An e-mail from a friend of mine who's flying a helo in NOLA.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - An e-mail from a friend of mine who's flying a helo in NOLA.

Posted: 9/4/2005 4:46:26 PM EDT

This is not a forwarded e-mail or from a friend of friend e-mail. I've known this guy for years and he's an ex London cop. Take what you read here as true.

Hi All
On my 3rd day flying over New Orleans.
Parts of the city are an incredible sight of flooding
destruction. Some 'hurricane' damage but if the levees
had held it would have come out of this relatively ok.
But with some levees failing and different elevations
here mean that huge areas are under 14 feet of water
in places. East of the 17th Street canal is a disaster
but 100 feet west on the other side is bone dry.
Thousands of homes are just totalled and not just the
poor neighbourhoods as has been reported. Some houses
are completely submerged or you can just see some roof
tiles and that's it. Thousands of vehicles, boats,
trailers/caravans are just completely submerged.
The smell as you fly over at 500feet is very evident
and the lower you go the worse it is. Gas mains
ruptured are frothing the water, gasoline and all
sorts of chemicals are mixing it up along with the
more unsavoury waste products of human existance. The
smell of dead animals and people adds to the cocktail.

They are just now starting to talk about the death
toll being thousands and not dozens/hundreds. There is
a strong rumour (not yet released to the press)
circulating that at least 500 drowned in an evacuation
center to the south-east of the city. One of the
engineers here apparently lost his brother in the evac
centre. Many people who stayed ended up trapped in their
attics with no way out - it must have been horrendous.

Despite having no electricty, New Orleans Armstrong
International Airport is a central hub for mercy
aircraft. Airspace is controlled chaos. I am having to
constantly watch for proximity of other aircraft to
avoid mid-air collisions. Hundreds of aircraft, with
Blackhawks, Chinooks, CH53's and various AirMed helos
are inbound and outbound constantly dropping off
casualties and refuelling. Huge US Military transports
like C5's are inbound with aid.

Everyone outside of a 5 mile ring of the airport is
communicating with AWACs aircraft flying high above
the area controlling who comes in and out of the
airspace surrounding the city - if you don't have a
discreet transponder code you don't get in.

I and a colleague, flying our trusty Alouette's, are
attached to the Army Corps of Engineers and in turn to
Boh Brothers, the area's largest and oldest
construction company. They seem to have an open book
to the White House and Presidential Orders to do
whatever they need. We are tasked to inspect the
levees and the pumping stations and decide what can
and can't be done.
Yesterday I brought 3 engineers to a yard east of the
city to inspect a large quantity of plant machinery
urgently needed to repair the levees and make fresh
breaks to drain the city. It had relatively high
elevation and had been under only 4 feet of water but
was now 70% dry. A lot of vehicles will be unuseable
for the effort but there were a good number that will
function.
I was warned that the neighbourhood was a bad one at
the best of times so we were wary of landing. I
hovered around at 10 feet for a while checking for
victims and then looters etc. We set it down on a dry
yard and set about doing what we needed to do. We
spent 2 hours on the ground and having seen no-one set
off to refuel. I am carrying my .45 auto and I was
locked and loaded which sounds dramatic but there are
thugs out here shooting at the helicopters as they are
in and out of the area, in particular the hospitals.
It defies belief.
I am on hold to fly as I write as the area we need to
fly into is unsafe due to gunfire.

Looters and co. are armed as they looted all the
stores in the city of the guns and ammunition. (Just
before I set off from Florida I went and bought an
additional 100 rds just in case). Crazy. When normal
order is broken down and the people have nothing it
really breaks down the morals. Seeing people loot food
and water is fine but when you see people stealing
trainers/tennis shoes and fashion stuff it just makes
you wonder.

The water surge must have been incredible as huge
boats/ships are a half mile inland resting on the main
roads! As I say the TV pictures don't do it justice -
you really have to see it for yourself to grasp the
scale.

The damage in $dollar terms, quite aside from other
costs incurred with this, must be staggering. By the
time these houses are drained they are probably just
going to be irreparable. How, and if, they rebuild the
city is beyond me. I am sure they will but I just
don't see it - it will take years.

On a human side you have to realise that a large
number of people have lost everything and have only
the clothes they stand up in. No homes and no jobs as
the businesses are destroyed. Where do these people go
and what do they do? As despair sets in I am sure the
suicide rate will spike after this.
On seeing this, I now have some understanding of what
it must be like where the Tsunami hit.

We are based at a helipad used by LifeFlight helo's
about 40 miles NW of the city about 10 miles outside
Baton Rouge. At least we have accommodation and life
here is totally normal. We may reposition to the
Coastguard station right in the city as we lose a lot
of time flying from here to there.

Anyway I am fine and the helo isn't coughing at all,
so no worries.
I have taken some photos as I have been flying along
so will send some to anyone who is interested when I
am able to download them.
Not sure how long I will be up here. I am supposed to
be flying to the UK on the 18th - I'll probably need a
rest by then anyway!
all best

Posted: 9/4/2005 4:50:26 PM EDT

[#1]

My bro is a London cop....Upstanding guy

This is a terrible situation that i hope does not last much longer.

Taffy

Posted: 9/4/2005 4:52:09 PM EDT

[#2]

Why in the hell would you ever shoot at somebody trying to help you?

Why?

Posted: 9/4/2005 4:54:20 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Why in the hell would you every shoot at somebody trying to help you?

Why?

IQ <= 60

Posted: 9/4/2005 4:56:22 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Why in the hell would you ever shoot at somebody trying to help you?

Why?

Because they dont WANT help.

The guys doing the shooting are the Lords of the Flies now and they like that.

Posted: 9/4/2005 4:56:31 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Why in the hell would you every shoot at somebody trying to help you?

Why?

IQ <= 60

No. Even a retarded person wouldn't punch somebody that was trying to give them a pop-tart.

Anyone who would do this is simple evil.....and I damn sure wouldn't want to be them on judgement day.

Posted: 9/4/2005 4:57:06 PM EDT

[#6]

Thanks for sharing it.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:01:23 PM EDT

[#7]

Ask him if he wants a door gunner.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:04:12 PM EDT

[#8]

Thanks for posting that info. I like hearing from sources other than our media.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:04:43 PM EDT

[#9]

Thanks for that, interesting to say the least. It sounds like the end of the line is near for these thugs and crimals.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:07:26 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Thanks for sharing it.

I'm sure Nigel would want you guys to see it. He's a gun guy, had all his pistols stolen by his own .gov. after the Dunblane massacre.

He got the call to go on the quick and I happened to be in manifest when he called on the DZ radio as he flew up to NOLA. Said he was heading up there, grabbed his 1911 and a hundred rounds and some clothes and left.
I offered him my 590 Mariner and he wanted it but he just didnt have time to stop by and pick it up.

He's a good guy.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:08:54 PM EDT

[#11]

God I hope that the 500 drowned at the evacuation center is just a rumor.

Thanks for sharing this info captainpooby.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:09:53 PM EDT

[#12]

Many people who stayed ended up trapped in their attics with no way out - it must have been horrendous.

Holy crap! I never thought about panicked people holing up in their attic, not considering the possibility of the water rising to the point where the the only way out would be UP and then finding out they had no way of breaking through the roof!

I *really* don't envy the recovery teams when they start finding these....

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:10:23 PM EDT

[#13]

Cap, Post some of his pictures if he sends some to you. It sounds like he has his hands full and sending pictures might take a while.

Thanks again!

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:17:09 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Cap, Post some of his pictures if he sends some to you. It sounds like he has his hands full and sending pictures might take a while.

Thanks again!

Will do.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:28:59 PM EDT

[#15]

Thanks, capt.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:35:37 PM EDT

[#16]

Tell your friend thanks for us. He and his brother pilots are truly angels. All their efforts are very much appreciated. Tell him to take care and stay safe.

Posted: 9/4/2005 5:44:31 PM EDT

[#17]

tag

Posted: 9/4/2005 6:31:32 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Why in the hell would you ever shoot at somebody trying to help you?

Why?

Because they dont WANT help.

The guys doing the shooting are the Lords of the Flies now and they like that.

+1 If law and order are restored, their reign of power ends. Right now, they're da man.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - An e-mail from a friend of mine who's flying a helo in NOLA.

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