what would be the most feasible way of getting people to dry ground?

[sundog]

[babylonsister]

1. TX military bases? Or any other ones? nt

[kenny blankenship]

2. Dry ground...Do you mean the people hemmed in by water in the Superdome

or those still drinking like fish in the bars of the french quarter?

But seriously, I think the problem they have might not be so much getting the people out to dry land as what to do with them--how to house them, etc.-- once they're out.

I cannot believe they seriously propose to house 30,000 people in the Superdome for a week though. That's whacked. They may turn feral and begin to eat each other.

[sundog]

5. yes, that is what i meant

i'm just curious what the strategy is for getting the people out of the city... no one is saying much on how they plan to do it

"evacuate" is currently a vague term

[kenny blankenship]

15. To the South east of the Superdome

the HWy 90 Crescent City connector across the Mississippi is still passable. I guess there is higher ground over there. Perhaps the plan is to load people onto barges in Crescent City and depart the N.O. area by way of the river and the Gulf. To get to the bridge is a trip of about 14 blocks from the Superdome. There is water in the streets in that direction but it does seem passable for trucks still. I-10 to the east of the city is out completely of course. But according to some reports it's still intact to the west, although deeply flooded in places, verging on impassable. I don't like the idea of trying to truck people out over a risky flooded road--it would take a long time even if there are no bad mishaps. I like the idea of getting as many people out in one trip as possible--couple hundred or more on a barge at one go.

[OctOct1]

3. My idea

And it has been keeping me up tonight.
If Each state would adopt 1000 people or more depending on the state size.
Each town can adopt 1 or 2 families and help then with an apartment, and comforts.
I live in a town of 30,000 people if only half donated $10.00 for our adopted family we could set them up pretty nice.
Some company would offer a job.
I am sure that churches, companies and various organizations would be stepping on top of each other to help.
Then the adopted families can choose to stay or, after a year or two, they can go back to their home state.
Each state can send a helicopter (with donated funds) and arrange for a pickup.

[Kenroy]

4. The immediate problem is not

finding a place for them - it's getting them out.

The Red Cross will locate them IF we can get them out.

There's no good answer. With the roads flooded, boats unable to navigate the city and the airport closed, there are few options for moving large numbers of people.

Of course, I always thought it was sorta dumb to use the Superdome as a shelter....

[shanti]

6. what about

all of the "detention camps" that we've all read about here on DU? many of them were in the south.

[politicat]

7. Before Katrina hit, it was rail.

Rail is the most efficient way to move large numbers of people over long distances.

Now, I'd probably say swamp boat (the big boats with the fans on the back) (because an outboard motor or Zodiac is likely to get snagged) to closest road, bus by road to rail, rail to final destination.

I agree with the poster above who mentioned dispersing the refugees throughout the country. The last thing the region needs is to be trying to mitigate the pain of the homeless and trying to clear the area so that rebuilding - if any - can take place. Further, it makes the situation more feasible for the relief agencies. I know that Denver can help people physically if they're here...

[sundog]

8. then a water route would have to be established first

[Maru Kitteh]

9. That's what I said, they should have been loading up boxcars if needed

to get people OUT. Would have been preferable to this, that's for damn sure.

[Pallas180]

10. boat.

everything else is gone.
roads, highways, railroad tracks all broken or disappeared.

[SofaKingLiberal]

11. Are there really no transport copters

left in the US? I see people getting airlifted one at a time in rescue copters. But there are copters that can carry 60+ people at a time. Why are these not being used? Are all of them really overseas?

[sundog]

12. the few copters i saw in tv were damn small

[wli]

13. There are, but they won't bring them for brown people or Democrats. n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

14. Use whatever they've got

Issue a call for a counterpart to the Mariel boat lift of 1980 or the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940.

Remember when all those people from Florida went in their private boats to pick up thousands of people from Cuba?

Remember hearing about the evacuation of Dunkirk, France, when the retreating British army was rescued by a combination of military vessels, fishing boats, and pleasure boats?

Issue a call for anyone who has an undamaged boat or ship (upriver or along the Gulf Coast) to come and pick people up.