Good luck New Orleans, the police will be no help again

[Trish]

There are LARGE shelter's set up in Alexandria that's set up for a large amount of people. That's about 3.5 hours away. They will bus there and in Shreveport too. There are numerous school shelters opening up by the minute in all communities surrounding New Orleans. There are thousands and thousands of national guard activated and mobilized. Red cross is ready to roll. I was in the heart of new orleans yesterday and everybody is fine and not panicked..just doing what they have to do. Yes, there are people that are not back on their feet, but we are strong down here...despite what the national news systems make us out to be.

 

I'm not evacuating. I'm not in a flood zone. If things should change, I will be ready to roll at a moment's notice.

 

The only MANDATORY evacuations that I have heard are south of the inter coastal area's...prone to flooding with a bad thunderstorm. People down here just don't evacuate for a Category 1 storm..no need unless you are in a mobile home, tent, camper or unsafe structure. If there is a mandatory evac, they don't want shelter's open in that mandatory evac area because it's not safe...they want all people out.

 

 

And yes, I'm sure there is lots of kitten killing going on in this post but I don't much care right now.

 

I saw all the buses standing by on the news tonight, rows and rows of them. When are they planning to go into use? Not tomorrow during the start of the storm, right? So...eh...TONIGHT?

[Live2Ride]

How does that work when, for instance, you can't get even get gasoline?

 

We always keep 2-3 cans full. When hurricanes come, we make sure to fill the other 3-4 we have left for the generator. Be Prepared is our motto. :D

[Hockey Mom]

The major problem with media sensationalizing is that they make a big deal out out of a storm and it ends up being a minor inconvenience. Then a dangerous storm comes through and people blow it off as hype like last time. That's when lives are lost. Have we learned nothing from the boy who cried wolf?

 

We are prepared for the storm. We had a run of the mill thunderstorm pass through 2 weeks ago, and on my street alone, a house caught fire because of lightening and a huge tree came down on my neighbor's 3 cars and another on a truck and boat. It was crazy! You just never know and always need to be prepared.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is awful how the local and national media hype these storms up. Had we not had the modern convenience of "LIVE radar", Floridians would have thought it was just another rainy day. But the hype leading up to the storm last night had a LOT of people (mostly newer residents that didn't go through Charley) really freaked out. People were on edge all weekend. It was sad to witness.

 

The storm brought us higher than normal tides today. Our dock was about a foot under water. I'd post a picture of it, but since our boat has our business logo on it, I don't want to break any rules on the site. Aside from that, it was pretty much a non-event, and people around here are already talking about ignoring the next one that comes our way.

[cajunrose]

I saw all the buses standing by on the news tonight, rows and rows of them. When are they planning to go into use? Not tomorrow during the start of the storm, right? So...eh...TONIGHT?

 

They will activate them if it looks like there is a rapid strengthen..also if people in low lying area's need to get out...the sick, elderly, inmates, and handicapped have already been moved out of affected area's by those buses and ambulances. We still have 24 hours until landfall.

[FairyMom]

WHere did the "What's the Government doing for me" attitude take place?

Do you not think a city should protect it's citizens?

 

A city should provide protection for it's residents. A city like New Orleans who has gone through this numerous times over the last century and wiill go through it again and again SHOULD be able to evacuate a city without massive problems since they have done it over and over.(you have a problem one year then that problem should be fixed for the next year) People too poor to be able to "be responsible for themselves" in a situation like this should what...hunker down? Those are the people I met after Katrina who had the flood waters rip the child from their arms and swept them away. Those are the people who could not find a way to the busses or shelters and were in water up to their necks. These are the same people on food stamps or fixed income who are at the end of the month and have no money for the extra expense of buying food for the laughable 3 days the city tells you to have. Those are the people the city has forgotten in the past and will in the future. The city's plan (and I use this word lightly) cannot account for the high number of people listed above. Shame on those people to expect a city's government to help them out.

 

 

:iagree:

[Ibbygirl]

According to the 1am advisory, Isaac is still a tropical storm. :hurray: I'm so glad it's not intensifying as quickly as they initially predicted. The sustained winds (again at the 1am advisory) are 70mph. :) Hopefully it stays that way. I know it's not fun to go through, but a cat1 is better than a cat 2 or higher any day. :) Stay safe everyone. :grouphug:

 

Oh, I also just wanted to correct some misinformation in this thread if you will allow me. Both Andrew and Katrina were category 3 hurricanes when they made landfall in Louisiana. Katrina was a category 5 (and the strongest storm on record to boot!) while over water, but she decreased before making landfall to 125 mph maximum sustained winds. Andrew was a 5 when it hit Florida, but it also was a 3 when it made landfall in Louisiana.

 

 

The major problem with media sensationalizing is that they make a big deal out out of a storm and it ends up being a minor inconvenience. Then a dangerous storm comes through and people blow it off as hype like last time. That's when lives are lost. Have we learned nothing from the boy who cried wolf?

 

 

 

:iagree: :iagree: So true! They love to capitalize on the potential viewership during a disaster by fear mongering. It's a dangerous game that costs lives.

Edited August 28, 2012 by Ibbygirl

[sassenach]

According to the policeman my father talked to in regards to the coming hurricane, the police have no plan of action. "When the s*** hits we will see then what to do." When will the NO police get it together? Just makes me mad. All the things the police did during and after Hurricane Katrina...yes, there were a few who stepped up to the plate and behaved with honor...the rest, no words can truly describe them, And now with Issac on it's way, if it hits the city will be the wild west all over again :cursing:

 

 

I am so glad we are no longer near there, but my family is. Much praying will be going on over the next few days.

 

When we lived there, police were paid 20something a year. You get what you pay for. Dh had to work directly with the department and he says it is the most corrupt department he's ever interacted with. Second to Mexico.

[KnitWit]

The issue with this storm is not whether it's a hurricane or tropical storm. It is the fact that it is large and slow moving and it's probably going to bring a lot of water onshore and drop a lot of water from above.

 

As it moves further inland, all that rain will be a huge blessing. That whole area in TN/MS/AR is suffering severe drought conditions. A couple of weeks ago, we went to Memphis and visited the waterfront. It is shocking how low the MS river is. The Army Corp of Engineers is having to continually dredge out the channel to keep barge traffic moving.

 

On the shore, storm surge and lots of rain aren't so desirable. One man curse is another man's blessing.

[cajunrose]

According to the 1am advisory, Isaac is still a tropical storm. :hurray: I'm so glad it's not intensifying as quickly as they initially predicted. The sustained winds (again at the 1am advisory) are 70mph. :) Hopefully it stays that way. I know it's not fun to go through, but a cat1 is better than a cat 2 or higher any day. :) Stay safe everyone. :grouphug:

 

Oh, I also just wanted to correct some misinformation in this thread if you will allow me. Both Andrew and Katrina were category 3 hurricanes when they made landfall in Louisiana. Katrina was a category 5 (and the strongest storm on record to boot!) while over water, but she decreased before making landfall to 125 mph maximum sustained winds. Andrew was a 5 when it hit Florida, but it also was a 3 when it made landfall in Louisiana.

 

 

 

 

:iagree: :iagree: So true! They love to capitalize on the potential viewership during a disaster by fear mongering. It's a dangerous game that costs lives.

 

There is a lot of misinformation about what size Andrew was when it hit louisiana. It was a 4 when it hit but had gusts up to 175ish. Our airport wind meter broke at 175. They came back and said it was a 5 well after it hit. My home was ground zero for that one. It still grates my nerves when ppl say "only a cat 3"..nope...it was much much stronger. Ironically enough, I can only really find information about when it hit florida...because just like back then, that's all you heard about. I'll find some concrete info for you though. You don't loose a well built brick home in a cat 3. I'm sorry...you hit a nerve...I have severe PTSD problems from that storm.

Edited August 28, 2012 by cajunrose

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

It frustrates me when people outside our area are getting second hand info from news sources. It's a fairly weak storm. We've been dealing with them long enough...you pack up and go when they say. They are helping people out. I think last minute shelters are a bad idea. They did learn from last time. Pack 'em out early and no last minute shelters. Those who choose to stay behind are pretty much on their own as they should be. It's their choice.

 

I hope you have a safe trip out!

43 yrs living there and a family still in New Orleans...Becuase I live in Iowa does not mean I have no idea what is happening in Louisiana and the info I have did not come from an outside media.

 

The info was from a NO Police officer that could not even direct my father to help, where he should go and what he should do. My OP was a complaint on the NO Police department not having a clue...again. Sorry but that is wrong. A police department in the middle of a city that might get hit by a hurricane in the next 48 hrs (at the time) should have a clear understanding of a plan for the people it protects or at least where to direct them when asked. NO Police have dropped the ball in the past and have never gotten their act together enough to change this.

 

I have had tropical storms do more damage then a hurricane and weak hurricanes do more damage then a strong one.

How early is "pack them out early"? To get a city out you need more then a day.

 

What grumps me is people living in these areas that can only see their own situation as normal and why doesn't everyone prepare like they do and if they don't then it is no fault what happens but their own. Not everyone has a car...do you know when the buses stop running in a city evacuating? Will these buses take you to where the mass buss exodus is meeting? Will these people get picked up and brought to the evacuating buses? What about money? Stock up might not be an option for the poor when they barely get by with enough for the month. Getting gas is not that easy....not to mention the extra money you need to pay for this expensive item. If you have ever been in a financial situation that was pretty much hand to mouth then the cost of a hurricane is something you cannot afford no matter how much you might want to buy the extra food or gas...it is not happening. Sometimes life has taken the choice of stay or go from you. From what I have read here, these people need to buck up and deal. How many of the 1800 who died in Katrina had a real choice to stay or go?:glare:

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I saw all the buses standing by on the news tonight, rows and rows of them. When are they planning to go into use? Not tomorrow during the start of the storm, right? So...eh...TONIGHT?

Guess the "pack em up early" idea is working right on schedule. Good to know.:glare:

[Lady Florida.]

There is a lot of misinformation about what size Andrew was when it hit louisiana. It was a 4 when it hit but had gusts up to 175ish. Our airport wind meter broke at 175. They came back and said it was a 5 well after it hit. My home was ground zero for that one. It still grates my nerves when ppl say "only a cat 3"..nope...it was much much stronger. Ironically enough, I can only really find information about when it hit florida...because just like back then, that's all you heard about. I'll find some concrete info for you though. You don't loose a well built brick home in a cat 3. I'm sorry...you hit a nerve...I have severe PTSD problems from that storm.

The upgrade to a Cat 5 was for Florida. It was originally thought to have hit FL as a Cat 4, then they upgraded it to a 5. It still hit LA as a Cat 3. I'm not downplaying that. A Cat 3 is still a powerful storm. I'm just correcting the information.

 

The reason you heard more about Florida is that it did $25 billion dollars worth of damage and the loss of life was higher. There was $1 billion in damages in Louisiana. Still an astronomical amount of damage, but not as much as in Florida.

 

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html

 

Quote from the noaa website linked above: (bolding mine)

 

When Andrew reached the north-central Gulf of Mexico, the high pressure system to its northeast weakened and a strong mid-latitude trough approached the area from the northwest. Steering currents began to change. Andrew turned toward the northwest and its forward speed decreased to about 8 kt. The hurricane struck a sparsely populated section of the south-central Louisiana coast with category 3 intensity at about 0830 UTC on the 26th. The landfall location is about 20 n mi west-southwest of Morgan City.

 

I've been through my share of hurricanes and I know that even relatively weak ones can cause major damage. I hope you and everyone in the path of Isaac is safe.

[cajunrose]

There is NO need to pack anybody up. It's not even a hurricane

yet!!!!

[klmama]

Can anyone tell me how the communities on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain are generally affected during storms like this, specifically Covington?

 

 

 

Does anyone know about this? I have family in Covington, too.

[cajunrose]

The upgrade to a Cat 5 was for Florida. It was originally thought to have hit FL as a Cat 4, then they upgraded it to a 5. It still hit LA as a Cat 3. I'm not downplaying that. A Cat 3 is still a powerful storm. I'm just correcting the information.

 

The reason you heard more about Florida is that it did $25 billion dollars worth of damage and the loss of life was higher. There was $1 billion in damages in Louisiana. Still an astronomical amount of damage, but not as much as in Florida.

 

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html

 

Quote from the noaa website linked above: (bolding mine)

 

When Andrew reached the north-central Gulf of Mexico, the high pressure system to its northeast weakened and a strong mid-latitude trough approached the area from the northwest. Steering currents began to change. Andrew turned toward the northwest and its forward speed decreased to about 8 kt. The hurricane struck a sparsely populated section of the south-central Louisiana coast with category 3 intensity at about 0830 UTC on the 26th. The landfall location is about 20 n mi west-southwest of Morgan City.

 

I've been through my share of hurricanes and I know that even relatively weak ones can cause major damage. I hope you and everyone in the path of Isaac is safe.

 

I am going to look like an idiot in this because there is not much information about louisiana..still...but I have papers from that time period, i have pictures, I have a whole lot that says otherwise...in storage because we are in the process of moving. I'll just have to back out of this one. I KNOW our city wind mane broke at 175. It's neither here nor there really...it sucked for my town.

[Lady Florida.]

I KNOW our city wind mane broke at 175. It's neither here nor there really...it sucked for my town.

 

 

It's very possible it did - and that was probably a gust. If the winds weren't sustained though, it wasn't a Category 5. I've been in mild hurricanes where the gust were quite strong. And I'm sure it did suck for your town. :grouphug:

[cajunrose]

Honestly? I think some measurements have changed since it actually hit. I have friends on my fbook page that lived through it here too and they are all say Cat 4 with gusts to 175+. Asking my hometown paper now..they are great about answering questions.

 

Here is what I found on NHC. I think some of the measurements have changed and historically, it'll go down as a 3 in Louisiana because of it.

 

In 1997, a new instrument, the Global Positioning System (GPS) dropwindsonde, became available and was deployed in the eyewall. The GPS sonde provides, for the first time, the ability to measure the strongest winds in a hurricane from the reconnaissance aircraft's flight-level all the way down to the surface. Over the last several years, several hundred dropwindsondes were released in hurricanes; and recently-concluded research has shown that typical adjustment factors are higher than previously thought with surface winds in the eyewall averaging about 90% of the flight-level wind. The dropwindsonde data also tell us that storms with little or weak eyewall thunderstorm activity tend to have somewhat lower smaller percentage factors, while intense storms, as well as those with vigorous thunderstorm activity, may have somewhat higher reduction percentage factors.

 

Based on this new understanding, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) typically now uses a factor of 90% to estimate a hurricane's maximum surface winds from flight-level observations. This means that the winds of some storms in the historical record may have been underestimated.

 

How does this new understanding affect NHC's estimate of Andrew's landfall intensity?

A reconnaissance aircraft in Andrew at about the time of landfall reported flight-level winds of about 186 mph (162 kt). While the exact intensity of Andrew at landfall will never be precisely known, our new understanding of the structure of the hurricane eyewall suggests that Andrew's maximum sustained surface winds based on this particular measure were very likely of category five strength, in the vicinity of 165 mph (145 kt).

 

And I do know they were talking about the Florida landfall there...but I really think that facts changed due to reanalysis. At that time, they told us in Patterson (10 miles west of Morgan City), they told us a 4..unless they lied. Like I said..moot point really. Facts changing doesn't change our loss..my now hurricane anxiety, my wanting to vomit every time the words "National Guard" is said in relation to disasters. The National Guard saved our lives...and kept us fed and safe for weeks after the storm.

[KnitWit]

There is NO need to pack anybody up. It's not even a hurricane

yet!!!!

 

:grouphug::grouphug: I really think this is relative to where people are. My cousin DID feel like she needed to pack up and leave whether it reaches hurricane strength or not. Like I said, it's not wind, but water. My cousin lives in a vulnerable area and frankly does not trust the levees. I just kind of feel like people who were flooded after the fact with Katrina deserve some grace if they choose to pack up now. I'm sure I would be hesitant to trust something that failed me then. kwim?

 

:grouphug::grouphug:

[cajunrose]

Oh I agree with that. The biggest problem will be rain and if the pumps can keep up in the flood prone area's of NOLA. There is just no evacuation orders for NOLA and likely won't be. I'm not in a flood prone area and there are people who left here and I don't fault them for that. I might add that the worse problem (Since Andrew) we had with water came from Tropical Storm Allison. It was BAD...it sat on us forever and I wasn't sure we would make it out the other end of that one without gills..lol

[cajunrose]

Ok. I knew I wasn't crazy..lol Here is an article from my hometown from back then.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-1992-0826louisiana,0,7187374.story

 

The eye wall stayed JUST off the coast...we lived just ON the coast..so those SUSTAINED winds hit my home at 140 (cat 4) with long lasting gusts over 175 for a while before they dropped down to the Cat 3 level. My house never got the eye...just the north and east side of that eye wall...so when that part hit us, it was still a 4 but dropped down as it was on top of us. They gauge a storm by when that eye hits land so if the center of the eye hit land right as it became a '3', it will be listed as a 3...but we got a good bit of weather at the cat 4 level before it dropped. I just remember what the papers read back then and it explains a lot more now to me. Even Morgan City, which was 10 miles to our east, had a much better time than we did in Patterson. It's weird, people's memories are completely different with the 10 miles difference. Now my blood pressure can go back down..lol

 

Added later: Of course, my mom has the original paper from back then...she emailed me pictures. I'll upload them in a few. Our hometown newspaper paints a much different picture than what the national weather centers say it was.

Edited August 28, 2012 by cajunrose

[cajunrose]

Ok, my mom sent me pictures of our hometown paper from back then. You can see why my memories...and my friends memories (the ones that lived through it) differ from the rest of the nations...even the 'official' sites.

 

 

This first one talks about the festival that happens on Labor day weekend..they did end up canceling it for obvious reasons, BUT it shows the wind gusts.

 

Thank you to my mom who saves absolutely everything...rofl

Edited August 28, 2012 by cajunrose

[KnitWit]

(((Stephenie))) I don't think anyone is disputing what you went through. I'm a native Floridian who has been transplanted, but anyone who has lived around the coast knows that you don't have to have a huge hurricane to sustain damage. I mean, the whole town can be virtually damage free, but then that little *nothing* wind gust drops the tree in your front yard on YOUR home and, well then, it's SOMETHING!! :grouphug::grouphug:

 

I know it's hard. There are those who panic and run around like Chicken Little and there are those who act like they are too cool to be concerned about the weather. It's hard for people who are just trying to remain clear headed and make good decisions based upon where *you* live and *your* past experience.

 

:grouphug::grouphug: Praying this is really a *non* event for you!

[cajunrose]

(((Stephenie))) I don't think anyone is disputing what you went through. I'm a native Floridian who has been transplanted, but anyone who has lived around the coast knows that you don't have to have a huge hurricane to sustain damage. I mean, the whole town can be virtually damage free, but then that little *nothing* wind gust drops the tree in your front yard on YOUR home and, well then, it's SOMETHING!! :grouphug::grouphug:

 

I know it's hard. There are those who panic and run around like Chicken Little and there are those who act like they are too cool to be concerned about the weather. It's hard for people who are just trying to remain clear headed and make good decisions based upon where *you* live and *your* past experience.

 

:grouphug::grouphug: Praying this is really a *non* event for you!

 

You are right..and my emotions are high coming off of the anniversary of Andrew and ON the anniversary of Katrina. However, if you look at those articles, you can see that while the NHC and Wiki might say that it hit a little populated area in Louisiana with minor damage, those articles from my hometown paper shows a much different picture. It was bad...for my whole area, not just my home. Just like Katrina was bad for those that flooded (I didn't). The picture for the people that lived through it is much different than those on the outside looking in.

 

I think this one will be a rain maker...and that scares me honestly. We have had nearly 60 inches of rain just this year. This month? 12. Just last week, we had 5 inches in 6 hours. Our ground is already saturated. I'm worried about loosing trees though thankfully, we don't have any super tall ones in our yard or neighbors.

[jeninok]

Covington should be fine for this storm as it is north of the interstate. Covington is not under any evacuation orders that I am aware of at the moment, and I don't anticipate there will be any orders issued for Covington. The only problem I could see for Covington residents would be loss of power at some point and the possiblity of tornado activity. I know the media likes to blow up these storms and make them sound awful. And the timing for this one is painfully stressful for those of us that went through Katrina. But this one really isn't a bad storm.

 

Thank you for this, I was really worried about their potential for severe property damage and further trauma.

 

I actually got in touch with them last night, and as they picked a property on high ground, with a sloping backyard down to a large drainage pond that is less than full, the whole family is gathering with them. Turns out the shutters on their house are actually functional, their pantry is stocked with enough food to last the entire family two weeks, and they have two generators in the garage with plenty of gas. I do know they usually leave, even for storms expected to be minor, so they must be feeling pretty okay about this one.

 

Thankfully my uncle was already home on scheduled leave, so I know her feeling of safety is much higher just with him there.

[Live2Ride]

43 yrs living there and a family still in New Orleans...Becuase I live in Iowa does not mean I have no idea what is happening in Louisiana and the info I have did not come from an outside media.

 

The post wasn't directed at you, but obviously hit a nerve. I apologize for that, but living here during the last few large hurricanes and currently, we do hear and see things that the news media does not report or twists.

 

Many people do choose to live where they are. Many can get out of their situation. Many won't. Many came back. Many went to BR and surrounding areas. Many got assistance to go elsewhere and get set up. I was here for Katrina, I was here afterward. Many were too stubborn to leave and unfortunately paid the price. Yes some couldn't, but that's the way it is in natural disasters. It happens all over the world. Water is a serious threat. It is extremely difficult to keep it under control and contained. I love NOLA, but I would not choose to live there; it's too much of a risk.

 

I lived in Kansas where tornados are a big threat. We did not have the money for a shelter and had no basement. Should the government there be expected to build us an appropriate shelter because tornados are so dangerous? No they shoudn't and they won't.

 

People need to NOT rely on the government. It's not their job to get you out. It just isn't. They can help, but they can not go door to door throughout the whole city making sure everyone is out. Our society today has become so private and fast paced that hardly anyone knows their neighbors or cares to get to know them. People aren't seriously putting plans in place for themselves or their family members for emergencies like this. Family isn't all that interested in older relatives and make excuses for what they 'can't do' to help. Police and fire department can only do so much.

 

They are trying to help.

Edited August 28, 2012 by CountryGirl2

[Live2Ride]

There is NO need to pack anybody up. It's not even a hurricane

yet!!!!

 

Wind just knocked our old rusty basketball goal onto our fence. Luckily it was right near a post so it took the brunt of the force. No major damage, but we'll be digging out the cement later this week now that the ground will be softer, lol.

Edited August 28, 2012 by CountryGirl2

[KnitWit]

You are right..and my emotions are high coming off of the anniversary of Andrew and ON the anniversary of Katrina.

.

 

:grouphug::grouphug: Well, of course they are!!! :grouphug::grouphug:

 

Everyone in the path of the storm is in the thoughts and prayers of many, many people. It is okay to be concerned and wig out a bit!

 

Praying for you!

[KnitWit]

Wind just knocked our old rusty basketball goal onto our fence. Luckily it was right near a post so it took the brunt of the force. No major damage, but we'll be digging out the cement later this week now that the ground will be softer, lol.

 

:grouphug: Well "Hello Isaac", I guess! Hopefully the rest of this day will be uneventful for you! :grouphug:

[Live2Ride]

:grouphug: Well "Hello Isaac", I guess! Hopefully the rest of this day will be uneventful for you! :grouphug:

 

My chimes sound pretty, lol! DH can't get the generator to run quite right, but it'll do if need be. We'll take it in after the storm to have it looked at. He's taken a good bit apart and cleaned it and it still is running like it's clogged up a little. Both full sized freezers are packed full so they'll stay cold for a while and we just got back from vacation so the fridge is fairly empty. All the farm animals have been fed and are free to come and go as they choose. Dinner is planned for tonight using the gas cook top just in case the power goes out (oven is electric). I'm not saying how much food I have stored, but I'm a good practicing food storage/emergency prep Mormon, so we're set :D

[Slartibartfast]

I hope everyone stays safe and the storm stays small.

[cajunrose]

Yeah, we are all set thinking we had a camp stove to use while the power is out. Negative...I sent it up to Oklahoma in our camper. Sucks to be us! LOL

[Live2Ride]

you are welcome to come up here if need be! an impromptu meetup, lol

[Ibbygirl]

There is a lot of misinformation about what size Andrew was when it hit louisiana. It was a 4 when it hit but had gusts up to 175ish. Our airport wind meter broke at 175. They came back and said it was a 5 well after it hit. My home was ground zero for that one. It still grates my nerves when ppl say "only a cat 3"..nope...it was much much stronger. Ironically enough, I can only really find information about when it hit florida...because just like back then, that's all you heard about. I'll find some concrete info for you though. You don't loose a well built brick home in a cat 3. I'm sorry...you hit a nerve...I have severe PTSD problems from that storm.

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I'm not trying to minimize what you went through at all and I am sorry if that is how what I said made you feel. I went through Andrew myself here in Florida and it was the scariest thing I've ever been through so believe me I understand. I am not downplaying anyone's experiences at all. :grouphug::grouphug:

 

The reason I felt compelled to correct the information is because when one is talking about levees and evacuations, it's good to be dealing with accurate information. This one may not be a cat 3 or higher but we're still a long way from November 30th, kwim?

 

If one knows that Katrina struck as a Cat 3 with 125 mph maximum sustained winds and at that strength it took the levees out that flooded the city that is information one can go on when making comparisons between storms. The news likes to make everything dramatic and in the process a lot of the time the real useful information that one would want to make and educated decision can be lost. If one knows the facts about the matter it can help them make an educated decision for themselves and their families. That's where I was coming from.

[Ibbygirl]

Ok, my mom sent me pictures of our hometown paper from back then. You can see why my memories...and my friends memories (the ones that lived through it) differ from the rest of the nations...even the 'official' sites.

 

 

This first one talks about the festival that happens on Labor day weekend..they did end up canceling it for obvious reasons, BUT it shows the wind gusts.

 

Thank you to my mom who saves absolutely everything...rofl

 

If that was the case there I would seriously send a copy of those news clippings to NOAA along with an account of your personal experiences and ask them to upgrade it's category for it's Louisiana landfall. It's important that information be accurate about these storms IMO because people make life or death decisions based upon that information.

 

Andrew was initially thought to be a strong cat 4 when it hit here and there was a report filed after the fact calling for it to be raised to a cat 5 based upon pressure readings and wind readings in Dade county after landfall and they amended it and raised the category rating.

 

It may seem like splitting hairs to some, but you and I, who have been through these things know how people make value judgments based upon the information. It's human nature to make comparisons and to make decisions based upon understanding of the facts. That has real life implications.

 

Case in point: Hurricane Charley was a cat 4 when it made landfall. The officials were calling for evacuations and some people stayed behind thinking it wasn't going to be that bad. A man and his son died in their car because they didn't evacuate beforehand and when things got thick they tried to leave and outrun the storm and got caught up in it. :(

 

I think that's why it's so important to have accurate information since people make decisions based upon that information. How many people in Louisiana pooh poohed the thought of Katrina being a threat and refused to evacuate when she was still out on the Gulf citing Hurricane Camille as an example and how the levees held. That is what I'm saying. People make decisions based upon information. It's important to know that yes a strong category 3 storm can cause this much damage.

 

That was really what I was trying to point out in my previous post.

 

I hope that Isaac isn't too bad for ya'll. Stay safe! :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Edited August 28, 2012 by Ibbygirl