The Information Super-Frog

The effects of Hurricane Sandy have of course been on my mind. I've not been sure what to say about it - of course, sympathy for those affected, and various striking similarities and striking differences compared with what the central Gulf Coast experienced in 2005.

All too familiar are the images of masses of flood totaled automobiles, flooded homes and businesses, worse effected neighborhoods totally smashed to rubble, more intact neighborhoods without electricity, blocks of buildings burned down. MREs, very long lines for gasoline when there was any at all.

No shortage of differences, big and small.

Some post-Katrina tips don't seem relevant here, like if your fridge had anything in it when you evacuated, after 40 days without power in hot summer heat, don't think of trying to open it, just tape the door shut and haul it to the curb (and use it as a billboard to write your frustrations on).

Greater New York didn't have a Federal anti-flood system that was supposed to prevent the worst of the damage but experienced at slew of catastrophic failures when put to the test.

Going through a major disaster is damn unpleasant and a long term inconvenience no matter what the circumstances. But getting water, food, and basic survival supplies to those in need, as opposed to not doing so even when there was capability to do so, makes a huge difference. There used to be a bipartisan consensus on this. I hope there will be again henceforth.

Here's what Paul Krugman says in the New York Times:

"Sandy Versus Katrina" by Paul Krugman, New York Times

( Mirror of text behind cut )

Much of the city still without electricity. Tonight is my first chance to access internet since the storm. The city escaped major flooding, but got wind damage. Some other parts of S. E. Louisiana were not so fortunate.

WDSU: Congressman: BP Plans Lacked Hurricane Consideration

BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill response plans have no provisions for the possibility of hurricanes or tropical storms.

(I guess they consider it much less likely than Gulf of Mexico tropical walruses.)

From Times-Picayune advice for the new President

"The only advice I have is not to go on vacation during a hurricane." -- Mary Willis, 17, New Orleans

I was thinking about posting something about this, but as louismaistros has done so sooner and better, please go read what he has to say if you haven't already.

"The most hated three words in New Orleans this summer:

CONE OF PROBABILITY"

-- docbrite

While the National Weather Service still has us within Hurricane Ike's "Cone of Probability", as of this afternoon for the first time ALL the Weather Underground computer models now have it going to Texas.

Yay for not evacuating twice in a month (same number of times I evacuated in all the 1980s and 1990s).

Barring a major change in the track of Gustav, Hollie and I will be bugging out Sunday morning.

I've seen no indication that Gustav is going to be a mega-storm like Katrina (Rita, Ivan, or Wilma), but no Hurricane is nice. And while forcasting technology keeps improving, Hurricanes are still pretty unpredicatable. We're able to take some time out of town so we'll do so.

The radio station is closing down and going off the air midnight tonight (!). Our post-K studio & offices are in a city owned building in the high ground of the French Quarter, which is apparently being commondeered for the storm.

Echoes of 2005: It looks like again I'm going to the Krewe of OAK parade the last Saturday in August then driving out of town early the next morning.

Tropical Storm Zeta is in the Atlantic. Zeta!

Looks like the calendar year is ending in time for them not to have a Hurricane Omega. This year.

This year we found out what they do when they run out of alphabetical names. Let's hope that next year we don't get to find out what they do if they run out of the Greek alphabet. (Hebrew? Sanskrit? Maya heiroglyphics? "Hurricane Zotz"?)

Will there be a year round hurricane season? We do not approve.

New Yorker article on Hurricanes Betsy and Katrina in New Orleans:

High Water: How presidents and citizens react to disaster

The majority of the part of New Orleans that was already built up in the 19th century (naturally higher ground) survived the flooding of Katrina.

I heard second hand word from an official that in addition to the lake/canal levee patches going (already happening), there are fears that Rita may top or breech the RIVER levee. If so, flooding could be much WORSE, and could destroy much of New Orleans that was spared.

I hope not.

We'll see.