In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana have been placed under martial law.
A break in the 17th Street Canal levee is estimated at over 200 feet wide, and inrushing water is slowly flooding the city of New Orleans.
Looting is widespread across the area, prompting officials to declare martial law and implement a plan to seal off Jefferson Parish until next Monday. Depending on floodwaters, residents with identification may be allowed back in at that time to recover any possessions, but will be asked to leave again for at least a month.
Newspaper and television crews finally evacuated their hurricane bunkers this morning in search of higher ground as floodwaters began to rise in the French Quarter.
Pumping stations are not working, primary due to the lack of power. Virtually nowhere in southeastern Louisiana has power at this time. Entergy officials estimate it will take at least a month to rebuild enough of the damaged infrastructure to begin restoring power.
A barge that was hit dumped diesel into Gretna’s water supply. Water all over the area is contaminated, even in downtown New Orleans.
Most landline and wireless telephones in New Orleans are out of service, and 911 service is not available in most areas.
If you are still in New Orleans and need help, get to the Sam’s Club parking lot at Earhart and Airline, and rescue boats will transport you from there to the Superdome. If you can’t swim, however, you’d probably best remain where you are. If you can still evacuate, take the Crescent City Connection to the West Bank, then Highway 90 to I-310 or I-10 west. I-10 east is closed indefinitely due to damage to the Twin Spans.
Just watching this disaster unfold is truly amazing, shocking and heartbreaking. Almost 100 people are confirmed dead, and we’ve likely only seen the beginning. New Orleans as we know it is gone forever.
WWL-TV is posting regular updates on its Web site. The New Orleans Times-Picayune is distrubuting the newspaper electronically only until further notice. And Jefferson Parish plans to publish information about individual neighborhoods on its Web site; however, the site is down at this time, and it is unclear when the site might be restored.
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Karl Marx would love the popular moves among politicians in various state governments and the federal government to ban so-called "junk" food in schools, and to "put healthy food in" convenience stores and on the tables of those they define as poor. It's a very elitist and arrogant mindset that promotes this ideology, and it needs to be addressed.
Ultimately, the war supporters in Congress prevailed in the vote on the resolution. Still, the vote was significant because it places every member of Congress on the record as supporting or not supporting the unconstitutional, costly, violent occupation of a country that never attacked us. This vote should serve as an important reminder to the American people of where their representatives really stand when it comes to policing the world, empire building, and war.
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Newsvine
Aug 30, 2005
Tuesday’s state of telephone service after Hurricane Katrina - Phone Watch
N. Mallory
Aug 30, 2005
I am compiling a list of relief and aid organizations collecting donations for Katrina-hit areas as well as a list of places trying to connect people separated by the evacuation at The Naked Truth.
Dave Slotter
Aug 31, 2005
IO ERROR does a good job explaining just how widespread the devastation is from Hurricane Katrina. At present, I have heard that at least 40,000 people are homeless and are in 200 makeshift shelters. Some of the refugees are slowly coming here to Texas. While this is a truly saddening experience, we don’t have to feel helpless. Each person can make a difference by donating to the relief efforts.
I have some links on my weblog to help put people in touch with relief agencies: Hurricane Katrina Survivors Need Your Help!
Jon Ã…slund
Aug 31, 2005
Are you sure Martial Law has been declared? Shouldn’t that be a lot bigger than just announcing it on a local news channel?
Aug 31, 2005
New Orleans survivors going to Houston Astrodome - IO ERROR
Trevor
Aug 31, 2005
Let’s face it, the alternative to not declaring martial law is a continuation of the looting. In a society that has perpetuated non-responsibility for the individual, this is the only way to stop the looting.
rob lynch
Sep 01, 2005
these people need help now!
Nguyen
Sep 03, 2005
would u happen to know how to find a certain person in Plaquemines Parish, Mississippi? please email back if you know, this is urgent.
Michael Hampton
Sep 03, 2005
I know Plaquemines Parish is in Louisiana. People in this area were ordered to evacuate last Saturday, two days before landfall. The parish was extremely hard hit by the hurricane, as this is pretty much where it made landfall. Unfortunately, I have trouble believing that more than a very few who remained in the parish are still alive at this point. I can only hope that the person you are looking for had the good sense to leave well in advance of the hurricane. You may try looking at the various “missing persons” and “I’m OK” websites which have come up in recent days. You can find a more or less complete list of these by clicking the Katrina Help link at the top left.
Yakima Harper
Nov 24, 2007
This is terrible Bush need to do something or give the chair up.
Yakima Harper
Nov 24, 2007
This is terrible Bush need to do something or give up the chair!
Nov 19, 2009
Poor canal maintenance led to Katrina flooding - Homeland Stupidity