New Orleans, LA – President Bush warned residents of the Gulf Coast on Sunday that a serious storm was headed their way, echoing the sentiments of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who reiterated his demands that city residents evacuate.
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Meanwhile, a federally supported computer projection says Hurricane Gustav could cause up to $29.3 billion in property damage when it hits the Gulf Coast.
The software, developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Institute of Building Sciences, also projected Sunday that 4.5 million people will be in the storm’s path and 59,953 buildings will be destroyed. The path also ensnares about 170 hospitals and more than 1,100 police and fire stations.
Bush said he planned to head to Texas to meet with emergency workers and evacuees.
“This storm is dangerous,” he warned, urging residents to heed calls to evacuate.
After a briefing at FEMA headquarters, Bush said he would forgo an appearance at the GOP National Convention on Monday and will be in Texas instead.
He said he would not go to Louisiana because he did not want to impede the work of emergency officials.
Nagin said Sunday that New Orleans will impose a “dusk-to-dawn” curfew and will cease efforts to help people leave the city Sunday afternoon.
The city-wide curfew will continue until the threat of the storm passes, Nagin said, warning that looters would be dealt with harshly.
“Anybody who’s caught looting in the city of New Orleans will go directly to Angola [Louisiana State Penitentiary]. You will not have a temporary stay in the city. You go directly to the big house, in general population,” he said.
He said that between 14,000 and 15,000 people had left New Orleans on buses and trains the city had provided — much lower than the initial estimate of 30,000.
“We’re just not seeing those kind of numbers in terms of people needing city-assisted services,” Nagin said. “The 30,000 number may have been high.”
The last of the buses carrying people out of New Orleans would leave around 2 or 3 p.m., he said.
SCARY
R THERE ANY JEWS THERE MAYBE WE SHOULD SET UP A FUND FOR THEM.
Since this time Bush recognizes the potential for disaster, maybe FEMA do better than 3 years ago. The Federal effort on Katrina was a disgrace.
Last time the US was punished for supporting the forced eviction of 10,000 Jews in Gaza. I guess this time we may avoid the same fate.
are there any jews there? maybe you should think about all of the other people who are there, too. want to set up a fund for them?
YUP I FOUND THAT STATEMENT/POST ALSO HOPELESSLY PATHETHIC. WHY DON’T U JUST CRAWL BACK UNDER THE ROCK U LIVE IN!
Chabad Sheluchim have also evacuated and most have gone up to Atlanta or Texas.
We all pray for those that could not leave and for all the emergency personal still in New IOrleans.
SCARY
R THERE ANY JEWS THERE MAYBE WE SHOULD SET UP A FUND FOR THEM.
I don’t know, but there are lots of Americans there how about a fund for them?
“Since this time Bush recognizes the potential for disaster, maybe FEMA do better than 3 years ago. The Federal effort on Katrina was a disgrace.”
And maybe this time, the stupid racist (Democratic) mayor of New Orleans, Ray “Chocolate City” Nagin, will DO HIS JOB PROPERLY and send school buses to evacuate people to safety and then take care of those people properly — instead of letting the buses get destroyed by the flood waters in the parking lot (we’ve all seen that picture), sending what evacuees there were to the Superdome where NO provision was made for them, while he was hiding out in a hotel and whining, cursing and crying that EVERYBODY ELSE fell down on the job, which is what he did. Call him the un-Giuliani.
At least the new Governor down there, Bobby Jindal, is taking this storm more seriously and had mobilized the National Guard to act — unlike his dopey (Democratic) predecessor, Kathleen Blank-O — who ignored President Bush’s pleas BEFORE THE STORM that she declare a state of emergency and deploy the Guard.
Yankel, there was nothing wrong with the federal response to Katrina. With all the media making up stories, the fact is that federal aid came in faster and more efficiently than could have been expected. The disaster was entirely the fault of the state and city governments.
The storm was a dud B”H.
Hashem controls the weather.
Now the leftists are going to blame Bush for the evacuation.
Hashem decided to destroy New Orleans last time and there is no human power stronger than a G-D created disaster.
Yankel,
There was nothing wrong with the Federal gov response after Katrina. Chocolate City Nagen, the moron Mayor who should have been either impeached or shot without question. He was DIRECTLY responsible for the loss of lives in N’awleans.
The LIBERAL Governor was also at fault by not taking reponsiblity for the ppl of the State and should have also been removed from office.
They already got rid of the moron governor now they need to get rid of Chocolate Nagin.