This doesn't look good...

[wrxpilot]

I'm scuurrrd.

Nice sarcasm. You ever go through a strong hurricane before? You'd be terrified if you were in New Orleans in about 16 hrs. Currently sustained winds at 175 MPH and gusts to 200 MPH. The crazy part is, IT IS GETTING STRONGER!

 

[NuGuy]

Nice sarcasm. You ever go through a strong hurricane before? You'd be terrified if you were in New Orleans in about 16 hrs. Currently sustained winds at 175 MPH and gusts to 200 MPH. The crazy part is, IT IS GETTING STRONGER!

WRX,

You are right on the mark here. By all indications, Kat will be by far the worst natural catastrophe this nation has seen in decades, if ever.

We just got our power back in SoFL after 3 days, and we're still picking up crap. When it fit FL, Kat was a fart in a bathtub. Barely 80 MPH winds...and remember, kinetic energy goes up with the SQUARE of the velocity.

180 MPH winds and a storm surge of 28 feet on a city perched between a big river and a big lake and the whole place is 9 feet below sea level. The pumps that run the levee system are electric, and take 4 DAYS to covert to diesel operation (although they are equipped for snorkel operations).

To put it mildly, that place is frakked. I lived there for 5 years...there simply is no time or ability to get everyone out. Lots of poor folks have NO means to evac. Lots of places are $hitboxes that would fall down if you pissed against the side of them (believe me, I know...). KNEW will be gone for years, if not forever...its on the OTHER side of the levee doors.

I urge everyone to donate blood, supplies and and $$ to the Red Cross. This is going to be bad, REAL bad.

Nu

 

[wrxpilot]

Fox News was showing people drinking, partying, etc. down on Bourbon Street like it was Mardi Gras. Last year I thought many south Floridians were unprepared, but this is just baffling.

 

[siucavflight]

How about this article, written a few years ago about this exact situation.

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/wetlands/hurricane_print.html

 

[NuGuy]

Fox News was showing people drinking, partying, etc. down on Bourbon Street like it was Mardi Gras. Last year I thought many south Floridians were unprepared, but this is just baffling.

If these people stay, they will be VERY sorry in 48 hours, and it's going to be your tax money fishing them out of the water. Darwin at work.

Just talked to a buddy of mine from there. They say that this IS the worst case scenario that they all have feared. Even FEMA says they are fcuked. It could be up to 50,000 dead.

I'm not a religious person at all, but I think we all should say a prayer.

Nu

 

[wrxpilot]

How about this article, written a few years ago about this exact situation.

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/wetlands/hurricane_print.html

Pretty scary stuff there. Casualties of 100,000. I cannot imagine what such devastation would do to our country. Let's hope some sort of miracle occurs here...

 

[SabreFlyR]

WRX,


To put it mildly, that place is frakked. I lived there for 5 years...there simply is no time or ability to get everyone out. Lots of poor folks have NO means to evac. Lots of places are $hitboxes that would fall down if you pissed against the side of them (believe me, I know...). KNEW will be gone for years, if not forever...its on the OTHER side of the levee doors.

I urge everyone to donate blood, supplies and and $$ to the Red Cross. This is going to be bad, REAL bad.

Nu

I lived there several years and we still have family there, fort. they all got out yesterday and this morning. I remember well what those little 30 to 40 kt winds would do to the hangar at Million Air. Multiply it by 3 to 4 and your right there will be little left of Lakefront.

 

[Flying Illini]

That's interesting that the pump system works on Electricity...and that it takes 4 days to convert to diesel operations. Doesn't seem smart.

Good luck to everyone down there.

 

[NuGuy]

That's interesting that the pump system works on Electricity...and that it takes 4 days to convert to diesel operations. Doesn't seem smart.

Good luck to everyone down there.

I went to school at Tulane, and one of the alumni there was responsible for the deisgn of the pumps in use. They are truely marvels of engineering. Each pump can displace almost 1 million gallons of water PER MINUTE, but the big thing is that they are non-fouling (a critical thing considering all the junk in the water).

There are usually 3 pumps per housing. They have a diesel back up, with 30 foot snorkels, but they say the size of the storm surge from Katrina may overcome them.

I think the four day requirement is for the entire network, but even if they started Saturday, it might be too late. Even if they work, you have to have someplace to pump the water TO. Sounds like the whole region could be underwater.

If you've never been to New Orleans, a levee can be a wierd sight. You'll go up a bridge that takes you from one side of a canal to the other. The ground rises up under the bridge to form the canal. Then you realize that the water in the canal is 10 feet higher than the ends of the bridge.

They re-worked the worst case scenario a few years back. I think they knew then they were on borrowed time, but there just wasn't enough time to do anything about it.

Sad...I like the place.

Nu