Hurricane Karina Hits Nueva Orleans
Lamar Howell, Dissociated Press
When Hurricane Karina slammed the coast of Nueva Orleans, 10,000 Mexicans were ordered by Governor Café to go to the Megadome. The curious residents of Colonia Novena filled trucks and vans and poured into the giant soccer stadium.
Teri Eberto, chief of Homeland Security for Nueva Orleans predicted a miserable night for the evacuees as satellite imagery showed two gaping holes in the Megadome roof. On Tuesday morning, new satellite imagery showed blue tarps covering one hole and the other was already being patched with plywood. A roofing crew had been assembled and had worked through the night in repairs.
“I left my apartment with my buddies. We took too much tortillas and all the meat in the frigerador,” said Jorge Garcia. “We not afraid of getting wet, so many of us rode the back of the truck to the estadium.”
Besides the two holes in the roof, there were numerous leaks in the stadium plumbing. A news eight helicopter flying overhead saw blue plumes coming from several sights. Apparently some of the Mexican workers had butane tanks in their trucks and the materials necessary to fix the leaks.
Wednesday afternoon a US rescue helicopter landed outside the Dome. According to CNB News, what the rescue team found startled them. They found the electricity working. The generators which had stopped working the first day were up and running again, according to CNB news.. Apparently the men had siphoned gas from their trucks to fuel the generators.
The US National Guard found work crews everywhere. One team had dug a huge trench on one end of the Megadome.property. Fires were burning trash in the pit. The Mexicans had also made numerous outside latrines, complete with curtains suspended with plastic pipe.. The team also found hoses rigged up throughout the compound which were bringing in fresh water. Investigators later realized that these hoses were bringing in water from a water tower in the Colonia Novena nearly two miles away.
Mechanics had set up impromptu shops and were working on cars. A reporter from Noticias Nacional asked one of the mechanics what he was doing.
“I putting liff kits on the trucks. Is possible we gotta to drive in water.”
Helicopters had earlier seen what appeared to be distress signs being waved from the stranded evacuees. Upon closer inspection, they found that the signs were advertisements for tacos stands and other food and services being offered.
The fourth day, Governor Café arrived at the dome by helicopter. She inspected the dome, had a meal, and congratulated the people for their work. She told the people they should leave the dome and stay with families and friends until the flooding was under control and power had been restored to the city.
The Mexicans were hesitant to leave. However when the governor mentioned needing workers to rebuild the city, their attitudes changed and they started packing.
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