Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with katrina

Katrina upheaval

megatherium — Sun, 24 May 2009 06:48:20 -0800

At a conference, I heard a knowledgeable person say that "Katrina forever changed the way that the Federal government and the states interact with each other". I had not heard such a thought before. What did he mean, and is it true?

Defend New Orleans: Lakeview v. ENOLA v. Algiers

Ogre Lawless — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:00:15 -0800

Post-Katrina Recovery: I recently caught corners of Lakeview and New Orleans East. While Lakeview seemed more affluent and maybe older and more established, it didn't seem like it would have great advantages over NOE that would account for the relative degree to which it appeared that Lakeview was recovered compared to NOE. Is NOE really behind the curve in recovery and if so, why? Additionally, as my junkets to Algiers and through the Garden District had me curious: I understand that the brackish and otherwise toxic water snuffed out most vegetation below a certain level. Were these two areas also landscaped in a generous manner before the storm?

Gas prices change but cars don't. What gives?

Dec One — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:19:17 -0800

Gas has been getting more and more expensive, yet cars have not been getting more fuel efficient. Why not? So in case you haven't heard, gas is more expensive than it used to be. If you don't believe me, look at this chart. In the first eight months of 2005, we saw higher prices than ever before, and also more volatility than ever before. Prices were bouncing all over the place, and nobody knew what to expect for the future. Then Katrina and Rita kicked gas prices into the stratosphere, and I remember the following (please correct me if I'm wrong):

Surveys showed that people were no longer uncertain about whether high gas prices were here to stay; they were.

News articles quoted industry experts saying that car manufacturers were going to build more fuel-efficient cars.

Car advertisements, which used to say "Buy the new Canyonero!" now said "Buy the new 14 mpg Canyonero!". As if they were hoping customers who hadn't thought about fuel efficiency since 1991 would forget that 14 mpg is not good. Eventually, of course, customers would catch on, and these mpg-touting ads would have to be backed by an actual fuel-efficient car. Or so I thought.

Two and a half years later, I have heard no news of the new generation of fuel-efficient cars, either on the market or in the pipeline (I'm not counting the Chevrolet Volt, which is a niche product that may or may not ever be for sale). In automotive engineering, there is a tradeoff between horsepower and fuel efficiency. As technology advances, carmakers can choose to add mpg or add horsepower, or add a little to each. Or, I suppose (again, correct me if I'm wrong), they could choose to take away horsepower and add a whole bunch of miles per gallon.

Given the increase in gas prices, you'd think fuel efficiency would be getting the attention in new car designs. But it seems like new cars have continued to emphasize horsepower. The 2009 redesigned Toyota Corolla is advertised as more powerful and more fuel efficient, but the fuel efficiency gains are slight. The 2008 redesigned Honda Accord is actually less fuel efficient than its predecessor.

I know it takes a few years to design and build a new car. Where is the new generation of fuel-efficient cars? Is it going to exist? Are there any new cars in manufacturers' pipelines that will cater to the segment of the cutomer base that doesn't care about horsepower too much, but wants a car that's really good on gas, and doesn't want to pay $5,000 extra for a hybrid? If so, when will I be able to buy one?

A family trip to volunteer in New Orleans?

Ash3000 — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 05:06:44 -0800

My immediate family is considering making our holidays vacation a trip to New Orleans to do volunteer work, excavating houses, etc. Problem #1: We have no idea where to start. Short story is this: this year, it's my turn to pick where we go for the holidays. (We're upper-middle-class, generally speaking, 48 continental states is usually fine, outside the US mainland probably wouldn't be. I'm the oldest of three children, five-member nuclear family.) I had the idea that it would be a really, really interesting and worthwhile experience to donate our time as a family volunteering in New Orleans - I spent my spring break doing such, and was blown away by the experience. Only problem is, I have NO idea what the next step is. What's the best volunteer group to register as volunteers with for a short period of time (i.e. 2-5 days)? Anyone know of any families that did things along this line? Any tips we should know? Any things in New Orleans that we'd enjoy as a family during the evenings? Is this even feasible?

Facts and Statistics about Hurricane Katrina

captainscared — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 07:46:48 -0800

I am in need of current and historical facts and numbers regarding Hurricane Katrina. For example, how many people are still living in FEMA trailers? How many people have left New Orleans for good? Also, historical numbers, how many homes were destroyed? How many people were left homeless? etc. Thanks

"Louisiana SOS" Shirt?

kittyprecious — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 06:23:57 -0800

About a year ago, someone was selling a t-shirt with a red background and a white state of Louisiana with "SOS" carved out of it. Who was selling it and are they still available? EBay returns nothing and Google searches mostly bring references to the Secretary of State.

Swamp gas?

klangklangston — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:05:09 -0800

Research: Where should I look for stories or journalism about the type of thing that happened in the Superdome during Katrina, specifically where people believed (and reported to the press) that they had seen horrific acts that later were determined never to have taken place? I'm not even sure what the correct term would be (mass hysteria?) but I'm interested in the unreliability of primary sources in journalism, especially as it relates to Katrina.

What are the current challenges in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina?

photoslob — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 08:42:49 -0800

What are the current challenges in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina? I've done a cursory amount of research into what challenges those affected by Hurricane Katrina at the local level are currently facing but I'm wondering if others have any ideas or suggestions. I plan to travel through the Gulf Coast states and on to New Orleans looking at the current situation and trying to help where I can. I'm hoping to do some photojournalism along the way.

Stella! What have you heard about me? (Perception of New Orleans)

honeydew — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 15:09:39 -0800

What do non-New Orleanians think about the city and the damage? Is it worth rebuilding? Are you really sick of hearing about it? What do people say about it? In New Orleans, we don't really know what the rest of the world thinks of the situation. It occurs to me that we really have to figure that out if we're going to get, say, levees.

I'm a native New Orleanian and I met a first-time visitor over Mardi Gras. She was amazed by the extent of the damage and how much we're still struggling in weird ways (like not having any stores open at night due to labor shortage), and she said she really had no idea what it was like. The reaction kind of blew me away; she honestly was horrified.

So what do people actually think about New Orleans? How broken do you think it is, and how likely is it to come back, from an outsider's perspective? Is it being over or under-publicized? I really just don't know anyone who hadn't heard constant rants from New Orleans anymore, and I really have no idea what the rest of the world thinks.

International Aid and Katrina

mulkey — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:58:27 -0800

How does international aid to the US work when we've never received international aid before? I was doing a little bit of reading about the US response to Hurricane Katrina and read with interest that this was the first time that the US has accepted foreign aid. So far I've seen that the government accepted aid (in the form of physical supplies or on the ground help) from Sweden, Mexico, Russia, Canada, Singapore, French and the Dutch. In addition we asked for help from the EU in the form of emergency medical kits, food rations and water. Other countries pledged money, but is this all we accepted?

My bigger question is – how does international aid work when the country that the money is being given to has never received aid before? We have NGO's that are focused on US problems, but if the US has never received aid from other countries before it's not clear to me how the process worked.

Also, How much of the aid that was received did the current administration have a choice about? Was it the State Department the organization who decided how and to whom that aid was released? When countries pledge to give money, who/what organization do they give it to? Do they write a check to the United States Government or is it through an NGO such as the Red Cross? And if it's through the Red Cross does it go through that country's Red Cross and then to the American Red Cross? Is FEMA involved in any of this?

Any help or resources would be appreciated!

Tips and advice for volunteer work and photography in/around New Orleans?

odinsdream — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 09:33:20 -0800

Volunteering and photography in Biloxi/New Orleans - tips and advice? A friend and I are driving down to New Orleans (well, Biloxi) to work with Hands-On USA for the weekend. The following Monday and Tuesday we've reserved for photography.

If anyone has any advice about the general area, perhaps on volunteering specifically, tips with regard to photography areas of interest in the New Orleans area, I'd greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Neither of us has been to the area post-Katrina, nor have we worked with the Hands-On USA group previously.

What should we name our cat?

Rock Steady — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 04:54:27 -0800

NameMyCatFilter: So we are fostering a kitten that was rescued from a house in Mississippi destroyed by Katrina -- a situation that will likely become permanent, and now we are thinking about a name for the little guy. Constraints inside. We'd like it to reference his background in some way, so something that suggests either the hurricane or Mississippi would be good (Storm and Biloxi have been suggested). Also, our other cats both have Irish-sounding names, so something that has an Irish feel would be an extra bonus. He's a tremendously cute, long-haired, orange polydactyl (extra toes) male who has a bit of a Maine Coon Cat look to him. Thanks!

How can I find out if and/or where a given press photo was printed?

moift — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 02:26:33 -0800

How can I find out if and/or where a given press photo was printed? The image in question is of this casualty of Katrina (potentially nsfw, another variation). I'm trying to determine whether this picture ever made its way into print. The first photo is attributed to David Grunfeld, Photographer & Photo Editor of Times-Picayune, but also to the Newhouse News Service, so I suppose it could have ended up anywhere.

Are there any good resources to track press photos? I've tried the sites of the T-P and Newhouse without finding mention. Are these photos at any point assigned some kind of ID they can be referenced by? I also tried a few runs at Lexis-Nexis, but that's not really working out either.

What should I take with me as a Red Cross volunteer?

dersins — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 18:37:24 -0800

So, on Tuesday, the Red Cross is deploying me to the gulf coast for three weeks to assist in their ongoing hurricane relief efforts there. What should I bring with me? I'm most interested in hearing from people who've done this sort of thing before. What did you find came in handy? What did you wish you had taken with you? What did you wish you hadn't brought? All suggestions welcome. (And, yes, I have seen this question, which has some good hints, but doesn't quite tell me what to bring other than plenty of smokes....)

What do I need to know as Red Cross volunteer?

efalk — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 16:59:40 -0800

I've just been asked to deploy to New Orleans as a Red Cross volunteer (mi). I volunteered at my local chapter about a week after Katrina, now I've received a message asking me to go, but I haven't finalized the plans yet. If I do go, more than likely I'll leave tomorrow.

Questions - Have any mefites done this already or volunteered with the Red Cross recently and can pass along some advice? What should I bring (RC covers expenses for anything you need locally)? Anything a white kid from Oregon should do/not do to 'fit in' with people in Louisiana? I've never been anywhere in the South so any all advice is appreciated. Thanks.

How to promote a fundraising effort online

wackybrit — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 09:18:27 -0800

How can we promote our $1 million online charity fundraising effort? I'm a freelance advisor for a company that's well known in its field. They're spinning off a hugely successful idea in order to raise $1 million for Hurricane Katrina victims. I'm pretty objective on most of this, but I feel it's a noble cause, and have reason to believe it could quite easily raise the $1 million within several weeks, so I've been happy to help them with it. Problem is.. I've only ever helped promote business interests directly, not charitable causes, and it seems pretty different.

So, what's the best way to promote this effort online? It's all centered around a single Web site, so I'll be letting all my blogging contacts know soon, we'll be getting a press release out, etc.. but are there any particularly good or unique ways to promote charitable efforts? Should we be getting in touch with Hurricane Katrina related sites? (Note that one detail is that this fund raising effort is directed at companies, as they're more likely to pay for what this fund raising effort offers them in return.)

Stay or go? Facts and reality, please.

pomegranate — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 04:30:08 -0800

What was the Katrina damage 50 miles inland? Everything I bring up just goes on and on about the coast, both for Katrina and her sister Rita. Last night our local newschannel talked about 110 MPH winds in Katy, near our house in west Houston. On the other hand, I can't find any info on how long it might take to get to Beaumont on IH10 East, and I don't want to run out of gas due to the traffic. We live in a brick house far from the 100 year flood plane, with very few windows and one giant pecan tree. We have food and water and all the necessities, but we're still thinking of leaving. We are having a hard time getting the facts to make a good decision.

I'm looking for facts or pictures, not "get out now get out now" scariness. My pants are plenty brown already, thanks.

Help me help everyone.

honeydew — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 20:41:54 -0800

I'm a New Orleans resident who's going home the second they let me. I want more than anything to be as helpful as possible in rebuilding the city. What is the city going to need? I'm a fairly young, very small female. I'm a certified teacher and have done simple, low-wage jobs most of my life. I have a place to stay when I go back to town if my house is uninhabitable, but I know for a fact that my car was destroyed. I speak French and Indonesian. What would be helpful to the city at this time? What do I need to learn or who can I sign up with? Furthermore, who can I sign up with that will pay me? I've lost my job for the time being and am expecting to at least have to replace floors and some furniture before even worrying about a car.

Furthermore, my friends and I have considered starting a charity with some stickers, tshirts, etc that we've come up with in exile. How difficult is it to run a charity? Where do we even start? Is this feasible while most of us are poor and homeless? How do we get the money to where it needs to go? New Orleans has always been horribly corrupt and I know this isn't going to change.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

How do I volunteer for Katrina recovery efforts?

waldo — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 14:51:08 -0800

The Red Cross requires a three-week hitch, getting me back two days too late for my calendar. FEMA doesn't want help. I'm told that there are organizations across the country who are looking for volunteers to help with all manner of aid for Katrina victims. I just need a floor to sleep on and three squares, and I'll work 18 hours days feeding dogs or helping people fill out paperwork or cook food or whatever. Can anybody point me to some such organizations?

Trying to think of the children--where do I start?

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 03:16:54 -0800

Where can I find reputable information on adopting children orphaned by Hurricane Katrina? I have heard a great deal about people taking in adults and even whole families, but I can't help wondering, "what about the newly orphaned children?" Presumably, there are many. Does anyone know if any sort of authoritative info is available yet? What sorts of costs/commitments/unforeseen hurdles might there be in the process?
Asking anonymously because my wife and I are relatively early in the talking about it and thinking it's the right thing to do stage, and I don't want to give the false impression that we're saints before we actually commit to anything. FWIW, we do not have any children, adopted or otherwise, as yet.

Lagniappe for LA

Miko — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 10:15:57 -0800

Bon Temps: Requesting your suggestions for a Louisiana-themed benefit party. So, I'm involved in a community of musicians who wants to do something as a Katrina benefit. We'll probably donate to the Musicians Fund or something else a bit smaller than the giant aid orgs. something that will help Louisianans recover and resettle. There is an emphasis on cultural preservation as well as immediate victim aid.

What we've got: An excellent Zydeco band, an excellent old-time/punk band, a hall with a wooden dance floor that holds 200+ people, someone to teach some basic steps for zydeco dancing, someone who can cook good food in bulk, beer, a paid bartender, and me to stage-manage this shindig. We're going to charge a cover, then sell food and beer to raise additional bucks.

What I need now: Your creativity and knowledge in suggesting particular foods to serve; other items to sell or goofy things to stage for fundraising purposes; ways to have some political dimension (such as a petition); ways to link up to other relief and poverty-aid organizations; ideas for decorating; anything at all to make it a big time.

Nota bene: We want to avoid the expected 'Mardi Gras' theme, so please no beads and maybe not so much masks. We're going for more of a Fais-do-do vibe. This party is in Connecticut, though, and much of the money will go to the city of New Orleans, so some muddying of cultural distinctions is probably unavoidable. So, just think "Best of Louisiana". Thanks in advance.

Was the National Guard Federalized or Not?

tsarfan — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 22:08:22 -0800

Did the Gov. of Louisiana ask President Bush to federalize the National Guard or not? I hear conflicting opinoins on both sides. One the left, like for example today on Al Franken I heard that the Gov. asked the Pres to federalize the Guard and the next day he approved it. While on the right I heard that *because* the President wasn't given authority to go into New Orleans it would have been illegal for them to help those dying.

Which is the case? And please provide links. thanks!

Donating with Paypal

jikel_morten — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 13:09:41 -0800

I'd like to donate to the Katrina relief effort. I don't have a credit card, but am set up with Paypal. Paypal seems to want me to donate to the United Way. I somehow think, I don't know why, that I should give directly to the Red Cross instead of the UW. Would my money go further with the Red Cross, because otherwise I'll have no problem donating to the UW.
One of the first google hits for red-cross paypal is this one from 'Liberal Blogs for Hurricane Relief' through Drop Cash. Is this safe? I just don't know who can set up a drop cash donation page, and whatnot. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks

Why the World wide Oil price increase?

Iax — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 19:55:25 -0800

Why did the world wide price of oil go up after the hurricane? I can see why the price of oil would go up in the USA because the pipeline shutdown and the refinery shut down, but wouldnt that make the price of oil world wide actually go down?
Because the USA wouldn't be able to buy so much oil?

Why does FEMA hate communication?

aaronetc — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 17:32:53 -0800

Why would FEMA cut the emergency communication lines in Jefferson Parish? Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard reported on last Sunday's Meet the Press that FEMA came in and cut their lines. He then had the Sheriff reconnect the lines and post armed guards to protect them. (Video here.)

What is the official explanation for it? What could possibly justify it?