Some news first: I found this link on offshorediver.com -- a diving Message Board:
- RigZone; This is a website for Oil and Gas industry. The link is to their analysis of Katrina's damage. Katrina damaged a total of 12 rigs, including at least 5 that are likely to be scrapped. Discounting the 3 semisubs that only suffered loss of ballast and listing, Katrina still damaged 9 offshore rigs. Additionally, damage to at least 30 offshore platforms has been confirmed, with 18 platforms a total loss. And that number may increase, as a recent MMS report indicated a total of 58 damaged platforms and rigs in the Gulf. The only major area of uncertainty is how badly the underwater pipelines connecting the offshore platforms to shore have been damaged. It will be at least several more days before those damages can be fully assessed.
- A work barge that was pushed up onto dry land.(from Longstreath.com)
- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's interview showing his frustration. link or link This interview was heard on Thursday night on 102.5 here in Lafayette. I heard him on Friday on this station, speaking about the lack of local, state support. He was expressing that other states were doing more to help than Louisiana was.
- The site boingboing.net has many Blog entries about Katrina. It is a wealth of info about the recovering efforts and related stories about the hurricane.
Now some Rumors: I have heard two rumors that relate to volunteers who went out in their boats to rescue people off their roofs. First let me say I was disappointed when a congressman went on the local t.v. station to request boats from the general public. This was early in the week, maybe the day after the hurricane. After that cried for help, 200 men showed up, with 100 boats. The group caravan to New Orleans and found out that only 20 boats would be used. I really can't understand how the rescue officials would turn anybody away that was willing to help. Now the 1st rumor was that people where coming home with bullet holes in their boats. With the national news coverage of people shooting at helicopters, I believe that this rumor is probably true. I can definite see desperate people trying to shot at boaters going bye, leaving them behind. Seeing such actions would definitely lead to frustration and thoughts of being left behind. The 2nd rumor I heard and I pray that it is false; was that when a rescue boat came up to a rooftop, the evacuees held a gun at them. They were forcibly removed from the boat, robbed and left stranded on the roof. The evacuees rode off in the boat and left their would-be rescuers. This is just wrong wrong,wrong. I was told this room a couple of days ago; I really don't know if it is turn or not. I definitely haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else.