It Looks Like The Worst Will Miss New Orleans.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Thank God.

[ps1074]

1. And the networks will be very disappointed

Wathing TV and I can just see it in their eyes. They expected nothing less than the end of the world.

Anything less than a thousand dead and they will be very very very disappointed. Really.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. I Think Some Of Them Were Genuinely Moved

I was watching Chris Matthews last night and he kept asking about the "poor people" because they were the least able to flee and consequently the most vulnerable.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

16. But in the end,

if they were a real press and not just a bunch of propagandistic sensation-mongers, they would do real reporting on the lack of good evacuation plans and find out who is to be responsible and accountable for protecting lives when and if the next one hits a city that is so vulnerable. Where the money's being wasted and all that.

I know that's just dreaming that they would actually do real reporting like adults, though.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. I Agree...

How much is a life worth?

It's priceless......

A person, a state, a nation should have emegency plans but you need to weigh the cost of protection against the risks.


I saw on tv that you could build a levy system in N O that would withstand a cat five hurricane but it would cost billions of dollars to build and years to compete....

Actually, the way we are pissing money away in the M E that might be a great public works project...

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. I think some people here will be very disappointed, too

The disaster-mongering yesterday was truly disturbing, and all the calls for prayer only thinly disguised the real excitement that seemed to motivate a few of those threads.

[tx_dem41]

11. Ya' think?

;)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. I see your point

It is a very interesting and exciting story but that story would have turned to horror if there was a direct hit.....


The prelude to this storm was enough....

[ananda]

2. yep

New Orleans barely dodged the bullet.. this time. Thank God!

I think they're still worried about the Pontchartrain levies holding, though. The next three to four hours will tell...

Sue

[OrlandoGator]

4. Which map are you looking at? The eyewall is moving right over it.

n/t

[OrlandoGator]

6. Never mind, I refreshed and it looks like it took a slight right turn.

n/t

[dogday]

5. They did a good job of getting the word

out before the storm hit, give them credit for that. I hope they will be satisfied in medium damage. I am thrilled for NO but will hold off until that monster storm is no longer a killer...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. There Will Be Damage But Not Damage Of Biblical Proportions

I pray....

[expatriate]

7. even if the worst misses New Orleans

it's going to go somewhere else, and the entire Gulf Coast is very heavily populated. The damage and loss caused by this storm will be great. Possibly not as dramatic as what might happen in New Orleans in the case of a huge storm surge, but there isn't that much difference between what a storm surge will do in a place a few feet above sea level and a place a few feet below sea level.

I saw firsthand what Hurricane Camille did to the Gulfport-Biloxi area. It was horrific. Boats, big boats, were carried miles inland by the storm surge. Entire buildings were completely scoured from the face of the earth.

Why is it that people seem to think that since this storm MIGHT miss hitting New Orleans directly that everything is "okay"? Many people's day today is not going to be "okay" because of this storm!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. New Orleans Would Have Been The Worst Because It's The Most Densely

Populated and how low it lies...

[DemBones DemBones]

25. It's not "okay" if it hits Gulfport/Biloxi, but I think everyone

wants to see historic New Orleans spared and believe fewer lives will be lost if it misses NOLA. Also, it would be fortunate if the hurricane didn't take out a bunch of chemical plants and turn the Gulf Coast into a Superfund site.

[benburch]

12. Excellent news!

I had hoped for this, but it didn't seem likely.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. I Hope I Am Not Being Premature

But from the tenor of all the reporting it seems N.O. will be avoiding a direct hit.


Like I said there will be major damage but it looks like the flood of all floods will be avoided.

[BeFree]

15. It could have been worse, indeed

From what I can tell Katrina is now moving to the NE, away from downtown NO. I estimate top wind of 110 at the Superdome. They may be ok there.

The worst thing now is that the wind blows Lake Ponchatrain (sp?) south into the city. But at the same time blowing the Mississipi river south, away from the city.

It appears the very worst will not occur for the heavily populated downtown of NO.

Biloxi however, is looking like it will get hit dead on.

It also appears that the storm is rapidly calming.

The worst thing might now be how much rain falls, but with the storm moving away from NO at 15 mph, the rain may be minimized.

Whew!

[Tin Man]

20. yes, flood potential very bad

current path of storm is very bad - circulation around storm's eye will tend to push surge into Chandeleur Sound, then chase it into Lake Pontchartrain, and then pin the rising waters against the levees protecting New Orleans from Lake P.

Pray hard, folks.

[Surya Gayatri]

18. Yes, but the Superdome roof could go! n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. That's what they said about Hurricane Andrew

All the reporters were in Downtown Miami which didn't get hit bad and they all thought everything was great, while southern Dade County was getting creamed.

They have no clue yet how bad it's going to be. It's just not going to be a Cat 5. Gee only a Cat 4, too bad.

[Silverhair]

21. But that increases the danger from the lake.

With the storm tracking more easterly, it means that the winds over Lake Ponchartrain will be more northerly, pushing the lake waters towards N.O. And there will still be some storm surge from Katrina itself, just not as much.

New Orleans is not in a much danger as it was, but it is still in a lot of danger.

[maddezmom]

23. reporter on WDSU just stated the same about the lake

[Tin Man]

24. eastern path is very bad

circulation around storm's eye will tend to push surge into Chandeleur Sound, then chase it into Lake Pontchartrain, and then pin the rising waters against the levees that seperate New Orleans from Lake P.

[Jacobin]

22. eye 40 miles east of N.O....East being the key word

This will help N.O. a lot.

[geomon666]

26. TWC reporting a section of levee has been compromised.

Straight from the The Weather Channel. Let's hope it's very small. They're not sure where it happened though.

[Tin Man]

27. 9th Ward at the Industrial Canal.

Tennessee St. & Claiborne.