New Orleans

Douglas

The flood waters are a problem for many people, they're trapped.

My guess is, that noone will die of dysentry, as we speak, hundreds of thousands bottles of water are being flown in, I'm sure helicopters will distribute it to the trapped people.

My grandma (who is from there) thinks that a lot of people will die of carbon dioxide poisoning from being in their attics because the water has reached them and there is no air circulation.

Reply 22

Douglas

Yes, it *is* worrying. There's talk now about gun shops been broken into.....God knows what may happen. Have you seen the movie "escape from New York?

TV showed pics of mass looting - some for food and water whci is fair enough - but others for everything they could steal.

Reply 23

Douglas

The flood waters are a problem for many people, they're trapped.

My guess is, that noone will die of dysentry, as we speak, hundreds of thousands bottles of water are being flown in, I'm sure helicopters will distribute it to the trapped people.

They also have a huge supply of alcohol in their midst, so that should tide them over until they have access to clean water.

Reply 24

spikdboy

My grandma (who is from there) thinks that a lot of people will die of carbon dioxide poisoning from being in their attics because the water has reached them and there is no air circulation.

nah, theres plenty of air circulation in attics. plus they can easily punch through the roof.

Reply 25

Douglas

The flood waters are a problem for many people, they're trapped.

My guess is, that noone will die of dysentry, as we speak, hundreds of thousands bottles of water are being flown in, I'm sure helicopters will distribute it to the trapped people.

no there will be alot of deaths from water bourne disease. Trust a medic on that. Most of these will be very elderly people many of whom will have no one looking out for them.
Rescue an hardly go door to door. they are looking at all places yeh, but it could take days to reach some people.

Reply 26

Jamie

Has anyone noticed that when it is shown on TV the devistation, coupled with the fact New Orleans seems a predominantly black city (either that or its only the black guys who stayed put in the path of a bloody huricane despite warnings to evacuate) means it actually does look like a disaster struck african country...

They're mostly black, b/c the areas of lowest elevation are home to the poorer communities, which are predominantly black. The poor people didn't really have anywhere to go, since they can't exactly afford a hotel room somewhere, and apparently all of the hotels in the region had been filled with people evacuating, anyway. Then, you also had a lot of elderly people who were stubborn and refused to leave.

Reply 27

Jamie

nah, theres plenty of air circulation in attics. plus they can easily punch through the roof.

They need an axe to punch through the roof and if there is water to the floor in the attic I don't see how there is air flow.

Reply 28

spikdboy

They need an axe to punch through the roof and if there is water to the floor in the attic I don't see how there is air flow.

A roof isn't sealed to the house by a vacuum. There is air flow.

Reply 29

psychic_satori

A roof isn't sealed to the house by a vacuum. There is air flow.

Is it directly with the roof? I've been in attics before and I have a hard time breathing, and that's with the floor door wide open. Well, if they don't die of lack of oxygen/carbon dioxide poisoning, they'll die of dehydration.

Reply 30

spikdboy

Is it directly with the roof? I've been in attics before and I have a hard time breathing, and that's with the floor door wide open. Well, if they don't die of lack of oxygen/carbon dioxide poisoning, they'll die of dehydration.

You had a difficult time breathing because the air in an attic is warmer, because it's the highest point in the house, and there isn't really much of a breeze. But, most roofing is constructed so that the over-hang that extends past the actual structure of the building is only sealed off by plastic or metal grated sheets, which basically just act to keep foreign objects and creatures from coming up underneath the overhang into the attic. [Edit: Think of a vented umbrella]

Southern homes have less insulation, even, so there should be even better airflow than you would find in northern homes. Also, the high waters will make the air in attics cooler than normal. I would be more worried about what the temperature gets to be than anything, because the abundance of water could create a steam room effect, which would increase rate that the body dehydrates.

Reply 31

spikdboy

Is it directly with the roof? I've been in attics before and I have a hard time breathing, and that's with the floor door wide open. Well, if they don't die of lack of oxygen/carbon dioxide poisoning, they'll die of dehydration.

unlessyou have ultra attics you can probablary literally punch or wallop sometihng right through the roof. a roof is usually only a bit of felt with tiles on - perhaps with some flimsy wood (dunno how amerricans make houses but they are invariably less sturdy than ours....)

Reply 32

technik

13

SolInvincitus

My question is simple, how did this happen in the US? How did the world's most powerful and wealthiest nation do nothing to prevent this disaster? Why isn't anything happening to save lives?

LOL!

Reply 33

Jamie

unlessyou have ultra attics you can probablary literally punch or wallop sometihng right through the roof. a roof is usually only a bit of felt with tiles on - perhaps with some flimsy wood (dunno how amerricans make houses but they are invariably less sturdy than ours....)

Um, I'd question your last statement after hearing what you think roofs are made of! Most houses use roof trusses, which are then topped with 1" thick plywood. Goodness! Remind me not to have the British build me a house!

Reply 34

psychic_satori

Um, I'd question your last statement after hearing what you think roofs are made of! Most houses use roof trusses, which are then topped with 1" thick plywood. Goodness! Remind me not to have the British build me a house!

Lmao - yeah . . I imagine it would be harder to punch through the roof than through the wall, and last time I punched through a wall, I broke two fingers. (Don't get me angry - im the hulk :P)

Reply 35

spikdboy

Lmao - yeah . . I imagine it would be harder to punch through the roof than through the wall, and last time I punched through a wall, I broke two fingers. (Don't get me angry - im the hulk :P)

As the resident expert in breaking boards, I can safely say that the only people who could punch through 1" of plywood are people with a syrinx or some sort of peripheral neuropathy that keeps them from feeling any pain. Since plywood is layered, it's much harder to break than a regular piece of wood.

Reply 36

psychic_satori

As the resident expert in breaking boards, I can safely say that the only people who could punch through 1" of plywood are people with a syrinx or some sort of peripheral neuropathy that keeps them from feeling any pain. Since plywood is layered, it's much harder to break than a regular piece of wood.

My walls are thin.

Reply 37

spikdboy

My walls are thin.

Walls are made of drywall, typically. Not remotely the same thing as breaking a board, or plywood.

Reply 38

fleur-de-lis