I am at a loss that they can't order a mandatory evacuation

[Horse with no Name]

The Mayor of Jefferson Parrish just said that he could only order one if he could feasibly make sure he had a place to put everyone once they got out.
He doesn't have that. He said they would have an intense neighborhood voluntary evacuation.
And the prisoners are being left behind.
:(
This breaks my heart.

[barbaraann]

1. Someone really, really needs to ask IEM about this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4480507

[NYC]

5. Thank you for that very important link.

Privatization.

[barbaraann]

You're welcome. I just can't get over what they have done

and how many people might die because of it.

[NYC]

8. Corporation's primary responsibility is to

generate a profit.

Why privatize an activity that should have the objective of protecting the people of New Orleans? Why?????

The government's responsibility is to safeguard the people of New Orleans. The private corporation's objective is to generate a profit.

Thieves.

[barbaraann]

9. Thieves and perhaps murderers.

n/t

[Child_Of_Isis]

2. It is mandatory now, isn't it?

The weather channel said it was.

[geomon666]

3. Mandatory Evacuation is in effect

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/28/national/29katrinacnd.html?hp

Threatened with a potential catastrophe, the mayor of New Orleans ordered people in the city to evacuate today as Hurricane Katrina gained strength. President Bush has already declared an emergency for Louisiana and Mississippi, which along with other parts of the northern Gulf coast states lie in the direction of the hurricane.

...

That's why we are taking this unprecedented move," Mayor Ray Nagin said at a news conference that was broadcast live. "The storm surge most likely will topple our levee system."

...

Thousands of people in New Orleans jammed freeways leaving the city, while others nailed boards over the windows of their businesses. Stranded tourists and others unable to leave are able to use the Louisiana Superdome as a shelter. With a state of emergency declared, federal emergency assistance was being deployed and national guard troops were being prepared.

Many of the state's forces are currently deployed to Iraq, but the general in charge of the Louisiana troops "has 1,500 troops ready to be deployed, with another couple of thousand that they can tap into pretty quickly," Mr. Nagin said in the CNN interview.

[alarimer]

10. Kind of left it too late though

I mean how are people going to get out now with the roads jammed. It would be far far worse to be stuck in a traffic jam when the storm hits.

[xultar]

4. The prison was built as a shelter.

[eyepaddle]

6. I think you are referring to the sherriff from the news conference

which just concluded at 11:50 central time. He said he didn't have the staff to physically go from door to door and drag people out. In smaller communities it IS mandatory. In NO it isn't and I believe the emergency personnel are busy preparing for this calamity.

My thoughts are with all of the gulf coast (especially my one-time home of Louisiana.

[shirlden]

7. It is mandatory

but there is no way everyone can get out in time.
Talked to my brother an hour ago....he left Nola about 5 this morning and was headed north into Miss., but there is no place to go there as they are in the path and everyone boarding up. So, he is heading to a sister's condo in Panama City, Fl. He has picked up about 10 other people looking for a place to stay and my sis (who lives in Chicago) told them to all to go to her place in Panama City.
This storm is on the way to being one of the worst disasters to hit this country.
May God help Nola and all her wonderful people. I love that city and it is breaking my heart to sit here in Ohio and watch that storm bearing down on her.

:cry:

[Horse with no Name]

11. The Mayor of Jefferson Parish

which will be lesser hit but devastated nonetheless, said he couldn't order a mandatory evacuation.
:(

[SaveAmerica]

12. Bless your brother's heart, that is awesome that he is looking after

others that way. I'm concerned about the tourists that are stuck in New Orleans because they couldn't fly out and all the rental cars are gone, I hope they'll drop their plans to drink hurricanes while waiting for the hurricane and get to a shelter on higher ground.