Here’s a link for people who need mental health resourceshttp://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/katrina/
My friends the countess and count of Myrtle Beach and Atlanta have given their house in Myrtle Beach and condo to people who need housing. We can’t all do that now; we can’t all volunteer right now. After people’s immediate needs are met; there will unfortunately be plenty of time to help later.
Mulligan has a great post at Bring it on! about the busses. You know the ones that at most could have gotten 15,000 people out. Yes I know there was an evacuation plan; I also know that it was doomed for many reasons.
Who was supposed to have driven them?
How was the driver supposed to protect the bus from being taken over by people who wanted to get out?
Where were they supposed to have been driven from?
Who was supposed to decide which people got out?
Why? What criteria would have been used?
I’m not asking these questions because I’m in the mood to fight with people; actually just the opposite.
I live in Manhattan; we have had exactly four years to know that we’re in desperate need an evacauation plan. Do we have one?
Hell no. And we have a Republican mayor and governor. We don’t have an evacuation plan, and we’re a city that was attacked. We’re smaller in land area then the area affected by the Hurricane with many more people. I realize that New Orleans had a plan; but a plan that goes beyond man power and capabalities is no plan at all. Have to plan for the worst case scenario–worst case.
Who decides who gets out and how?
I don’t own a car nor do I drive.
If I had two days notice, we (my best friend and her daughter to keep it simple) could try to rent a car. That’s a joke. We could try getting a train or bus, but how do we get to one? Who decides? Who keeps order?
Rafe would try to get us and take us to his house in Westchester, but what if he couldn’t be here in time, or people tried to take his car? I could see cars being so backed up that the parkways become one giant parking lot.
I know that we have a great police department, National Guard, and many other law and order people here. Wouldn’t it be natural for them to try to get people that they know out first?
We can’t go to Long Island; it’s an island without an evacuation plan, also.
I live near The Hudson River. For the past four years I have had visions of people running over each other to get to the river, the boats and the kaayaks. Not a pleasant vision nor one that I have ever thought through.
All of a sudden every question that I had for the mayoral candidates seem meaningless. I just want to know how the hell I’m supposed to survive. That’s right: me. Or am I supposed to give my place to people with children? Or older people?
This whole debate about the busses is meaningless. If New York has had four years to plan for something that’s not a hypothetical, how was New Orleans supposed to plan for a true hypothetical.? Yes I read the study that said if (I believe) Camille had landed in New Orleans what would have happened. But it was still a hypothetical.
People don’t want to plan for a hypothetical.
Back to New York City: only the Bronx is connected to the mainland. There are ways of walking to The Bronx from Upper Manhattan. Who decides who gets to go to The Bronx? Grand Central Station? Penn Station? The Port Authority?
There are waits at the bridges and tunnels at the best of times. Nobody’s going to want to go to Long Island.
Will there be armed guards in New Jersey and Westchester that turn people back?
Thirty years ago a bridge was supposed to be built in Bayville, a very pretty town on Long Island. It was roundly defeated because people didn’t want to destroy a town for a bridge that might help people. At the time it seemed right. Now we know so much more.
This is the first day it’s all hit me. I’m not being articulate; I’m crazed and not ashamed to say that.
I know the real reason New York doesn’t have one; least not one that they have shared with us. How can millions of people evacuate Manhattan Island? We can’t. So we go about our daily lives and don’t think about it. But with Katrina and the anniversary, it’s a bit hard not to at times.
Maybe you all understand us some more now. I know that I understand things I couldn’t understand for the past four years like how the attack felt as if it were in your back yard also
I have a longer version of this on the sidebar at Bring it on!
I’ve wondered what other places around the country would do if they had to evacuate. A lot of people don’t drive or don’t have cars – especially in New York. Despite the feeling of vastness we have through the internet, our physical places are self-contained to the extent that there are no good options in place should we have to leave quickly.
Have the local and federal governments spent any time at all discussing what they would do in New York – or any other big city?
unfortunately in this case N.O. had an evacuation plan, they just didn’t implement it.
Most cities don’t have an evacuation plan on paper, but at least they have a to-do list in case they ever have to evacuate it. In this case FEMA should be held responsible of the way they have handled the situation as they did things bad and late.
USA citizens should do whatever it is in their hands to impeach FEMA’s responsibles, the President and everybody who were in charge.
“Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.â€
Thomas Jefferson
that is quite a stupid question for many reasons.
1. weather patterns like what has happened to the gulf coast don’t happen to NYC.
2. everything that happens there can be forcasted for miles and not rise up out of nowhere. (except 9/11 may every one rest in peace)
3. You do have an evacuation plan it’s get on RT 80 and go to the poconos everyone is doing it so get in your car and start driving.
You are an idiot who obviously didn’t read my post.
First I was talking terrorist attacks; however the way NY is situated, it could be hit by a category 4 hurricane or other natural disaster.
How are people without cars supposed to get one? What about people who don’t drive?
AND THE STREETS OF MANHATTAN WOULD BE SO CLOGGED IT WOULD BE ONE BIG PARKING LOT
Also, a little decency; you don’t come to my site and call my post stupid
oh and I’m supposed to run to route 80 today? do you know something I don’t.
I don’t ban people and god knows I have gotten my share of sick comments but for some reason–maybe because today is September 10, I find your comment the most obnoxious recent one
Thanks Pia. You have opened heart I am sorry for calling your post stupid as a matter of fact I believe it was a question.
In responce to number 3 on my list I live in the poconos and every weekend when I am not deployed and I am home I see every states plates but Pennsylvanias. New York and New Jersey is the most common.
The last time I was in Manhattan the streets were a parking lot.
The water in the atlantic ocean is much cooler which would cause the ‘hurricane’ to lose it’s steam and pretty much fizzle into a tropical storm.
Yet after re-reading your post it’s confirmed NYC does need an evacuation plan. Yet there will still be countless injuries, rapes, and even murders while tring to leave the city.
Yet as for the terrorist attacks no one knew that it was going to happen or even if future attacks will happen. If any one did know I would have to say it was Clintons administration. So when would a forcasted evacuation take place before the terrorist attack or after the terrorist attack? Why would everyone want to leave after 9-11 I wanted to go to the city to help. I’m helping now.
You could ban me if you like I really don’t mind. All I ask is that you take a look at my blog before you do. That would be just peachy.