Katrina (1 Viewer)

[scottybo]

For anyone interested, I took pics of our yard and stuff around the area where I live of damage.  The pics are at http://www.establishedboard.com/katrina/after-pics/ . 

Edit:  change "after" to "before" to see what the house/yard looked like Pre-Katrina.

Also wanted to add that this is 90 miles east of where the eye hit.

You're a rich mo-fo hey?What's with the numbering of the window covers?

You number the boards so that you know which board fits over which window. The first time you have to cut plywood to fit a bunch of different sized windows it takes some time. Then next storm you have them all up in no time because you numbered them...

That, and you don't want to have a ton of screw holes near your windows.

 

[jplvr]

Thought about not posting this, but then considered how political this discussion has gotten. People blaming this person and that when in reality, the blame lies with the people running around the streets, armed and causing havoc. This wasn't a usual situation... anyone can agree on that. It wasn't because of the magnitude of the disaster though, but caused by the "thugs" that made the rescue and relief too dangerous to undertake as would normally be done.How do you prepare for something like that... prepare for a rescue mission to pull people out of dangerous situations where you need an armed, military presence in place WITHIN U.S. borders? It shouldn't have to be done... it's really shocking that it would ever be needed if you sit back and think about it and it's really sad and embarrasing that it had to come to that.

>Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 8:24 PM>Subject: New Orleans-Unnatural Disaster>>Here's an opinion of recent events in New Orleans that's worth reading:>>This, I guess is the explained difference between the New Orleans situation>as compared to what we see in Biloxi, Gulfport and PassChristian --- where>"the people" are already outside repairing and rebuilding their cities in>the aftermath.>>>Disturbing, but, unfortunately,true....Sep 02, 2005 by Robert Tracinski>>It has taken four long days for state and federal officials to figure out>how to deal with the disaster in New Orleans. I can't blame them,because>it has also taken me four long days to figure out what is going on there.>The reason is that the events there make no sense if you think that we are>confronting a natural disaster.>>If this is just a natural disaster, the response for public officials is>obvious: you bring in food, water, and doctors; you send transportation to>evacuate refugees to temporary shelters; you send engineers to stop the>flooding and rebuild the city's infrastructure.>>For journalists, natural disasters also have a familiar pattern: the>heroism of ordinary people pulling together to survive; the hard work and>dedication of doctors, nurses, and rescue workers; the steps being taken>to clean up and rebuild.>>Public officials did not expect that the first thing they would have to do>is to send thousands of armed troops in armored vehicle, as if they are>suppressing an enemy insurgency. And journalists--myself included--did not>expect that the story would not be about rain, wind,and flooding, but>about rape, murder, and looting.>>But this is not a natural disaster. It is a man-made disaster.>>The man-made disaster is not an inadequate or incompetent response by>federal relief agencies, and it was not directly caused by Hurricane>Katrina. This is where just about every newspaper and television>channel has gotten the story wrong. The man-made disaster we are now>witnessing in New Orleans did not happen over the past four days. It>happened over the past four decades. Hurricane Katrina merely exposed it to>public view.>>The man-made disaster is the welfare state.>>For the past few days, I have found the news from New Orleans to>be confusing. People were not behaving as you would expect them to behave>in an emergency--indeed, they were not behaving as they have behaved in>other emergencies. That is what has shocked so many people: they havebeen>saying that this is not what we expect from America. In fact, it is not>even what we expect from a Third World country.>>When confronted with a disaster, people usually rise to the occasion.They>work together to rescue people in danger, and they spontaneously organize>to keep order and solve problems. This is especially true in America. We>are an enterprising people, used to relying on our own initiative rather>than waiting around for the government to take care of us. I have seen this>a hundred times, in small examples (a small townwhose main traffic light>had gone out, causing ordinary citizens to get out of their cars and serve>as impromptu traffic cops, directing cars through the intersection) and>large ones (the spontaneous response of New Yorkers to September 11).>>So what explains the chaos in New Orleans?>>To give you an idea of the magnitude of what is going on, here is a>description from a Washington Times story:>>"Storm victims are raped and beaten; fights erupt with flying fists, knives>>and guns; fires are breaking out; corpses litter the streets; and police>and rescue helicopters are repeatedly fired on.>>"The plea from Mayor C. Ray Nagin came even as National Guardsmen poured in>to restore order and stop the looting, carjackingsand gunfire....>>"Last night, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco said 300 Iraq-hardened Arkansas>National Guard members were inside New Orleans with shoot-to-kill orders.>>'These troops are...under my orders to restore order in the streets,' she>said. 'They have M-16s, and they are locked and loaded.These troops know>how to shoot and kill and they are more than willing to do so if necessary>and I expect they will.' ">>The reference to Iraq is eerie. The photo that accompanies this article>shows National Guard troops, with rifles and armored vests, riding on an>armored vehicle through trash-strewn streets lined by a rabble of squalid,>listless people, one of whom appears to be yelling at them. It looks>exactly like a scene from Sadr City in Baghdad.>>What explains bands of thugs using a natural disaster as an excuse for an>orgy of looting, armed robbery, and rape? What causes unruly mobs to storm>the very buses that have arrived to evacuate them, causing the drivers to>drive away, frightened for their lives? What causes people to attack the>doctors trying to treat patients at the Super Dome?>>Why are people responding to natural destruction by causing further>destruction? Why are they attacking the people who are trying to helpthem?>>>My wife, Sherri, figured it out first, and she figured it out on>a sense-of-life level. While watching the coverage last night on Fox>News Channel, she told me that she was getting a familiar feeling. She>studied architecture at the Illinois Institute of Chicago, which is located>>in the South Side of Chicago just blocks away from the Robert Taylor>Homes,one of the largest high-rise public housing projects in America.>"The projects," as they were known, were infamous for uncontrollable crime>and irremediable squalor. (They have since,mercifully, been demolished.)>What Sherri was getting from last night's television coverage was a whiff>of the sense of life of "the projects." Then the"crawl"--the informational>phrases flashed at the bottom of the screen on most news channels--gave>some vital statistics to confirm this sense: 75% of the residents of New>Orleans had already evacuated before the hurricane, and of the 300,000 or>so who remained, a large number were from the city's public housing>projects.>>Jack Wakeland then gave me an additional, crucial fact: early reports from>CNN and Fox indicated that the city had no plan for evacuating all of the>prisoners in the city's jails--so they just let many of them loose. There>is no doubt a significant overlap between these two populations--that is,>a large number of people in the jails used to live in the housing projects,>and vice versa.>>There were many decent, innocent people trapped in New Orleans when the>deluge hit--but they were trapped alongside large numbers of people from>two groups: criminals and wards of the welfare state-- people selected,>over decades, for their lack of initiative and self-induced helplessness.>The welfare wards were a mass of sheep--on whom the incompetent>administration of New Orleans unleashed a pack of wolves.>>All of this is related, incidentally, to the apparent incompetence of the>city government, which failed to plan for a total evacuation of the city,>despite the knowledge that this might be necessary. But in a city corrupted>by the welfare state, the job of city officials is to ensure the flow of>handouts to welfare recipients and patronage to political supporters---not>to ensure a lawful, orderly evacuation in case of emergency.>>No one has really reported this story, as far as I can tell. In fact,some>are already actively distorting it, blaming President Bush, for example,>for failing to personally ensure that the Mayor of New Orleans had drafted>an adequate evacuation plan. The worst example is an execrable piece from>the Toronto Globe and Mail, by a supercilious Canadian who blames the chaos>on American "individualism." But the truth is precisely the opposite: the>chaos was caused by a systemthat was the exact opposite of individualism.>>What Hurricane Katrina exposed was the psychological consequences of the>welfare state. What we consider "normal" behavior in an emergency is>behavior that is normal for people who have values and take the>responsibility to pursue and protect them. People with values respond to a>disaster by fighting against it and doing whatever it takes to overcome the>difficulties they face. They don't sit around and complain that the>government hasn't taken care of them. They don't use the chaos of a>disaster as an opportunity to prey on their fellow men.>>But what about criminals and welfare parasites? Do they worry about saving>their houses and property? They don't, because they don't own anything. Do>they worry about what is going to happen to their businesses or how they>are going to make a living? They never worried about those things before.>Do they worry about crime and looting? But, living off of stolen wealth is>a way of life for them.>>The welfare state--and the brutish, uncivilized mentality it sustains and>encourages--is the man-made disaster that explains the moral ugliness that>has swamped New Orleans. And that is the story that no one is reporting.

 

[culdeus]

Guys. I want you to read this two times and see what you think. Is there something a little strange here?

Any Aggie of any age who believes the Spirit of Texas A&M is waning> >> > should have been at Reed Arena over the past three days.> >> >> >> > Under an agreement with local government officials, Texas A&M has made> >> > Reed Arena available as a temporary shelter for a little over two> >> > hundred or so evacuees from New Orleans through September 9th.> >> > Probably like many parents and others, I was deeply concerned about> >> > security given what we all had read about violence in New Orleans. I> >> > only agreed to the use of Reed after being assured that the evacuees> >> > would be vetted, processed and security wanded at a facility elsewhere> >> > in Brazos County, wanded again upon arrival at Reed, and that> >> > University police and other security would be present at all times at> >> > Reed. Students who park at Reed Arena (mostly freshmen) will be> >> > parking elsewhere on campus for the week. The evacuees are escorted by> >> > non-students wherever they go.> >> >> >> > I asked the Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, Lt. General John Van> >> > Alstyne, to take charge of this endeavor, in no small part because one> >> > of his last responsibilities at the Pentagon was taking care of> >> > displaced military families after 9/11. I also wanted a no-nonsense> >> > person in charge. He has told me that he is quite comfortable with the> >> > security arrangements. Either he or his chief of staff are at Reed> >> > 24/7.> >> >> >> > Now to the best part. With little advance notice, Aggies sprang into> >> > action last Friday. The Corps of Cadets was asked on Friday afternoon> >> > to set up several hundred beds on the floor of Reed Arena; to help> >> > establish a structure for processing the evacuees; to make arrangements> >> > for them to shower and get new clothes; to help develop a process for> >> > medical checks; and so on. (Contrary to some rumors, the Corps was> >> > never asked or expected to provide security.) Lt. General Van Alstyne> >> > asked the Corps Commander, Matt Ockwood, for 300 volunteers to do these> > >> > tasks. 900 cadets volunteered, and Reed Arena was ready after the> >> > cadets worked all night.> >> >> >> > The first evacuees began to arrive around midnight Saturday. They had> >> > boarded busses in New Orleans that morning, had been driven to Dallas> >> > and then finally to College Station - all in one day. Of the more than> >> > 200 arrivals, most were families, including some 40 children and a> >> > number of elderly. They arrived exhausted, dirty, hungry and many in> >> > despair.> >> >> >> > They then encountered an Aggie miracle. Clean beds (not cots but> >> > surplus beds from a refurbished Corps dorm), showers, hot food, medical> >> > treatment, baby supplies for mothers, toys for children and more. But> >> > most of all, what they encountered were a couple of hundred> >> > compassionate, caring Aggie cadets and other volunteers. The cadets> >> > escorted them to their assigned beds, and not only saw to their> >> > individual needs, but sat on the side of their beds with them, talked> >> > with them - treated them like they were a member of the family. The> >> > cadets made them feel welcome and cared about.> >> >> >> > Sunday, when I visited Reed, I learned that the women of the Aggie> >> > Dance Team had organized and were running a distribution center for> >> > pillows, towels, bedding, personal hygiene kits, baby food, diapers and> >> > much more; that sorority women were running a child care facility for> >> > dozens of children, well supplied with toys, juice, coloring books and> >> > cartoon videos; and that plans were under way for other student leaders> >> > and students to replace the cadets, some of whom had been at Reed for> >> > more than 50 hours. Plans were underway for some of our athletes (and> >> > escorts) to take some of the evacuee boys ages 10-16 to the Rec Center> >> > to shoot hoops - boys perhaps including one I met who had treaded water> >> > under a bridge for 11 hours before being rescued by a helicopter.> >> > There is a communications room where the evacuees can use both> >> > telephone and internet to try to reach relatives and friends. The Red> >> > Cross, United Way, and other community organizations are right there on> >> > the Arena floor, and the Salvation Army is serving three meals a day.> >> > Escorted trips are being organized throughout the day to laundromats> >> > and stores. Area physicians, supplemented by the Aggie Care Team and> >> > the Health Science Center are available. Being treated with dignity,> >> > respect and compassion, our guests have responded accordingly.> >> >> >> > Many other Aggie students are involved in the relief effort on campus,> >> > in the local community, and at our Galveston campus. Sunday afternoon,> >> > students organized a massive collection effort to gather canned food> >> > and clothes as part of the MSC's Open House. Student Government, led> >> > by Student Body President Jim Carlson, is planning other relief-> >> > associated activities, including helping organize more volunteers to> >> > work at Reed Arena the rest of this week.> >> >> >> > By agreement with Brazos county officials, Reed Arena is a temporary> >> > location for these evacuees, and during this week, we are assured that> >> > most, if not all, of the evacuees will move to longer-term housing.> >> >> >> > Aggies need to know that the past few days have been a high point in> >> > the history of Texas A&M as we have responded to this terrible disaster> >> > named Katrina. Seeing the desire to serve, the organizational skill,> >> > the willingness to work, the caring and compassion, and more, on the> >> > part of the Corps of Cadets, the Dance Team, the sororities and so many> >> > other students who have worked incredibly long hours - has been a> >> > profoundly moving experience. I do not know a single University> > >> > official who, having watched our students over the past three days,> >> > does not choke up with emotion out of pride in these amazing young> >> > people.> >> >> >> > And it's not just the students who have been amazing. It is also our> >> > staff, including those who today began admitting and helping up to> >> > 1,000 students displaced by the Hurricane. Faculty and administrators> >> > have volunteered as well, and also put in long hours to ensure that> >> > these displaced students can be processed into Texas A&M and their> >> > classes with speed and efficiency. I visited the processing center> >> > this morning and met many of the parents and students; I know now that> >> > they will never forget our generosity and warm welcome to Aggieland.> >> >> >> > Aggies often speak of "the other education" here. My original intent> >> > had been to keep the evacuees entirely isolated from our students.> >> > Once assured of the safety of the students, that would have been the> >> > wrong decision. I have no doubt that the Aggie students who are> >> > participating in this extraordinary humanitarian endeavor will never> >> > forget it -- or what they are learning from it about crisis management> >> > and, far more importantly, about their own humanity and character. Nor> >> > do I doubt that the evacuees, all of whom are now wearing Texas A&M t-> >> > shirts, will always remember how these young people treated them and> >> > cared for them.> >> >> >> > The hearts of every Aggie should swell with pride in what this> >> > University is doing for fellow Americans in trouble, and especially in> >> > what our students and staff are doing, to help those devastated by> >> > Hurricane Katrina. I thanked a University policeman inside Reed> >> > yesterday for what he was doing, and he looked at me with tears in his> >> > eyes and replied, "It's an honor to be here, sir."> >> >> >> >> >> > Robert M. Gates> >> > President, Texas A&M University

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

70 days since I left the city.Tonight we open the restaurant for the first time since August 27th. I have 3 of 15 or so waiters left.I have 4 of 12 kitchen staff left.+ me and the 2 owners.My menu is cut in half. I'm closing for Tuesdays & Wednesdays simply because we don't have enough staff. As it stands, most of us will be working all 5 days all day.But I have fresh shrimp. I have fresh fish. And the grits are back too! We are expecting over 100 tonight. The phone has been off the hook this week and several people have stopped by.It is very strange here in the city right now. The FQ, CBD, Garden District, and my part of uptown have power, gas, etc. More than 1/2 of the residents in these sections seem to be here. Basically, if you didn't get flooded, you should be back. The rest of the city...not even close. I will get into that later. Let's just say for now this storm did more damage to things here than most of you can possibly imagine. T.V. does not do it justice. I rode out to the levee breach on the famous 17th street canal in Lakeview. That entire area looks like atomic winter. Very sad.

 

[flapgreen]

I'm glad to see things are looking up for you, Tipsy. We're all happy for you.

 

[rolyaTy]

70 days since I left the city.

Tonight we open the restaurant for the first time since August 27th.

I have 3 of 15 or so waiters left.

I have 4 of 12 kitchen staff left.

+ me and the 2 owners.

My menu is cut in half. I'm closing for Tuesdays & Wednesdays simply because we don't have enough staff. As it stands, most of us will be working all 5 days all day.

But I have fresh shrimp. I have fresh fish. And the grits are back too! We are expecting over 100 tonight. The phone has been off the hook this week and several people have stopped by.

It is very strange here in the city right now. The FQ, CBD, Garden District, and my part of uptown have power, gas, etc. More than 1/2 of the residents in these sections seem to be here. Basically, if you didn't get flooded, you should be back. The rest of the city...not even close. I will get into that later. Let's just say for now this storm did more damage to things here than most of you can possibly imagine. T.V. does not do it justice. I rode out to the levee breach on the famous 17th street canal in Lakeview. That entire area looks like atomic winter. Very sad.

Good luck with the recovery.

 

[Heavy B]

Guys. I want you to read this two times and see what you think. Is there something a little strange here?

Any Aggie of any age who believes the Spirit of Texas A&M is waning

> >> > should have been at Reed Arena over the past three days.

> >> >

> >> > Under an agreement with local government officials, Texas A&M has made

> >> > Reed Arena available as a temporary shelter for a little over two

> >> > hundred or so evacuees from New Orleans through September 9th.

> >> > Probably like many parents and others, I was deeply concerned about

> >> > security given what we all had read about violence in New Orleans.  I

> >> > only agreed to the use of Reed after being assured that the evacuees

> >> > would be vetted, processed and security wanded at a facility elsewhere

> >> > in Brazos County, wanded again upon arrival at Reed, and that

> >> > University police and other security would be present at all times at

> >> > Reed.  Students who park at Reed Arena (mostly freshmen) will be

> >> > parking elsewhere on campus for the week.  The evacuees are escorted by

> >> > non-students wherever they go.

> >> >

> >> > I asked the Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, Lt. General John Van

> >> > Alstyne, to take charge of this endeavor, in no small part because one

> >> > of his last responsibilities at the Pentagon was taking care of

> >> > displaced military families after 9/11.  I also wanted a no-nonsense

> >> > person in charge.  He has told me that he is quite comfortable with the

> >> > security arrangements.  Either he or his chief of staff are at Reed

> >> > 24/7.

> >> >

> >> > Now to the best part.  With little advance notice, Aggies sprang into

> >> > action last Friday.  The Corps of Cadets was asked on Friday afternoon

> >> > to set up several hundred beds on the floor of Reed Arena; to help

> >> > establish a structure for processing the evacuees; to make arrangements

> >> > for them to shower and get new clothes; to help develop a process for

> >> > medical checks; and so on.  (Contrary to some rumors, the Corps was

> >> > never asked or expected to provide security.)  Lt. General Van Alstyne

> >> > asked the Corps Commander, Matt Ockwood, for 300 volunteers to do these>

> >> > tasks.  900 cadets volunteered, and Reed Arena was ready after the

> >> > cadets worked all night.

> >> >

> >> > The first evacuees began to arrive around midnight Saturday.  They had

> >> > boarded busses in New Orleans that morning, had been driven to Dallas

> >> > and then finally to College Station - all in one day.  Of the more than

> >> > 200 arrivals, most were families, including some 40 children and a

> >> > number of elderly.  They arrived exhausted, dirty, hungry and many in

> >> > despair.

> >> >

> >> > They then encountered an Aggie miracle.  Clean beds (not cots but

> >> > surplus beds from a refurbished Corps dorm), showers, hot food, medical

> >> > treatment, baby supplies for mothers, toys for children and more.  But

> >> > most of all, what they encountered were a couple of hundred

> >> > compassionate, caring Aggie cadets and other volunteers.  The cadets

> >> > escorted them to their assigned beds, and not only saw to their

> >> > individual needs, but sat on the side of their beds with them, talked

> >> > with them - treated them like they were a member of the family.  The

> >> > cadets made them feel welcome and cared about.

> >> >

> >> > Sunday, when I visited Reed, I learned that the women of the Aggie

> >> > Dance Team had organized and were running a distribution center for

> >> > pillows, towels, bedding, personal hygiene kits, baby food, diapers and

> >> > much more; that sorority women were running a child care facility for

> >> > dozens of children, well supplied with toys, juice, coloring books and

> >> > cartoon videos; and that plans were under way for other student leaders

> >> > and students to replace the cadets, some of whom had been at Reed for

> >> > more than 50 hours.  Plans were underway for some of our athletes (and

> >> > escorts) to take some of the evacuee boys ages 10-16 to the Rec Center

> >> > to shoot hoops - boys perhaps including one I met who had treaded water

> >> > under a bridge for 11 hours before being rescued by a helicopter.

> >> > There is a communications room where the evacuees can use both

> >> > telephone and internet to try to reach relatives and friends.  The Red

> >> > Cross, United Way, and other community organizations are right there on

> >> > the Arena floor, and the Salvation Army is serving three meals a day.

> >> > Escorted trips are being organized throughout the day to laundromats

> >> > and stores.  Area physicians, supplemented by the Aggie Care Team and

> >> > the Health Science Center are available.  Being treated with dignity,

> >> > respect and compassion, our guests have responded accordingly.

> >> >

> >> > Many other Aggie students are involved in the relief effort on campus,

> >> > in the local community, and at our Galveston campus.  Sunday afternoon,

> >> > students organized a massive collection effort to gather canned food

> >> > and clothes as part of the MSC's Open House.  Student Government, led

> >> > by Student Body President Jim Carlson, is planning other relief-

> >> > associated activities, including helping organize more volunteers to

> >> > work at Reed Arena the rest of this week.

> >> >

> >> > By agreement with Brazos county officials, Reed Arena is a temporary

> >> > location for these evacuees, and during this week, we are assured that

> >> > most, if not all, of the evacuees will move to longer-term housing.

> >> >

> >> > Aggies need to know that the past few days have been a high point in

> >> > the history of Texas A&M as we have responded to this terrible disaster

> >> > named Katrina.  Seeing the desire to serve, the organizational skill,

> >> > the willingness to work, the caring and compassion, and more, on the

> >> > part of the Corps of Cadets, the Dance Team, the sororities and so many

> >> > other students who have worked incredibly long hours - has been a

> >> > profoundly moving experience.  I do not know a single University>

> >> > official who, having watched our students over the past three days,

> >> > does not choke up with emotion out of pride in these amazing young

> >> > people.

> >> >

> >> > And it's not just the students who have been amazing.  It is also our

> >> > staff, including those who today began admitting and helping up to

> >> > 1,000 students displaced by the Hurricane.  Faculty and administrators

> >> > have volunteered as well, and also put in long hours to ensure that

> >> > these displaced students can be processed into Texas A&M and their

> >> > classes with speed and efficiency.  I visited the processing center

> >> > this morning and met many of the parents and students; I know now that

> >> > they will never forget our generosity and warm welcome to Aggieland.

> >> >

> >> > Aggies often speak of "the other education" here.  My original intent

> >> > had been to keep the evacuees entirely isolated from our students.

> >> > Once assured of the safety of the students, that would have been the

> >> > wrong decision.  I have no doubt that the Aggie students who are

> >> > participating in this extraordinary humanitarian endeavor will never

> >> > forget it -- or what they are learning from it about crisis management

> >> > and, far more importantly, about their own humanity and character.  Nor

> >> > do I doubt that the evacuees, all of whom are now wearing Texas A&M t-

> >> > shirts, will always remember how these young people treated them and

> >> > cared for them.

> >> >

> >> > The hearts of every Aggie should swell with pride in what this

> >> > University is doing for fellow Americans in trouble, and especially in

> >> > what our students and staff are doing, to help those devastated by

> >> > Hurricane Katrina.  I thanked a University policeman inside Reed

> >> > yesterday for what he was doing, and he looked at me with tears in his

> >> > eyes and replied, "It's an honor to be here, sir."

> >> >

> >> >

> >> > Robert M. Gates

> >> > President, Texas A&M University

OK. I'll bite.What's wrong here ?

 

[CaptainHucklebuck]

OK. I'll bite.

What's wrong here ?

Yeah... I guess I'm a little drunk on game day, but I have no idea WTF is wrong with this.

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

80 days later............My wife & child get to come home for good today (flying in from Chicago)! I cannot wait....i've been cooking & cleaning all day in anticipation! I haven't seen them in almost 3 weeks now. To bad my wife is going to be instantly depressed once she gets her first look at what that B***H Katrina did. Everyone returning for the first time are saying they were not prepared for the amount of devistation....It is so bad just blocks from my house. There is still no power/water/gas in well over 70% of the city. All the homes near the 2 levee breeches look like nuclear winter. The city once so green is now mostly dead or dying in the 80% flooded areas. A white dust covers all the streets in the flood area (sheetrock debris). Appliances (fridges, washers, etc) line the streets in front of all the houses where someone has come back & started the cleanup. They have picked up thousands of them so far, and my part of town is slowly looking more normal. The same with the flooded out cars...everywhere; something like 300k of them. I get my camera back when she comes back...then i'll post some of the photos of the temporary debris piles (mountains is more like it) they are processing & sending to landfills.But she will adjust. We all are trying anyway. The people that are back are so happy to be home...but it is all mixed with a deep sadness and almost hopeless feeling in regards to our future here. We have so much work ahead of us as a city, probably 10 years or more. But we will never be the same...not even close.

 

[scottybo]

80 days later............

My wife & child get to come home for good today (flying in from Chicago)!



I cannot wait....i've been cooking & cleaning all day in anticipation!  I haven't seen them in almost 3 weeks now.  To bad my wife is going to be instantly depressed once she gets her first look at what that B***H Katrina did.  Everyone returning for the first time are saying they were not prepared for the amount of devistation....It is so bad just blocks from my house.  There is still no power/water/gas in well over 70% of the city.  All the homes near the 2 levee breeches look like nuclear winter.  The city once so green is now mostly dead or dying in the 80% flooded areas.  A white dust covers all the streets in the flood area (sheetrock debris).  Appliances (fridges, washers, etc) line the streets in front of all the houses where someone has come back & started the cleanup.  They have picked up thousands of them so far, and my part of town is slowly looking more normal.  The same with the flooded out cars...everywhere; something like 300k of them.  I get my camera back when she comes back...then i'll post some of the photos of the temporary debris piles (mountains is more like it) they are processing & sending to landfills.

But she will adjust.  We all are trying anyway.  The people that are back are so happy to be home...but it is all mixed with a deep sadness and almost hopeless feeling in regards to our future here.  We have so much work ahead of us as a city, probably 10 years or more.  But we will never be the same...not even close.

I saw the debris mountains there, one just off I-10 as you enter New Orleans and that thing is so huge. Made the freaking track hoes look like a cat next to a house.Good luck on your repairs.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

Good luck with all of that. I hope to be down in New Orleans in the next few months, but for now I seem to be in the Lake Charles rotation. Not looking forward to going down there next weekend.

 

[Mrs. BSR]

Glad to hear it Tips. Hope it's not too hard on the missus.

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

It will be very dark when she gets in now. Have a look at the weather she is flying into. :(

This btw will be the first significant rain since Rita came by...and that barley gave us anything. It's weird to hear that a city that was 80% flooded has now had its driest fall to the point that most lawns in the non flooded areas are dying now.

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

Has anyone else gotten a timeout in here yet?

I hope not.

 

[Statorama]

just missed out on the famous "under utilized" evacuation school buses sale on EBAY

 

[flapgreen]

just missed out on the famous "under utilized" evacuation school buses sale on EBAY

 

[Statorama]

just missed out on the famous "under utilized" evacuation school buses sale on EBAY

These were the buses that could have been utilized to evacuate residents who did not have other means of transportation. Saw that they were on sale on EBay as "a part of history", but the bidding had ended.

 

[tipsy mcstagger]

We made it a year!

This thread gave me a place to vent, cry, scream, yell, and laugh a year ago. I thank all the FBG's that were a part of it.

Here is to y'all.

 

[Borat]

This board can always be counted on as a place to yell, scream, and cry.

 

[Tiger Fan]

oursoneoutforhishomies:

 

[Norman Einstein]

RIP Dickies

 

[rabidfireweasel]

A !bump 9+ years after the storm- related to my upcoming show in Houston, the Katrina chronicles.

 

[rabidfireweasel]

The FBG Katarina Relief Fund is up to $3,499.69 (that's $6,999.38 with Joe B's match) [/quote:]

This was truly unbelievable generosity. I will never forget it.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

W

T

F

FEMA to deny funds to warming deniers States whose governors refuse to acknowledge climate change will not get preparedness aid.The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making it tougher for governors to deny man-made climate change. Starting next year, the agency will approve disaster-preparedness funds only for states whose governors approve hazard-mitigation plans that address climate change.

This may put several Republican governors who maintain that the Earth isn't warming due to human activities, or prefer to take no action, in a political bind. Their position may block their states' access to hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. In the last five years, the agency has awarded an average $1 billion a year in grants to states and territories for taking steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.

"If a state has a climate denier governor that doesn't want to accept a plan, that would risk mitigation work not getting done because of politics," said Becky Hammer, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council's water program. "The governor would be increasing the risk to citizens in that state" because of his climate beliefs.

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans. While some states, including New York, have already started incorporating climate risks in their plans, most haven't because FEMA's 2008 guidelines didn't require it.
"This could potentially become a major conflict for several Republican governors," said Barry Rabe, an expert on the politics of climate change at the University of Michigan. "We aren't just talking about coastal states."

Climate change affects droughts, rainfall, and tornado activity. Fracking is being linked to more earthquakes, he said. "This could affect state leaders across the country."

Among those who could face a difficult decision are New Jersey's Gov. Christie and fellow Republican Govs. Rick Scott of Florida, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Pat McCrory of North Carolina - all of whom have denied man-made climate change or refused to take action. The states they lead face immediate threats from climate change.

The five governors' offices did not return requests for comment by press time.

Environmentalists have been pressing FEMA to include global warming in its hazard-mitigation guidelines for almost three years. FEMA told the Natural Resources Defense Council in early 2014 that it would revise the guidelines. It issued draft rules in October and officially released the new procedures last week as partisan politics around climate change have been intensifying.

On March 8, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting said Scott instituted an unwritten ban on the use of the phrases climate change or global warming" by Florida officials. Also this month, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.) took a snowball to the Senate floor as evidence against warming, highlighting GOP leaders' climate views.

"The challenges posed by climate change, such as more intense storms, frequent heavy precipitation, heat waves, drought, extreme flooding, and higher sea levels, could significantly alter the types and magnitudes of hazards impacting states in the future," FEMA wrote in its new procedures.

FEMA's disaster-preparedness program has been granting money to states since the 1980s for projects as diverse as raising buildings out of floodplains and building safe rooms. States are required to update their plans every five years to be eligible for the agency's mitigation funding. Since 2010, FEMA has doled out more than $4.6 billion to states and territories as part of this program.

Republican-led regions constitute eight of the top 10 recipients of this category of FEMA money between 2010 and 2014. Louisiana was No. 1, having received almost $1.1 billion from FEMA for hazard mitigation. New Jersey was third with nearly $379 million, and Texas fourth with almost $343 million.

The gubernatorial approval clause was included in the new guidelines to "raise awareness and support for implementing the actions in the mitigation strategy and increasing statewide resilience to natural hazards," FEMA spokeswoman Susan Hendrick said.

The new federal rules don't require public involvement in the creation of states' disaster-preparedness plans, eliminating the opportunity for environmental groups and concerned citizens to submit comments or concerns about the assessments.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150322_FEMA_to_deny_funds_to_warming_deniers.html#8lJGdp0VKypsR8y2.99

IS THIS REAL?

 

[Tiger Fan]

W

T

F

FEMA to deny funds to warming deniers States whose governors refuse to acknowledge climate change will not get preparedness aid.The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making it tougher for governors to deny man-made climate change. Starting next year, the agency will approve disaster-preparedness funds only for states whose governors approve hazard-mitigation plans that address climate change.

This may put several Republican governors who maintain that the Earth isn't warming due to human activities, or prefer to take no action, in a political bind. Their position may block their states' access to hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. In the last five years, the agency has awarded an average $1 billion a year in grants to states and territories for taking steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.

"If a state has a climate denier governor that doesn't want to accept a plan, that would risk mitigation work not getting done because of politics," said Becky Hammer, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council's water program. "The governor would be increasing the risk to citizens in that state" because of his climate beliefs.

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans. While some states, including New York, have already started incorporating climate risks in their plans, most haven't because FEMA's 2008 guidelines didn't require it.
"This could potentially become a major conflict for several Republican governors," said Barry Rabe, an expert on the politics of climate change at the University of Michigan. "We aren't just talking about coastal states."

Climate change affects droughts, rainfall, and tornado activity. Fracking is being linked to more earthquakes, he said. "This could affect state leaders across the country."

Among those who could face a difficult decision are New Jersey's Gov. Christie and fellow Republican Govs. Rick Scott of Florida, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Pat McCrory of North Carolina - all of whom have denied man-made climate change or refused to take action. The states they lead face immediate threats from climate change.

The five governors' offices did not return requests for comment by press time.

Environmentalists have been pressing FEMA to include global warming in its hazard-mitigation guidelines for almost three years. FEMA told the Natural Resources Defense Council in early 2014 that it would revise the guidelines. It issued draft rules in October and officially released the new procedures last week as partisan politics around climate change have been intensifying.

On March 8, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting said Scott instituted an unwritten ban on the use of the phrases climate change or global warming" by Florida officials. Also this month, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.) took a snowball to the Senate floor as evidence against warming, highlighting GOP leaders' climate views.

"The challenges posed by climate change, such as more intense storms, frequent heavy precipitation, heat waves, drought, extreme flooding, and higher sea levels, could significantly alter the types and magnitudes of hazards impacting states in the future," FEMA wrote in its new procedures.

FEMA's disaster-preparedness program has been granting money to states since the 1980s for projects as diverse as raising buildings out of floodplains and building safe rooms. States are required to update their plans every five years to be eligible for the agency's mitigation funding. Since 2010, FEMA has doled out more than $4.6 billion to states and territories as part of this program.

Republican-led regions constitute eight of the top 10 recipients of this category of FEMA money between 2010 and 2014. Louisiana was No. 1, having received almost $1.1 billion from FEMA for hazard mitigation. New Jersey was third with nearly $379 million, and Texas fourth with almost $343 million.

The gubernatorial approval clause was included in the new guidelines to "raise awareness and support for implementing the actions in the mitigation strategy and increasing statewide resilience to natural hazards," FEMA spokeswoman Susan Hendrick said.

The new federal rules don't require public involvement in the creation of states' disaster-preparedness plans, eliminating the opportunity for environmental groups and concerned citizens to submit comments or concerns about the assessments.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150322_FEMA_to_deny_funds_to_warming_deniers.html#8lJGdp0VKypsR8y2.99

IS THIS REAL?

reading through the headlines:

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans.

[SIZE=11.9999990463257px]Having a hazard mitigation plan isn't a big deal....and who cares if the states "acknowledge" man made climate changes or not. [/SIZE]

 

[Rayderr]

W

T

F

FEMA to deny funds to warming deniers States whose governors refuse to acknowledge climate change will not get preparedness aid.The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making it tougher for governors to deny man-made climate change. Starting next year, the agency will approve disaster-preparedness funds only for states whose governors approve hazard-mitigation plans that address climate change.

This may put several Republican governors who maintain that the Earth isn't warming due to human activities, or prefer to take no action, in a political bind. Their position may block their states' access to hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. In the last five years, the agency has awarded an average $1 billion a year in grants to states and territories for taking steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.

"If a state has a climate denier governor that doesn't want to accept a plan, that would risk mitigation work not getting done because of politics," said Becky Hammer, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council's water program. "The governor would be increasing the risk to citizens in that state" because of his climate beliefs.

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans. While some states, including New York, have already started incorporating climate risks in their plans, most haven't because FEMA's 2008 guidelines didn't require it.
"This could potentially become a major conflict for several Republican governors," said Barry Rabe, an expert on the politics of climate change at the University of Michigan. "We aren't just talking about coastal states."

Climate change affects droughts, rainfall, and tornado activity. Fracking is being linked to more earthquakes, he said. "This could affect state leaders across the country."

Among those who could face a difficult decision are New Jersey's Gov. Christie and fellow Republican Govs. Rick Scott of Florida, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Pat McCrory of North Carolina - all of whom have denied man-made climate change or refused to take action. The states they lead face immediate threats from climate change.

The five governors' offices did not return requests for comment by press time.

Environmentalists have been pressing FEMA to include global warming in its hazard-mitigation guidelines for almost three years. FEMA told the Natural Resources Defense Council in early 2014 that it would revise the guidelines. It issued draft rules in October and officially released the new procedures last week as partisan politics around climate change have been intensifying.

On March 8, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting said Scott instituted an unwritten ban on the use of the phrases climate change or global warming" by Florida officials. Also this month, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.) took a snowball to the Senate floor as evidence against warming, highlighting GOP leaders' climate views.

"The challenges posed by climate change, such as more intense storms, frequent heavy precipitation, heat waves, drought, extreme flooding, and higher sea levels, could significantly alter the types and magnitudes of hazards impacting states in the future," FEMA wrote in its new procedures.

FEMA's disaster-preparedness program has been granting money to states since the 1980s for projects as diverse as raising buildings out of floodplains and building safe rooms. States are required to update their plans every five years to be eligible for the agency's mitigation funding. Since 2010, FEMA has doled out more than $4.6 billion to states and territories as part of this program.

Republican-led regions constitute eight of the top 10 recipients of this category of FEMA money between 2010 and 2014. Louisiana was No. 1, having received almost $1.1 billion from FEMA for hazard mitigation. New Jersey was third with nearly $379 million, and Texas fourth with almost $343 million.

The gubernatorial approval clause was included in the new guidelines to "raise awareness and support for implementing the actions in the mitigation strategy and increasing statewide resilience to natural hazards," FEMA spokeswoman Susan Hendrick said.

The new federal rules don't require public involvement in the creation of states' disaster-preparedness plans, eliminating the opportunity for environmental groups and concerned citizens to submit comments or concerns about the assessments.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150322_FEMA_to_deny_funds_to_warming_deniers.html#8lJGdp0VKypsR8y2.99

IS THIS REAL?

reading through the headlines:

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans.

[SIZE=11.9999990463257px]Having a hazard mitigation plan isn't a big deal....and who cares if the states "acknowledge" man made climate changes or not. [/SIZE]

Just seems like a weird thing to try to score cheap political points on. What's next? Before any child is admitted to a hospital, the parents must sign an affidavit saying that vaccines don't cause autism. People applying for food stamps must declare that they do not believe GMO's to be harmful.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

W

T

F

FEMA to deny funds to warming deniers States whose governors refuse to acknowledge climate change will not get preparedness aid.The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making it tougher for governors to deny man-made climate change. Starting next year, the agency will approve disaster-preparedness funds only for states whose governors approve hazard-mitigation plans that address climate change.

This may put several Republican governors who maintain that the Earth isn't warming due to human activities, or prefer to take no action, in a political bind. Their position may block their states' access to hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. In the last five years, the agency has awarded an average $1 billion a year in grants to states and territories for taking steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.

"If a state has a climate denier governor that doesn't want to accept a plan, that would risk mitigation work not getting done because of politics," said Becky Hammer, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council's water program. "The governor would be increasing the risk to citizens in that state" because of his climate beliefs.

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans. While some states, including New York, have already started incorporating climate risks in their plans, most haven't because FEMA's 2008 guidelines didn't require it.
"This could potentially become a major conflict for several Republican governors," said Barry Rabe, an expert on the politics of climate change at the University of Michigan. "We aren't just talking about coastal states."

Climate change affects droughts, rainfall, and tornado activity. Fracking is being linked to more earthquakes, he said. "This could affect state leaders across the country."

Among those who could face a difficult decision are New Jersey's Gov. Christie and fellow Republican Govs. Rick Scott of Florida, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Pat McCrory of North Carolina - all of whom have denied man-made climate change or refused to take action. The states they lead face immediate threats from climate change.

The five governors' offices did not return requests for comment by press time.

Environmentalists have been pressing FEMA to include global warming in its hazard-mitigation guidelines for almost three years. FEMA told the Natural Resources Defense Council in early 2014 that it would revise the guidelines. It issued draft rules in October and officially released the new procedures last week as partisan politics around climate change have been intensifying.

On March 8, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting said Scott instituted an unwritten ban on the use of the phrases climate change or global warming" by Florida officials. Also this month, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.) took a snowball to the Senate floor as evidence against warming, highlighting GOP leaders' climate views.

"The challenges posed by climate change, such as more intense storms, frequent heavy precipitation, heat waves, drought, extreme flooding, and higher sea levels, could significantly alter the types and magnitudes of hazards impacting states in the future," FEMA wrote in its new procedures.

FEMA's disaster-preparedness program has been granting money to states since the 1980s for projects as diverse as raising buildings out of floodplains and building safe rooms. States are required to update their plans every five years to be eligible for the agency's mitigation funding. Since 2010, FEMA has doled out more than $4.6 billion to states and territories as part of this program.

Republican-led regions constitute eight of the top 10 recipients of this category of FEMA money between 2010 and 2014. Louisiana was No. 1, having received almost $1.1 billion from FEMA for hazard mitigation. New Jersey was third with nearly $379 million, and Texas fourth with almost $343 million.

The gubernatorial approval clause was included in the new guidelines to "raise awareness and support for implementing the actions in the mitigation strategy and increasing statewide resilience to natural hazards," FEMA spokeswoman Susan Hendrick said.

The new federal rules don't require public involvement in the creation of states' disaster-preparedness plans, eliminating the opportunity for environmental groups and concerned citizens to submit comments or concerns about the assessments.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150322_FEMA_to_deny_funds_to_warming_deniers.html#8lJGdp0VKypsR8y2.99

IS THIS REAL?

reading through the headlines:

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans.

[SIZE=11.9999990463257px]Having a hazard mitigation plan isn't a big deal....and who cares if the states "acknowledge" man made climate changes or not. [/SIZE]

FEMA's disaster-preparedness program has been granting money to states since the 1980s for projects as diverse as raising buildings out of floodplains and building safe rooms.

What are we talking about then? I actually think Jindal has been 100% FOS on the coastal restoration issue for a number of reasons, and I also think the house elevation program has been one huge corrupt boondoggle, but on principle this seems at cross purposes. I don't even think they're talking about coastal restoration but something else entirely. The federal government is withholding FEMA money? Skrew them.

 

[Tiger Fan]

W

T

F

FEMA to deny funds to warming deniers States whose governors refuse to acknowledge climate change will not get preparedness aid.The Federal Emergency Management Agency is making it tougher for governors to deny man-made climate change. Starting next year, the agency will approve disaster-preparedness funds only for states whose governors approve hazard-mitigation plans that address climate change.

This may put several Republican governors who maintain that the Earth isn't warming due to human activities, or prefer to take no action, in a political bind. Their position may block their states' access to hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. In the last five years, the agency has awarded an average $1 billion a year in grants to states and territories for taking steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.

"If a state has a climate denier governor that doesn't want to accept a plan, that would risk mitigation work not getting done because of politics," said Becky Hammer, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council's water program. "The governor would be increasing the risk to citizens in that state" because of his climate beliefs.

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans. While some states, including New York, have already started incorporating climate risks in their plans, most haven't because FEMA's 2008 guidelines didn't require it.
"This could potentially become a major conflict for several Republican governors," said Barry Rabe, an expert on the politics of climate change at the University of Michigan. "We aren't just talking about coastal states."

Climate change affects droughts, rainfall, and tornado activity. Fracking is being linked to more earthquakes, he said. "This could affect state leaders across the country."

Among those who could face a difficult decision are New Jersey's Gov. Christie and fellow Republican Govs. Rick Scott of Florida, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Greg Abbott of Texas, and Pat McCrory of North Carolina - all of whom have denied man-made climate change or refused to take action. The states they lead face immediate threats from climate change.

The five governors' offices did not return requests for comment by press time.

Environmentalists have been pressing FEMA to include global warming in its hazard-mitigation guidelines for almost three years. FEMA told the Natural Resources Defense Council in early 2014 that it would revise the guidelines. It issued draft rules in October and officially released the new procedures last week as partisan politics around climate change have been intensifying.

On March 8, the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting said Scott instituted an unwritten ban on the use of the phrases climate change or global warming" by Florida officials. Also this month, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.) took a snowball to the Senate floor as evidence against warming, highlighting GOP leaders' climate views.

"The challenges posed by climate change, such as more intense storms, frequent heavy precipitation, heat waves, drought, extreme flooding, and higher sea levels, could significantly alter the types and magnitudes of hazards impacting states in the future," FEMA wrote in its new procedures.

FEMA's disaster-preparedness program has been granting money to states since the 1980s for projects as diverse as raising buildings out of floodplains and building safe rooms. States are required to update their plans every five years to be eligible for the agency's mitigation funding. Since 2010, FEMA has doled out more than $4.6 billion to states and territories as part of this program.

Republican-led regions constitute eight of the top 10 recipients of this category of FEMA money between 2010 and 2014. Louisiana was No. 1, having received almost $1.1 billion from FEMA for hazard mitigation. New Jersey was third with nearly $379 million, and Texas fourth with almost $343 million.

The gubernatorial approval clause was included in the new guidelines to "raise awareness and support for implementing the actions in the mitigation strategy and increasing statewide resilience to natural hazards," FEMA spokeswoman Susan Hendrick said.

The new federal rules don't require public involvement in the creation of states' disaster-preparedness plans, eliminating the opportunity for environmental groups and concerned citizens to submit comments or concerns about the assessments.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150322_FEMA_to_deny_funds_to_warming_deniers.html#8lJGdp0VKypsR8y2.99

IS THIS REAL?

reading through the headlines:

The policy doesn't affect federal money for relief after a hurricane, flood, or other disaster. Specifically, beginning in March 2016, states seeking preparedness money will have to assess how climate change threatens their communities. Governors will have to sign off on hazard-mitigation plans.

[SIZE=11.9999990463257px]Having a hazard mitigation plan isn't a big deal....and who cares if the states "acknowledge" man made climate changes or not. [/SIZE]

FEMA's disaster-preparedness program has been granting money to states since the 1980s for projects as diverse as raising buildings out of floodplains and building safe rooms.

What are we talking about then? I actually think Jindal has been 100% FOS on the coastal restoration issue for a number of reasons, and I also think the house elevation program has been one huge corrupt boondoggle, but on principle this seems at cross purposes. I don't even think they're talking about coastal restoration but something else entirely. The federal government is withholding FEMA money? Skrew them.

I don't think they're withholding anything that is already committed

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

I don't think they're withholding anything that is already committed

I don't think that's what that article says.

will not get preparedness aid

...may block their states' access to hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. In the last five years, the agency has awarded an average $1 billion a year in grants to states and territories for taking steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.

that would risk mitigation work not getting done because of politics

Specifically, beginning in March 2016

What am I missing here?

 

[Tiger Fan]

I don't think they're withholding anything that is already committed

I don't think that's what that article says.

will not get preparedness aid

...may block their states' access to hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA funds. In the last five years, the agency has awarded an average $1 billion a year in grants to states and territories for taking steps to mitigate the effects of disasters.

that would risk mitigation work not getting done because of politics

Specifically, beginning in March 2016

What am I missing here?

the part where it says that funds already committed to a state would be in jeopardy

 

[eoMMan]

Hmmm

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5731916

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

U.S. found liable for Hurricane Katrina floodingWASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- The United States government must pay for some of the devastating Hurricane Katrina flooding damages in New Orleans caused by a faulty canal system hastily installed decades ago, a federal judge ruled Friday.

Judge Susan Braden, of the United States Court of Federal Claims, ruled the Army Corps of Engineers is liable for flooding in the New Orleans area, including the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish, after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Braden focused on an Army Corp navigation project known as the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, or MR-GO, which essentially funneled flood waters into the parish areas. The canal has since been closed.

In her ruling, Braden admonished the Justice Department for pursuing "a litigation strategy of contesting each and every issue—whether evidentiary or substantive."

Braden referred to the 76-mile canal as a "ticking time bomb," adding that it had "substantially expanded and eroded." It was built in the late 1960s, but quickly determined as a danger to the local ecology.

"Certainly by 2004, the Army Corps no longer had any choice but to recognize that a hurricane inevitably would provide the meteorological conditions to trigger the ticking time bomb created by a substantially expanded and eroded MR-GO and the resulting destruction of wetlands that had shielded the St. Bernard Polder for centuries," Braden wrote.

"In August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck the St. Bernard Polder, the Army Corps was still discussing whether to close the MR-GO and whether Congress would fund the closure. Neither Congress nor the Army Corps had the opportunity to correct the situation before the MR-GO induced substantially increased storm surge that caused catastrophic flooding on private property—as well as the loss of human life," she wrote.

Joe Bruno, an attorney in several Katrina lawsuits, said the ruling was not a surprise

"Yet another federal judge has found that the corps of engineers was negligent and caused the flooding of this community," Bruno told WWLTV."How many times do we have to hear that?"

Braden did not set an amount for the government to pay. A hearing is set for Wednesday with a mediator.