WWL press conferance on Death Toll

[LSU2001]

WWL press conferance on Death Toll

http://www.wwltv.com
Tim

[jpigott]

hearing 59 confirmed so far in LA, with another 100 unconfirmed in Jefferson Parrish. I hope it doesn't go much higher, unforunately i don't see how it cannot

[Solaris]

The Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La.
Louisiana emergency medical director Louis Cataldie said Sunday that nearly a week after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, authorities have verified just 59 deaths.

State and federal authorities have said in recent days that they expect "thousands" died from the devastating storm. But verifying the number of victims from the storm has been complicated by the sheer destruction of the storm, which has prevented authorities from adequately surveying the damage.

"This is only a starting point. The number will grow. It will only begin to quantify the magnitude of this tragedy," said Dr. Fred Cerise, the state's secretary of Health and Hospitals.

The numbers provided Sunday were the first death count since the storm struck.

The state Department of Health and Hospitals said there are 26 bodies being kept in refrigerated trucks, 22 bodies at a collection area at the intersection of Interstate 610 and Interstate 10, and 11 bodies in Jefferson Parish, just south of New Orleans.


September 04, 2005 03:22 PM EST

[mahicks]

My wife said she heard something today that said something along the lines of...

Death toll numbers are the DIRECT relation of Hurricane.

Examples she said...

If you drown in your roof a day later, does it count? It shouldn't if you go by the above "definition".

Do you count the Police officer shot in the head?

The Sister shot for a frickin bag of ice?

How about the (MY guess, and ONLY MY gues, the 100's that will die of hunger, dehydration, strains of being in such turmoil, etc....etc..


Anyone that can shed some life on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Also...PLEASE DON'T FLAME if she's totally incorrect, cut her some slack

[Derek Ortt]

if the drowning in your roof is caused by the floods directly caused by the hurricane, including those directly caused by the levee breaks since the levee breaks were directly caused by Katrina's tidal surge, then I believe the deaths from drowning a couple of days later is a direct death

[LSU2001]

According to Dr. Cataldie who was giving the briefing, He is working off of the definition that

"If you would not have died had the storm not struck, then it is a hurricane related death." I do know of deaths from heart attacks, clean up, etc being counted in death tolls so I think that your wife is wrong on this. I am not 100% sure but I think I am pretty close.
TIm

[crazycajuncane]

According to Dr. Cataldie who was giving the briefing, He is working off of the definition that

"If you would not have died had the storm not struck, then it is a hurricane related death." I do know of deaths from heart attacks, clean up, etc being counted in death tolls so I think that your wife is wrong on this. I am not 100% sure but I think I am pretty close.
TIm

The government hid a lot of deaths from Ivan. I think the official death toll and the real death toll were way off. They have a way with how they define direct hurricane deaths.

I could be wrong, but if 26 people died for Andrew in 92... god was definitely watching over.

[mahicks]

CrazyCane, LSU, and Derek....I would like to quote each of you, but some of the answers are conflicting. Can I agree with you all?

My wife said HEARD this, btw.....

I believe in what she says, yet at the same time, just cuz she HEARD it, don't make it true? Does it?



BTW......26 in Andrew seems a little low doesn't it??? Even if you play dumb on facts, and science, and memory, and the hype, even to this day, of the absolute power and awesome force of Andrew.....It seems REALLY low....

Especially when you factor in some of the accounts of Real Estate agent "blogs"...And about a 100 different rumors....

[Derek Ortt]

its really only the Florida numbers where seems to be any controversy over. I also heard of higher numbers in Ivan and Charley, but not an extreme number of dead, some of which were likely inidirect deaths.

I have never heard of anything from another state. Maybe because other states report all deaths as just hurricane deaths, while FL makes the distinction between direct and indirect deaths

[Ivanhater]

i know, if you die from carbon monoxide from a generator it is considered part of the death toll

[Derek Ortt]

thats an indirect death (the CO poisoning). the final NHC death toll only includes direct ones

[Ivanhater]

thats an indirect death (the CO poisoning). the final NHC death toll only includes direct ones

hmm, you may be right, i thought after ivan, quite a few died from generators, and they said that along with falling trees and all that was considered "storm related deaths", im not 100% positive so you may be right

[vbhoutex]

The government hid a lot of deaths from Ivan. I think the official death toll and the real death toll were way off. They have a way with how they define direct hurricane deaths.

Do not make comments like this unless you can provide proof!!! This is so irresponsible!!!!!

[Mattie]

The total death numbers will be astounding - even according to the Mayor of New Orleans. A black hawk helicopter flew in to Plaquemines Parish and made the comment that not even a bird was chirping. It will be a long time coming for the "official death toll" and I think it is going to be in the thousands or morel. Even the mayor said looking at New Orleans stats - event if 5% didn't evacuate . .

[shaggy]

The government hid a lot of deaths from Ivan. I think the official death toll and the real death toll were way off. They have a way with how they define direct hurricane deaths.

Do not make comments like this unless you can provide proof!!! This is so irresponsible!!!!!

this is an unconfirmed issue and that will always be the case.Direct and indirect deaths are hard to calculate.It is irresponsible however i have also had an experience in a hurricane where local officials were confirming death tolls that were higher than "officially" reported.Now i can not in any way say why the desicion was made to change the death toll but it changed none the less.This DOES NOT IMPLY that governments intentionally did this either it could just simply be a matter of defintion!OEM for my county were confirming 75+ deaths for floyd in 99' but the over all toll was only 56 so not sure why it happened!

[THead]

thats an indirect death (the CO poisoning). the final NHC death toll only includes direct ones

According to what LSU quoted above I think it would be, he wouldn't be running the genrator if the storm didn't hit.

"If you would not have died had the storm not struck, then it is a hurricane related death."

[HurricaneBill]

Examples of direct deaths:

Swept away in flood waters

Drowning in surge

Hit by debris

Tree falling (only during storm)

Car accident during storm (rain slicked roads)

Indirect deaths:

Stepping on a live powerline (unless one fell on you during the storm)

Car accident due to traffic lights out

Heart attack from stress

Carbon monoxide from generators

Fire started from light candles during power outage

Derek, would drowning in a rip current be direct or indirect?

[THead]

Indirect deaths:
Carbon monoxide from generators

Ahh ok, so it would still be considered hurricane related, but indirectly. I think I got it now, thanks.

[wxmann_91]

Derek, would drowning in a rip current be direct or indirect?

Sorry to answer the question for you Derek, but yes drowning in a rip current or due to high surf from a hurricane would be considered a direct death. Also dying on a ship that capsizes in rough seas from a hurricane would be direct.

[Derek Ortt]

a rip current is a direct death