Hurrican Katrina

[Sue Mackay]

Just to say my thoughts are with any members in the Gulf Coast area of the US. I was in New Orleans three years ago when a hurricane struck, and vividly remember having to wade back to my hotel the day BEFORE the worst was due. That one was downgraded to a tropical storm at the last minute and it still produced 24" of rain in under 12 hours, so what this category 5 hurricane must feel like God only knows. Thankfully the news just in is that the dykes in New Orleans are holding. It would be so tragic if this historic city went under.

[Chasing Caseys]

Hello Sue

When i was in Barbados there was a note pinned to the inside of my door that said " in case of hurricane go to the church " well we looked at the church and i think they hoped we would pray when we got there as the church was a wooden shack and wouldnt have provided much shelter or hope ! I wont get into the politics of whats happening but why has it taken so long to help the people ? as one journalist put it in one of todays papers " The slave ships have returned " and i have seen no rush from the Bush administration to help them .How long has it been now ? and still no fresh water or food , and the shoot to kill policy on looting (when the government werent helping ) what would any of you do if your family were thirsty and hungry .......................

[Sue Mackay]

Yes, it's all quite dreadful. My original posting was sadly written too early, though it is interesting that when I accessed a US news agency to find out what was happening the news was 'it's OK the levees are holding'. They had obviously not considered the tidal surge, but it now transpires that a political decision was taken to cut spending on the levees and that they were only built to withstand a category 3 storm. I think also that there has been a lot of 'Crying Wolf' in the area over recent years. When we were in New Orleans and Isadore was expected the TV channels were full of doom and gloom and evacuation routes. The city was totally back to normal the next day, as Isadore was downgraded to a tropical storm. This time I think a lot of people who stayed were genuinely surprised that it actually WAS as bad as predicted. My thoughts are with everyone along the Gulf Coast.

PS, apparently the temperature rise in the Gulf is such that more category 5 storms can be expected. Dare I hope that Bush will now finally acknowledge that global warming exists?

[mary elms]

The size of the area which has been affected by this huricane is difficult to imagine. And it's very difficult from this distance to work out what's really going on. The looters seem to come into two categories - those who are looking for food and provisions and those who are motivated by greed.

It looks like there are some very hard questions that will need to be asked in all sorts of areas and once again we may see the USA go into a kind of shock.

Like both of you my thoughts are with everyone involved as they struggle with what has happened.

Mary.

[Mythology]

"why has it taken so long to help the people ? "

Because in a situation like this, those unfortunate people are dependent upon the national administration. If the justifiably disgruntled Mayor of New Orleans had spoken in UK English rather than US English, "couldn't run a tea-stall at a jumble sale" (or a more robust version thereof) would doubtless have been included in his speech.

Possibilities.
1) Bush saw the news on the telly and said "Aw, shucks - they're all black, let 'em starve."
2) Unlike disasters outside the USA, there is no competition from other countries when it comes to securing lucrative rebuilding contracts for USA corporations, therefore they saw no need to rush.
3) It was five days before anyone thought of pointing out to Bush that *New* Orleans is in the USA. By this time he had sent the entire US military off to France, acompanied by a Hollywood film crew - the latest rewrite of history, "St Joan of Arkansas", will be coming to a cinema near you shortly.

"Dare I hope that Bush will now finally acknowledge that global warming exists?"

You had better hope that he doesn't. If Bush investigates and finds out that methane is part of the problem, his solution will be to invade India and shoot all the cows.

[mary elms]

If Bush investigates and finds out that methane is part of the problem, his solution will be to invade India and shoot all the cows.Well it does make a iwerd kind of sense doesn't it! :D (EDIT - wierd - a bit like my typing)

Mary.

[Geoffers]

"Dare I hope that Bush will now finally acknowledge that global warming exists?"

You had better hope that he doesn't. If Bush investigates and finds out that methane is part of the problem, his solution will be to invade India and shoot all the cows.
If he acknowledges global warming, then the methane is probably from the pigs I'll see flying past my window.

Geoffers

[Jenjen]

OK now. I just have to get in on this one. The whole problem goes back to the time the Army Corp of Engineers built these levees all over the country. It has been a terrible mistake. We lived in St Louis when the Missouri river burst through the levees. So many people live in the flood plain so it is inevitable that much destruction will happen. Rivers were meant to flood and hurricanes, tornados and forest fires happen. Nothing to do with global warming. Rather like the typhoons in Asia the spawning is dependent on the temp. of the water. The sea temp. goes in cycles. Hence the El Nino effect in the Pacific. It has been happening for centuries. I am not saying that mistakes were not made but it is only asking for trouble to build a city 6 feet below sea level.
As to your unkind comments about George Bush and black people YOU ARE WRONG! Nor is this a place to voice your political opinions on a country in which you do not live.
Jen

[Chasing Caseys]

Quote..............Nor is this a place to voice your political opinions on a country in which you do not live.............:confused:
Why not its an open friendly -but probably wrong - discussion forum where we can express our opinions in a reasonable - sometimes with a hint of British humour - kind of way. If we are not meant to have political views on a country on which we do not live i suggest you kindly write to the BBC asking them not to broadcast news that doesnt originate in England as with all the devestation occurring in the world i for one would rather not see it.;)

[mary elms]

Hello Jen,

I find your comments about the levees interesting. It seems to be human nature to try to control the uncontrollable - the weather, the sea, avalanches ........ the list goes on. We have chosen over the centuries to live in some pretty inhospitable places and from time-to-time we lose the battle. Global warming is complicated with some effects bringing cooling and others bringing warming but I don't think there's really any doubt that most 'Westerners', by our lifestyle, are adversely affecting the way the planet behaves and using far more of it's resources than it can sustain. The question is what we do about it. However, as you say, this is slipping out of the General Chatter Forum into the Politics Forum and away from Sue's original post which was an expression of sympathy and concern.

As for the comments about George Bush I'm sorry if they upset you. I know I for one hope that they really are wrong. However, I think you'll find that the British are pretty even-handed when it comes to satire - no one is safe including (or perhaps especially) the Prime minister, the Government and the Royal family.

Mary.

[Jenjen]

Thank-you Mary. I appreciate your reply. I really did think that this was "General chatter" about genealogy and not a forum for what is going on in the world.
For your information the American people, on the whole, have responded with overwhelming generosity and care. In Austin we have opened our Convention Center and provided the displaced residents with all manner of necessities. The children will go to our schools(and believe you me in Texas our school system is in financial difficulty. The property owner is overburdened with taxes) and Universities. Jobs will be found and health services will be provided. It has brought out the best in most people. Dallas and Houston have responded in a similar manner. My son, who lives in Phoenix, told me that one young man there flew to New Orleans, gathered up 5 displaced teenagers and flew them back to P. They will stay in his home until they can be reunited with their parents. This same story is being played out all over the US.
It is an eyeopener to all of us but then that is usually what happens when there is a disaster. Almost always it could have been prevented. Witness the disaster in Aberfan many years ago. We learn, we go on. This is not the first time the south has been hit by a devastating hurricane. You might like to read "Isaacs Storm" an account of the deadliest hurricane in US history. This was back in 1900 and destroyed Galveston. I doubt any man induced global warming was responsible at that time.
Jen

[Geoffers]

..........So many people live in the flood plain so it is inevitable that much destruction will happen. Rivers were meant to flood and hurricanes, tornados and forest fires happen.Yes they certainly do and much suffering they cause; the shame of mankind over millennia is that he has spent so much money on wars and means of destruction and so little on preserving and protecting life. Building coastal cities below sea level or building on inland river flood plains is ridiculous; nature will always win.


Nothing to do with global warming.Individual events of this nature have always occurred, the argument is that the incidence of disasterous events of this nature will increase with global warming and that we are seeing the effect of that now.

Geoffers, saddened by suffering and the loss of life anywhere.