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Putting my flame retardant suit on...
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Re: Putting my flame retardant suit on...
I have a friend who's husband was stationed there when Katrina hit. They lost everything their houses, their cars their pets! The only reason they weren't on the street is a friend loaned them their trailer. I assure you they are not on welfare.
I will say that as someone that lives on the MS coast, had six trees through her roof, lost her advertising job when the local economy tanked, and could not get back in her house for six months, the lack of national attention to what happened to MS is frustrating.
That is the only thing with which I will agree with the OP on. The rest of it is just dribble. The LA governing officials gave the order to evacuate too late. The buses and organization to get people out weren't organized. The Superdome was supposed to be a safe place, and look at what happened. It was a mess, no doubt.
I think two things:
1. The press does a lot to influence our thinking. I am remembering several shots of people who were expressing anger that ample assistance wasn't available for them more quickly/in advance. When you see someone behave that way it does make you feel like they aren't grateful for the assistance they're getting, but we have to remember the stress and frustration they must be feeling.
2. That being said, I think we need to ask ourselves what we're doing to move forward. I would argue that people have become too dependent on the government and we need to work on weaning them from this reliance. This is a terrible thing that happened, but it does us no good to say, "Well, they're poor, they don't have resources." I understand that so what are we doing to help them achieve more resources and be better prepared in the future?
I wasn't going to get in the fray, but I've decided I might as well jump in.
I think I understand somewhat what OP meant about FEMA not responding to them. I live in a northern state with bitter winters. We've had several storms over the past few years that have knocked out the power for some of our rural population for over a week. Most of those people couldn't leave their homes because the roads were too dangerous. The power companies worked hard to repair the lines, but most snapped due to the temp so they had to wait until it got warmer. My state has barely received disaster assistance in these cases. It's frustrating that we need some help and don't get it from the federal govt, but we've managed to help each other. The local Red Cross chapters have spearheaded disaster responses that has saved many lives.
In the case of NO, as PP have mentioned it comes down to resources. OP's family had insurance on their home. I'm willing to bet that many poor people in NO who were renting did not have renter's insurance to cover their losses. Also, I think the NO situation is similar to Haiti's earthquake and Pakistan's flooding, where poverty and crumbling (or inadequate) infrastructure have caused more deaths than would have caused in a wealthier part of the US.
Another thing to consider is that most people weren't prepared. Since then, the govt has put up the ready.gov website with information on how to prepare for disasters, but that will only help those of us with internet access and the money to be prepared.
I remember one of my college professors talking about having cash at all times. I thought it was a little doomsday, but I can now understand its importance. With the power out, ATMs and credit card processing machines don't work. How are people supposed to buy the food (scarce as it was) without cash?
This is so true. DH works for a disaster relief company and he was in NO for months after Katrina hit. From what he says, no one really knew how bad it was unless you were there. Yes, there were pictures on the news and online, but they're not going to show the dead bodies floating in the water or anything like that. DH took pictures while he was there and it was so disturbing. And there were people stuck in the homes that were dead.
There were some that were playing the victim card, but that's because they were victims of a horrible disaster. There were some who took it too far by stealing TV's and other elelectronics, but then others were stealing food and drinks so they could survive.
The only problem I have with this whole Katrina thing is the people who are trying to sue the company DH works for (his best friend's parents own it) because of the formaldehyde in the FEMA trailers they have. The company who made them went out of business so now they're trying to get money from the people who gave them a place to live.
Ummmm....FALSE.
They CHOSE to stay??? WHAT??? I saw the footage of people fighting to get on those buses. I saw people screaming at cameras for help, for water, for medical attention which they were not receiving. People were dying on the street and all our Gov. was doing was running around like the key-stone cops....like a bunch of bumbling fools.
Evelyn (3.24.10), Graham (5.30.13) & Miles (8.28.16)
As a volunteer that was there after it happended, I find this post just disgusting. I saw plenty of families helping each other, just as your glorious city did. We were there cleaning and rebuilding, and they worked right along side us, as were ever so greatful for our help. One woman did not leave 1. like many have pointed out because there had already been so many other warnings where nothing happened, and 2, her husband was in the hospital in the icu. He was not in a condintion to be moved to another hospital, and she wasn't going to leave him. The morning we left, many of the families in the area came early in the morning (before we were up) to make us a large breakfast, just as an attempt to show us how greatful they were. But clearly they were only looking for handouts.....
Edit: And as for Mississippi, I didn't forget them, that's where I was. We spent time there and in Alabama...YOU forgot Alabama.
Wow. What is wrong with you?
I'm not on government assistance (I was, out of complete necessity but only used it as long as was necessary for) and yes, I'm living with my ILs. And just because that's my situation means I should have compassion for those who stayed behind?
But if I was told there was a mandatory evacuation, I don't care how many times a year it happens, you can bet you asss I'd be on that bus to get the hell out.
And if there were no bus available?
Do you need to borrow a shovel?
Oh, and who's money would you be using to stay somewhere once you got the hell out? Your own? Or would you need assistance, from say a family member? Now what if you didn't have a family member abe to help you? Uh huh. THINK about it for a damn minute.
I always liked you when we were on the tri boards and had compassion for you when you would tell about the situations you were in, but what you're saying sounds so rude.
So what you're saying is you would have taken your government check and left every single time they told you to, even if you didn't have a car, or if it meant that your family would be broken up because of having to be on serperate buses? I honestly don't think you could really say that until you're put in that situation.
WARNING: PHOTOS TO FOLLOW
Thank God this wasn't you, or your children. Have some fvcking compassion for your fellow man ( I mean this for EVERYONE on this post that agreed with the OP). Take a gooooood look at these pictures, and feel THANKFUL for what you have instead of angry that MS didn't get as much attention, or that people are on welfare and you are paying for it (boo freaking hoo). I know you'll probably say we've all seen these images before...well, apparently, you need a refresher, because you are lost in your own ignorance. You really struck a nerve with me, and I am shaking as I write this post because I am so p*ssed off. These people were living life they only way they knew how...and it's their fault that they lost everything, including their lives??? WTF is wrong with you? Grab some compassion, and a heart while you're at it.
This statement tells me you've never lived in an area that gets several hurricane threats each year. I've lived in FL my whole life. People don't evacuate every single time a storm is coming. It's not practical.
While I agree that saying everyone in NO should have evacuated is near sighted and not grasping the reality of the situation, there is a big difference between evacuating every time a storm is coming and evacuating every time there is a mandatory evacuation. They are not the same thing.
To be honest, the only reason I evacuated for Katrina was because I was tired of listening to my parents over it. They were frantic for me to get out. I assumed like so many others that it was just another storm. I'm far enough off the coast that we did not have a mandatory evac though. There's no way I would have ignored that.
I agree with you. I'm just saying that she makes it sound like evacuation is this simple, easy decision and a simple, easy process. Right or wrong, people in hurricane states become jaded at some point.
ETA: Not to mention the lack of organization of NO's evacuations for those who didn't have their own vehicles. I'm just saying, it's not simple.
I can agree with the sentiment behind this, but the people in MS are no less dead, and the are was no less destroyed.
I do not in any way want it to be a competition. New Orleans was a tragic tragic situation. New Orleans deserves media attention. I just don't think a state that lost it's largest source of revenue in all of the casinos and a lot of population as well should be forgotten simply because it's not as sexy of a news story.
Thank you!
To the OP, We all got hit, some worse than others, but this isn't some kind of pissing contest of who had it worst. People you are talking about are everywhere and it just seems that more come out when there is some sort of chaotic event, but to put everyone in that category as you did is just sad and heartless.
And to the PP MarcnShaun who said people "chose" to stay, it's so easy for you to assume what you would do until you are put in that position. What if you didn't have the money or like another poster said, what if one of your family members was sick and unable to get out? I would not leave any one of my family members behind and I would stay behind even if that meant the worst case outcome for me.
I'll admit - I have no idea of how evacuations work. I live in NH and we got snow storms and ice storms. Our orders during storms like these are to prepare in advance and stay indoors.
But, I'm assuming that people were informed it was MANDATORY (that's a key word right there) to evacuate and that people were also informed that because it was mandatory, that there would not be any emergency services provided during and immediately after the storm.
I understand how people can get jaded (snow storm's get no reaction out of me anymore). I just can't fathom how people would ignore orders and then complain that there was no services being provided since no one was supposed to be in the city.
I'll admit - I have no idea of how evacuations work. I live in NH and we got snow storms and ice storms. Our orders during storms like these are to prepare in advance and stay indoors.
But, I'm assuming that people were informed it was MANDATORY (that's a key word right there) to evacuate and that people were also informed that because it was mandatory, that there would not be any emergency services provided during and immediately after the storm.
I understand how people can get jaded (snow storm's get no reaction out of me anymore). I just can't fathom how people would ignore orders and then complain that there was no services being provided since no one was supposed to be in the city.
Good grief - give up the argument. Unless you've lived in an area that receives frequent evacuation orders, you have no right to comment on that.
BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FVCKING MONEY! WHAT DON'T YOU GET? Fvck that it was mandatory - if they don't have the money where the hell are they going to stay?
I really hate pity parties over lack of news coverage. What does news coverage have to do with what actually happened? You are upset that someone else's disaster was more interesting than yours? I have been through multiple hurricanes, some of which were very devastating, and I can guarantee there was no news coverage.
In fact, after one storm where we didn't have power for almost 4 months, all we heard about on our battery radio was about Florida and the fact that they didn't have power for 2 days. (FL people - what storm hit you in 1995?)
Of course, no one cared about a US territory. It didn't have interest. But that doesn't negate what we were going through. We didn't hate Florida and it's people because of it.