Mayor Ray Nagin ordered an immediate evacuation Sunday for all of New Orleans

[SlowwHand]

Biggest health worry after Katrina is clean water

1 hour, 59 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A lack of clean water is the most immediate health threat posed by the murky green water flooding Louisiana and Mississippi, health experts warned on Wednesday as authorities declared a public health emergency after Hurricane Katrina's devastation.

Even apparently clean water is likely to be contaminated, and food will become spoiled and dangerous very soon in the summer heat, officials said.

"This afternoon, I've declared a public health emergency for the entire Gulf region. That will have the effect of dramatically simplifying and accelerating the procedures necessary to expedite emergency actions," Health and Human Services Secretary
Mike Leavitttold a news conference.

"We are gravely concerned about the potential for cholera, typhoid and dehydrating diseases that can come as a result of the stagnant water and conditions."

The flood destroyed sewage systems, and may have washed toxic chemicals and agricultural products into the mix.

[chequita guevara]

Can you imagine going days without something to drink? In our weather, Tex??? God, I feel for these people.

[OzzyKP]

The death toll is gonna keep rising....

[SlowwHand]

Lack of water kills faster than lack of food; and like Che just said, when it's 100+ and humidity takes to 114+, that's a problem.

[DanS]

Hmmm... Confirmed that the first bus was a renegade school bus! It must have been looted!

I have now officially seen everything.

[chequita guevara]

Are you being funny?

[DanS]

How could I make something like this up? I'm not nearly that creative.

[chequita guevara]

Where did you see the renegade bus thing? And you give yourself too little credit.

[DanS]

CNN. They have an interview with one of the guys in the bus. He can't even tell his story straight.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
The death toll is gonna keep rising....

As opposed to falling?

[Edan]

Cable news viewers were surprised to see that the first bus arriving at the Astrodome was both a yellow school bus and several hours earlier than anyone had expected.

Harris County Judge Robert Eckles was able to shed a little bit of light on the situation in an exclusive interview conducted in the Astrodome’s parking lot at approximately 11:15 pm.

This was not an "authorized" bus from the Superdome, but rather had been commandeered, hotwired, and driven to Houston by a 15 year old who didn’t even have a license.

The teenagers aboard didn’t even have a map or know exactly how to get to Houston… they just jumped on a bus, got it running, started following traffic, and pulled over at the Astrodome when they saw signs indicating it was a refugee relief center.

No word on the number of people aboard.

http://lonestartimes.com/index.php?p=1424

[chequita guevara]

TV I assume, cuz I'm not finding it on their website.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
As opposed to falling?

The death toll fell after 9/11. We kept assuming it was going to be really high, and it "only" was 3,000.

[Wiglaf]

To the guy who called me an ass, I'm not sure what you were referring to. Anyway I meant to say that all this attention is greatly appreciated and is very necessary.

I grew up in New Orleans for a time and actually had to evacuate because I was visiting my parents this summer. They are in Jackson MS and are quite depressed. I am as well and am not sure what to do about this situation. It seems everything is lost. Friendships, property, everything. To add insult to injury we even lost power where we evacuated.

It is important to note that the blackest areas of the city - especially the projects - are the poorest and are the people who could not leave. It is horrible but they are the ones who are on overpasses without food. All the rich white people left. I think the city's greatest failing, aside from levee protection, is letting these people starve like this. Not moving prisoners, and instead releasing them, does not seem too bright either.

FYI no, Ray Nagin is not smart, in fact he is a moron. But he means well.

There are other tragedies of kids and families suddenly spread out across the country, looking to get back together. My friend at Tulane is attending classes at rhodes, trying to focus even though his home was destroyed entirely. Tulane simply told its students to get out with little instruction on returning. Some high schools are obliterated entirely. What should these classes do? The suddeness of all this is truly amazing.

As an update, the colonel I referred to had to leave to the superdome after exhausting his rations and ammunition. That the man had to shoot his street up is a sign of how bad the looting truly is down there. His name is Tim Huete I believe

[Boris Godunov]

The renegade bus thing on CNN was infuriatingly ridiculous. Who the **** really cares? I mean, it's worth a mention, but investigative reporting? Give me a break. There can't be that little news that you have to spend a 1/2 hour prattling on about such a relative non-story...