What if all the people in NO had tried to evacuate when first asked?

[bribri16]

What would that picture of a crowded highway look like? Just thinking out loud. Why? Because, the next major city that is asked to evacuate for any reason will do so, and I fear no one will get out because of the crowds and hysteria after this.

[obxhead]

1. The last of the people to flee were turned around

because of packed highways. They NEVER had a real plan to get everyone out.

[txindy]

2. You're right, esp. if the highways out are not numerous.

We may see voluntary, citizen-initiated evacuations at the merest hint of a natural disaster such as the next hurricane. This will be interesting to see. Unnerving, too.

[aikoaiko]

8. My wife and I already had this conversation.

We live in Savannah and when the next hurricane heads this way, the baby and she will be stayin at a hotel in Macon (inland 200 miles) while I wait until the actual evacuation order.

Fortunately we can afford it, and we'll keep the home well insured.

[txindy]

13. I think you and your wife are very smart people

We've seen the response to disaster. Expecting a different response to another disaster would be insane.

[Blue_In_AK]

21. If they had to evacuate Anchorage we'd be in trouble

275,000 people approximately, two highways out -- but both branches of the south one end at the water, so essentially there's only one way out of here.

[rwheeler31]

3. Good Question

How many people could live in a hotel for a week if nothing happend?

[NNN0LHI]

5. After they already paid their rent to someone else for the month n/t

[markus]

4. My 10 year old son asked if NOLA was like the ferry scene in WotW

Smart kid.

That is exactly what the next hurricane evacuation will look like. People trampled, cars jacked, just f'n chaos and anarchy.

[me b zola]

6. Evacuation of a major American city is a federal response

A local government is not manned nor able to make this happen in 48 hours or less. period.

[nonconformist]

7. I've also been hearing that some came BACK

Later on Monday, after the storm had mostly passed. Their homes were standing and secure. THEN, the levee's broke and they were stuck because of the very rapidly rising water.

So some DID leave, they just came back too early. :(

[DELUSIONAL]

9. It was estimated that full evacuation would take 72 hours

but the citizens were given 20 hours from the time of the evacuation order & Katrina hitting New Orleans.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sugarbleus]

10. I flew into a rage when I heard a RW radio host say:

'Why didn't those folks WALK out when evacs were ordered' AS IF...

His screener probably didn't allow my email to get to him. I wrote another from a different computer. Then I wrote to the station and asked the Manager/owner to put the guy on a CONSERVATIVE/sister radio station and get this jerk off the air...there was more to it but you get the idea..

We are low income folk and disabled to boot. We freak out everytime the owner talks of a termite inspection/tenting... where do WE go and what do we EAT when THAT happens. Just imagine the impossibilities of a whole city in a true disaster. Sheesh..

Another thing that just occured to me; has anyone talked about the HOMELESS population that had to have existed in that city--as it does in most big cities????? The mentally ill?

This country is a DISGRACE by the way it treats it's disenfranchised populations. Disaster or no. Anyone with an income under $30,000 is just "extra baggage". Not worthy of our concern or assistance.

LET 'EM EAT CAKE...

[niallmac]

11. Remember Reagans' Committee on the Present Danger?

Kirkpatrick, Casey among other stellar members. One plan they devised was to evacuate Washington DC in the event of a nuclear attack in a two day schedule wherein families with license plate numbers ending in even numbers leave one day and the odd numbers wait for day two. Half the city has to have nerves of steel. ...This would ONLY work in Switzerland!

[Gabi Hayes]

20. that started before Reagan....they used it to keep Carter's first

nomination (Sorenson, for DCIA) from even making it to the Senate floor

he had his own party hierarchy lined up AGAINST him: ONeill, Byrd, the warhawk Senator, various others

despicable

read Liberty Under Seige, by Walter Karp, for details

[niallmac]

24. Thanks! DU is like my adult Home School resource!

:hi:

[kansasblue]

12. the special I saw about a year ago send it couldNOT be done

too many people. Couldn't be done.

[applegrove]

14. People who took a car out to slidell got turned back and had to go

to the Superdome and sit there for a week. At some point there had to be a cutoff, and with traffic what it was, bumper to bumper, people who left with 10 hours to go had to be diverted back to shelter and the Dome for their own safety - because they didn't know exactly where Katrina would hit and the last place you should be when it strikes is in a car. More people get killed in cars from trees falling on them, floods and stuff than who are in their homes. Plus - if it had stayed a category 5 - cars would start to fly.

This being said, it is a reality that some people will react in shock to a storm that will destroy all they have and all they know - with denial. That is a human thing - a thing that humans do repeatedly in times of great stress. It is as common, when it occurs as say "falling in love". It is a process. And it was predictable that even those who could have left would stay behind with the old who might be vulnerable to such thinking.

Plus - how were people who had no access to cars suppposed to leave?

[bpilgrim]

16. most people did flee, it was the POOR who COULDN'T

as long as there is plenty of warning it shouldn't be a major problem, except for the poor :cry:

peace

[greyl]

17. The shelters didn't have enough supplies.

Weren't people told that going to the Superdome would be safe?

[Mistress Quickly]

18. They were also told

to being 3-5 days of food and water.

This was so fubar'd. Where was the Nat'l Guard to being in food and water?

[Wizard777]

19. Bush's complaint about Saddam. Infrastructure erosion.

If they evacuated 100%. There is no death toll obviously. But because of Bush allowing the all important Levee infrastructure to erode by cutting the funding. You still gave a city that is wiped out. A homeless City. The only thing the evacuation eliminates from the equation is the death toll. Blanco and Nagin issued an mandatory evacuation. But I have heard nothing of Miss. Evacuations. So of course their governor si going to play ball with Bush. He's in Bush's do nothing boat. Bush next step will to make this La. vs. Miss. Divide and Conquer. Bush needs an enemy to get out of this jam. It's gonna be NOLA.

[bribri16]

25. Saddams infrastructure was destroyed by 12 years of USA bombings

The mess we found in Iraq is the mess we had made.

[FreedomAngel82]

22. It takes money too

Not everybody can afford to pay the high gas prices. Not everybody can stay in a hotel (even a cheap one) if they don't have any friends or family out of town. It takes money.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

23. Most coastal cities are able to stage their evacuations with those....

...people closest to the water ordered out first. But getting some people out, even with a mandatory evacuation order, is very difficult to do.

Additionally, having both sides of a freeway opened up to allow double the traffic getting out, is very effective. When we were living in Mobile, AL, they did not yet have that emergency measure when Opal hit the coast. We were in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-65 North for quite some time. To top it off, some whiz kid decided the leave the construction cones in place, and we were limited to one lane several miles south and north of Montgomery.