Katrina - Lessons Learned

What really amazes me is this.With 24 hours planning time I could get out with our most expensive valuables,important papers,a full camping outfit,pets,meds and 2 vehicles.I have in the truck a full tank that would go 150 miles,a car that would go 250 miles.This is the norm around here,keeping vehicles 3/4 full on fuel.
In fact,i could bug out with that in 30 minutes without any special planning then we have now,camping stuff in a couple plastic containers,papers in four drawers,grab a few of the most expensive things and we are gone!
Not rocket science by any stretch.
So yes,those who choose to risk their lives,I just dont get it.

BooBoo

The important lessons I draw from what we have been seeing on TV rapidly took almost instantly to the conclusion that I may have my home destroyed and have to live as I can for a time, but I will NOT become a refugee dependant on the state or federal agencies.

So many are so concerned about the other guy might have a weapon. Well I remember after Pearl Harbor we all were to be Citizen Soldiers. Now the "authorities" are afraid if we have a pen knife or equal, let alone a weapon. I have a problem with the fuzz searching my person for any reason.
I have a problem with being treated like and herded about like livestock, and I have a problem with the "authorities" telling me I cannot leave if I so choose. I am NOT their property.

And I resent the suggestion above that they are afraid I will go loot if I do leave their so-called shelter.

Another issue of importance is to realize that SOME of the looting observed was simply unprepared people seeking food and water in order to survive the events. Yes, others were looting for treasure, but the situation is sufficiently dire, give them a break. Let this be a lesson to all of us to get prepared and expect the unexpected.

As also mentioned above, I've learned that my own readiness is lacking in some areas and I must do better. Likely true for most of us.

bearkiller

OK,add a couple survival things I wont mention here,I forgot the canned food,and CASH!
Thats a glaring shortcoming,I usually am lucky to have 50 in cash here,totally inadequate.Im going to remedy that.

Mrs wants to know if we can take the dishwasher.

BooBoo

Give the people that were looting for treasure a break???? Just because the situation is dire?? I don't think so. There is absolutely NO reason to loot for treasure just because you can.

Food, water, survival tools. Ok. I can look the other way. Diamond jewelry and TVs.... I don't think so.

It's scary that some people think that is OK. I hope my neighbors don't!!!

Chris, I think BearKiller was talking about giving the people scrounging for food a break.

If I happened to be in circumstances like that I would scrounge for food to tide me over till I got out of there. I would either leave money or make a point of tracking down the owners at a later point to pay them for what I took.

Sometimes I travel for work and I can't take my bugout bag with me (TYVM TSA). I've gotten caught twice in DC when the area is paralyzed by a February snowstorm.

I don't say shoot people out of hand but if someone is looting for treasure (vs survival) I don't have an issue.

As usual, just my 2 cents.

Mike

CCRider,

Don't know about you, but I'm not sure I could tell in the difference in a lot of cases of looting whether somebody is simply trying to feed his family or doing something much worse. Certainly I don't condone it either way, but I would give anybody the benefit of my doubts under such horrendous circumstances.

And if I found somebody hauling away treasure very obviously, would I make it my responsibility to stop them? Most likely not for a couple of reasons. One is I'm not a cop. Another is taking care of my family is much higher on my priority list under such circumstances.

I would ask, who appointed you judge, jury, and executioner?

bearkiller

I am in Mobile, Alabama so I know what I am talking about.

There was public transportation provided at no cost to the people of New Orleans to take them to shelter. The football stadium may not have been the best shelter in the world, but it was the best they had at the time. The police are looking the other way when people are getting food and water for their families, and I saw one report where the police were the ones breaking into a building so the people could get available food and water. The looting problem has come to a fever pitch. There was an officer shot in the head this morning by a looter, they are now arming themselves.

At this point the best course of action I see is to take all of these refugees to one of the military bases that aren't being used. Get them under some shelter, get them some food and water. The only way to get this situation under control, IMO, is to declare martial law and get these people to some kind of safe shelter.

By the way, we are in the high part of Mobile and we are fine. We got power back today. Now if we could just find gasoline!!

Anniebek

The person who was talking about the cities that had casinos in them and the job situation was absolutely correct. We have the 2 Indian casinos here and they are the areas big employers right now. They (the casinos) needed more workers so they went into NYC and hired a whole lot of orientals to fill those jobs. Now there are a lot of them living here but there is no place for them to actually live. They remedied it themselves. One will buy or rent a house and dozens of them will live in it sleeping on towels on the floor in shifts. One house they found had 80 people living there in shifts! They walk a lot making a hazard along the roads that have no sidewalks. It is pretty bad for them, they thought they were coming here to make a good living and they find it very hard to even live here. It is a shame, it has been going on for awhile now.
If we were told that we had to evacuate we would be gone from here in 15 minutes flat. We make it a point to keep at least 1/2 tank of gas in the van/car and have clothing and other things close at hand that we could just grab, toss in and run. I would have left New Orleans at the first warnings I heard on the TV or in the paper. It is much better to leave early and look like a fool for going when you didn't have to then to have your body fished out of the water because you were an even bigger fool for staying when you should have left! Things just aren't worth losing your life over. If you keep all your important papers, photos and keepsakes in one place or locked box then it is a simple matter to grab it and get going. One thing I insist on having in my car/van is a very heavy old wool blanket that I got at a tag sale. I took it to the dry cleaners and it looks as good as new. That blanket is so heavy and thick it must weigh at least 6 pounds. It is also very warm, wool is even warm when wet. We broke down one frigid winter night. I sat in the van wrapped up in that blanket and fell asleep I was so warm. I'd also take along my crocheting and a good book. Things can get pretty boring when there is not much to do.

The Superdome was only one of ten designated shelters. Don't remember the list, but I know a couple of schools were on it. Thus, the dome wasn't their only options.

Yeah, I tend to agree officials waited until absolutely the last minute to declare a mandatory evacuation. Part of it may have been due to the hesitancy to open shelters. Last time the Superdome was used as such the people there pretty well trashed the place and on the way out stole about everything not bolted down.

I don't know what advance information on evacuation was given out by newspapers, etc., but even them likely a fairly significant percentage of the population wouldn't see the information in whatever form it was put out, or pay attention to it even if handed a flyer with specific information.

From news reports there is apparently no one there trying to give out any information to those out and about. They find high ground and mill about. Why at the very least don't they have a helicopter with loud speaker up telling people where to head. You see shots of police cars passing people by. You would think they could use their loud speakers to give directions.

Admittedly New Orleans came fairly close to making it through without major damage. Had the levees held... What I noted on them is the big one on the lake isn't even a breach, per say, but just water coming over the top of the levee. Had they make it just a bit higher...

I can't help but wonder if some of the thinking wasn't if they allowed the levees to fail, the federal government would step in and pay for upgrading them. They just got a whole lot more than they bargained for.

I thought I heard somewhere the land under New Orleans is actually sinking. Even if only 1/10th an inch a year it adds up.

Is someone going to step up and admit New Orleans is just a very, very bad place to put a population center?