A Cruise Ship to Evacuate

[EverythingIsEverything]

Just suggested on CNN, i think that could work.

[Ground_Zero_92]

I saw that too. I think cruise ships are a great idea to evacuate people as long as they can get the people to the ship.

[scostorms]

That would be great, hospitals on board, kitchens, beds! Even army ships, army hospital ships! Now they're thinking!

[EDR1222]

That does sound like a good idea. If they could take people out to the ship in smaller boats and have the cruise ship out in deeper water, it might work.

[Terry]

We've been talking about that in Chat all day. They have great tenders which hold 150 people. Problems are that the waters in/around Mississippi River aren't very safe now and the GOM is 60 miles away from NO.

However, the Cruise industry needs to rise to the occasion and offer floating homes to the many who will be homeless, IMHO.

[Seele]

This is a great idea if a cruise ship can navigate the Mississippi right now. Definitly worth a shot if there are any in the area.

[BroncoChuck]

yea like the looting on shore isnt bad enough! They would rob that damn ship clean. I cant wait to see the inside of the superdome when they all leave.

(Now dont get me wrong I might take a sign or something from the superdome too ... theres only so much you can do when stuck somewhere for that long with NOTHING to do...lol)

[thunderchief]

helicopter assault ships are a much better idea.

[Miss Mary]

I have to ask this question - could a cruise ship safely navigate thru the streets of downtown NO, to get to the Superdome? I always thought cruise ships had to travel in very deep waters.

But in theory it is a good idea and if it works, great. They need to do something!

Mary

[ZZ3Astro]

LCAC

What about using the Navy's LCAC's? I believe they have a 60 ton capacity.. and enough room to transport at least 100 people a trip.. plus they can go fast to make more trips.

steve

[MBismyPlayground]

Thinking this idea may work, at least for the time being.
Also, I recall watching a show about the City on the water. Like a ship that is a city. A floating city. With businesses, its own economy ect... Although not sure that this type of society would be appropriate for all, considering what has been going on within the city today.

[dolebot_Broward_NW]

Hey guys, guess whats just down the road (figuratively speaking)....

GULFPORT! PASCAGUALA! NAVY BASES!!!!

Wonder if our boys in the Navy could lend a hand here. Their boats are just as big as cruise ships! Unfortunately most of them are probably in Iraq.....

[thunderchief]

You cannot use boats with any kind of a draft. Need to be landing craft or helos, or small boats. I think theres probably too much debris sticking up to use those hovercraft on marine assault ships. Although if the city floods a little more and you use some demolitions then maybe.

there are highway bridges within 500 feet of the superdome. Perhaps some kind of pontoon bridge if things get real bad?

[wwicko]

I don't think ships will be approaching New Orleans for quite some time. The assessment of the river channel alone will take several days to several weeks.

Hurricane Katrina closes lower Mississippi to barges<

By Tim Mclaughlin

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

(KRT) - ST. LOUIS - The lower Mississippi River remained closed Monday after Hurricane Katrina tossed empty barges, destroyed navigation markers and possibly re-channeled parts of the waterway, the Coast Guard and a river industry group reported.

It may take barge operators and the Coast Guard several days to several weeks to determine the brunt of the storm's damage. The Mississippi River plays a vital role in America's export economy because farmers rely on the waterway as a cheap source of transportation to ship their goods to New Orleans. That besieged city serves as a jumping-off point for overseas shipments. Fortunately, peak grain shipments don't begin until October.

More: http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/nation/12509042.htm

There was a CAT4 hurricane over the river channel for at least 100 miles. Certainly the river channel has been reconfigured and will have to be dredged before it is passable.

[weatherSnoop]

I heard last night there was a contengeny of airboats from FLA heading that way. Does anyone know if they have been given the go-ahead? Ideal craft even though they cannot hold too many at one time

[Aslkahuna]

Military installations in MS along the coast are in no shape to do more than recover themselves right now.

Steve

[NateFLA]

I heard last night there was a contengeny of airboats from FLA heading that way. Does anyone know if they have been given the go-ahead? Ideal craft even though they cannot hold too many at one time

I heard that too. I was listening to a report that boats wanted to get to trapped victims but could not.

Honestly there is no excuse. We have almost every craft imagineable. Airboats, hovercrafts etc... I hope they get everything they need/can use ASAP

[KLP124]

Carnival's ship "Sensation" was moved to Galveston. Yesterday they announced two 4 day cruises to Cozumel on that boat -- one on Sept 1, one on Sept 5. Interior cabins started out at $99. Needless to say, they sold out both cruises by yesterday morning.

Maybe one of the other cruise lines will step up.

[gtalum]

I doubt any of the major cruise lines will donate their ships. The way they're structured, they'd go out of business if they did.

Maybe FEMA will pay to charter some ships.

Until they get the river channel cleared, though, it doesn't matter either way.

[bvigal]

I don't think ships will be approaching New Orleans for quite some time. The assessment of the river channel alone will take several days to several weeks.

There was a CAT4 hurricane over the river channel for at least 100 miles. Certainly the river channel has been reconfigured and will have to be dredged before it is passable.

Wwicko,
What an intelligent and logical observation! Between the Rockies and the Apalacians, grain, coal, steel, and other heavy items travel to the rest of the county and the world via the Mississippi River. Shallow drafts were allowed through beginning yesterday. But, little operation of barge unloading (barges can't go in the ocean), those facilities damaged or closed due to lack of power. I'm sure there's a backlog and no new traffic will be allowed south of a point until they catch up.

Who knows what sank in the river? Cruise ships having draft of at least 30ft would not go up that river. What would happen if one hit a sunken boat, ripped their hull, went aground, and blocked the entire Mississippi waterway from ocean access? (shudder to think of that)