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by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/29/2005, 1:49pm PDT |
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I'm going to try to post one news item a day for a little while. I think BDR, Zseni, K. Thor, Mao, subCommandante Pedro and E.L. Koba would have wanted it that way. One news item in "Motherfucking News," one sports item in the appropriate forum and repeated, stunned whining about software folders everywhere else.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Hurricane Katrina ripped away part of the roof on the Louisiana Superdome as thousands of storm refugees huddled inside Monday.
Strips of metal were peeled away, creating two holes that were visible from the floor of the huge arena. Water dripped in and people were moved away from about five sections of seats directly below.
Others watched as sheets of metal flapped visibly and noisily. From the floor, more than 19 stories below the dome, the openings appeared to be 6 feet long.
"The Superdome is not in any dangerous situation," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said.
General Manager Glenn Menard said he did not know how serious the problem was. "We have no way of getting anyone up there to look," he said.
Aside from the tear in the huge roof, the 77,000-seat steel-framework stadium, home of the NFL's New Orleans Saints, provided few comforts but at least had bathrooms and food donated by charities.
The wind that howled around the dome during the night was not heard in the interior of the building where the refugees were kept.
"Everybody slept last night. They didn't seem to have any problems," said Dr. Kevin Stephens Sr., in charge of the medical shelter in the Superdome. "They slept all over the place."
Power failed in the Superdome around 5 a.m. Monday, triggering groans from the crowd. Emergency generators kicked in, but the backup power runs only reduced lighting, not the air conditioning.
The Superdome opened its doors at noon Sunday, and New Orleans' most frail residents got priority. The stadium is by far the most solid of the Big Easy's 10 refuges for the estimated 100,000 city residents who don't have the means, or strength, to join a mandatory evacuation.
"They hadn't opened up and let us in here, there'd have been a lot of people floating down river tomorrow," said Merrill Rice, 64. "If it's as bad as they say, I know my old house won't stand it."
Residents lined up for blocks, clutching meager belongings and crying children as National Guardsman searched them for guns, knives and drugs.
Then Katrina's rain began, drenching hundreds of people still outside, along with their bags of food and clothing. Eventually, the searches were moved inside to the Superdome floor, where some people wrapped themselves in blankets and tried to sleep.
It was almost 10:30 p.m. before the last person was searched and sent to the lowest level of seats. Superdome regional vice president Doug Thornton estimated 8,000 to 9,000 were in the building when the doors finally closed for the 11 p.m. curfew.
More than 600 people with medical needs were inside. "And we sent another 400 to hospitals," said Gen. Ralph Lupin, who commands the 550 National Guard troops in the Dome.
"We've got sick babies, sick old people and everything in between," Stephens said. "We're seen strokes, chest pain, diabetes patients passing out, seizures, people without medicine, people with the wrong medicine. It's been busy."
Several of those taken to hospitals Sunday had chest pain, but as the heart of the storm approached on Monday, Stephens added that "anything like that has to be handled here. There's no way we can take anybody anywhere."
Thornton worried about how everyone would fare over the next few days, especially if water pressure fails.Portable toilets were ordered.
"We're expecting to be here for the long haul," he said. "We can make things very nice for 75,000 people for four hours. But we aren't set up to really accommodate 8,000 for four days."
The refugees were not allowed to spread out on the football field, sitting instead in stadium seats in case of flooding.
Morris Bivens, 53, a painter, came to the dome with his wife, daughter and five granddaughters ranging in age from 1 to 9.
"I had to come," he said. "Not for me. I ride these out all the time. But I knew I couldn't save those children in this one if something happened."
Let's not get crazy here, with a .480 winning percentage at home since 2001 it's not been that nice.
ICJ |
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Hurricane Katrina by Ice Cream Jonsey 08/29/2005, 1:49pm PDT 
Re: Hurricane Katrina by CO2 08/29/2005, 2:11pm PDT 
Isn't Bodybag from New Orleans, or go to school there? NT by I CAN'T REMEMBER NOW! 08/29/2005, 3:02pm PDT 
Yeah. I evacuated to Atlanta two years ago. NT by Bodybag 08/29/2005, 4:11pm PDT 
Is life in the south like playing games on Easy? NT by cryptosporidian 08/29/2005, 4:29pm PDT 
If you're white, yeah, it is. Otherwise, it's more like DANTE MUST DIE!!! NT by Coronation 08/29/2005, 6:20pm PDT 
These fine cops are keeping the peace in New Orleans by Souffle of Pain 08/31/2005, 11:58pm PDT 
Dirtiest cops in the United States, fighting nightly turf wars for swag. NT by clapstro 09/01/2005, 12:07am PDT 
New Orleans = first fifteen minutes of Dawn of the Dead remake by Horrible Gelatinous Blob 09/01/2005, 1:05am PDT 
Re: New Orleans = first fifteen minutes of Dawn of the Dead remake by Mr. Kool 09/02/2005, 9:51am PDT 
Re: New Orleans = first fifteen minutes of Dawn of the Dead remake by Horrible Gelatinous Blob 09/02/2005, 12:15pm PDT 
Re: New Orleans = first fifteen minutes of Dawn of the Dead remake by mark 09/02/2005, 1:02pm PDT 
aim by Ray of Light 09/02/2005, 3:50pm PDT 
this guy is SA's hero NT by and not in a funny way 09/02/2005, 4:37pm PDT 
To be fair, emergencies like this are the National Guard's job. Where are they? NT by MM 09/01/2005, 9:10am PDT 
Um there are like 28,000 National Guardsmen there. NT by Quentin Beck 09/01/2005, 10:41am PDT 
2800, QUENTIN NT by fLaVio 09/01/2005, 6:08pm PDT 
Re: 2800, QUENTIN by laudablepuss 09/02/2005, 9:59am PDT 
Re: Hurricane Katrina by Adahn 09/01/2005, 5:43pm PDT 
Re: Hurricane Katrina by Quentin Beck 09/01/2005, 7:12pm PDT 
one has plenty of water? NT by Adahn 09/02/2005, 12:24pm PDT 
LOL! Punchline competition! NT by Fussbett 09/02/2005, 2:19pm PDT 
BDR is sure to come back now NT by FABIO 09/02/2005, 3:15pm PDT 
Deus Ex III or "How the Yakuza fucked up New Orleans for the KGB" by Motherhead 09/04/2005, 5:02pm PDT 
Weatherwar by Yuri 09/04/2005, 6:02pm PDT 
Psh, what a n00b waste. by Fussbett 09/04/2005, 7:41pm PDT 
fool by Yuri 09/04/2005, 7:48pm PDT 
High speed, low drag. by Fussbett 09/04/2005, 9:25pm PDT 
Re: High speed, low drag. by Romanov 09/05/2005, 1:27am PDT 
Let's pop some tanks. by Fussbett 09/05/2005, 2:32am PDT 
Not a RA quote, forfeit NT by I win! 09/05/2005, 8:12pm PDT 
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