We just heard from my wife's father in New Orleans.....

[tx_dem41]

He's on the roof of Tulane Med Center evacuating all the remaining patients to Lafayette by National Guard helicopter. Because of the breech of the 17th St. Canal levee in Bucktown this morning, downtown now has 6 feet of water in the streets and the level is rising. The hospital is close to losing electricity. The remaining staff will stay there tonight and get flown out tomorrow.

My wife sent this news out in an email about an hour ago, and someone actually got Diane Rehm to read the email on air this morning.

I believe it will be necessary for the entire city to be evacuated within the next 24-48 hours if the levee breach is not closed soon.

[Tesla]

1. I take everything back I ever said about hospitals!!

Thank God for these brave people.

Hope your father is safe and gets to dry ground soon!!!

[mirandaod]

2. God have mercy.

How terrible for those people.

[Jacobin]

3. Wow.

Its happening in slow motion.

The city I love is in gawdawful trouble.

Hat's off to your FIL for staying to help these stranded folks

[HereSince1628]

9. The flooding is as slow and painful as being swallowed by a python

[Bluzmann57]

4. Man oh man

Glad your father in law is all right and that he is doing good works. It's just sort of strange to think the entire city of New Orleans may have to be evacuated. Good luck to your in laws and all others in the ravaged areas.

[AlGore-08.com]

5. You're wife's father is to commended

He's doing a very difficult and dangerous job. Thanks for giving us this news.

[Generic Other]

6. Amazing stories of courage!

Your father-in-law will be in my thoughts and prayers.

[benburch]

7. No way a breech that large can be closed against the flow of water.

They will only be able to close it once the water levels equalize.

[meganmonkey]

8. Thank you for the update

I can't even imagine what this is like.

:cry:

Prayers to everyone. I just lit a candle at work. No one is giving me funny looks yet :)

[Penndems]

10. God bless your wonderful father-in-law

Thank goodness the evacuees have someone compassionate and caring to help them evacuate expeditiously and safely. :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Thank you for this update. I hope all will be well *hugs and prayers*

[riverwalker]

12. bless the nurses

who are putting in 48 hours of straight sleepless shifts so far, all the while worried about their own families.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

17. THese people are heroes!

[Horse with no Name]

13. Good news

What a wonderful man.

[tx_dem41]

14. THANK YOU ALL....for those thoughts!!

My father-in-law is the most decent person I have ever met and I am pretty damn proud of him and everyone at Tulane right now.

Thanks again. It means a lot.

[crispini]

15. We might lose New Orleans.

Holy crap.

[I Have A Dream]

16. I'm speechless.

:cry:

[ernstbass]

18. Thanks for your post

My thoughts are with the staff and patients at this time.

[markus]

19. I wonder when they get to Charity?

That the huge public hospital complex across the street.

Evacuation of the city will be complicated by the fact that I-10 east is closed.

I wonder if I-10 west is open? There would be a lot of debris on the caseway over the spillway, since that area is a major concentration point for storm surge.

[intheflow]

20. I think I heard 10 is destroyed.

I don't know NO, though. It could have been another highway. I did hear there's only one way out, through the Crescent City connection (whatever that is).

[tx_dem41]

23. The Crescent City Connection are the two twin high-rises....

across the Mississippi River at New Orleans. It goes to the West Bank and out the West Bank Exwy to Hwy 90 which exits to the SW portion of New Orleans metro area.

If the 17th St. Canal level breached at Bucktown, I-10 is surely impassable to the West.

[markus]

24. Yes. They're saying the only evac route is GNOB/CCC to 90 on the West Bank

then up to I-10 west of the city.

(You can tell how long I've been gone when I hae to say Greater NO Bridge, but I used to communte to Gretna).

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

21. Warm hugs to father-in-law for the work that he's doing! Blessings!

[johnnie]

22. Thanks for the news tx_dem

I'm glad that your father in law is okay. This is one long nightmare and I have a feeling it will go on for a while longer.
I can't even imagine being there right now.
Here is to the safety of your family and everyone else.