First Mention of Mass graves

[jburns]

Senator Carol Moseley Braun just said on CNN that they are discussing mass graves.

[Doc Seminole]

Senator Carol Moseley Braun just said on CNN that they are discussing mass graves.

I heard that. Another racial dig from the overtones.

I don't know, if you have 10+ thousand bodies and many of them are over 250-300 lbs. and some much more..... well, how in the world would they (whoever "they" are) be able to give everyone of them a single funeral.

Dang, one dead person of regular build would be hard for me to deal with given the state of decomposition, I mean what a friggin nightmare finding hundreds of 300 lb bodies in attics or floating in the water for who knows how many days. I mean you are talkin the most ......... well I ain't goin into it.

God bless all those that will have to deal with it. Anyone complaining how it will be dealt with needs to be on the front lines climbing into attics and fishing them out of water.

Doc Seminole

[huricanwatcher]

Dang, one dead person of regular build would be hard for me to deal with given the state of decomposition, I mean what a friggin nightmare finding hundreds of 300 lb bodies in attics or floating in the water for who knows how many days. I mean you are talkin the most ......... well I ain't goin into it.

were did you get the idea that most these bodies are 250-300 lbs?.....

[themusk]

Dang, one dead person of regular build would be hard for me to deal with given the state of decomposition, I mean what a friggin nightmare finding hundreds of 300 lb bodies in attics or floating in the water for who knows how many days. I mean you are talkin the most ......... well I ain't goin into it.

were did you get the idea that most these bodies are 250-300 lbs?.....

Most of them are much less. It was children and the frail elderly who have, disproportionately, died.

[huricanwatcher]

i tend to agree with musk .... social stipulation ..... leads to conclusions that the general population of the poorer people tend to be "overweight" ... get real

[mf_dolphin]

Dang, one dead person of regular build would be hard for me to deal with given the state of decomposition, I mean what a friggin nightmare finding hundreds of 300 lb bodies in attics or floating in the water for who knows how many days. I mean you are talkin the most ......... well I ain't goin into it.

were did you get the idea that most these bodies are 250-300 lbs?.....

Most of them are much less. It was children and the frail elderly who have, disproportionately, died.

I might buy the elderly but what evidence of a large proportion of children have died? You're being just as guilty of assumption as the person you are criticizing.

[NC George]

were did you get the idea that most these bodies are 250-300 lbs?.....

New Orleans was Americas most obese city. Fact: they have specials on TV about it on Discovery Health.

[themusk]

Dang, one dead person of regular build would be hard for me to deal with given the state of decomposition, I mean what a friggin nightmare finding hundreds of 300 lb bodies in attics or floating in the water for who knows how many days. I mean you are talkin the most ......... well I ain't goin into it.

were did you get the idea that most these bodies are 250-300 lbs?.....

Most of them are much less. It was children and the frail elderly who have, disproportionately, died.

I might buy the elderly but what evidence of a large proportion of children have died? You're being just as guilty of assumption as the person you are criticizing.

Media reports. Supported by the medical facts that children are much more vulnerable to dehydration, infection, and, of course, drowning.

[charley]

Don't water-logged bodies weigh a whole lot, regardless of what the person weighed when they were alive? I don't know that all adult bodies would weigh 250-300 pounds, but I'd bet many will, especially adult males.

I think that was the point the other poster was trying to make, not that everyone in NO is overweight.

Maybe I'm wrong, but from what I recall, human tissue can absorb a lot of water and a dead body becomes extremely bloated and water-logged when immersed in water for days (not to even get into what decomposition is like for those water-logged bodies). It's very reaistic to think many would weigh 250-300 pounds. Regardless of weight, it's going to be a gruesome task retrieving those people.

[Una]

Dang, one dead person of regular build would be hard for me to deal with given the state of decomposition, I mean what a friggin nightmare finding hundreds of 300 lb bodies in attics or floating in the water for who knows how many days. I mean you are talkin the most ......... well I ain't goin into it.

were did you get the idea that most these bodies are 250-300 lbs?.....

Im not quite sure how I should put this, but bodies trapped underwater tend to "plump" and take on water. Its the same effect as getting "pruned" hands from spending too long in a hot bath.
As I understand it a deceased person could swell to roughly double their normal size after only a week underwater.

And on that note, I find it absolutely horrifying that Im explaining this about actuall people, rather then as a hypothetical situation.

-Ed

[mvtrucking]

Don't water-logged bodies weigh a whole lot, regardless of what the person weighed when they were alive? I don't know that all adult bodies would weigh 250-300 pounds, but I'd bet many will, especially adult males.

I think that was the point the other poster was trying to make, not that everyone in NO is overweight.

Maybe I'm wrong, but from what I recall, human tissue can absorb a lot of water and a dead body becomes extremely bloated and water-logged when immersed in water for days (not to even get into what decomposition is like for those water-logged bodies). It's very reaistic to think many would weigh 250-300 pounds. Regardless of weight, it's going to be a gruesome task retrieving those people.

Yes, a body that has been in the water for an extended period of time will gain weight.

(Former Army medic)

[southerngale]

This is so disturbing. While my heart is breaking for these people, I'm angry there were so many there!

[Cookiely]

I've read the most difficult bodies for medical examiners are bodies immersed in salt water and burn victims. As sad as it is for families, it maybe the most humane for the people doing the work.

[HurricaneBill]

Wouldn't cremation be a better alternative to mass graves?

[Pebbles]

Wouldn't cremation be a better alternative to mass graves?

This is going to sound really cold. I don't think there is any easy way to discuss this But it is a reality of the situation. You would think for sanitation and to prevent disease burning would be a better ...but for a few things. We don't know what was in that water the would of been absorbed and set off in the air with burning. It is not going to be easy to burn bodies bloated by water. Also people are going to be in an uproar over mass graves (it's going to be a nessesity unfortunately to prevent disease) can you imagine how they will react to mass burning of the dead?

Everyone needs to get prepared now. Once the resources turn to recovery instead of rescue, media coverage is going to get very ugly and what we already consider horrific now on TV is going to be a cakewalk in comparison.

Gosh I hate posting like this and being so utterly depressing.

[GalvestonDuck]

Perhaps maybe they could educate people about how it (cremation on pyres) was done in Galveston. I agree that it would be the best way. As with the 1900 victims and those from 9/11, it would be difficult for families to not have a grave site to go to, but I pray many understand will understand the...advantage, for lack of a better word.

[azsnowman]

Don't water-logged bodies weigh a whole lot, regardless of what the person weighed when they were alive? I don't know that all adult bodies would weigh 250-300 pounds, but I'd bet many will, especially adult males.

I think that was the point the other poster was trying to make, not that everyone in NO is overweight.

Maybe I'm wrong, but from what I recall, human tissue can absorb a lot of water and a dead body becomes extremely bloated and water-logged when immersed in water for days (not to even get into what decomposition is like for those water-logged bodies). It's very reaistic to think many would weigh 250-300 pounds. Regardless of weight, it's going to be a gruesome task retrieving those people.

Talking from experience here, they do weigh more, I just did a water recovery 3 weeks ago, a 16 yr old male drowned at a local lake, my cadaver dog made the "hit".......divers were sent in where my dog indicated, pulled the remains out 2 hours later.

It is something that you NEVER get used to, I've been dispatched to MANY a death scene and all of them are just like the first one, but you find a way to muddle through it. Being in the "Brotherhood" of law enforcement, you rely HEAVILY on your partners, your brothers for strength.

Dennis

[cancunkid]

I imagine that religion will play a big part in how they deal with a large number of the dead. I would think a mass grave would be difficult however because exactly where are they going to take these folks from NO to bury them? Certainly not NO.

[LSU2001]

Yep religion will play into the disposal of the bodies. Remember NO is a predominantly Catholic area and even though cremation is no longer forbidden it is still not embraced by many of the faithful.
Tim

[Mattie]

And for a reality thought - the families of these people who would be able to claim on insurance benefits, etc. will have a very difficult time without death certificates. This mass moving of evacuees should include an identiification process of some sort so so that remaining family members (if any in some/lot of cases) can truly get benefits that are due to them.