Qualcomm No Superdome; San Diego Stadium Houses Fire Evacuees

[Purveyor]

Like Hurricane Katrina evacuees two years earlier in New Orleans, thousands of people rousted by natural disaster fled to the NFL stadium here, waiting out the calamity and worrying about their homes.

The similarities ended there, as an almost festive atmosphere reigned at Qualcomm Stadium.

Bands belted out rock 'n' roll, lavish buffets served gourmet entrees, and massage therapists helped relieve the stress for those forced to flee their homes because of wildfires.

"The people are happy. They have everything here," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared Monday night after his second Qualcomm tour.

Although anxieties ran high, the misery index seemed low as the celebrity governor waded through the mob. Scarcely a complaint was registered with him.

"Oooh, I got a picture!" shrieked Olivia Beard of Ocean Beach, one of hundreds who pressed toward Schwarzenegger with camera phones snapping.

---eoe---

http://www.sfgate.com/

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/10/23/national/a024152D24.DTL&tsp=1

[muntrv]

1. Barbara Bush: "These people in the stadium have it much better than where

they came from."

[Xenotime]

15. Like she actually know how people live. She hasn't done a load of laundry in years.

[Bonobo]

2. Rather insulting to the people of NO.

[bbinacan]

4. Insulting to the people of NO?

How do you figure?

[Bonobo]

5. "We Californians are civilized. You "people" in NO are barbarians"

Seemed to be the gist. Don't see any to make a direct comparison and state it like the OP did. No reason to compare. Not helpful. Insulting. IMO.

[regnaD kciN]

9. That tone bothered me, too...

The big difference, of course, is that Qualcomm was away from the fires and not impacted by them, whereas the Superdome had Katrina rip off part of its roof and flood it, not to mention cause the ensuing power failure and inability of supply convoys to reach it.

Had the Katrina evacuees been able to be transported to a stadium where there was no weather impact from the storm, and easy access for food, water, and medicine, I don't think you'd see a scene much different from San Diego today (except that the bands would be playing world-class jazz).

[bbinacan]

11. That's not the "gist" I got n/t

[Purveyor]

12. The San Francisco Chronicle is making the comparison with its "Qualcomm No Superdome" headline.

I included two links to the story with the http://www.sfgate.com/ link containing the SFChron headline.

I too, think it is in poor taste and have emailed the SFChron with my objections.

[merh]

19. have you ever considered that the EMA folks in California

learned from the mistakes of Katrina? Have you ever considered that the firestorms in California are totally different from Katrina?

Do not belittle the efforts of the EMA folks in California or the volunteers that are making the unbearable tolerable.

Waiting on mother nature and wondering what you will find when you go home is never easy, it doesn't matter your religion, skin color, pocket book or the home you could loose.

[bbinacan]

3. Glad to hear things are

going better then at the Superdome.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Well that is because lessons were learned

no, not about NOLA, but about the Cedar Fire

If the reverse 911 was not in place... we would be talking dead... as in many dead

[angstlessk]

8. I was thinking the same thing...they did not want a repeat of the Super Dome

so they went out of their way to make it different...of course there is MORE MONEY IN THAT AREA than in New Orleans...but hey. If money cannot purchase luxury what good is it?

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. It has NOTHING to do with New Orleans

places like the Superdome and the Q are part of evacuation plans all over the country... hell I have seen the one here in SD, well over ten years ago... well BEFORE Katrina

But the lessons applied are NOT about NOLA, but the Fires three years ago...

There were people killed last time around since residedents were not informed in a timely manner

If anything they applied lessons learned IN SAN DIEGO, not NEW ORLEANS

By the way the city has done what it does in every disaster... it has come together

Damn, looking for a place to volunteer after my sis went home (she was evacuated), and guess what? They are overwhelmed with volunteers, food and other supplies

And this is the case all over the city... not only the Q

The fact that what is it now, half a million people have been evacuated, in good order, is a good sign

[PinkTiger]

7. I've been thinking about this all day, the comparisons are obvious.

The people who are fleeing the fire are different from those in New Orleans by many respects - first, instead of the poorest people in town, these are people from oceanside mansions and hillside palaces. While it is sad indeed that they are losing their stuff, most of them have the means to get more stuff.

Also, the money they have afford them the perks. They are more educated, more relaxed, and less fearful of where they will be when the flames are doused. Another thing, the death toll is not there; while some may die, in New Orleans thousands were in peril.

And these people put themselves in harms' way, by building homes in fire prone areas. The people in New Orleans were there because they had noplace else to go.

There are few favorable comparisons.

[alstephenson]

16. "Oceanside mansions and hillside palaces"??????

Sorry, but you don't know WTF you're talking about. Rancho Bernardo is a bedroom community with large subdivisions of tract housing. Many of the areas affected by the fires are outlying, where housing is more affordable. These are middle-class families. I guess they're not worthy of your compassion or sympathy.

[regnaD kciN]

17. Yep, more cliches...

To be truthful, RB started out as a retirement community, and has lots of well-off seniors living in parts of the town, but the area affected includes the whole range of economic status, from Rancho Santa Fe and Scripps Ranch to the low-income sections of Escondido.

If there's any major difference, it's that almost everyone there has their own car, and can thus evacuate to a shelter far away from the actual disaster. People without vehicles in New Orleans had no way to run from Katrina. Plus, however bad these fires have been, there's a huge difference between even massive wildfires and a category 5 hurricane impacting a coastal city, particularly when most of that city lies below sea level.

[tjwash]

18. You are so full of shit I don't even know where to begin

Do us all a favor-put down your Glen Beck blowup doll and slowly step away. Better yet, just stop breathing.

The people who are fleeing the fire are different from those in New Orleans by many respects - first, instead of the poorest people in town, these are people from oceanside mansions and hillside palaces. While it is sad indeed that they are losing their stuff, most of them have the means to get more stuff.

Also, the money they have afford them the perks. They are more educated, more relaxed, and less fearful of where they will be when the flames are doused. Another thing, the death toll is not there; while some may die, in New Orleans thousands were in peril.

Where the fuck did you even get that steaming pile from? The people in Ramona, Descanso, Escondido and the other areas that have lost their homes and their lives are not living in hillside palaces. These are regular working stiffs like everyone else. These are people that toil in the hot santa ana winds day in and day out pouring concrete, mixing asphalt, and digging trenches for water and sewer lines. How dare you broad brush 300000 people with a crass generalization like that.

And these people put themselves in harms' way, by building homes in fire prone areas.

Go to hell you smarmy prick. If you had your head anywhere but up your ass, you would realize that climate change is the reason that this is starting to happen not only here, but in New Orleans. I have lived in San Diego for over fifty years. We had brush fires in the 60s, 70's, 80's, and 90's but none have EVER approached the intensity as they have the past 7 years.

Starting in 2000, even our run of the mill brush fires that we get normally here were remarkably higher in intensity. Seriously now; Despite what the clueless idiots like yourself that post ignorant garbage about "you know that you live in a fire zone you deserve to lose your houses" say - we know we live in brush fire territory, and we know it burns every year. Communities were actually designed with this in mind here. They have massive fire breaks, and fire retardant plants around housing communities out here. Brush fires are just a normal September-October here in SOCAL, and before the last 7 years or so, were no big deal.

The intensity of the burns, the feeder winds, and height if the flames, etc. has NEVER been like this. I thought that 4 years ago, after the Cedar fire rampaged through here, that I had actually witnessed a once in a lifetime fire event back then. This one now is worse. More houses have been destroyed, and more people have been displaced and evacuated.

But that doesn't matter to you does it? I bet you can't wait for the next disaster, so you can denigrate an entire population to make yourself feel more smug and superior.

[alstephenson]

21. I totally agree with you, tjwash. eom

[PinkTiger]

23. OK, I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to imply that all the people losing their homes are wealthy. But the vast majority are people with means, and as another mentioned, vehicles. By "with means" I don't necessarily intend to say "rich," but they have something. Many of the people in New Orleans had nothing of their own of value; they rented, or lived in modest homes with very little extra for emergency use.

I'm not insensitive. But there are some vast differences here. And, it helps that Californians seem to be handling this crisis better - and I'm sure the experience of years past is valuable.

I feel for anyone losing their homes and feeling displaced, of any social strata. But I was reading the emails and watching CNN, and the implications I'm getting are what I was basing my feelings on. Sorry if I upset anyone. Wasn't trying to do that.

[LittleClarkie]

25. By that definition, I have means

I have a vehicle.

There are renters in that area btw. My sister managed an apartment in the area that is probably in danger.

How can you say they shouldn't have built in such an area when the area is so large. It's rather like saying people shouldn't live in San Diego.

I'm sorry, but saying you are not insensitive doesn't help. You are insensitive. Realize that fact and educate yourself as to who actually lives in the burn zone so as to make yourself less insensitive.

[Zhade]

27. You still don't get it.

NT!

[LittleClarkie]

24. Have you seen the size of the area affected

My sister used to live there and managed an apartment complex with my brother in law in the area.

These were not luxury apartments. These were middle class folks.

You don't know of which you speak.

[Zhade]

26. OCEANSIDE MANSIONS?

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

You have no clue what that town is like, clearly!

[begin_within]

13. Watch this live video for periodic reports from Qualcomm:

http://www.10news.com/video/14036255/index.html

That's the live video feed from KGTV. Also Katie Couric was there today and doing the CBS Evening News. Everyone at Qualcomm Stadium seems pretty content - there is plenty of free food and drinks, cots to sleep on, medical screening, veterinarians, even yoga classes, massages, clowns, musical entertainment - hell, I'm even tempted to go down there myself, and I only live a mile away. It sounds like a pretty good time, frankly.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. They still need cots

so stay home

[Captain Hilts]

20. People are bringing food and the Marines are bringing gear. So far, so good. Semper Fi! nt

[AnnieBW]

22. There's one major difference between SD and NO

The governor of the affected state is a Republican. So FEMA's gonna be Johnny-on-the-spot to make sure that the Governator looks good. Same as that fatass Hayley Barbour in MS.

My heart goes out to the people in SD and LA who are dealing with this. I'd be shitting my pants right now if it was MY house in the fire line! You guys are one courageous bunch!

- Annie, worried about friends in LA