FLOODING
As many probably already know, one of the levees in New Orleans has breeched and the city is flooding with water...
Water from Lake Pontchartrain threatened New Orleans' historic French Quarter Tuesday after the tourist mecca was spared the brunt of Hurricane Katrina.
A breach in the 17th Street Canal levee Monday widened sending salt water into Lakeview, Mid-City, Carrollton, Gentily, City Park and other neighborhoods, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported...
However, the
WWLTV Blog is saying...
Homeland security chief optimistic that 3,000 pound sandbags can plug 200 foot levee break at 17th Street Canal.
Do we have any engineers out there who would know whether it's possible to close a gap that big with sandbags?
LOOTING
According to WDSU...
11:04 a.m.: Looting Out Of Control
New Orleans police say looting is out of control in many parts of the city. Officials are focusing on the rescue effort, but a crackdown on looting is expected after the martial law declaration.
The
AP has more...
...At a Walgreen's drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.
When police finally showed up, a young boy stood in the door screaming, "86! 86!" _ the radio code for police _ and the crowd scattered.
Denise Bollinger, a tourist from Philadelphia, stood outside and snapped pictures in amazement.
"It's downtown Baghdad," the housewife said. "It's insane. I've wanted to come here for 10 years. I thought this was a sophisticated city. I guess not."
Around the corner on Canal Street, the main thoroughfare in the central business district, people sloshed headlong through hip-deep water as looters ripped open the steel gates on the front of several clothing and jewelry stores.
One man, who had about 10 pairs of jeans draped over his left arm, was asked if he was salvaging things from his store.
"No," the man shouted, "that's EVERYBODY'S store."
Looters filled industrial-sized garbage cans with clothing and jewelry and floated them down the street on bits of plywood and insulation as National Guard lumbered by...
PRICE GOUGING
There are reports that Hotels & other businesses around the area are starting to raise their prices to take advantage of the situation. Louisiana's AG, Charles Foti...
...said that his office has received nearly two dozen calls from people who say they were overcharged for gasoline or a hotel room. He promised to aggressively prosecute the offenders.
Other complaints involve stores selling generators or canned goods at twice the normal price, Foti said.