Forum - Don't say Blowing in New Orleans

And what about a cup of coffee??? ;)))

I drink a cup of coffee when I get up from sleep. I usually drink a cup of green tea or some other herbal tea to relax. Coffee is still fine though too babe. Have a great weekend sweetie!
Kisses,
12pleaseu

It is wonderful that green tea helps you to relax!
I somtimes use it as tonic (if strong of course :)))

And have you ever visited New Orleans?

12pleaseu have you ever seen a real hurricain in your life? Or tornado. I have never seen how it spins

Thanks Letusdoit! I really like green tea and yes it does help me to relax too. No sweetie, I have never been to New Orleans; but I hope to visit there someday. I have met a few people from there some time after the storm hit there. My heart went out to them and even though I couldn't do much for them; I offered them a little money and a ride to NC to their other family members. Maybe, one day I'll be able to get to New Orleans. Have a great day sweetie!
Peace,
12pleaseu

Hi SexyTWO and yes, I have seen a real hurricane and been through one before. Years ago, hurricane hugo came through SC and it was bad; the winds were blowing trees and bending some of those trees half way to the ground. If you walked outside; the rain felt like needles going through your skin because of the wind blowing so hard. Even limbs of trees and even some trees broke off and blew down the street and not to mention; all the scraps of trash cans and all kinds of things floating through the air as the wind blew one thing after another. The wind blowing the ocean waves all over the place and higher. It was very scary and it seemed as though it would never end. The storm lasted from one afternoon to the next morning. When it was over, there was almost something like a rainbow in the sky; only there was what seemd to be colors of purple, orange, and yellow in the sky. Then when going outside; there was such a mess and devastation for some people. For me and my family back then; it wasn't that bad except a few trees down and trash all over the place. It took a lot of time to clean up and we even tried to help others living around us by helping them pick up and clean up. Although the storm was very bad; it was nothing like hurricane katrina in New Orleans. I am thankful that nothng really bad happened to my family and that things were not all that bad then.
My heart really goes out to those from the devastation from hurricane katrina. May everyone have a peaceful and blessed week!
Kisses,
12pleaseu

I've been through hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons and earthquakes. I think the typhoon was the worst.
I've never been through a sunami but went to the beach and saw the water receed about a mile before the police and military made us all evacuate the area. It never came but it was amazing to watch the water receed.
We used to go to the beach to surf when hurricanes passed off shore.
I know; I'm crazy.
A hurricane spins clock wise and a typoon spins counter clock wise.

Here is the court's reply to the law suit file in New Orleans.

Katrina suit vs. Army Corps dismissed By CAIN BURDEAU and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press Writers
59 minutes ago



A federal judge threw out a key class-action lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over levee breaches after Hurricane Katrina, saying that the agency failed to protect the city but that his hands were tied by the law.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval ruled that the Corps should be held immune over failures in drainage canals that caused much of the flooding of New Orleans in August 2005.

The ruling relies on the Flood Control Act of 1928, which made the federal government immune when flood control projects like levees break.

The suit led to about 489,000 claims by businesses, government entities and residents, totaling trillions of dollars in damages against the agency.

The fate of many of those claims was pinned to that lawsuit and a similar one filed over flooding from a navigation channel in St. Bernard Parish. It was unclear how many claims could still move forward.

In his ruling, Duval said he was forced by law to hold the Corps immune even though the agency "cast a blind eye" in protecting New Orleans and "squandered millions of dollars in building a levee system ... which was known to be inadequate by the Corps' own calculations."

But, Duval said, "it is not within the Court's power to address the wrongs committed. It is hopefully within the citizens of the United States' power to address the failures of our laws and agencies."

Breaches at both the 17th Street and London Avenue canals allowed flood water to inundate large areas of the city from near Lake Pontchartrain to the north to the edge of downtown.

Throughout the court proceedings, plaintiffs lawyers knew they faced a daunting task because the canals were, over time, used as flood control projects by the Corps.

"I knew we had an uphill battle. But we had to do it," plaintiffs lawyer Joseph Bruno said. "It's an outrage. Read the opinion: The judge reads through all the negligence by the Corps, but says he had to rule the way he had to."

Bruno said the plaintiffs would appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but he conceded that overturning Duval's ruling would be difficult.

The plaintiffs tried to bypass the immunity issue by claiming that the Corps used the canals as drainage projects and that the levee failures were brought about by canal dredging.

The ruling was another blow to the people of New Orleans, where loathing for the Corps continues unabated.

"This cost people's lives and property," said Gwen Bierria, 66. She is still living in a government-issued trailer on her property abutting the London Avenue Canal and is among the tens of thousands of people who have filed claims against the federal government for damage from the levee breaches.

"Anybody that calls themselves the Army Corps of Engineers should be embarrassed," she said.

Kathy Gibbs, a Corps spokeswoman, said "the Corps agrees with the dismissal of the case" but declined to comment further because other lawsuits are pending over Katrina damage.

Al Petrie, incoming president of the Lakeview Civic Improvement Association, said that few residents who returned to the neighborhood and started to rebuild based their decision on the success or failure of the levee litigation.

Still, many residents will continue blaming the Corps for the disaster no matter what the courts say, he said.

"Over time, anger tends to quiet down," he said. "It doesn't mean people are less cautious. We're still beholden to the Corps to do this right."

New Orleans activists and politicians said they will not give up on holding the Corps accountable.

"We will stick with our mission of education that this was the worst engineering failure since Chernobyl," said Sandy Rosenthal, founder of Levees.org, a group that has lobbied for overhauling the Corps.

Since Katrina, calls for a makeover of the Corps have gained momentum, and the agency, which has acknowledged mistakes, has re-evaluated its procedures for picking and designing projects.

Duval, in his ruling, agreed that legal and bureaucratic change is required.

"The byzantine funding and appropriation methods for this undertaking were in large part a cause of this failure," Duval said, referring to the politics-riddled process Congress has for funding Corps projects.

The Flood Control Act is counterproductive, Duval said, because it negates incentives for good government workmanship and creates an environment where "gross incompetence receives the same treatment as simple mistake."

Hi Paul! It sounds like you went through quite some harsh weather. I also had a few friends years ago that went to the beach to surf before and even after hurricane hugo. At the time, I was pretty scared for them since the storm was going to be very bad;but they still went. After the storm was over, they all were back in town from the beach. I haven't ever been through an earthquake; but if I ever visit or move somewhere where there is something like that; then, I am going to try to be prepared to know what to do during one.
Kisses,
12pleaseu