# New Orleans under Martial Law. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249 "2005-08-30T14:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/41 "2005-08-30T19:33:58Z")
I heard that everyone is turning a blind eye to looters carrying off things like diapers and baby formula. I would, too. I really doubt there’ll be any problem for people grabbing the necessities of life. Heck, if I had no transportation and no way to get out of the way of a big storm and then had to steal to keep my kids alive, I’d do it without hesitation. And to be honest, it’s not as if every store owner whose stuff is being looted couldn’t declare most of it a total loss for insurance purposes, anyway, especially with the rising flood waters. Which doesn’t make it any less despicable, but hopefully it won’t have as serious an economic impact as it might otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/42 "2005-08-30T19:46:16Z")
**Mama Tiger** , that’s how I’m looking at it. They’re saying that it will be atleast 2 weeks before the Red Cross and National Guard can get into the city. The people that are stranded there are going to have to deal with sickness, injuries and crime. Who cares if they steal some basic necessities. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/43 "2005-08-30T19:58:48Z")
They’ll be able to get into the city a lot sooner than two weeks, I think; but it may be that long before they start really being able to move people out effectively. In the meantime, they’ve got to live somehow. Food and basic necessities, no problem. Stereos and TVs? Arrest 'em and use the bathrooms at the Superdome as jail cells! :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/44 "2005-08-30T20:03:42Z")
Looks like 60-70% of the twin ‘causeway’ is wiped out. They said it is the main artery that heads east/west. They now want to blow a levee open, after blowing a levee or damn farther down to somehow create a run of water to create a back siphon to suck some water out of N.O. Engineers fear that there might be **no** way to drain it. Serious chance we have a new lake. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/45 "2005-08-30T20:03:55Z")
Just curiious and honestly, being a wealthy nation, it’s of no real consequence but have any other countries at least made token offers of aid? Right now it would just be nice to hear, what with all the other news being bad. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/46 "2005-08-30T20:19:00Z")
The only highway bridge still open is the Crescent City Connection, which is a fairly new and well-built bridge. The Twin Span going east on I-10 is destroyed in large chunks, the Bonne Carré Spillway west of town is underwater, and I have no idea how the Causeway across Lake Pontchartrain has fared, although my suspicion is probably badly. As for opening a levee, if they open one on the river side, the water will flow downhill from the lake side and hopefully at least a good chunk of it will drain out that way. Since I expect they have to drain the water to get electricity in to run the pumps to drain the water, there’s not a lot of choice. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/47 "2005-08-30T20:19:13Z")
[One at least](http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=152850), for what it’s worth. Read more [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332443). ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/48 "2005-08-30T20:20:48Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > [One at least](http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=152850), for what it’s worth. Read more [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332443). Whoops. That, of course, is answering **lieu’s** question above. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/49 "2005-08-31T00:31:52Z")
i’m with you lorinada, esp. the pictures of gulfport and biloxi. i’m sitting here thinking this is what galveston would have looked like. thankfully less bodies than galveston. i’m glad so many people evacuated. thank you to everyone and anyone who ever had anything to do with satelite technology. what life savers y’all are!!! martial law is the only answer to what is going on now in new orleans. i can’t imagine how they are going to maintain order at the superdome. are there any campgrounds or state parks near by that they could set up tent cities in? closed bases that have habital barracks? that is the only thing i can think of. where in the u.s. do you put about 1 million people? ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/50 "2005-08-31T01:00:30Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > [One at least](http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=152850), for what it’s worth. Read more [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332443). Isn’t this the same guy that idiot Robertson was talking about “taking out”? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/51 "2005-08-31T01:12:05Z")
> [@Nic2004](#): > > Isn’t this the same guy that idiot Robertson was talking about “taking out”? Yep, that’s the dude. Robertson later apologized for his comments. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/52 "2005-08-31T01:42:56Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > [One at least](http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=152850), for what it’s worth. Read more [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332443). I know we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth but…what’s this guy’s angle? Maybe he should get his own thread? I guess it says something (not sure just what) when a generous gesture is met with suspicion. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/53 "2005-08-31T01:49:47Z")
> [@rocking chair](#): > > martial law is the only answer to what is going on now in new orleans. i can’t imagine how they are going to maintain order at the superdome. This is a real sticky situation. It’s going to be terribly difficult to assemble sufficient forces and the logistical supplies to support them and transport them to the Super Bowl rapidly. You can’t dribble troops in a few at a time, the whole group has to arrive nearly simultaneously If they can do that they should be able to get supplies enough to ease tensions to the 10000 or so people there. And the copters, or boats or whatever is used to bring the troops in could also be used to take people out. Of course, take them out to where is a big question mark. It is really difficult to imagine the complete evacuation of a metropolitain area with nothing but boats and helicopters to do the job. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/54 "2005-08-31T02:14:20Z")
I was just in New Orleans a week ago, in the CBD just a block or two from the Superdome. I can’t believe it’s underwater. Damn. Has anyone heard from the NO Dopers? Last year I went on Red Cross Disaster Relief in Florida and saw the devastation in Punta Gorda. Some of my fellow workers were joking they hoped Hurricane Ivan would hit New Orleans, so they could see the French Quarter. I remember being so angry at their cavalier attitude – I’m from the Deep South, I have lots of family and friends there. While they get to go back to their nice safe home in Washington and Colorado and New York, the Southerners are still _there_. Disasters don’t happen for your enjoyment! ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/55 "2005-08-31T02:27:34Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > I was just in New Orleans a week ago, in the CBD just a block or two from the Superdome. I can’t believe it’s underwater. Damn. Has anyone heard from the NO Dopers? > > Last year I went on Red Cross Disaster Relief in Florida and saw the devastation in Punta Gorda. Some of my fellow workers were joking they hoped Hurricane Ivan would hit New Orleans, so they could see the French Quarter. I remember being so angry at their cavalier attitude – I’m from the Deep South, I have lots of family and friends there. While they get to go back to their nice safe home in Washington and Colorado and New York, the Southerners are still _there_. Disasters don’t happen for your enjoyment! As one of the Central Floridians that went through the hammering last year I’d just like to say THANK YOU for your help. Nic ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/56 "2005-08-31T02:30:53Z")
Looting going on in the French Quarter…gunfire. Cops are being called out to try to restore order. Superdome has to be evacuated. Some downtown areas have water up to 20 feet deep. They reported that dead bodies are floating down the streets. ☹ Words just can’t convey. I really wish people would have listened to the first evac now. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/57 "2005-08-31T02:53:20Z")
Idle, probably many people did… A lot, actually, if you go by all the cars and traffic jams that were going on Saturday and Sunday with people evacuating the city and environs. Those that are left are the ones that didn’t have a car, and figured going to the Superdome was more hassle than staying home. And are people really sure those are victims of this event, or (gross too) people recently deceased that were washed out of their tombs? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/58 "2005-08-31T03:43:31Z")
I got to wondering… can the Navy maybe use the hovercraft landing craft (LCAC) to help out? Seems like they would be ideal for this kind of situation- water or land wouldn’t stop them, and they carry quite a bit- like 70 tons or something, for something like 50 miles. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/59 "2005-08-31T06:01:48Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > I heard that everyone is turning a blind eye to looters carrying off things like diapers and baby formula. Ahh great. They leave the jewelry and stereo behind. What nice people. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249/60 "2005-08-31T06:06:18Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > Ahh great. They leave the jewelry and stereo behind. > > What nice people. Sorry… nevermind… I really do understand… but looters… FUCK [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-orleans-under-martial-law/319249.md?page=4)