I got this from another list...  It sheds some interesting light on the
evacuation efforts in New Orleans from someone who was there.

Kendall 

An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's redundant!)

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all
progress depends on the unreasonable man.

-George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Hooks [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 11:20 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [HYCEPH-L] About New Orleans and the aftermath

Hey: Don't get me started here!  New Orleans is
devistated, the citizens of the city and surrounding
suburbs were ORDERED to evacuate, Mayor
Nagin made it mandatory.  He provided every transit
bus available for free, they enacted contra-flow where
the interstates in the city were changed to allow traffic
to flow out of the city in both sides.  There was no reason
for anyone to remain in the city unless they chose to do so.
Honestly, I live here, I saw it all.  They did everything they
could to get those people out of there.  This is NOT a 
money issue.  I am so deeply saddened for the people
that stayed behind and lost their lives.  They are
still attempting to rescue people trapped in flooded homes.
NO ONE expected the levy to collapse.  We have all learned
from this.  There have been evacuations before for hurricanes
that made a last minute turn and avoided the city.  It's a cry wolf
situation, what should you do?  They are doing everything they
can to help those people.  Don't believe eveything you see
on the national news.  It is so sensationalized and they
aren't telling the whole story, only what will sell news.  My
friends please believe me when I tell you this.  All of Southeast
Louisiana is devistated as well as South Mississippi.  No one
expects damage like this, but we are doing out best to cope.
No one expected the levy to break, but it did.  NO ONE expected
this much devistation.  Please, don't start pointing fingers, just
put your hands together and pray instead.  Sorry but I am a bit
emotional right now and reading these posts is very upsetting.
You don't know what you are talking about until you are here and
right in the middle of it.
I still love ya'll,
Mary Hooks