Katrina Death Toll May Not Hit 10,000

[babsbunny]

That's odd, yesterday I heard 60,000. http://news.yahoo.com

[shaniqua6392]

1. Sugar coating the truth.

They will never tell us the truth about the death toll. The truth is bad for all of the politicians involved and they are going to keep it from the media at all costs.

[halobeam]

3. There will still be "missing persons" lists on the internet.

These can be cross checked with their supposed "death count". It will not be easy for them to hide the obvious. If there are 35,000 missing for example and they say there are 5,000 dead, there will be a lot to answer for, don't you think? I for one, will not believe their numbers, and a poster here last night mentioned that we will most likely find a "trusted" source for the right numbers. Sadly, much of the public will be misled LIED TO, once again.

[windbreeze]

15. Does anyone think

we will actually ever have a true number? Especially considering that they are presently relocating people ALL over the states...Does or is anyone questioning WHY? that's necessary? It's almost as if there was nothing or no towns left in La., at all...no armories, no military bases that have been closed and could have housed the evacuees..nothing...it's as though the whole state was entirely wiped out...forced relocation to other states...for what reason?

IMO...this situation has had a certain stink about it, since it started..one that, in my mind, cannot be easily ignored...as with 9/11...there are too many questions, and not enough answers to aleviate my concerns, or my curiousity about what's really going on..
windbreeze

[Dem Agog]

2. Oh joy... let's go whoop it up..

Anyone got any Mardi Gras beads?

This isn't aimed at you, but more at the media who is reporting this as if it's just wonderful news! And while technically it may be, it's utterly fucking harrowing that we're so abused as a nation that we have to be happy that maybe the number of citizens killed through a hurricane and criminal federal government neglect only hits four digits.

[verdalaven]

4. Reminds me of the days after 9/11

First they said there'd be about 25,000 dead in the twin towers, because on a normal day that was how many people were estimated in and out of the buildings.

Then the total dropped to 10,000, to 5,000.

Finally the count was closer to 3,000.

I'd be surprised if total loss of life in the affected area was less than 10,000. But still, 10,000 is a staggering enough number.

[izzie]

5. Still makes the whole a shame.

--

[Teaser]

6. 10,000 was always too high.

If there were 100,000 left in the city, 32,000 were rescued from rooftops and (purportedly) another 50,000-75,000 were rescued from the convention center and superdome combined, 10,000 seems like it has to have been an outside number.

I say between 1000 and 5000 is more accurate.

[zann725]

16. On "Countdown," KO showed a row of semi-trailer trucks filled with bodies

headed for the city they'd designated as the morgue. The clip was clearly edited "short." But even the 4-5 semi's I saw rolling down the road took my breath away. That's A LOT of bodies.

My gut reaction says at least 50,000. Given that so many people had NO water (and food) for 5 days or more, would indicate many more deaths. Particularly elderly, sick, young, pregnant, etc. The lack of water alone for 2-3 days will kill you...let alone sitting for days, exposed in the hot humid summer sun on a roof top, or a cement highway overpass. Saying 1,000 or even 5,000, is "sugar coated." But if you wanna believe...

Kind of like the "faulty" 1,800 US soldier body count...which entirely fails to count soldiers injured on the battlefield, but who die en route to a hospital outside Iraq...and therefore are NOT counted in the war deaths. Don't the German hospitals who treat the injured U.S. soldiers en route estimate 8-9 thousand dead U.S. soldiers?

I truly believe one of the main reasons foreign help is NOT being accepted "on the ground" is to hide the true fatality count.

[achtung_circus]

7. At 9/11 I heard estimates of 50,000.

As the clearing progressed and people were found and people who escaped came forward the numbers fell- to roughly 3,000.

The 60,000 number seems to be based on the number of body bags ordered and simulations run during the "Hurricane Pam" excercise.

You plan for the worst and hope for the best. If FEMA were to find themselves in a couple of weeks desparately short of body bags, they would be (rightly) ripped.

There are now reports that the people of New Orleans comported themselves better that initial media reports would suggest. There is no proof of raped and mutilated bodies at the Superdome. Much of the "looting" turned out to be more accurately termed scavanging to survive.

The estimates are WAGs. Until the bodies are counted and evacuees accounted for the numer will "refine", generally downwards.

I'm not ready to cry "TINFOIL TIME".

[OneTwentyoNine]

8. My guess will be 2699 or less.....

Get the media out and let the number counting stop. At all costs the death toll needs to be kept under Bush's magical 9/11 number.

[July]

11. I'd lay money on that.

You called it first!

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. bingo

[willing dwarf]

9. Deluge of misery

Is still undeniable, and the number of dead is just a fraction of the number who have suffered the complete break up of their life.

If the number of dead goes above 4,000 we need to hit them hard with "Worse than Chernobyl!"

[pretzel4gore]

10. buying bush time

i knew with 100 percent certainty that the pigmedia eventually do this.....you can judge the tree by its fruit...
the only ones being confounded are the busheviks

[Toots]

12. I would say that is an indication the mayor did a very good job

Predictions were as high as sixty thousand deaths by experts. If Mayor Nagin kept the toll under ten thousand and possible as low as five thousand he did remarkably well. New Orleans should be very proud of that man..

[TayTay]

13. Gawd, I hope this is right

No one wants a high body count. I pray that the evacuation orders from the Mayor and Gov were heeded by many more than first thought and that they got out of harm's way.

This is good news and I hope it holds.

[applegrove]

14. Thank god.

[bunny planet]

18. Perhaps they'll only count the bodies of those that drowned and not

count the bodies of those who STARVED or succumbed later in the shelters from hell. Isn't that what they do when counting war dead in Iraq, only count those who died on active duty and not those who pass away stateside or in hospitals from their grievous wounds?