For those of you who haven't been keeping up on the news lately, a Category 5 ( running at 165 sustained miles per hour; Cat5 classified at 156 mph or faster ) is currently on it's run into New Orleans, Louisiana.
Normally, this wouldn't merit my posting, except for two things here. First, 70% of the city is below sea level. Yet, this hurricane is expected to have upwards of a 28-foot tidal surge. That means most of the city with not only be underwater, but also that you can except it to be 50 to 100 feet under. There will be no houses left in thess places.
But that's not the best (or rather, worst) part: There are about a hundred thousand people with no way to evacuate. Many of these people are being placed in the Superdome (sports arena) located there.
So, I used the almighty oracle that rhymes with 'Moogle' to look into this dome. There's a little over 200,000 square feet.
So, uh, about 2 square feet per person, right? That's almost enough space to sit down.
Also, that's not just overall, that including the playing field. There are ~ 60,000 seats. So, what happens if the doors burst and 26 feet of water come rushing in?
Actually, what I really want to know is this: Why aren't they calling in school and greyhound buses to haul people out in droves? You don't need a place to go, just go to escape death. Call in the national guard to airlift a few dozen more. At least give an effort.
Let's all hope for the best for the thousand there that have no way of getting out. It's the least we can do...
EDIT: finished the math. 1.6 feet per person. They say to bring "several days worth of food, water, and supplies." What they should be saying is to bring the dental records in a zip-loc bag so they can easily identify the bodies.
Seriously. Give me a f*cking break.
EDIT2: Winds are now clocked at 175 mph. If there was a such thing as a Category 6, this is it.
New Orleans becomes New Atlantis
Moderators: jelco, bert_the_turtle, Chris
-
Stewsburntmonkey
- level5
- Posts: 11553
- Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2002 7:44 pm
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Contact:
I believe your square footage number is a good deal off.
The Superdome is built on 52 acres of land, which is well over 2 million square feet of land area (and there are multiple levels on most of it, so that only increases the square footage). The dome covers nearly 10 acres, so that's 400,000 square feet (again there are multiple levels, so multiply appropriately). The Superdome has had upwards of 80,000 people at concerts held there, and that is just in the seating and field areas.
The Superdome is also built up. It should be safe from the storm surge. There is no reason to try and move 100,000 people when there is a perfectly good place in the city. Logistically it is just better this way. Just for reference it would take about 2000 Greyline buses to move that number of people. It is far preferable to having people stay in their houses or out on the street.
The Superdome is built on 52 acres of land, which is well over 2 million square feet of land area (and there are multiple levels on most of it, so that only increases the square footage). The dome covers nearly 10 acres, so that's 400,000 square feet (again there are multiple levels, so multiply appropriately). The Superdome has had upwards of 80,000 people at concerts held there, and that is just in the seating and field areas.
The Superdome is also built up. It should be safe from the storm surge. There is no reason to try and move 100,000 people when there is a perfectly good place in the city. Logistically it is just better this way. Just for reference it would take about 2000 Greyline buses to move that number of people. It is far preferable to having people stay in their houses or out on the street.
-
Stewsburntmonkey
- level5
- Posts: 11553
- Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2002 7:44 pm
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Contact:
Yeah, I don't know what that square footage number refers to. The meeting rooms alone are about 100,000 square feet. Having been in the Superdome once, I can't believe those numbers can be complete. We have a small arena in Nashville and I know the loading dock there alone is 30,000 sq. ft. In any event if the roof covers an area of 9.7 acres that is 422,532 sq. ft. There are also parking garages and such on the property which can be utilized as well. New Orleans has had to deal with this danger for many decades now, I trust the local authorities know what they are doing. 
That's still about 4 feet per person.
However, now I see that not everyone of the hundred thousand and going there. Even some people in the French Quarter have yet to evacuate.
As of now, the main storm is only 150 miles away.
One person there has been quoted as saying that escaping to Mississippi would be a fate worst than death.
Truely, famous last words there.
However, now I see that not everyone of the hundred thousand and going there. Even some people in the French Quarter have yet to evacuate.
As of now, the main storm is only 150 miles away.
One person there has been quoted as saying that escaping to Mississippi would be a fate worst than death.
Truely, famous last words there.
-
Stewsburntmonkey
- level5
- Posts: 11553
- Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2002 7:44 pm
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Contact:
-
The GoldFish
- level5
- Posts: 3961
- Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2002 9:01 pm
- Location: Bowl / South UK
- Contact:
Good ol pessimism.Miah Helpmann wrote:famous last words there.
-- The GoldFish - member of former GIT and commander in chief of GALLAHAD. You could have done something, but it's been fixed. The end. Also, play bestgameever!
-
Radiobuzz
- level2
- Posts: 165
- Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2003 6:21 pm
- Location: Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Contact:
I'm sorry, but I'm not completely know what this is all about (I'm not from the US, as you can see). I've been hearing little about a storm, but I don't anything else.
I believe that it has already been in other city, or I'm wrong?
As I said, I don't know much about all this, so I'm not sure how big the disaster is going to be in New Orleans, but I really hope that everything will turn out right.
It's a shame. I've never been in the US, but I always liked New Orleans and I was hoping to travel there sometime.
I hope that the harm will be little. My toughts will be with you.
I believe that it has already been in other city, or I'm wrong?
As I said, I don't know much about all this, so I'm not sure how big the disaster is going to be in New Orleans, but I really hope that everything will turn out right.
It's a shame. I've never been in the US, but I always liked New Orleans and I was hoping to travel there sometime.
I hope that the harm will be little. My toughts will be with you.
Og hér ert Þú, glósóli...
The eye of the storm has only just stuck land.
http://cnn.com
http://startribune.com
Both have this as the top story. You can read it yourself if you like.
http://cnn.com
http://startribune.com
Both have this as the top story. You can read it yourself if you like.
In some ways, I find it kind of funny. New Orleans has been below sea level for a long time now, and it is a well known fact that some hurricane will, eventually, wipe out the city. It may not be this one, but it will happen. To my way of thinking, they have not really prepared for this event. Evacuate everyone to the sports arena. Great. And when the city floods, how are you going to get them out? Little boats and helicopters? In my not so humble opinion, they really should have evacuated the city last week. Abandon the place, and hope that everything works out. Oh, well. What do I know?
xander
xander
Well, yes, they should have.
But the storm had hit land before in Flordia as a Category 1. Between there and New Orleans, it became a Category 5. This is practically unheard of.
Also, how would you prepare for something like this? Certainlly, a massive storm taking out the city was immenent. But no one can say when it would happen. I can give you two more examples:
Mount Saint Helens: For the longest time, they said it would blow. When they were right, there were people who didn't listen. It was like the boy who cried wolf.
Maui, Hawai'i: Experts say that the volcano there will blow it's top again. But they don't know when. It could happen tomorrow, it could happen in 70 years (actual prediction). In the mean time, you can hardly evacuate people if it might be several years before anything happens.
I understand your thought, and I thought the same too, until I saw the circumstances. There wasn't a lot that could be done.
But the storm had hit land before in Flordia as a Category 1. Between there and New Orleans, it became a Category 5. This is practically unheard of.
Also, how would you prepare for something like this? Certainlly, a massive storm taking out the city was immenent. But no one can say when it would happen. I can give you two more examples:
Mount Saint Helens: For the longest time, they said it would blow. When they were right, there were people who didn't listen. It was like the boy who cried wolf.
Maui, Hawai'i: Experts say that the volcano there will blow it's top again. But they don't know when. It could happen tomorrow, it could happen in 70 years (actual prediction). In the mean time, you can hardly evacuate people if it might be several years before anything happens.
I understand your thought, and I thought the same too, until I saw the circumstances. There wasn't a lot that could be done.
Indeed, the exact timing is uncertain. However, the volcanos in Hawai'i are all sheild volcanos. Lots of mafic minerals, meaning low viscosity lava flows. Volcanos like that don't "blow their tops," they tend to flow. That being said, a river of lava could easily take out chunks of Maui. Still, it is something that has been prepared for, and people will have plenty of time to get away. The residents of Hawai'i are ready to go.
Same think with Mt. St. Helens. The residents had months to get away. In fact, almost no one was killed in the eruption. Sure, damage was done, and property was lost, but relatively few lives were lost (about 50, if I recall correctly, most of whom ignored the evacuation warnings).
In both cases, there is a plan in place to move people out. In New Orleans, I don't see there being a plan. There is no way to evacuate everyone in case of a disaster (like the current one could be). In fact, the roads are not sufficient to the task of evacuating 100,000 people in a day or two. As such, it seems to me that the smart person would get the hell out and move to some place a little higher, and that the local governments would get together and try to come up with a contingency plan.
Again, what happens when the area is flooded and people are trapped in the stadium? What if water breaches the stadium walls, making the field and perhaps the first several ranks of seats uninhabitable? This does not seem like a plan to me. It seems that no one has really thought this through.
On a lighter note, it would appear that the hurricane has lost some power over night, and the New Orleans may not be in as much trouble as predicted. However, some hurricane will take the city out eventually. The city needs a better evacuation plan.
To clarify my original point a bit, I am not suggesting that everyone should permenantly abandon the city (though it might be a good idea). I am suggesting that local officials should come up with a good plan for getting everyone out in an emergency, and make sure that the infrastructure exists to make it possible. At this point in time, it does not seem that these things exist.
xander
Same think with Mt. St. Helens. The residents had months to get away. In fact, almost no one was killed in the eruption. Sure, damage was done, and property was lost, but relatively few lives were lost (about 50, if I recall correctly, most of whom ignored the evacuation warnings).
In both cases, there is a plan in place to move people out. In New Orleans, I don't see there being a plan. There is no way to evacuate everyone in case of a disaster (like the current one could be). In fact, the roads are not sufficient to the task of evacuating 100,000 people in a day or two. As such, it seems to me that the smart person would get the hell out and move to some place a little higher, and that the local governments would get together and try to come up with a contingency plan.
Again, what happens when the area is flooded and people are trapped in the stadium? What if water breaches the stadium walls, making the field and perhaps the first several ranks of seats uninhabitable? This does not seem like a plan to me. It seems that no one has really thought this through.
On a lighter note, it would appear that the hurricane has lost some power over night, and the New Orleans may not be in as much trouble as predicted. However, some hurricane will take the city out eventually. The city needs a better evacuation plan.
To clarify my original point a bit, I am not suggesting that everyone should permenantly abandon the city (though it might be a good idea). I am suggesting that local officials should come up with a good plan for getting everyone out in an emergency, and make sure that the infrastructure exists to make it possible. At this point in time, it does not seem that these things exist.
xander
-
Stewsburntmonkey
- level5
- Posts: 11553
- Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2002 7:44 pm
- Location: Nashville, TN
- Contact:
The city like all cities on the Gulf has extensive evacuation plans. The problem is you don't know the path of a Hurricane very far in advance. Many Hurricanes have headed right for New Orleans only to vear off to one side or another. Ordering the evacuation of a city of more than a million people (counting the immediate area) is not something you do unless you really need to.
The people who wanted to get out had plenty of time to do so. The problem is that New Orleans is one of the poorest cities in the United States, so large numbers of people simply didn't have the means to be able to leave.
Like I said earlier, the Superdome is built on an elavated platform so that flooding wouldn't have been an issue there. In the end only 8,000-10,000 people took refuge in the Superdome. And even though some of the roof sustained damage the people inside could barely even hear the storm outside.
You don't need to completely abandon a city during a hurricane, even a cat 5 storm like this. All you need to do is be able to provide everyone with proper shelter. The problem is that houses for the most part don't constitute proper shelter. Thus cities like New Orleans ask all those who can leave to do so, and those who can't or don't want to are provided with shelters like the Superdome. This system was executed pretty much perfectly this time, so I see no reason to change it.
The people who wanted to get out had plenty of time to do so. The problem is that New Orleans is one of the poorest cities in the United States, so large numbers of people simply didn't have the means to be able to leave.
Like I said earlier, the Superdome is built on an elavated platform so that flooding wouldn't have been an issue there. In the end only 8,000-10,000 people took refuge in the Superdome. And even though some of the roof sustained damage the people inside could barely even hear the storm outside.
You don't need to completely abandon a city during a hurricane, even a cat 5 storm like this. All you need to do is be able to provide everyone with proper shelter. The problem is that houses for the most part don't constitute proper shelter. Thus cities like New Orleans ask all those who can leave to do so, and those who can't or don't want to are provided with shelters like the Superdome. This system was executed pretty much perfectly this time, so I see no reason to change it.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests