Here are some New Orleans webcams

[DeeBye]

First off - I hope that any Lurker residents of New Orleans have fled the city and taken up friendly shelter. By all accounts hurricane Katrina is set to become the worst natural disaster to ever hit the US. It's as powerful as Camille, but much larger. 170+ mph sustained winds and an estimated 28' stormsurge will wreak havok on a city that is below sea level and only has 18' levies to protect it.

Also, the people who didn't have the means to flee New Orleans are being packed into the Superdome for safe shelter. The problem with this is that no one has any idea if the Superdome will survive this storm. It's definitely the best bet, but I don't believe that the Superdome is tested beyond 130 mph winds, and that was just scale model tests in a wind tunnel. Correct me if I'm wrong here.

Here are some webcams.

http://www.nola.com/bourbocam/

The bridgecam, rivercam, and quartercam are all worth watching.

[Doc]

First off - I hope that any Lurker residents of New Orleans have fled the city and taken up friendly shelter.  By all accounts hurricane Katrina is set to become the worst natural disaster to ever hit the US.  It's as powerful as Camille, but much larger.  170+ mph sustained winds and an estimated 28' stormsurge will wreak havok on a city that is below sea level and only has 18' levies to protect it.

Also, the people who didn't have the means to flee New Orleans are being packed into the Superdome for safe shelter.  The problem with this is that no one has any idea if the Superdome will survive this storm.  It's definitely the best bet, but I don't believe that the Superdome is tested beyond 130 mph winds, and that was just scale model tests in a wind tunnel.  Correct me if I'm wrong here.

Here are some webcams.

http://www.nola.com/bourbocam/

The bridgecam, rivercam, and quartercam are all worth watching.
[right][snapback]87463[/snapback][/right]

We will all be reading about the Superdome Disaster in the next day or two.

[LochnarITB]

We will all be reading about the Superdome Disaster in the next day or two.
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I've been seeing the reports on TV and watching the lines of people waiting in the rain to get in while they searched each person going in. I know it is an awful thought, but all I could think was "leading the cattle to slaughter". :( When things start to get bad, there is going to be a stampede to get the last ones in and then, at best, when the storm hits, the indoor stadium will become an outdoor stadium. Worst case, it is going to collapse onto the field. I just can't see how they think that was a good idea. Even if the structure remains intact, they are talking about 30,000+ people being sheltered there for days or even weeks. There will be violence just from peoples' built up frustration. Bad, very bad idea. (crosses fingers and toes and hopes that it will turn or blow out just in time to miss)

[Occhidiangela]

There will be violence just from peoples' built up frustration.  Bad, very bad idea.  (crosses fingers and toes and hopes that it will turn or blow out just in time to miss)
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I disagree. You'd be amazed at how people bond together in the face of natural disaster. I suspect that they will find ways to get along and enjoy the bunker mentality of "us against mother nature."

Unless the portajohns are insufficient to handle the load. In that case

Look out.

Occhi

[Tal]

First off - I hope that any Lurker residents of New Orleans have fled the city and taken up friendly shelter.  By all accounts hurricane Katrina is set to become the worst natural disaster to ever hit the US.  It's as powerful as Camille, but much larger.  170+ mph sustained winds and an estimated 28' stormsurge will wreak havok on a city that is below sea level and only has 18' levies to protect it.

Also, the people who didn't have the means to flee New Orleans are being packed into the Superdome for safe shelter.  The problem with this is that no one has any idea if the Superdome will survive this storm.  It's definitely the best bet, but I don't believe that the Superdome is tested beyond 130 mph winds, and that was just scale model tests in a wind tunnel.  Correct me if I'm wrong here.

Here are some webcams.

http://www.nola.com/bourbocam/

The bridgecam, rivercam, and quartercam are all worth watching.
[right][snapback]87463[/snapback][/right]

The cams apparently are out of service due to Katrina. :blink:

[Doc]

I survived Camille.

**Shudder**

I hope most everybody be ok. I moved away from the coast to stay away from the hurricanes. They still get me where I am at.

I have friends down that way still. Other Swampcrawlers. I know them, they wouldn't leave. They probably holed up in their stilt houses and shacks and drank a lot of beer. Stupid morons... I can't seem to get in touch with them. I hope they are ok.

[Occhidiangela]

I survived Camille.

**Shudder**

I hope most everybody be ok. I moved away from the coast to stay away from the hurricanes. They still get me where I am at.

I have friends down that way still. Other Swampcrawlers. I know them, they wouldn't leave. They probably holed up in their stilt houses and shacks and drank a lot of beer. Stupid morons... I can't seem to get in touch with them. I hope they are ok.
[right][snapback]87496[/snapback][/right]

I'd guess Camille is about a 4 club wind. :lol: Even Tiger Woods would need to hit a long iron on most par 3's in that gale . . . OK, OK, enough of the golf jokes about a Gulf Hurricane tha is no joke. My cousin got his arse off the drilling rig on Saturday night, and all of his people. They live in Houston, but he spends a lot of time on rigs in the Gulf.

We were going to make some t-shirts for the storm that hit Brownsville last month, but decided we didn't want to drive down there for a weekend and sell them near the Brownsville golf courses.

Front:
I survived Hurricane Emily
Back:
She was a three club wind

We were going to make that back "she blew like a three club wind" but decided that we might lose a few sales.

Occhi

[whathuh]

First off - I hope that any Lurker residents of New Orleans have fled the city and taken up friendly shelter.  By all accounts hurricane Katrina is set to become the worst natural disaster to ever hit the US.  It's as powerful as Camille, but much larger.  170+ mph sustained winds and an estimated 28' stormsurge will wreak havok on a city that is below sea level and only has 18' levies to protect it.

Also, the people who didn't have the means to flee New Orleans are being packed into the Superdome for safe shelter.  The problem with this is that no one has any idea if the Superdome will survive this storm.  It's definitely the best bet, but I don't believe that the Superdome is tested beyond 130 mph winds, and that was just scale model tests in a wind tunnel.  Correct me if I'm wrong here.

Here are some webcams.

http://www.nola.com/bourbocam/

The bridgecam, rivercam, and quartercam are all worth watching.
[right][snapback]87463[/snapback][/right]

I heard today that this was one of the very few category 5 hurricanes actually to hit land at category 5. I may be optimistic about this, but I don't think it will do all that much damage as it is hyped up to. I think it will just be a straight shot through the southeast, and out NC/VA/DC. As long as it doesn't pull an Andrew or like that one that hit Florida recently, stayed on top of Florida for a day or two, then looped around back onto Florida, and disappeared, the damage of Katrina will be much smaller.

I also wonder if this will stay a hurricane the whole way through land like Isaac's Storm did in 1900. From what I remember, it hit Galveston, and went through Chicago, and left through New York City, still at hurricane force winds. Now that's a hurricane...

[Chaerophon]

I also wonder if this will stay a hurricane the whole way through land like Isaac's Storm did in 1900. From what I remember, it hit Galveston, and went through Chicago, and left through New York City, still at hurricane force winds. Now that's a hurricane...

Doc = no longer the oldest lurker ;) :D

[DeeBye]

Jesus, I've been watching CNN and this online newsfeed. It's pretty horrible :(

[whathuh]

Doc = no longer the oldest lurker ;) :D
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Haha, not quite (only 18). "From what I remember from that National Geographic special" is more like it.

Looks like I was wrong too. New Orleans looks completely destroyed, but not by the Hurricane's winds, just by the rain and the fact that New Orleans is UNDER sea level. I hate that this happened, but hopefully the casualties are low. Most of the damage should be simply water damage, but it also ruined pretty much the entire city. I have no idea about the other ones.

[Lady Vashj]

The Superdome has more or less survived, albeit without a large chunk of its roof. Unfortunately, in order to evacuate the evacuees, they're going to have to send boats.

A big chunk of the Gulf Coast seems to have been washed away entirely. I love Michigan.

[Guest]

Is New Orleans worth saving?

I dont mean the people - saving them is imperative.
But the actual city - would it be more cost effective in the long run to just abandon it?
It looks like the whole thing will need rebuilt - wouldnt it be smarter to spend that money building in a place that is above sea level?



Im not saying this is the case I really dont know wnough, this is just my impression from watching TV.

[DeeBye]

Is New Orleans worth saving?

I dont mean the people - saving them is imperative.
But the actual city - would it be more cost effective in the long run to just abandon it?
It looks like the whole thing will need rebuilt - wouldnt it be smarter to spend that money building in a place that is above sea level?
Im not saying this is the case I really dont know wnough, this is just my impression from watching TV.
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I agree with you, but if you were a longtime resident I suspect you'd want to rebuild. Whose idea was it to build NO underwater anyways? They must have got that idea off of those crazy dutch people.

[Guest]

Well if they can pay themselves to rebuild it cool(with savings loans or insurance).

But I really dont like the idea of wasting federal money to rebuild it into another disaster waiting to happen.

Imagine if it had been a direct hit.

[DeeBye]

Imagine if it had been a direct hit.
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How about this one -- hurricane season isn't over yet. What if they get nailed again in the next month or so?

[Guest]

Might be good in a way. I suspect almost no one will be living there 3 weeks from now - no matter what they decide for the long term. If city just vanished it might make the decision on what to do a bit easier.

[kandrathe]

Is New Orleans worth saving?

I dont mean the people - saving them is imperative.
But the actual city - would it be more cost effective in the long run to just abandon it?
It looks like the whole thing will need rebuilt - wouldnt it be smarter to spend that money building in a place that is above sea level?
Im not saying this is the case I really dont know wnough, this is just my impression from watching TV.
[right][snapback]87757[/snapback][/right]

Actually, the buildings in New Orleans are flooding, not destroyed. The structural integrity is sound. Is Venice worth saving? This area is home to 500-700 K people and is one of the largest cities in the US.

[DeeBye]

Actually, the buildings in New Orleans are flooding, not destroyed.  The structural integrity is sound.
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It's not like you can just wait for them to dry out and move back in. Everything will need to be replaced, and I'm not just talking about the furnishings. Things like carpets, walls, electrical, etc. are all toast. Much of the wood structure will also likely have to be repaced because wet wood will rot. From the pictures I've seen, most homes in NO are destroyed.

[Guest]

Flooded often means destroyed, specially for commercial and exspensive residential structuree. The repair costs can match new construcion costs.

I really cant see a good reason to move people back into there.

I suppose warehousing, shipping and industrial facilities could be up and running much sooner.