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Hurricane Katrina
Dome's future up in the air
Associated Press
Published September 8, 2005
BATON ROUGE, La. - In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Superdome became a symbol of relief efforts gone wrong, a scene of heartbreaking misery for thousands.
But no decision has been made about the future of the iconic city structure, and the manager of the domed stadium in New Orleans expects it will take more than two months to get a damage assessment and determine whether the dome should be repaired or razed.
The last storm victims stuck at the Superdome climbed aboard evacuation buses Saturday, leaving millions of dollars of damage behind - a flooded field, overflowing bathrooms, a sea of garbage up to 5 feet deep and a wretched stench.
Three large holes marred the roof. In all, about 70 percent of the roof failed. Water poured into the building during the storm, along with debris.
Elevators, escalators and ceiling tiles were damaged. Two inches of water were on the field in some places, and the entire surface on which the New Orleans Saints play their football games must be removed.
There's damage to seats, bathrooms and other interior areas from the thousands of evacuees stranded in the building.
The damage is certainly severe but Doug Thornton, a regional vice president for the company that manages the Superdome, said it will take about two months to do a full assessment - and only after an estimated two weeks of cleanup and hazardous waste removal.
"It's very early at this point to speculate about the future of the Dome and whether it can be repaired," Thornton said.
Thornton estimated repairs to the building would be a minimum $100 million, but demolition and construction of a new stadium could cost between $500-million and $600-million.
Thornton said it's possible the New Orleans Arena, home to the NBA's Hornets, could be repaired within six months.
USF reaches out to help
The USF Athletics Department, in conjunction with United Way and the American Red Cross, will sponsor several fundraising efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
At this Saturday's USF-Florida A&M football game, USF student-athletes will be at all entrances to Raymond James Stadium collecting cash donations plus bottled water, non-perishable food, baby food, diapers, personal hygiene items, first aid kits, flashlights/batteries, pet supplies, toys and tools.
USF will also donate a portion of the proceeds for the sale of the souvenir inaugural Big East game program to the relief effort.
Additionally, USF will host a 5K Run for Relief on Sunday, Sept. 25 at the USF track, beginning at 8 a.m. There will also be a walk (distance to be determined). The registration fee will be $20.
Information on all these efforts is available by calling 1-800-462-8557 (GoBulls).
NBA players plan benefit
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett and other NBA stars will play a game Sunday in Houston to benefit Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
TNT basketball analyst Kenny Smith organized the game at the Toyota Center. It will start at 5 p.m. and will air on TNT at 11 p.m. Organizers said participating players will donate money and supplies valued at more than $1-million to aid Katrina victims.
Other players set to play include Steve Francis, Sam Cassell, Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Stephon Marbury, Chauncey Billups, Paul Pierce, Lindsey Hunter, Alonzo Mourning, Charles Oakley, Antonio McDyess, Amare Stoudemire and Derrick Coleman.
DOLPHINS FUND DRIVE: The wife of Miami coach Nick Saban will lead a collection campaign for hurricane relief outside the stadium before the team's season-opening game Sunday against Denver. Saban coached at Louisiana State for five years before joining the Dolphins in December. Terry Saban will lead a collection effort that will also include cheerleaders, alumni, staff and the wives of other coaches and players.
GOLF: The PGA Tour's Southern Farm Bureau Classic, originally scheduled for Oct. 6-9 in Madison, Miss., has been moved to the first weekend in November.
[Last modified September 8, 2005, 01:50:14]
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