People on roofs in Grand Isle

[JtSmarts]

Reported by Fox News

[Josephine96]

Can ya kinda get a little more info on that please

[JtSmarts]

On Fox News they stated that they were just starting to get reports from Grand Isle and surronding areas, and that the flooding was so bad some people had to climb on to their roofs to escape from the water.

[Jam151]

I bet they won't stay next time. Crazy people...

[SCHawkFan]

When they heard that the storm surge would be 20-25 feet, what did they expect? I feel for them and know they are losing everything they have, but please be smart enough to get off of a coastal island when a Cat 5 hurricane is on the way.

[CajunMama]

Grand Isle had a mandatory evacuation...what fools. I don't mean to sound harsh and uncaring but they deserved to be sitting on a roof in the middle of a hurricane if they're going to be stupid enough to stay.

[beenthru6]

Shep Smith stated that he heard reports from emergency responders (who obviouusly cannot and will not respond for a while) that the numbers of people taking refuge on their roofs in se LA is in the hundreds. Whether or not this pans out to be true numbers rtemains to be seen, but considering the numbers of people who chose to stay and the amount of water piling up in that area, I wouldn't be a bit surprised. Sadly, many of those on their roofs will likely not live to be rescued. Heartbreaking!

[Josephine96]

Someone said today that close to 100,000 people did NOT obey the mandatory evac order..

Maybe they should have all seen that eerie bulletin from the NWS yesterday

[Hfcomms]

Watching a sat feed from WBRZ in Baton Rouge. Lady on telephone in Baton Rouge in contact with family members on East side of New Orleans. The family is in the attic of their home with rapidy rising flood waters and are trapped with no way out. Rescue personnel are unable to do anything until things settle down. These people will probably drown. The cell phone towers are still working I guess.

[GalvestonDuck]

I think I heard that it wasn't that they weren't obeying the orders, but that they had no way to evacuate.

[JtSmarts]

Hopefully the waters will begin to subside soon or at least stop rising.

[steveklein]

and the fact is... this storm isn't NEARLY as bad as it could have been this time yesterday.

the only folks who probably took a true cat 4 impact were those in grand isle, over towards boothville. cat 3 effects along parts of the missisippi coast.

there will be a good bit of damage in new orleans... but jesus... do you think they realize how big of a bullet they dodged?

[Brent]

Grand Isle had a mandatory evacuation...what fools. I don't mean to sound harsh and uncaring but they deserved to be sitting on a roof in the middle of a hurricane if they're going to be stupid enough to stay.

I agree... just saw a report on MSNBC a while ago that a man in East New Orleans is pleading for someone to come save him by cell phone... says the water has filled his house and he's going to have to get on the roof.

If only he had left...

[milankovitch]

Grand Isle had a mandatory evacuation...what fools. I don't mean to sound harsh and uncaring but they deserved to be sitting on a roof in the middle of a hurricane if they're going to be stupid enough to stay.

I agree... just saw a report on MSNBC a while ago that a man in East New Orleans is pleading for someone to come save him by cell phone... says the water has filled his house and he's going to have to get on the roof.

If only he had left...

At this point I'm thinking of hundreds of eldelry along the gulf coast who may not be able to get on their roof.

[JenyEliza]

Watching a sat feed from WBRZ in Baton Rouge. Lady on telephone in Baton Rouge in contact with family members on East side of New Orleans. The family is in the attic of their home with rapidy rising flood waters and are trapped with no way out. Rescue personnel are unable to do anything until things settle down. These people will probably drown. The cell phone towers are still working I guess.

If they're determined to stay--even knowing what is coming their way, with the predicted storm surges--and then end up in their attic--WHY would they not take an ax, ball peen hammer or some other tool up there with them--in case they needed to hack their way out of the roof to safety?

When you're talking 20+foot storm surge...ya gotta know that even many attic (on 1 story houses especially) isn't going to provide refuge...

Gawd. This is so preventable. I wish they'd left.

Jen

[stormie_skies]

I think I heard that it wasn't that they weren't obeying the orders, but that they had no way to evacuate.

Thank you for pointing that out, Duckie. I'm sure there were many people who didn't have the means to evacuate - they didn't have access to a car, money for a bus/airplane ticket or a rental car, and they really didn't know where they were supposed to go. I'm sure some had sick, disabled or elderly relatives or friends who couldn't evacuate and who they didn't want to leave behind. Not everyone has the means to just get up and go on such short notice...

I understand everyone's frustration with the people who stayed because they didn't think it would be that bad... but we don't know why these people are still in their homes....and the fact of the matter is that many of them are dying. Its a horrible, horrible situation.

[wayoutfront]

I think I heard that it wasn't that they weren't obeying the orders, but that they had no way to evacuate.

Thank you for pointing that out, Duckie. I'm sure there were many people who didn't have the means to evacuate - they didn't have access to a car, money for a bus/airplane ticket or a rental car, and they really didn't know where they were supposed to go. I'm sure some had sick, disabled or elderly relatives or friends who couldn't evacuate and who they didn't want to leave behind. Not everyone has the means to just get up and go on such short notice...

I understand everyone's frustration with the people who stayed because they didn't think it would be that bad... but we don't know why these people are still in their homes....and the fact of the matter is that many of them are dying. Its a horrible, horrible situation.

No these are/were just idiots.... everyobe had a ride out of grand island... these are the people that signed papers to be able to stay.

[bp00010002]

The Mayor of Grande Isle asked everybody to leave. He BEGGED everyone to leave. They had rides. They stayed cause they wanted to, or they just didnt want to come back to nothing. Regardless, NOBODY was there because they could not get out.

It is very sad. I do not know what will be left there, or in st bernard parish, or other southeastern parishes. A lot of communities are in horrible shape. But, the people of grande isle could have left. We cannot save people from their own foolishness unfortunetly. God bless them and their relatives after this is over.

[jpigott]

any further reports from Grand Isle. I'd imagine this area probably experienced the greatest winds being this was the 1st landfall area

[AlabamaDave]

Most of New Orleans East is middle class neighborhoods, fairly sizable brich homes, etc. Most people in that part of the city likely had the means to get out. Certainly there are plenty of poor and elderly who had no means to escape, and that is gut-wrenching. But there are also a lot of people who are simply too stupid to live, and we are witnessing where that expression comes from.