Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler OT: Katrina and World Support?

Here is a link and an excerpt from "Hurricane Jim" ... This guy is on heckuva man. He is the leader of a hurricane chase team, and gave a live "blow by blow" of the situation from ground zero. He is not a politcal guy, nor a reporter either. Expect bluntness ...

http://www.ukweatherworld.co.uk/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=23436&start=1

excerpts ...

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As I have said before, Air OPs kind of saved the day. Despite a lot of smack being tossed around in the media and by "Pundits" who are as about as qualified to comment on SAR operations as the desk this laptop is sitting on, this was a miracle effort. With New Orleans completely oblivious to the atmospheric A-Bomb that was bearing down on them, it's a wonder anyone got out. Both New Orleans leadership and in no small measure the booze driven, "Don't worry, be happy" culture down there, is where the majority of blame lies for this.

This was America's "Dunkirk" operation and it is really infuriating that all we seem to hear from media, pundits and a mayor who at the end of the day was responsible for his city is criticisms and scandal mongering

Yes, some elements to this operation were a jack up, but when faced with the magnitude of this, it's simply amazing anyone got out fo there at all. 30 years ago and we'd be looking at a Bangladesh in '91 scenario.

What the "Pundits" also don't seem to get, and what a lady during my Live at Five interview last night pointed out, is that the affected area down here is the size of Great Britain, it wasn't just New Orleans. NO just happened to be the most dramatic and most accessable to media (and even then, they didn't ford the waters and push deep like we did with the small boats). Down on the Gulf Coast, the roads were largely impassable, so you didn't get to see what went on out there so much. (and NO had a serious concentration of very photogenic helicopter action going on)

AND....places like Biloxi, Gulf Port, etc had mayors and local officials who actually LEAD and got those mandatory evac orders out the minute they settled into the crosshairs....unlike a certain mayor to their west (whose bar district was in full swing as the first feeder bands came onshore). Where was the forced closures? Where was the loudspeaker trucks? Where was anything besides storm chasers like us cluing people in to exactly what was coming down on them in the NO sector?

Doug Kiesling saved god knows how many people when he showed up on Bourbon St. in his disaster gear and started putting out the word.

The mayor of Kenner Parish to the west of NO didn't seem to have a problem getting out there and leading his emergency response people from the front, going door to door, ordering a mandatory. Where was NO mayor? That still hasn't been answered. "Where were you the night of...." I'd like to know.

Between the boat crews who had riots break out at their offload points, to the mechanics who worked to keep the birds flying until they didn't know what day it was, to the locals from Baton Rouge who trailered down their boats and just pushed in, it was a miracle operation. As bad as it was, suprisingly enough, it could have been much, much worse.

Take it from someone who knows how these things play out in the real world, on the ground.

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Thanks for that link, craig. First-hand accounts that haven't gone through the media filter are great to read.

Hurricane chasers? Jeez. I can't say I'm surprised they exist, but that takes a hell of a lot more balls than tornado chasing.

EDIT: After viewing this video (WMV) linked from the site, it seems like they just never lost that teenage "I'm invincible" feeling.

The pics that show where Jim's party was in respect to the hurricane were scary as he!! ... Peter, I am with you. Deliberately waiting for a hurricane to run one over seems NUTS !!

Ironically ... Jim is the same name as the guy who actually DID the work on "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" ... Wrestling alligators, anacondas, boars ...etc ...

Maybe there is something to that name ...

From the Coast Guard, late Tuesday night, August 30 ...

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PLUCKED TO SAFETY Police took boats into flooded areas to rescue some of the stranded and others were plucked off rooftops by helicopter. The Coast Guard helped rescue 1,200 in New Orleans on Monday night and thousands more all along the Gulf Coast on Tuesday. "We've been pulling them off sometimes four at a time, sometimes as many as 12," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Larry Chambers. "People are being taken to the nearest dry spot then the helicopter's going back and picking up more people." New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin reported bodies floating in the city's floodwaters, which may have measured 20 feet (6 metres) deep in places. New Orleans is a bowl-like city mostly below sea level and protected by levees or embankments. The levees gave way overnight in places, including a 200-foot (60 metre) breach that allowed the lake waters to pour into the city center. Blanco said a plan was being developed to evacuate the Superdome, which had no electricity, and other shelters.

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The Coast Guard, as is often the case, were unsung heroes in this ... 1200 people rescued the night of the hurricane ? WOW ..

Peter, that was quite the video...

Craig
Thanks for the link. That was __________ I paused here for many minutes. I can't even find the words. Looking at those pictures just tore me up.

My son just got back this morning. he looked exhausted. We talked only a minute. I told him I was very interested to hear his account but that I thought he should get some rest. I mistakenly said his group was going to NO. They were actuallly in Miss. Not sure of any other details. He said he met and worked with some woderful people from Army, National Guard, FEMA and private sector. I'll get more after a good days sleep and some home cooking.
oz

President Bush takes responsibility for slow federal response

I guess they decided it was finally time to play the blame game. This is so far out of character for the current administration, but I suppose the evidence was so overwhelming that to do anything but cop to it would have been viewed as weak.

Regardless, I commend the President using his cojones.

Peter, Your post makes no sense. How is this playing the "blame game" ?

My entire post makes no sense or that particular comment makes no sense? Perhaps you could have said "Peter, I don't understand what you meant by this?"

I'll provide you with some background. Up until today, everyone in a position of power -- including Democrats -- was blaming others until asked directly what they themselves could have done better. Then they answered with "Well, I don't think it's time to play the blame game."

By taking the blame, President Bush entered the blame game honorably by pointing a finger at himself. That is what I meant. Sorry I was unclear.

I can't help but think, however, that this acceptance of blame will make less effective any probes into what precisely went wrong and who under the President was to blame for the government's response. The man on top takes the blame, rightly, but does that let everyone else off the hook?

Correct...It was not "really" directly the President's fault for the response...but someone under him...I also hope this does not dilute any investigations...

WhatFurrer

I hope people do not use this apology to absolve the state of LA and the city of NO of any incompetance. Somehow, I think people forget that the federal government is not supposed to be the fine line of defense. The last thing our federal government needs is more power.