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The Official Katrina Aftermath Thread


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Why are there companies coming out and already estimating the damage figures from this hurricane. For one, they can't get into 80% of the areas that have been flooded. One estimate by a premier forcasting agency says $16 billion.

 

Based on my expert knowledge in these situations -- which is none -- my guess is it's going to be around $60 billion. I bet my figure is closer than the "experts" figure.

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You are exactly right.... Kinda like at the beach trying to save a tidal pool amongst the rocks with the tide coming in.

 

If this shist is going down and multiple failure is occurring????... What do you do?  Except get everybody out

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Depending on what got washed around, the construction engineering is going to be a drop in the bucket against the environmental cleanup. I can't imagine anyone is going to be hot on a bunch of eating and drinking places sitting on a pile of halogens, PCB's and hexavalent chromium. They might have to write off a lot of real estate for that alone. Flood damage isn't limited to above ground, I would imagine a lot of perched water flow has been affected too. Who knows what got drug in?

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You are exactly right.... Kinda like at the beach trying to save a tidal pool amongst the rocks with the tide coming in.

 

If this shist is going down and multiple failure is occurring????... What do you do?  Except get everybody out

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Multiple failure was preordained. Most of the supporting infrastructure keeping the levees working (i.e. at their job of preventing flooding) was below sea level on the very flood plain it was all protecting. Once any part of the system failed, keeping the rest operating became a mammoth, probably Sysiphean, task. Bad design, if you ask me...but probably the best that could be done in the circumstances.

 

Ultimately, I can't see a way of rectifying the situation without abandoning the city temporarily at least. Until the levees are reparied, power run in, the pumps made operational, and the city drained, it's too much of a public health nightmare to have people living there.

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Why are there companies coming out and already estimating the damage figures from this hurricane. For one, they can't get into 80% of the areas that have been flooded. One estimate by a premier forcasting agency says $16 billion.

 

Based on my expert knowledge in these situations -- which is none -- my guess is it's going to be around $60 billion. I bet my figure is closer than the "experts" figure.

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"Risk analysis". The insurance companies need SOMETHING to give to their investors to forecast losses. The numbers may be wild-ass guesses (but pretty good ones, as these companies do nothing BUT study this stuff), but they're better than nothing if they keep the companies in regulatory compliance.

 

Those also only refer to insured losses. Enviromental cleanup, for example, for the most part will not be covered by insurance. Flood damage isn't covered by most people's homeowners'. Actual losses will almost certainly be greater than the numbers reported now...

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Depending on what got washed around, the construction engineering is going to be a drop in the bucket against the environmental cleanup. I can't imagine anyone is going to be hot on a bunch of eating and drinking places sitting on a pile of halogens, PCB's and hexavalent chromium. They might have to write off a lot of real estate for that alone. Flood damage isn't limited to above ground, I would imagine a lot of perched water flow has been affected too. Who knows what got drug in?

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the 90+ degree heat plus stagnant chemical infested water in the city is going to do wonders as well. I really think that before anything can be done, NO would need to be abondoned (as previously stated). Essentially you need to reset everything and start from square 1, which means geting everyone out.

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Multiple failure was preordained.  Most of the supporting infrastructure keeping the levees working (i.e. at their job of preventing flooding) was below sea level on the very flood plain it was all protecting.  Once any part of the system failed, keeping the rest operating became a mammoth, probably Sysiphean, task.  Bad design, if you ask me...but probably the best that could be done in the circumstances.

 

Ultimately, I can't see a way of rectifying the situation without abandoning the city temporarily at least.  Until the levees are reparied, power run in, the pumps made operational, and the city drained, it's too much of a public health nightmare to have people living there.

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So true, so true. Your reasonable approach puts things into perspective.

 

Your last paragraph was my first thought. Studies smudies... If they were to tell people this before hand... What do you think the response would have been?

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kind of like that spongebob episode with the alaska bull worm.......awww screw it!

 

the 90+ degree heat plus stagnant chemical infested water in the city is going to do wonders as well. I really think that before anything can be done, NO would need to be abondoned (as previously stated). Essentially you need to reset everything and start from square 1, which means geting everyone out.

422913[/snapback]

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the 90+ degree heat plus stagnant chemical infested water in the city is going to do wonders as well. I really think that before anything can be done, NO would need to be abondoned (as previously stated). Essentially you need to reset everything and start from square 1, which means geting everyone out.

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Like when your cellar floods. Get everybody out of the basement and start pumping, then everything has to get dried out and reconstructed.

 

Like Bib said... Eviror'lly... It has got to be a nightmare.

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So true, so true.  Your reasonable approach puts things into perspective.

 

Just the way I was brought up: you identify a problem, fine, but try to identify a solution as well. If you can't...it's still worthwhile to point out the problem, as someone else might be able to fix it. But don't B word "We have to do this differently" if you can't suggest what "differently" should be.

 

Your last paragraph was my first thought.  Studies smudies... If they were to tell people this before hand... What do you think the response would have been?

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Honestly? Many more deaths...if people had been told when they were evacuating that they were not just evacuating but effectively relocating, they wouldn't have left.

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Honestly?  Many more deaths...if people had been told when they were evacuating that they were not just evacuating but effectively relocating, they wouldn't have left.

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Bingo. Or at least they wouldn't have gotten out in time because they would have been too busy trying to cram more stuff into their cars.

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Just the way I was brought up: you identify a problem, fine, but try to identify a solution as well.  If you can't...it's still worthwhile to point out the problem, as someone else might be able to fix it.  But don't B word "We have to do this differently" if you can't suggest what "differently" should be.

Honestly?  Many more deaths...if people had been told when they were evacuating that they were not just evacuating but effectively relocating, they wouldn't have left.

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Exactly right. Totally agree.

 

The truth hurts... People don't want to hear the truth... Let alone pay the price for preventative measures.

 

It wa pre-ordained.

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The mayor of N.O. was on WWL in New Orleans, the only radio station left which is broadcasting on all dials in the region.

 

"This is much worse that all of our fears. We can't even begin to explain how bad it is."

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The mayor of N.O. was on WWL in New Orleans, the only radio station left which is broadcasting on all dials in the region.

 

"This is much worse that all of our fears. We can't even begin to explain how bad it is."

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I'm starting to think that he's maybe not the best leader in a crisis. Telling the truth is admirable...but phrasing it to bolster people's spirits is even more admirable.

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The mayor of N.O. was on WWL in New Orleans, the only radio station left which is broadcasting on all dials in the region.

 

"This is much worse that all of our fears. We can't even begin to explain how bad it is."

422967[/snapback]

 

I guess it is refreshing to have a politician who tells the truth about a situation.

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