hurricane katrina

[scubadoo]

Originally Posted by Dogstar
You know they are just going to pump all that water right into the Gulf. I guess theres really nothing else they can do because theres no plan if this happend but what will that do to the sea life in the Gulf and as it flows out thru the Keys and to the Gulf Stream. Will this kill reefs in Fl. and Carribean? Will ppl. not be allowed to go swimming at the beaches in Tampa or in Texas or FL. Will we not be able to eat seafood any more......
Most of the damge will occur close to LA ....oyster beds will be destroyed inland on waterways and there will defintely be an impact as the lake was where many commercial fishermen "made a living". Whatever is discharged into the gulf will be very dilluted and I would not anticipate many problems along other areas of the gulf coast. The lake will have fish die off. This area was already known for high mercury content in fish. THere is also a massive oil spill in St Bernard parish that has received little play in the national media.

 

[scubadoo]

Originally Posted by Beth
Well, so far, we are kinda falling behind in the "have a plan" department. :help:
I beleive the plan is to blame the other guy for not having a plan

 

[scubadoo]

Teen has incredible story of survival
06:47 PM CDT on Thursday, September 8, 2005
KHOU-TV
Some of the most incredible stories of surviving Hurricane Katrina are coming from its youngest victims.
At 16, Kelly Martin saw more in a few days last week than most people will see in a lifetime.
Martin is now a patient at Texas Children's Hospital where she finds comfort in her new furry friends. She named one stuffed animal Molly. Another Lionell.
It's a world away from the hell she witnessed in New Orleans.
"Lived through people shooting at the helicopters, running up five, six flights of stairs," said Kelly.
She endured five frightening days in New Orlean's Tulane Hospital -- through the hurricane and its ugly aftermath -- all without her mom at her side.
"It was heartwrenching because we thought she was gone," said Rochelle Martin, Kelly's mom.
Rochelle Martin had to stay in Lafayette when Kelly was flown to New Orleans for treatment. Then the hurricane hit.
Closed roads kept mom out and eventually she lost all contact with her daughter.
"And I put on the TV and they said they was finding bodies which I hadn't heard from her so I thought it was her," said Rochelle. "I said, 'What if that's my child?'"
Kelly survived the storm, but she was still in danger. Just as she was waiting to board a rescue helicopter...
"All of a sudden, a bunch of nurses came and told us we had to run upstairs because they was shootin' at the helicopter," Kelly remembered.
With a tube still in her spine, Kelly had to run up six flights of stairs. That caused the tube to protrude and resulted in an infection.
Now healthier and with mom at her side, Kelly is ready for more surgeries and more challenges.

 

[beth]

I heard on the radio today that no one in NO has flood ins!??? How can that be, though a lame explanation was given. In any case, I'm sure everyone knows what that means.....no help from ins companies to rebuild.

 

[scubadoo]

Originally Posted by Beth
I heard on the radio today that no one in NO has flood ins!??? How can that be, though a lame explanation was given. In any case, I'm sure everyone knows what that means.....no help from ins companies to rebuild.
Beth...that is totally wrong. When you purchase a house in New Orleans (assuming you do not pay cash) the

[hr]
company REQUIRES you purchase flood insurance. A certain amount is paid upfront and the fund is replenished each month as part of your total monthly payment. The only flood zone in the New Orleasn area that does not require flood insurcance is flood zone c...and I don't think such a zone exists in new Orleans proper.
I can assure you the radio station is wrong..although all folks that do not have a

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would not be required to have flood insurance.

 

[scubadoo]

THe national media has committed many errors in their reporting. I lived there for 40 years and can assure you some of the info reported is wrong and/or inaccurate.

 

[scubadoo]

memory dictates that 50% have flood insurance...50% do not. If you own your home with no

[hr]
you are not required to have it. I could be wrong but I beleive that number of about 50% is accurate.

 

[beth]

Yes, if you live in "flood plane" which doesn't make sense to me that NO does not meet that criteria entirely.

 

[scubadoo]

Just found an atrticle...states 40% have flood insurance....and I do beleive MOST lenders require it in Flood zone A & B.

 

[scubadoo]

Originally Posted by Beth
Yes, if you live in "flood plane" which doesn't make sense to me that NO does not meet that criteria entirely.
I was wrong..FEMA has exempted New Orleans form the SFHA (Special Flood hazzard Area) designation so flood insurance is not required by lenders. I purchased three home there over a period of time and THOUGHT (based on memory) it was a requirement. I guess I knew it would happen which is why I always purchased the insurance.
Sorry for my inaccuarte info regarding the SFHA designation . ..but the 40% figure is correct..and the radio report that no one had insurance is wrong.

 

[reefraff]

I watched an interview with John Stossel(SP?) (ABC Reporter)on Bill O'rielly's show last night about flood insurance. The guy (Stossel) built a house right on the beach because the feds will pay him a quarter of a million to rebuild every time it gets washed away which has happened twice. As long as the feds keep selling him flood insurance he will keep rebuilding. Flood insurance isn't cheap but is way underpriced so we the taxpayers get to pick up the tab. The government needs to get out of the insurance business.

 

[vi3tb0i]

during the hurricane in lauderhill florida we lost power for about 5 days and no filter for my fish that means no air!!

 

[vi3tb0i]

and our house was hot so we went to my cuzzins house to stay for the 5 days!

 

[beth]

Originally Posted by reefraff
I watched an interview with John Stossel(SP?) (ABC Reporter) The government needs to get out of the insurance business.
The private ins companies aren't crazy. They won't provide ins in those areas...like most of fla. So, the government has picked up the policy, else millions would not be able to get ins. Now you say, too bad, then don't live there. Lets face it, friends, most of our richest cities in this country do not come from farms in Idaho! The richest cities have water very near, such as in FLA. Should everyone in FLA leave the state? Remember the hurricane season 2004? Hurricanes effected every part of the state! Including Multi-billion dollar assets like Disney World.

 

[scubadoo]

Originally Posted by Beth
The private ins companies aren't crazy. They won't provide ins in those areas...like most of fla. So, the government has picked up the policy, else millions would not be able to get ins. Now you say, too bad, then don't live there. Lets face it, friends, most of our richest cities in this country do not come from farms in Idaho! The richest cities have water very near, such as in FLA. Should everyone in FLA leave the state? Remember the hurricane season 2004? Hurricanes effected every part of the state! Including Multi-billion dollar assets like Disney World.
Most folks could not afford the premiums which is why the federal government started providing flood insurance in the 1960's.
The government encourages those to live near the water. As i have stated in this thread...39% of all US landfalling hurricanes hit FL.
The federal government spent 7 billion dollars in 2000 to rebuild the FL Evergaldes. I do not live in FL...but I am trying to figure out the national interst to do so. If the government had spent this amount on hurricane protection for the LA/NO area 25 years ago...they would not be spending the billions today. Given the national interest in the petroleum industry in this area, it makes sense to protect it on a federal level.
I guess priority spending takes a back seat to politics.
I am somewhat puzzled at the Democrat response to Brown. Here is one ot the Party leaders statements when he was nominated a few years ago...
Critics say he was unqualified for the position, citing his background as the head of the International Arabian Horse Association. But such concerns were not evident during Brown's confirmation hearings in 2002, when the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved his nomination. Then-committee chairman Joe Lieberman said at the time that Brown's earlier experience as an assistant city manager in Edmond, Oklahoma, was a "particularly useful experience."
Shouldn't the Democrats be slamming Lieberman...one of their own? Politics...what nonsense

 

[fuax]

Originally Posted by reefraff
I watched an interview with John Stossel(SP?) (ABC Reporter)on Bill O'rielly's show last night about flood insurance. The guy (Stossel) built a house right on the beach because the feds will pay him a quarter of a million to rebuild every time it gets washed away which has happened twice. As long as the feds keep selling him flood insurance he will keep rebuilding. Flood insurance isn't cheap but is way underpriced so we the taxpayers get to pick up the tab. The government needs to get out of the insurance business.

Reefraff YOU ARE SOO RIGHT WITH THIS STATEMENT IT IS SICK.
I do not know for sure but I beleive this administration is triing to change that aspect of the national flood insurance plan so it can not be exploited in that way any more. I have tried to find the article that I read about it but I have been unable to find it.
It had something to do with setting value limits on the insured house and anything above and beyond that limit you had to find outside insurance as well as the number of times you where able to file total destruction claims. As I said I can not find the article and it was a lil while ago that I read about it. Sorry for not having all the details.

 

[fuax]

Originally Posted by ScubaDoo
The federal government spent 7 billion dollars in 2000 to rebuild the FL Evergaldes. I do not live in FL...but I am trying to figure out the national interst to do so. If the government had spent this amount on hurricane protection for the LA/NO area 25 years ago...they would not be spending the billions today. Given the national interest in the petroleum industry in this area, it makes sense to protect it on a federal level.

I do live in Fl.
Not to argue with you Scubadoo but just a breif explaination of why I beleive it was done. The Fl Everglades is Fl's only true water shed area not to mention it is the only habitat like it in the world. With out the maintance that you described the state would not be able to drain the surrounding areas into the everglades run off areas which inturn would cause So. Fl to flood (no where near the extent of New Orleans) but because most of So. Fl is only 10 to 15 feet above sea level.
Oh and btw I agree with you fully that this problem was forseen along time ago and should have been taken care of 10, 20, or even 30 years ago. Now with that being said it has happened and now we must deal with the situation at hand.

 

[lovethesea]

As the waters are receding I am seeing the MANY (!!!) cars that were left to sit. A lot are newer cars. Now, I understand the folks that didn't have the means to get out. BUT,
what about the people with these newer cars? What deceisions were they making. They could have loaded several people in those cars and left town.
Now here is an interesting piece of info...at least with some ,(mine included) ,car insurance comapnies.
if there is a mandatory evacuation (meaing you new something was coming and you had time to get out) and you did not do anything to get your vehicle out, that vehicle was no longer covered.
This is something else that will be an interesting issue. Next time you look at the area on the news....there are many many cars!!

 

[reefraff]

Why is it the feds subsidise flood insurance so it is reasonably affordable but not earthquake insurance? A hell of a lot more money has been paid out to rebuild after floods than earthquakes. You get damaging floods every year, damaging earthquakes are a lot less common. They also allow flood insurance to be bought by the month so people can just buy during hurricane or rainy season and drop it the rest of the year.
It actually makes sense to me for the feds to have rebuilt the glades, that is an important area. States like Cal and Florida export a lot of tax dollars to other states so I am not against spending a lot of fed money to repair their infrastructure, it was their money to begin with. I just think we need to rethink the whole flood insurance thing.
If you want to live on the beach or river you should pay up the wazoo for flood insurance. It is obvious that you are in a flood prone area. I chose to live in a manufactured home away from the forests so my taxes and insurance would be lower freeing up my money for fine scotch and reef aquariums. I really don't think I should pay higher taxes to help rebuild a beach house in a hurricane zone.

 

[lovethesea]

I pay UP the wazoo and OUT the wazoo for earthquake insurance. I really, I have to say, I am not sure in the end what would be covered because there are so much "fine print"
that they would probably only be liable for the front door. :notsure:
A friend of ours owns a condo in southwest FLA on the beach. He was not able to purchase
"hurricane insurance". He had to take out a $750 K umbrella policy that covered his condo and full time residence in Buffalo. He said it was a huge negotation. As I look at all of the tearing and down rebuilding on the coasts (starting now at about 500K to over a million $$$) I wonder how these are all being covered. And believe me, there are many many being built as we speak.