37,000 may need to be rescued after Ike, military official says

[maddezmom]

Source: CNN

Coast Guard began helicopter rescues for 50 people on Bolivar Peninsula

Active-duty military has 42 search-and-rescue helicopters on standby

Massive freighter in Ike's path is adrift

Coast Guard says solution may be to let storm push vessel in to drop anchor


HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday morning began helicopter rescues of up to 50 residents on the Texas coast, and a U.S. military official told CNN that 37,000 people may need to be rescued after Hurricane Ike strikes.


The Coast Guard has active-duty military on standby if people need to be rescued because of Ike.

The Coast Guard airlifted people and their pets from their cars and homes on the Bolivar Peninsula, a narrow stretch of land that separates the Gulf of Mexico from Galveston Bay, as the wind and rain from Hurricane Ike slapped the Texas coast.

Texas has asked for help, and the active-duty military has 42 search-and-rescue helicopters on standby, the official said.

The guard issued a statement saying "Coast Guard Air Station Houston launched a HH-65C rescue helicopter and crew to airlift and transport approximately 22 to 50 people" who had called authorities for help.

There had been warnings for residents to evacuate beforehand, and Chief Petty Officer Michael O'Berry, interviewed by CNN, was asked why they didn't get out in time. Watch Ike begin to spill water into Texas »

more:http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/09/12/ike.rescues/

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/09/12/ike.rescues/

[sharp_stick]

1. If this happens

I wonder if the RW assholes bitching about all the folks stuck in New Orleans after Katrina will be complaining about the rich white idiots on Galveston sticking it out in their homes.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Galveston Didn't Look All That "Rich" Last Time I Was There

Home prices look pretty low too.

[sharp_stick]

9. Really

I thought Galveston was one of the "resort" destinations. I'll admit to speaking from ignorance though, I've never been there.

[Skink]

10. Galveston had the largest population in Texas in1900....

then a giant storm came and convinced everybody to move to Houston.

[JonQ]

13. And convinced about

10,000 people to die.

So we decided to build the ship channel and have our biggest port somewhat inland, making it less likely to be completely destroyed in a storm. Prior to that 1900 Galveston was the biggest port in Texas and one of the largest in the country.

I wish the same logic had prevailed in the plan to rebuild New Orleans.

[JonQ]

12. Resort areas tend to attract rich people

to visit, not necessarily to live. The residents aren't all that wealthy. Think Cancun, rich visitors, poor residents.

Wikipedia:

The racial makeup of the city was 58.66% White, 25.49% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 3.21% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 9.73% from other races, and 2.41% from two or more races. 25.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,895, and the median income for a family was $35,049. Males had a median income of $30,150 versus $26,030 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,275. About 17.8% of families and 22.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.1% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

[JeanGrey]

11. I AM ALREADY. If we end up having to spend resources

to rescue 30,000 people - RIDICULOUS

[JonQ]

14. What's the alternative?

Leave them to die?

I have no sympathy for those who stayed in the "eminent death" zones, but more people than just those idiots will be affected. This is why we pay taxes afterall.

[JeanGrey]

15. How about we charge them?

[JonQ]

16. For the people in the

"eminent death" zones who could have left but chose not to, sure I'd be in favor of that.

[JeanGrey]

17. Works for me.

[kestrel91316]

2. Why should they be rescued? They chose not to leave.

What's good for LA is good for TX, one would think.

[Igel]

7. TX and LA had radically different plans in 2004.

Remember: The plan is local and state, not federal; the feds do what they're asked to do.

And mandatory evacuation orders here can be enforced. That's the local plan. That Nagin's committee didn't plan for 20% of NOLA's population is Nagin's committee's problem; that Blanco didn't arrange for her Guard or other states' Guards to be brought in immediately was her problem.

Houston, Galveston, and Texas learned from their goof ups in 2004, but had some of their own. Let's see if we've learned from their own goof ups and fixed them.

[Sabriel]

3. Some places charge to rescue climbers off mountains

Will they do that for these folks, too?

[kurth_]

4. It's America vs The Hurricane:

Robert Shumake brought along a flag for his stroll along Galveston's seawall Friday.

HURRICANE IKE APPROACHES
Sept. 12, 2008
http://www.chron.com/news/photogallery/Hurricane_Ike_approaches.html#_self

[Ganja Ninja]

5. And the center of Ike is still 150 miles off shore.

I just heard on the news (Ed Schultz) that water is already coming over the seawall in Galveston and 150 people are standing waist deep in water on the bolivar peninsula.

[supernova]

6. You beat me to it!

:D

Crap, that's a small city!

:-(