Stephen Gordon of Lakeview took these pictures on September 8, 2005. This is Jack’s neighborhood.
The pictures were originally posted in St. Dominic’s forums, but they were a little slow to load, so I have copied them over to our photo gallery here:
http://www.elbuzzard.com/gallery/katrina_lakeview.
Stephen, whoever you are, I apologize for taking your pictures. If don’t want them up here, let me know.
Jack left this morning to head back to New Orleans. We assume his house is still underwater, but Waterford has set up temporary housing for employees on the site of the plant. They said that trailers go to families with children first, and there was a brief mention of tents, as well.
I told him that if they set him up in a tent, to come back to Altanta. You don’t want to sleep in a tent in Taft, LA in September.
He’s loaded up with a generator, de-humidifier, and a new set of cordless power tools that he purchased here in Atlanta as well. We don’t know when he’s going to be able to get to his house, but he’s prepared for when they let him back in.
Here’s an interesting read on Blackwater USA, the private “security” force used in Iraq, which is now being used in New Orleans.
http://www.kathryncramer.com/kathryn_cramer/2005/09/blackwater_blac.html
Here’s a neat little map that shows water levels in the city overlayed on a Google Map. Unfortunately, the water depth hasn’t been updated since Tuesday, 6 September.
Instead of Katrina, allow me to remind everyone that football season begins today. Thank goodness. It could not come soon enough.
I’m in 3 Fantasy Leagues this year, and I’m very happy with my players in each. Here’s my rosters.
Barbara Bush: Things Working Out “Very Well” for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans NEW YORK Accompanying her husband, former President George H.W.Bush, on a tour of hurricane relief centers in Houston, Barbara Bush said today, referring to the poor who had lost everything back home and evacuated, “This is working very well for them.”
The former First Lady’s remarks were aired this evening on National Public Radio’s “Marketplace” program.
Then she added: “What I’m hearing is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality.
“And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this–this [she chuckles slightly]is working very well for them.”
http://www.discourse.net/archives/2005/09/the_modern_let_them_eat_cake_moment.html
Here’s the mp3: barbarabush.mp3.
A moment of quiet in the house. No one is there. Strange.
Dad should be back from Florida on Friday or Saturday, and we expect Dave on Friday afternoon, so this moment of normalcy will quickly end.
Not that I mind having everyone here. I absolutely love it.
It’s the center house in the red circle. Click the image for a larger view.
Oakwood Mall is on fire. Firemen attempting to put it out were fired on from the Westbank Expressway.
Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard ordered the firemen out and will let the Mall burn as a “signal to President Bush.”
Brent Joseph gave me this report today:
Last night, Broussard held a press conference in which he said that apparently the only way to get aid from the US Government was to be a foreign country. So he was seceeding Jefferson Parish from the Union and requesting foreign aid from the neighboring United States.
Here’s what my mom relayed to me from Bob, who is with the Terrytown Volunteer Fire Department:
80% of Terrytown is damaged. He was unable to even get near Christ the King to see what it looks like.
The firemen have been bathing in a swimming pool full of soapy water.
Looting is out of control in Gretna and Terrytown. The Walgreens and A&P on Carol Sue and Terry Parkway are completely gutted. The fire department has been armed. Looters commandeered a mail truck and were driving it around firing at police and firemen. The firemen are not allowed to go anywhere without a police officer.
They are too far undermanned to stay. Word is that today they will be leaving the city.
Oschner is the only hospital in the city that is operational. Charity is completely shut down. Last night, looters surrounded the hospital waving guns and banging on the doors. A nurse inside called it the most terrifying experience she could imagine. They called in the National Guard and they are now surrounding the hospital.
From Susan’s nephew, a National Guardsman:
Looters have been firing on the evacuation helicopters at the Superdome. This has made the national news.
A ten-year-old girl was raped in the Superdome. More rapes have been reported.
Guardsmen stopped a man from trying to sodomize a boy in the Dome. They “beat the hell out of him.”
Bob has not heard from his son or daughter. He knows they evacuated, but he hasn’t heard if they made it to their destintation. My mom was saying he is exhausted. They are working non-stop. There is simply not enough firemen and police to be effective.
Reports on neighborhoods:
Mandeville: suffered some wind damage, but it is not very bad.
Metairie: mostly dry, but that’s all they know.
WestBank: mostly dry, lots of damage. Looting is out of control.
Its a bad bad situation there.
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