[Mb-civic] New Orleans

[Mike Blaxill]

Dairy at Daily Kos - doesn't look good folks

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/30/103742/493

IT'S OVER FOR NEW ORLEANS. Please donate.

Martial law has been declared, and all
journalists have been ordered out of the city (no
other confirmation on expulsion of journalists,
but authorities are likely too busy to arrest
them yet anyway). The situation is getting
exponentially worse, there are no resources, it
is only going to become more and more "impossible
to sustain life" in New Orleans. There are people
dying there right now, trapped by the rising
floodwaters -- up to a total of approximately
97,000 people, according to the mayor's own
(obviously rough) estimate. The worst-case
scenario is unfolding, and New Orleans will be
uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.

UPDATE: As posted in comments, WWLTV is reporting
that Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish are
under martial law and the floodwaters are
expected to rise to lake level.

UPDATE 2: The mayor has now ordered an emergency
evacuation of the entire city. Important to note:
Mayor Nagin estimated that about 80% of the
city's 485,000 people evacuated before the storm.
That has to be a very rough estimate and
HOPEFULLY VERY LOW. If about 20% of the residents
are still in the city, that's approximately
97,000 people. Up to 20,000 (see Update 6) or so
are at the Superdome. That could leave about
77,000 trapped in homes rapidly flooding with
toxic water, with no food or water or way to get
out.

UPDATE 3: Bush is finally canceling his vacation
and speeches in front of hand-picked audiences
and returning to Washington as the enormity of
this disaster becomes clear. Somebody apparently
told him it's time to look like he's in charge
again.

UPDATE 4: Conditions at the Superdome are
drastically deteriorating. Local reporter on
scene tells CNN a man intentionally jumped to his
death from the second level balcony in the dome.
Water is rising around the dome, as victims with
serious injuries are brought to the dome where
they could soon be trapped.

UPDATE 5: There are numerous reports of rampant
"looting" in the city, but given the extreme
life-or-death nature of these conditions, the
vast majority of the thousands still in New
Orleans are certainly just desperately grabbing
any food, water and supplies they can get to stay
alive.

UPDATE 6: Jeanne Meserve on CNN reports it is now
estimated 15,000-20,000 people are at the
Superdome. Rescuers are bringing victims to the
dome, which is still above but surrounded by
rising water. Hopefully the mayor was way off on
his guess that nearly 100,000 people were in New
Orleans when the storm hit yesterday.