The direct link to the Defense Department response is here.
Instapundit reports that there were some folks, including Brendan Loy who were urging folks to evacuate New Orleans days before the mandatory evacuation was given.
In fact, Ed 'the weatherman' or Ed of many names, who is a regular contributor to Little Green Footballs and Discarded Lies was projecting this to be a major catastrophe for the NOLA region as it was forming. He, along with many of the hurricane modelers, had noted the high water temps in the Gulf and surmised that it would be let the hurricane strengthen like on steroids.
Road repairs may be the most expensive ever. The Twin Causeway was heavily damaged, with numerous sections washed out.
Alabama road conditions. For example, the Wallace Tunnel in Mobile is partially open to traffic as it continues to be cleared of floodwaters.
The Alabama Department of Transportation today announced that the remaining section of the U.S. 90 Causeway eastbound between Bankhead Tunnel and the Mid-Bay Crossing at Exit 30 on I-10 will open around 5 p.m. today.US 90 is a major coastal east-west route. It was heavily damaged throughout the Gulf Coast.
The only remaining outage along the Causeway is the ramp bridge from the U.S. 90 Causeway eastbound onto I-10 eastbound, which will remain closed for an extended period because five concrete spans must be replaced. These 50-foot spans were destroyed by storm surge.
Transportation officials expect to restore the Dauphin Island Parkway to two-way traffic this afternoon. Local travel restrictions may still be in effect.
Mississippi's roads are in better shape, but US 90 remains impassible.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) mission is to quickly re-open for two-way traffic all highways affected by the natural disaster. At this point, our mission is almost complete.
The roadways that remain impassable are Hwy 90, and one section of eastbound lanes of I-10 between Hwy 57 and Hwy 613.
MDOT encourages that highways only be used by emergency personnel and those delivering essential supplies and equipment. Currently, there is a shortage of food, water and fuel products throughout the Gulf Coast region.
The Department of Public Safety is prohibiting non-emergency travel in the Gulf Coast region.
Louisiana's situation remains dire. Current road conditions. Many roads remain flooded out in the NOLA vicinity.
The Bergen Record provides this snippet in a roundup of blogger coverage of the storm:
On wwltv.com, a Web site for a New Orleans news station, tweetybirdO121 posted a description of Slidell, La., on Friday:
"Dead fish all over the south side of Slidell. Yester Oaks is still flooded with 2.5 to 3 feet of water, and where water has receded, there is lots of mud, slime, and sewer. It appeared that the water level reach about 6 feet or so." There was the promise of pictures to come.
Slidell's hospital remains in operation:
The North Shore Regional Medical Center in Slidell, La., just outside New Orleans, remained fully operational with 174 beds, said Steve Campanini, spokesman for Tenet HealthCare, which operates it. Nurses have been flown in from other Tenet hospitals, and Tenet has launched its own private rescue flights, he said, aided by Coast Guard helicopters.
Five of Tenet's other hospitals have been evacuated, except for one doctor remaining at Lindy Boggs Medical Center in New Orleans, who refuses to leave because staffers' pets are there, Campanini said.
Slidell's sister city, Marion, Indiana is sending relief supplies and firefighting and police assistance.
UPDATE:
Power has been restored to more than 417,000 people. However, more than a million remain without power. As you can tell from the aerial pictures of the region, it's going to take time to restore power in the heart of the most devastated region.
UPDATE:
Georgia's Governor has temporarily suspended the gas tax in the state. Political ploy? Absolutely, but it will take a bit of the sting off the rising gas prices. Other politicians around the country are making similar calls, including in NYC, where some of the candidates for mayor are suggesting instituting a flat gas tax instead of a percentage rate which fluctuates with the actual price of gas. Oh, and did I mention that this suggestion was because a flat tax would be less burdensome on the poor? It's absolutely laughable the kinds of economic tricks some politicians are willing to play to get a vote.
UPDATE:
NYC area lawyers are putting together a group to assist victims.
The New York State Bar Association fund will help victims in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama pay for such services as filing insurance claims, getting death certificates completed and applying for federal aid.
Association President A. Vincent Buzard says he has contacted association presidents in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to offer financial support and volunteer attorneys. When the time comes, he says many New York lawyers will head south to help.
Since most New York attorneys lack licenses to practice in those states, any legal aid they could give would have to be through lawyers belonging to the bar associations there.
UPDATE:
There's new video from folks who managed to get into Slidell, LA. Someone even managed to upload video of the hurricane as it hit Slidell. Truly amazing video.
There is a growing relief effort being organized.
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