Katrina update

[ISaidRightTurns]

I will pass this along for anyone with family and friends in the Mississippi Gulf Coast and East Louisiana.

My family all lives in or around Bay St. Louis, MS. Every one left but my dad who stayed to watch the houses and investments.

Late Sunday night, the storm was too close and too bad to stay, so my dad evacuated to the east. The rest of the family was in Jackson, MS. My dad made it to pascagula to ride out the storm. After about 3pm Monday, we started driving west to see if he could make it to the hangers at HSA or the runway at 66Y.

According to him, everything south of I10 is unlivable, with many buildings missing and all damaged. Hwy 603 into Waveland/Bay St. Louis is a river and unpassable. Hwy 90 (Exit 2) off of I10 has become a refugee camp at the rest area, which is near where the water peaked. People tried to seek refuge at Stennis Space Center, but were told to wait at the restarea. Looting in Diamondhead is rampant. Pass Christian is gond from what he can tell.

Hope this helps people who have been looking for this information and only getting NO/Mobile stuff.

Everyone is OK and on their way to ATL to stay with me. We think as a family we lost 4 houses, 5 rental house, a strip mall, a convenience store and all the planes.

If anyone is going to fly in the area of HSA please take pictures of the north T-Hangers.

If anyone will be flying around Jordan River/Bayou LaCroix area, please take pictures and post.

 

[NookyBooky]

I'm sorry to hear of your family's losses. I hope everyone is safe, except for the looters.



Best Wishes,



NB

 

[GravityHater]

How does the insurance work for those that have it? I noticed my own policy excludes flood damage > that is a separate policy (I am no where near water).
Can people in the flood areas even get insurance? If they do, would the ins co try to deny claims based upon it being a natural disaster or are they very cooperative?

My prayers for those suffering human and material losses in this storm.

 

[ISaidRightTurns]

How does the insurance work for those that have it? I noticed my own policy excludes flood damage > that is a separate policy (I am no where near water).
Can people in the flood areas even get insurance? If they do, would the ins co try to deny claims based upon it being a natural disaster or are they very cooperative?

My prayers for those suffering human and material losses in this storm.

They all have flood insurance. I am not sure how it works with FEMA and all, but we are trying to figure it all out. The homes are on the East Bayou off Bayou Lacroix north of Bay St. Louis / Waveland. If anyone flies that way please let us now what to expect. This is on or near the GPT255020.

 

[MJG]

I'm sorry to hear about your family's loss. At least everyone is OK and that's obviously the most important thing. Sounds like your dad did the smart thing and got out while he still could.

 

[Metro752]

Shoot the looters, who cares.

 

[MJG]

Update on Bay St. Louis

CNN's Gary Tuckman has made it into Bay St. Louis. His opening shot was from one side of the bay standing on Hwy 90. The bridge across the bay has been completely destroyed. Only bridge support structure is left, no roadway. Otherwise rest of area looks pretty bad, tough to tell as video feed was via video phone.

 

[RockyMnt1]

Yikes!

My parents just moved from Diamondhead (66Y) over to Madisonville, La. I am thinking that the Diamondhead yacht club is toast from your description.

Hopefully Lil Ray's survived!! That is very important!!

Glad nobody was hurt and thnaks for the update.

 

[ISaidRightTurns]

http://img285.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mvc007f3gu.jpghttp://img285.imageshack.us/img285/7581/mvc007f3gu.th.jpg

Hwy 603 and I 10 (Exit 13)

http://img285.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mvc008f7pd.jpghttp://img285.imageshack.us/img285/3976/mvc008f7pd.th.jpg

Same


http://img285.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mvc009f1ea.jpghttp://img285.imageshack.us/img285/6795/mvc009f1ea.th.jpg

A picture westbound on I10 near the diamondhead exit. The tank is from the airport (66Y) that is right next to the interstate.

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas,

The governor just announced that the entire city of New Orleans is to be evacuated. There are at least 2 levee breeches, and the city is filling up with water. MSY and NEW are underwater.

Martial law has been delcared in 2 Parishes.

Absolutely horriffic...

Nu

 

[RockyMnt1]

Yep.

That tank either had to make its way about a quarter mile thru a bunch of rather large pine trees and houses from the FBO to the highway or it had to go west from the FBO and hang a right to go down the runway to get to I10.

Very sobering....

 

[Flying Illini]

How full was that tank? A demonstation of Mother Nature's power.

 

[FN FAL]

Martial law has been delcared in 2 Parishes.

Absolutely horriffic...

Nu

wow, the military has usurped the jurisdiciton of two counties in America? Dang...that'll show the ensurgents who's boss. The hysteria...

 

[Yank McCobb]

Still out to prove that you are right, I see. Make sure everyone knows how smart you are.

 

[FN FAL]

Still out to prove that you are right, I see. Make sure everyone knows how smart you are.

Hahaha...we'll find out how much the military law is good for once one of America's protected species gets shot by a military man.

 

[GravityHater]

Before they rebuild, someone needs to send them a few billion cubic yards of dirt.... get that land built up a bit before the next storm!

 

[NuGuy]

wow, the military has usurped the jurisdiciton of two counties in America? Dang...that'll show the ensurgents who's boss. The hysteria...

FN,

Under Louisiana state law, the Parish president, which is the same as the county commissioner, has extensive authority in an emergency. Two parish governments have have done just that, by their own authority, not the federal government.

Nu

 

[FN FAL]

FN,

Don't be a complete dork. Under Louisiana state law, the Parish president, which is the same as the county commissioner, has extensive authority in an emergency. Two parish governments have have done just that, by their own authority, not the federal government.

Nu

I can agree with that. I can also agree with state sovreignty...and now a state is emergency and peace must be kept. State troops will patrol those two parishes. They will help to keep the peace...but there will still be three branches in government in Louisiana, New Orleans and those two parishes. The judicial, the legislative and executive and as far as i'm concerned, the state guard is still the executive and not the judicial. I don't care what the governor says...it's all hysteria and when the first black person is shot as looter, you're going to see backlash greater than Kent State.

 

[FN FAL]

FN,

Under Louisiana state law, the Parish president, which is the same as the county commissioner, has extensive authority in an emergency. Two parish governments have have done just that, by their own authority, not the federal government.

Nu

Dude, you can call me a complete dork...it's only bantering on the internet...it's not even 1/16th the value of a reality tv show. I'd drink beers with any body on this forum...I don't care what the hell we argue about. The battle is the glory.

 

[NuGuy]

Dude, you can call me a complete dork...it's only bantering on the internet...it's not even 1/16th the value of a reality tv show. I'd drink beers with any body on this forum...I don't care what the hell we argue about. The battle is the glory.

Hi FN,

I try to keep a civil tongue .

I agree about the arms part. I saw clips of NOPD with automatic arms. The news is talking about people going to the parts of I-10 that are dry. Flood, panic, guns and shrinking dry land is a bad, bad combination.

They had a pretty grim animation on one of the news channels. With the busted levee, the lake will seek it's own level... Not good...

Edited to add: This is from WWL-TV in NO:

****ALL RESIDENTS ON THE EAST BANK OF ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON REMAINING IN THE METRO AREA ARE BEING TOLD TO EVACUATE AS EFFORTS TO SANDBAG THE LEVEE BREAK HAVE ENDED. THE PUMPS IN THAT AREA ARE EXPECTED TO FAIL SOON AND 9 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED IN THE ENTIRE EAST BANK. WITHIN THE NEXT 12-15 HOURS****

Nu

 

[AA717driver]

I think we're looking at a major U.S. city being uninhabitalbe for months.

As for martial law, some of the inhabitants of NO (I won't dignify them by calling them people) are setting traps for motorists and carjacking them to get out. Others are looting jewlery stores and Foot Lockers.

In the South Central riots, the shop owners were vilified for protecting their shops with guns. This behavior MUST be put in its proper perspective--they are stealing, not to survive but because they can. The Attorney General of LA refused to condemn the looters in an interview tonight. He instead said the focus should be on saving lives. True. But soft-selling the looting is wrong. Guess he's up for re-election soon.

Our prayers are with those who are suffering. We've got clothes and shoes headed your way as soon as the Red Cross can organize shipments.TC

 

[KigAir]

****ALL RESIDENTS ON THE EAST BANK OF ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON REMAINING IN THE METRO AREA ARE BEING TOLD TO EVACUATE AS EFFORTS TO SANDBAG THE LEVEE BREAK HAVE ENDED. THE PUMPS IN THAT AREA ARE EXPECTED TO FAIL SOON AND 9 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED IN THE ENTIRE EAST BANK. WITHIN THE NEXT 12-15 HOURS****

Nu

East Bank, is that downtown New Orleans?

 

[TonyC]

The Attorney General of LA refused to condemn the looters in an interview tonight. He instead said the focus should be on saving lives. True. But soft-selling the looting is wrong.

Contrast that with what Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi had to say about looters:

I have instructed the Highway Patrol and the National Guard to treat looters ruthlessly. Looting will not be tolerated and rules of engagement will be as aggressive as the law allows.

 

[SabreFlyR]

East Bank, is that downtown New Orleans?

Thats the downtown area plus Metairie and Kenner. Basically the east side of the Miss. river.

 

[KigAir]

Thats the downtown area plus Metairie and Kenner. Basically the east side of the Miss. river.

Good god. I watched on video on cnn.com showing the broken I10 bridge. It looked like a seen from one of those bad disaster movies from the 70's. The video showed a couple of vehicles stranded by downed sections of the bridge. I couldn't imagine being on that bridge during the storm when those sections collapsed.

 

[SabreFlyR]

Good god. I watched on video on cnn.com showing the broken I10 bridge. It looked like a seen from one of those bad disaster movies from the 70's. The video showed a couple of vehicles stranded by downed sections of the bridge. I couldn't imagine being on that bridge during the storm when those sections collapsed.

So far our family has lost 6 houses but everybody got out Saturday and Sunday, except we can't contact an elderly aunt and uncle, so we're praying that they overcame thier stubborness and did leave.

 

[VampyreGTX]

...and when the first black person is shot as looter, you're going to see backlash greater than Kent State.

well, the first cop was already shot by a looter....

 

[VampyreGTX]

****ALL RESIDENTS ON THE EAST BANK OF ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON REMAINING IN THE METRO AREA ARE BEING TOLD TO EVACUATE AS EFFORTS TO SANDBAG THE LEVEE BREAK HAVE ENDED. THE PUMPS IN THAT AREA ARE EXPECTED TO FAIL SOON AND 9 FEET OF WATER IS EXPECTED IN THE ENTIRE EAST BANK. WITHIN THE NEXT 12-15 HOURS****

Nu

Well, the army corp of engineers is stating they will try and sink some grain barges at the mouth of the canal that the levee broke on to stem about 90% of the flow. They plan on attempting this in the morning. They feel this will allow the water flow to decrease enough to where they can fix the breach completely.

EDIT - nevermind, the interview with the mayor about 15 minutes ago made it sound like all effort to shore up the break are unsuccessful and that there is nothing more that can be done at the moment. He says the water will conitnue to flow in at an accelerating pace for the next 12-15 hours until the water level is even with lake pontchatrain, about 3 feet above sea level. Downtown and teh garden district (st. charles ave.) are expected to be 6-10 feet deep by tomorrow evening.

God, every hour just brings worse news.

 

[VampyreGTX]

well, the first cop was already shot by a looter....

Now reports of two 'looters' with automatic rifles shooting up a police station near the French Quarter... no reports of injuries yet, gunmen got away into the mess in the french quarter.

I think the justification for the use of force is becoming quite clear....

 

[jetexas]

NO is looking more and more like that 80's movie "Escape From New York".