Re: Katrina
From: Charlie Chambers (ricechaz@gorge.net)
Mon Aug 29 12:07:44 2005
Having experienced hurrican Alisha raging through Houston in 1983, I
would always get the hell out of town. We didn't get any warning that
it was going right through the city but I was duly impressed with the
strength of mother nature.
On Aug 29, 2005, at 9:13 AM, Cheri Van Hoover wrote:
>
> Seele, Mona wrote:
>
>> Many of the people who did not leave were the poorest ones who do
>> not have transportaion...but they were busing people to the dome
>> so don't know why some chose not to leave home for the dome where
>> they could move alot higher than at home.
>>
>
> I'm pleased to report that my acquaintance finally saw the light at
> 8:30pm last night and went to their other home in Mississippi. I
> hear that they did arrive there safely. Of course, that's still in
> the hurricane's path, so they're not completely out of harm's way.
>
> Her reasoning went like this...
>
> Their sturdily constructed 1895 Victorian in New Orleans sits on a
> bluff 6 feet above sea level and has been safe from previous storm-
> related floods. It has ridden out many hurricanes in the past, so
> would make it through this one, too. She knew they would lose
> power eventually, but had food and supplies. They were going to
> head for their Mississippi home after the worst of the storm, as
> they didn't think the other place was as well-built to withstand
> the storm itself, but would probably have power and services sooner
> after the storm was over. She thought the risk of terrible
> traffic, masses of panicked people, gas stations running out of
> fuel, and hotels overcrowding made leaving before the storm
> trickier than leaving after it. She and her husband had previous
> experience of severe hurricanes in the past, and thought they knew
> what to expect.
>
> From my safe vantage point a thousand miles away, it is easy for me
> to poke holes in each of these points and come up with all the
> flaws in the logic. But who knows... It's possible that they've
> gone from the proverbial frying pan into the metaphorical fire.
>
> The people staying have made a choice I don't believe I would have
> made, but I do hope they all stay well and safe.
>
> Cheri Van Hoover, CNM, MS
> Faculty, Midwifery Institute at Philadelphia University
>
