Breaking News=Hundreds dead, maybe thousands in New Orleans

[Solaris]

APNewsAlert

NEW ORLEANS (AP) _ Mayor Ray Nagin said at least hundreds dead,
maybe thousands in New Orleans.



APTV 08-31-05 1416EDT

[Brent]

I'm not surprised at all though.

[tzirinis]

I'm not suprised either. It's just hard to hear.

[storm4u]

[scostorms]

Lord, I hope he is wrong! Too many dead already in Mississippi. People had the warning, they had time to get out. They knew about the surges, but I guess this unexpected levee burst is just what we didn't need.

[JTD]

http://www.drudgereport.com/ for confirmation.

[TexasF6]

http://www.cnn.com/ this is it folks.......

[cycloneye]

http://www.cnn.com/

Sadly CNN also confirms this horrific news.

[cycloneye]

http://www.foxnews.com/

Fox also has it.

[Mattie]

One thing - just as a reminder - - - folks - the poverty level in New Orleans is EXTREMELY high. We all think of big city living and many just see the tourist areas - but these people - if they are working at all - are making minimum wage.

People were given adequate warning - the majority that could get out did, and those that chose to stay did - but there are LOTS of people who had no where to go, no means to go and no one apparently took them along with them as they left.

I'm a firm believer that if they are mandating an evacuation, then they should provide city transportation for ways to higher ground. All those school buses that flooded? Have you seen that picture?? Load those babies up (it was a weekend) - save the busses and the PEOPLE!

My point being - mandatory evacuations are useless unless you can help the people evacuate. That last story posted about the women that had the husband that died and the police couldn't help her? Her husband was too sick to move - or she couldn't move him? Just food for thought -

[jasons2k]

I fear it's going to be much worse when the water is drained. There are probably thousands who drowned in their homes and never even made it into the attic. We won't know until there is access to all those flooded homes. Sickening.

[storms in NC]

La will not let this Imfo out cause it will send panit though out and they don't need that at this time. You would have people from all over tring to get there to clam their love ones. it is very very sad they have to do this.

[gatorcane]

I fear it's going to be much worse when the water is drained. There are probably thousands who drowned in their homes and never even made it into the attic. We won't know until there is access to all those flooded homes. Sickening.

100% agree.

[canegrl04]

I fully expect the death toll to rise dramatically over the coming days Its very possible the mayor is correct

[Coredesat]

[therealashe]

It was also the end of the month, and those who depend on government checks wouldn't have received them until the 1st of Sept. I imagine many simply didn't have the money at the end of the month to leave.

It's heartbreaking to hear.

It's hard to imagine so many dying from something we had advance warning for.

[PTrackerLA]

Before the storm hit I predicted it would be the 9/11 of natural disasters for this country. Unfortunately that's probably right . It's hard watching this happen so close to home, I just wish I could go and help rescue people .

[beenthru6]

I am sickened by this, but considering how bad this disaster is, sadly, I am not surprised.

[Persepone]

. . . if they are mandating an evacuation, then they should provide city transportation for ways to higher ground. All those school buses that flooded? Have you seen that picture?? Load those babies up (it was a weekend) - save the busses and the PEOPLE!

My point being - mandatory evacuations are useless unless you can help the people evacuate. That last story posted about the women that had the husband that died and the police couldn't help her? Her husband was too sick to move - or she couldn't move him? Just food for thought -

This is what I find so disturbing. And you could hear in the voice of the Homeland Security guy on TV just before the hurricane that he believed that some type of evacuation services had been provided--and that those who stayed behind did so "willfully."

But was we watch the broadcast pictures of helicopter rescues here on TV, what we are seeing are seriously ill people with oxygen tubes up their noses, with legs missing, with other visible evidence of severe illness, severely frail very, very elderly people, etc. coming out of those attics and off those roofs. And even if the broadcasters are focusing on them and not on the able-bodied people who are not poor, who had a choice, I think it is pretty clear from the sheer numbers of the very ill and those with disabilities that preclude mobility (e.g., legs missing, etc.) that no concerted effort was made to evacuate those people.

And yes, it could have been done--at least they could have gotten some of them out, I think. Where was the Mayor that he was not dealing with this issue? Reportedly he was having dinner with his family...

Very, very sad.

[rainstorm]

lets wait and see here. its a disaster for sure.