Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (11799)	2/13/2006 5:03:27 PM
From: carranza2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541274

No, fatalism didn't cause the hurricane. We agree, then. hurricane specialists have been predicting, for many years, what would happen if a hurricane like Katrina hit New Orleans, unless precautions were taken, and they were not taken. I wouldn't put it quite like that, but you're getting closer. Everyone knew any hurricane over a cat. 3 that hit NO could be a disaster. Most everyone thought the levees could withstand a cat. 3 storm. For my part, I was leery, having completed a levee case immediately before the storm. I knew where some of the bones were buried, and posted at PfP before they broke that I was concerned. Unfortunately, there were errors in the design and construction of the levees that made most of the ones that broke susceptible to failure. One seems to have been breached as a result of a loose barge that kept banging into the Industrial Canal levees. Some levees were overtopped while some floodwalls were unquestionably designed improperly. The extensive Jefferson Parish flooding was due to human error, a failure to keep pump operators in place during the storm. In any event, the mechanics of failure were quite different for each breach and each element of failure. Some of these failures could have been prevented, others I fear not. As usual, the reality of this complex event is itself complex, not subject to easy characterization. This is why your statement that the failed preparations were the reason for the problems needs elaboration, it is far too simplistic. As far as preparations were concerned, I am still impressed that 80% of the city was evacuated on such short notice. It is easy to forget that an evacuation of this magnitude actually took place, particularly as the storm seemed initially not destined to hit NO. And it was this successful evacuation that saved many, many lives. Other aspects of the preparation for the storm, on the other hand, were very poor. Again, it is not an easy thing to characterize, with some successes and some failures.