I keep thinking about this re: death toll in NO

[nonconformist]

The mayor said today that the death toll is likely in the thousands, which I sadly don't think surprised anyone.

But I keep thinking about the original numbers we were told.

Population of NO and surrounding communities: 1.3 million
Evacuated prior to storm: 1 million
Superdome refugees: 20-30K (?)

Since they're taking survivors they've rescued to the Superdome...

What about the other 270K or so people that didn't evacuate?

:scared:

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. that is where the 100K drowning is coming from

[nonconformist]

2. Awww fuck. nt

[OneBlueSky]

3. it won't be just drowning . . .

the one image that has been torturing me for the past two days if of people climbing ever higher into their homes until they find themselves stranded in their enclosed, windowless attics . . . with the temperatures in NO, it seems likely that many of these folks are literally cooked by now . . . I fear they'll be finding bodies in attics for months . . .

[benburch]

5. I told people there would be tens of thousands dead...

And they called me a panic monger who was trying to scare people. :(

[meganmonkey]

12. I know. I think no one wanted to recognize that

it was going to be that bad.

You were the first to have the guts to say it out loud, and you got slammed for it.

And I bet you would give anything to have been wrong :(

[nonconformist]

13. Wonder what those people accusing you and others of being

Chicken Littles are thinking now.

[cosmicdot]

17. I recall

and, because of that I've looked for that thread today just to post a link to one of the latest threads re this ...

New Orleans mayor fears thousands dead
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1741019

[trof]

4. Decomposing human bodies: highly toxic.

I'm no doctor, but the decomposing human body is just a bacteria and germ factory.
A disease/epidemic/plague nightmare with thousands of them.
Incineration would probably be best.
Can you imagine funeral pyres?

[jobycom]

6. The numbers are all guesses

People have evacuated since the storm, and there are other shelters in the city, and there are people in the French Quarters who survived, and in other places. No one knows how many really evacuated, or where all they went, or how many are still alive.

Then there are the people in Slidell. I'm afraid the final estimates (no one will have an accurate count) will be hard to take.

[KyndCulture]

7. Heard on Headline News a bit ago

that the estimate is 300,000 were trapped in the city or didn't evacuate and it could be as many as 10% dead right now. 30,000 people.

[nonconformist]

8. This is unreal. My god. nt

[WhiteTara]

9. on wolfe's show, a guest said that it could be 100,000

that with 80% evacuated, 300,000 left in city and 1/3 of them had or will die. Don't know the guy's name and unfortunately, I turned off the tv, so I can't go back and find it. It is a horrifying thought. Prayers and blessings on those in this terrible situation.

[leftofthedial]

10. they're all either already dead or they're looters

shoot 'em

repuke urban renewal

:sarcasm:

[OhioChick]

11. My friend in Alabama

said that the casualities will be staggering.........

[VolcanoJen]

14. Link to thread about 100K dead speculation

LSU hurricane expert on CNN just estimated 100,000 drowned

[nonconformist]

16. I'm speechless.

:cry:

[leftchick]

15. omg

:cry:

I Hate Bush....