Breaking News ...Civilians ordered out

[Dean4Storms]

I'm not there and I cannot speak to the reasons but if they need to evacuate the whole city then they need to involve the US military and get Helicopters in at landing points throughout the city. This would be the only somewhat safe and plausible way to accomplish this.

[BlowinNTheWind]

Louisiana Governor's Aide says she has no idea how people are going to get out of New Orleans...basically said they are overwhelmed by the magnitude of this storm's damage

[The Big Dog]

Argue the point and your looking at the business end of an M-16.

They're not going to shoot homeless storm refugees.

[yzerfan]

They also needed to get the military planning on setting up tent cities for evacuees. They did that here for Vietnamese and Cuban refugees in the 70s and 80s.

A handful of FEMA trailers just isn't going to cut it.

[wwicko]

Louisiana Governor's Aide says she has no idea how people are going to get out of New Orleans...basically said they are overwhelmed by the magnitude of this storm's damage

That's what I was afraid of. Does anyone know of estimates of the number of civilians remaining in NO? Helicopters and busses might be used to remove the disabled, but I'm sure there are far too many people to be removed by transport.

The smart thing would be to tell people to start walking out, and the most needy will be provided transportation first. It's absolutely the best and only thing to do.

I suspect this is the smartest strategy.

Only way out of New Orleans is West

The only way people can leave the city of New Orleans is to get on Crescent City Connection, head to the West Bank and take Highway 90 to Interstate 310 or I-10 on to Lafayette, authorities said this morning.

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/

I wonder how far they would have to walk to dry land where a refugee camp might be set up?

And by the way, enough with the gun fetish. More violence, whether perpetrated by civilian or state, is no solution to this problem.

[JamesFromMaine2]

how can the bus people out when almost the whole city is underwater? The superdome is surrounded by water!

[Cape Fear Cane Watcher]

On top of all the water, now they will have to deal with the fires as well. To get everyone evacuated will be something of a miracle. I imagine they will end up using any means necessary.

[gtalum]

They're probably just going to have to walk out.

[wwicko]

walk, swim, float, paddle through toxic water, filled with posionous snakes, and all the while avoiding fires... sounds horrible

does anyone know of estimates of people remaining in NO?

[gtalum]

I've heard ~100,000 from several sources.

[HurriCat]

can someone please post a link about the Martial law imposition? I cant find a reference to it anywhere on any site. thanks.

NOT GETTING POLITICAL, However... Regarding getting out, a lot of folks are just going to have to wade, swim and walk. They will have to adapt and improvise. They will have to help one another. It is easy to sit here with all of our compassion and to expect "them" (feds, state, etc) to float down and save everyone. This is one time that they just can't do it. What we are seeing is a time of life's struggle in the rawest form: man versus nature. I wish that we had that "Easy" button like on the TV commercials.

Regarding Martial Law, folks should be aware that under the FEMA laws, the U.S. Constitution can be "suspended", populations divided and relocated regardless of family unit/sex/etc, private property and supplies can be "reallocated" and on and on. Lottsa stuff.

[T'Bonz]

They said there is no martial law declaration, that was a mistake.

Canal street is now flooded, waters in the French Quarter.

[alicia-w]

Who is "they"? because we're seeing more than a few references to martial law on numerous sites....