Post
by mlittle » Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:28 am
After repairing the two broken levees in New Orleans(the Industrial and 17th St. Canal), engineers have begun pumping out the toxic "witches-brew" of floodwaters from the city, but it's slow going...of the 148 pumps that are stationed all around the city, only 6 are functioning. Meanwhile, the mayor of the near-deserted city, Ray Nagin, issued a mandatory evacuation order, ordering the 10,000 or so remaining in the city to leave or that they would be physically removed from their homes and residences. In a sense, they have no choice; CDC and Public Health Serivce doctors have said that the number of bacterial infections from the floodwaters have risen sharply this week; add all the chemicals, sludge, sewage and the sure to be numerous amt. of remains(human and otherwise), and you can see why I referred to it as a "witches-brew". Police and Nat. Guard troops have continued their patrols throughout the city, expanding the area they ctrl. now and assisting in the evacuation efforts.
Meanwhile, utilities crews are making progress in restoring electrical power to the Mississippi and Alabama coasts; areas south of Hattiesburg, MS got their lights back on, and all but 2,500 on the 'Bama coast are lights-on, the exception being Dauphin Island, which suffered severe damage from Katrina. I'll try to have more info up on the forum as the evening progresses, but it appears that things are getting better. It is just going to be a long, long recovery.