had used up their welfare checks and basically had nothing to live on until they got their checks at the beginning of September. So sad

.

bumblebee · Coach

omg--that hadn't occurred to me. you might be right. the whole thing is heartbreaking. while this is premature to talk about now, maybe the magnitude of how this disaster has affected people will raise awareness of the plight of the poor in our own country enough that our government will do more to address it.

theotherjess wrote:

laken1 wrote: I guess it's hard for me - and any of us I venture to guess - to not have ANYWHERE to go or have ANY money to get out. I mean really, it's like a $10 bus ride to BR. My dad made a really good point that since it was at the end of the month, a lot of people had used up their welfare checks and basically had nothing to live on until they got their checks at the beginning of September. So sad .

Elle · Hermes

FWIW, as was mentioned a little upthread, alot of the rescue/relief efforts are not being reported on by many of the television stations. This morning on the radio, they announced that our (Colorado) national guardsmen were being picked up by the Missouri Air National Guard on the way down to Mississippi. Also, the government has contacted a cruise line, I believe it was Carnival (?), to ask for help and they are currently mobilizing a portion of their fleet - they are planning to drop anchor off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi and be used to house and treat those left in the destructed cities.

It's a start.

bumblebee · Coach

oh wow, i hadn't heard that about the cruise ships, but that seems like a great idea. i did know that national guard from all over was being called up--Cali was one of the first to go, because they have the swift-boat water and urban rescue teams. they've been there a day or two already.

laken1 · Hermes

LMonet wrote:

FWIW, as was mentioned a little upthread, alot of the rescue/relief efforts are not being reported on by many of the television stations. This morning on the radio, they announced that our (Colorado) national guardsmen were being picked up by the Missouri Air National Guard on the way down to Mississippi. Also, the government has contacted a cruise line, I believe it was Carnival (?), to ask for help and they are currently mobilizing a portion of their fleet - they are planning to drop anchor off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi and be used to house and treat those left in the destructed cities.
It's a start.

Thanks LMonet - I think it's so hard to see the good in this situation. But being in Texas I see all the people who have made it here & have been saved - are being sheltered, etc. They are also doing a job fair here for people who are displaced to have "work today get paid today" type work which makes me proud.

bumblebee · Coach

wow--that's great! and yes, thanks lmonet for shining light on the positive things people are doing. it really helps.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

laken1 wrote:

Thanks LMonet - I think it's so hard to see the good in this situation. But being in Texas I see all the people who have made it here & have been saved - are being sheltered, etc. They are also doing a job fair here for people who are displaced to have "work today get paid today" type work which makes me proud.

i know that our store announced today that the company was helping people relocate, pay for their hotels for them and their families, and help finding jobs for them within the company. i hope a lot of stories like this come out. i know after 9/11 immediately we saw everyone's compassion for the victims and their families. it's been different with NO. we have an initial glimpse of the bad, and i think that's what's been hard for me to watch. i hope that with all the bad stories, like the looting, etc...there will be a lot of stories of the good in society that will help the country get through this....

theotherjess · Chanel

LMonet wrote:

FWIW, as was mentioned a little upthread, alot of the rescue/relief efforts are not being reported on by many of the television stations. This morning on the radio, they announced that our (Colorado) national guardsmen were being picked up by the Missouri Air National Guard on the way down to Mississippi. Also, the government has contacted a cruise line, I believe it was Carnival (?), to ask for help and they are currently mobilizing a portion of their fleet - they are planning to drop anchor off the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi and be used to house and treat those left in the destructed cities. It's a start.

Yeah, and I just found out that my cousin, who is a Marine, is being sent to NO within the next week, so I guess they are really upping the rescue/relief/security forces.