The interview is scheduled to air 8:35pm CST today. You can listen to it here.

Through all of the tragedy, we at Metroblogging New Orleans forgot about our first birthday.
Our first post was up on August 31st 2004. Happy Belated Birthday kids. It’s been an amazing year.

They have food, water, and the ability to make phone calls but the transportation logistics for those that are still left are unclear.

For more details, or to add suggestions, head on to blogs.photoblogs.org

(Thanks Andre!)

Also check out http://firstgov.gov/ to register a missing loved one to be rescued. The phone numbers are busy but the web form works.

Listening to the online feed of the police scanner(?) in New Orleans, it’s clear that they still don’t have what they need but are making due with what they have concerning the evacuation logistics. The rescuers are obviously fatigued and frustrated but being as nice as possible about it.

Just heard over the feed: “Sorry. You know things just don’t happen instantaneously.”

Kids, you just got a first class upgrade due to the hurricane. (Thanks BoingBoing!)

[The irony of that logo just makes me sad.]

On another note, my mother was able to call me from a French Quarter pay phone. I got a message and was not able to talk to her directly. She said aid hasn’t been delivered there yet, that people who have vehicles parked in garages aren’t able to access their cars, and if they were able, she has heard news about carjackings taking place on I-10.

I’ve been trying to get through to the payphone but have been unsuccessful.

Michael E. DeBakey
VA Medical Center
2002 Holcombe Blvd.,
Houston, TX 77030
(713) 791-1414 or toll free 1-800-553-2278

Yesterday I saw a CNN video report online that indicated that the reporter was standing in the quarter – on common street – while the water was rising. Usually it’s the tourists that ask where the quarter is while they’re standing in it. So much for responsible journalism. It’s like telling me that my house just collapsed…and then saying “Oh, sorry. Wrong neighborhood.” Jerk.

The only street that is flooded is Conti because of some kind of water valve breakage coming for the Wax Museum.
I didn’t hear abot the degree of flooding.

She told me that she was hearing that power wasn’t going to be available for a month. I asked her what the quarter looked like. She said “It looks like World War Three hit.” That was all I heard before the phone cut off.

“In the courtyard behind the 278-year-old Cathedral St. Louis, two massive oaks toppled, their roots pulling up a 30-foot section of iron fence. Carrie Hanselman marveled at how the branches straddled a marble statue of Jesus Christ but, miraculously, knocked off only the thumb and forefinger on its outstretched left hand.”

Will that creepy shadow on the cathedral ever be the same?

I thought it would be appropriate to repost an entry I made on September 26th. At the time it didn’t seem like it would be a realistic possibility so soon. Now, it gives me chills. For those that are staying, my prayers are with you.
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25,000 to 100,000 People Would Be Killed

The University of New Orleans Survey Research Center and the Southeast Louisiana Hurricane Task Force found that a major hurricane, with 130 mph winds and an 18-foot-high storm surge, would not scare 60 percent of southeast Louisiana residents.

“In 2002, an American Red Cross estimate found 25,000 to 100,000 people would be killed if a major hurricane hit the New Orleans area.”

With an above-normal 2005 hurricane season predicted and over four months left, will you become an I-10-clogging evacuation monkey?

This begs the question that if 60% wouldn’t (and didn’t) evacuate in the past and we have this kind of congestion to evacuate in the future from only 40% of residents (remember the contraflow silliness from Ivan, forget the recent contraflow confusion from Dennis?) , can a new plan handle the tide if people change their minds? 100% of us will find out soon enough.

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