From a writer:
Was listening a bit to John & Ken on LA radio. They interviewed a Fox News reporter who had been in New Orleans. Went there when the hurricane was nearing. She flew in, rented a car (full tank of gas), then drove to her hotel, took her equipment up to her room, then loaded up with what she (and her cameraman) needed to carry, then hit the streets. Said when the water started rising, they were out getting shots, but headed back in the direction of the hotel just in case.
So they get pretty near the hotel, when all of a sudden here come cops with bullhorns and guns, yelling at all the people on the street to take cover because they're about to open the doors to the jail/prison (whatever) and let the inmates out -- couldn't do anything else. And they were warning people that when these guys got out, they'd aim for anything in their path. Looting, killing, didn't put anything past them.
So the reporter and the cameraman split. He goes to get the car, she runs up flights of stairs in the dark to her room, gets her equipment, and they start to leave. As she's loading the equipment, a young man, a hotel guest, comes up and asks (begs) if he and his wife and mother-in-law can get a ride with her, don't care where they're going, just gotta get out. She says yes. So now they're 5 adults and camera equip. in this fairly small car. And some streets are passable and some are flooding fast and they're just trying to get out.
Said at one point they had to go slow and people kept coming up and trying to climb on the car or break their windows. But finally she got them out of there. Don't know where she dropped the passengers but she and her cameraman are now in Houston waiting for the busloads of refugees from the Super Dome. She said she got her first shower in a week yesterday -- and "had a lot of it, it was so wonderful." Says every time she thinks of that chase to get out of town, she gets queasy. And this gal sounds like she's been around a decent amount.
Wrap...
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