According to Anderson Cooper, Amtrak contacted the mayors office and offered an entire train for evacuation assistance in N.O. prior to the storm, and was told their services were not needed. An empty train left town the day before it hit.
How many people can an Amtrak train hold? Who decides who gets on and who doesnt?
In addition to offering assistance prior to the storm, Amtrak and the actual rail/track owners (CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, among others) worked to fix the heavily damaged lines into/out of NO in order to provide routes to take the evacuees away from the city. Amtrak was ready to go with a full train (600+ capacity?), but some city/govt.? officials decided that they didn’t want to send the evacuees to where Amtrak was going, and instead sent them somewhere that Amtrak couldn’t get to. Amtrak actually only transported less than 100 people out of NO. Sad.
but some city/govt.? officials decided that they didn’t want to send the evacuees to where Amtrak was going
Well, that’s a valid point too - getting out of NO is important, but you have to go somewhere where the 600 or so peopel can be taken care of. Do you know where that train was supposed to go?
I’m not sure exactly, but from NO, Amtrak travels west to San Antonio and north to Chicago. The eastbound route toward FL was not passable. There are only so many tracks in/out. It was offered within a few days after the storm, and it’s clear nobody even knew what to do with the people at that point, but anywhere would have been better than there.
but anywhere would have been better than there.
Not necessarily, there was some food, water, and shelter being provided at the Superdome. I’m not saying it didn’t suck there, but would starving at the Chicago train station be that much better?
Not necessarily, there was some food, water, and shelter being provided at the Superdome. I’m not saying it didn’t suck there, but would starving at the Chicago train station be that much better?
No one would have starved at the Chicago train station, but no one expected the events in NO to play out the way they did either. In hind sight, anywhere with a train station probably would have been better, but those are not the types of gambles you take when evacuating your people. With the whole story beginning to sort out, it appears (as expected) that Nagin will be looking for a new line of work in the near future.
I know you’re playing the devil’s advocate here… but yes, Chicago’s station, or any station along the way, would be better simply because of the working electricity, toilets, shelter, and access to good samaritans willing to provide whatever necessary.
OK let’s play out the two possibilities
The city is destroyed/flooded - You would have to admit that a shelter could have been set up where ever the train was/could get to. So in that case people taken out early. City officials/Mayor/Amtrak are declared heroes.
However - Train leaves empty. Amtrak seen as trying to help (still possible heroes). City Officials/Mayor irresponsible
Nothing happens and the tracks are still passable - Amtrak returns citizens back with the returning train. Amtrak seen as possible hero, City officials/Mayor seen as overly cautious.
However train leaves empty - Amtrak seen as helpful, great PR. City Officials/Mayor seen as careless.
Mayor’s real problem - Next hurricane - the population storms the station demanded a safe train ride out of town. And you can believe that more than 600 will show up looking for a free ride also. Don’t you know why the Superdome was not prepared for the evacuation? Millions in damage from those who occupied the building during Ivan.
I think the ice stories are a lot more funny and amazing. You got to love a system that orders ice from WI bound for LA, then gets sent to GA, SC then MD only to wait in a parking lot.
** yes, Chicago’s station, or any station along the way, would be better simply because of the working electricity, toilets, shelter, and access to good samaritans willing to provide whatever necessary. **
Yes, for 600 people. Perspective, people.
but would starving at the Chicago train station be that much better?
I guess all the evacuees that IL flew to Chicago must have starved in O’hare then. There’s no way Chicago could have taken care of 600 people.
I didn’t know IL flew evacuees to O’Hare… how did these evacuees get so lucky?
Sure Chicago could have arranged something as could have other cities. But I’m guessing when Amtrak made the offer there were’t arrangements in place. So if you’re Nagin, you option is to take 600 people (how are you going to select these BTW?) put them on a train, and start making phone calls and hope you can set up provisions for them somewhere. Or you can stick to the plan at hand and have everyone at the Superdome where you’re planning on sheltering and feeding them for a few days until state/federal relief can get there. In hindsight, the train looks might appealing, and it’s probably safe to say that there are 600 people who would have been better off getting on that train, but at the moment the right decision wasn’t neccessarily that obvious.
Or you can stick to the plan at hand
What was that plan again?
I didn’t know IL flew evacuees to O’Hare… how did these evacuees get so lucky?
Same as everyone else. You get on a plane and you find out where you’re going when you land.
Or you can stick to the plan at hand and have everyone at the Superdome where you’re planning on sheltering and feeding them for a few days until state/federal relief can get there.
That could have worked if they would have actually gotten the people to the Superdome and then had enough food and water there instead of being grossly underprovisioned.
How do you select the people for the train? You ask if anyone wants to go and then it’s first come, first served. Pretty easy.
Same as everyone else. You get on a plane and you find out where you’re going when you land.
Yeah, but who gets to get on a plane?
That could have worked if they would have actually gotten the people to the Superdome and then had enough food and water there instead of being grossly underprovisioned.
Well sure, hence my comment about hindsight.
How do you select the people for the train? You ask if anyone wants to go and then it’s first come, first served. Pretty easy.
Pretty easy way to start a riot.
Yeah, but who gets to get on a plane?
I think it was decided for them. Family A gets on Plane 1, Family B gets on Plane 2, Family C gets on Bus 1, Family D gets an apartment in Houston.
*Well sure, hence my comment about hindsight. *
That’s not hindsight, it’s lace of foresight. They didn’t provision their shelter adequately.
Pretty easy way to start a riot.
I doubt it. Do you think 600 people would have even shown up? Once 600 people show up you turn the rest of the people away.
Remember, this was before the disaster struck. I don’t think anyone was in a panic at that point. Assume that only the people that were dead set on evacuating and completely without the means to do so showed up. I’d bet there would be plenty of seats left on that train when it left town.
That’s exactly what I said in the post above. See below for the quote.
“I doubt it. Do you think 600 people would have even shown up?”
Remember, this was before the disaster struck.
Actually, not correct. A train was availble before (for evacuations) and after (for rescue/escape) the storm.