Governor: Rest Of New Orleans Needs To Be Evacuated
Water Still Rising, Situation Deteriorating
UPDATED: 4:46 pm EDT August 30, 2005
NEW ORLEANS -- With water rising in the streets of New Orleans and conditions rapidly deteriorating, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco says the tens of thousands of people now huddled in the Superdome and other rescue centers will have to be evacuated.
"The situation is untenable," Blanco said at a news conference. "It's just heartbreaking."
Because of two levees that broke Tuesday, the city was rapidly filling with water, the governor said. She also said the power could be out for a long time, and the storm broke a major water main, leaving the city without drinkable water.
Police in New Orleans say there are hundreds of people still on rooftops in the city, waiting for rescue.
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said the devastation being seen "is greater than our worst fears." She described it as "totally overwhelming."
Blanco said there are no casualty figures yet, but that "many lives have been lost." She said 700 people were rescued overnight from flooded areas.
Video from a TV helicopter has been showing a Coast Guard chopper plucking people from rooftops in one area where floodwaters nearly cover the homes.
One by one, the hurricane survivors are being placed in a basket and lifted up to the hovering helicopter.
One man said he and his fiancee sat on their roof for three hours before being taken to safety. Bryan Vernon said the water "kept rising and rising and rising."
Crews hope to plug a broken levee in New Orleans with 3,000-pound sand bags dropped from helicopters.
The city is below sea level, and the network of pumps, canals and levees isn't keeping up with the rising water. Many pumps weren't working Tuesday morning.
Rising water has sent patients from one hospital to the Louisiana Superdome. A knee-deep moat surrounds the stadium and downtown streets are swamped. The water is fouled with gasoline, debris and floating islands of red ants.
The top homeland security official in New Orleans said bodies have been spotted drifting in the floodwaters.
Despite very poor conditions at the Louisiana Superdome, National Guard troops have brought in more refugees who are trying to escape rising water in New Orleans.
Eight of the people who arrived Tuesday had spent the night in the attic of a flooded beauty salon. They had to hack through the ceiling to reach the attic as the water rose.
Another man had spent the night in his own attic -- and said he "almost died" in the water.
They've now reached safety -- but not comfort. The air conditioning has been out since power was lost Monday morning. The bathrooms are filthy and barrels are overflowing with trash.
There are more than 10,000 people in the makeshift shelter. An official of the company that manages the Superdome said two people have died there, but offered no details.
One refugee kept the discomfort in perspective. She said if the facility hadn't been opened, there would have been "a lot of people floating down the river."
Read the rest here.
UPDATED: 4:46 pm EDT August 30, 2005
NEW ORLEANS -- With water rising in the streets of New Orleans and conditions rapidly deteriorating, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco says the tens of thousands of people now huddled in the Superdome and other rescue centers will have to be evacuated.
"The situation is untenable," Blanco said at a news conference. "It's just heartbreaking."
Because of two levees that broke Tuesday, the city was rapidly filling with water, the governor said. She also said the power could be out for a long time, and the storm broke a major water main, leaving the city without drinkable water.
Police in New Orleans say there are hundreds of people still on rooftops in the city, waiting for rescue.
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco said the devastation being seen "is greater than our worst fears." She described it as "totally overwhelming."
Blanco said there are no casualty figures yet, but that "many lives have been lost." She said 700 people were rescued overnight from flooded areas.
Video from a TV helicopter has been showing a Coast Guard chopper plucking people from rooftops in one area where floodwaters nearly cover the homes.
One by one, the hurricane survivors are being placed in a basket and lifted up to the hovering helicopter.
One man said he and his fiancee sat on their roof for three hours before being taken to safety. Bryan Vernon said the water "kept rising and rising and rising."
Crews hope to plug a broken levee in New Orleans with 3,000-pound sand bags dropped from helicopters.
The city is below sea level, and the network of pumps, canals and levees isn't keeping up with the rising water. Many pumps weren't working Tuesday morning.
Rising water has sent patients from one hospital to the Louisiana Superdome. A knee-deep moat surrounds the stadium and downtown streets are swamped. The water is fouled with gasoline, debris and floating islands of red ants.
The top homeland security official in New Orleans said bodies have been spotted drifting in the floodwaters.
Despite very poor conditions at the Louisiana Superdome, National Guard troops have brought in more refugees who are trying to escape rising water in New Orleans.
Eight of the people who arrived Tuesday had spent the night in the attic of a flooded beauty salon. They had to hack through the ceiling to reach the attic as the water rose.
Another man had spent the night in his own attic -- and said he "almost died" in the water.
They've now reached safety -- but not comfort. The air conditioning has been out since power was lost Monday morning. The bathrooms are filthy and barrels are overflowing with trash.
There are more than 10,000 people in the makeshift shelter. An official of the company that manages the Superdome said two people have died there, but offered no details.
One refugee kept the discomfort in perspective. She said if the facility hadn't been opened, there would have been "a lot of people floating down the river."
Read the rest here.
posted by Vic at 4:08 PM
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