Dr. Neal Frank Just Said...

[Thunder44]

I think some people expected NO to be wiped out. It wasn't or anywhere near it. So it would be considered "saved". I've never expected that myself.

[Aslkahuna]

One problem-HOW do you evacuate the city? All roads are impassible, the airports are unusable and there's no access to them anyway. The transportation infrastructure is GONE. At least in SFO in 1906 the people could walk out of town and the fire spared the Ferry Building so they were able to evacuate across the Bay-this is different, NOLA is cut off from the outside World.

Steve

[Mobile Expat]

I think some people expected NO to be wiped out. It wasn't or anywhere near it.

What exactly is your definition of "wiped out?" Eighty percent of the city is underwater. Forty thousand homes are underwater in ONE parish. A death toll that city officials are said to believe is in the thousands. The power won't be back on until October, at the earliest, there is no drinking water and the storm water is still rising in the city.

What else does New Orleans have to happen to it to meet the rest of the country's standards for utter devastation?

[Viper452]

After tonight the city will be 100 percent under water. The doomsday prediction is setting in. They did not avoid this, it just happened at a slow, slow rate, which makes it even worse. Thousands dying tonight when they thought they were safe. Its the ultimate insult.

[temujin]

I think the reporters expected to walk out and see entire buildings leveled. Since they were in the French Quarter on high ground in low, stout buildings, it didn't look that bad. They were in a rush to get something on air, and just reported what they saw at the time.

[themusk]

I think the reporters expected to walk out and see entire buildings leveled. Since they were in the French Quarter on high ground in low, stout buildings, it didn't look that bad. They were in a rush to get something on air, and just reported what they saw at the time.

This tends to happen, I notice, with most storms. Because the only areas reporters can see at first are the least damaged areas, they say there is less damage than expected. Then more information becomes available, and the nightmares are revealed.