"No one could have anticipated this kind of disaster" — Page 2

There's no questions, worst-case situations were considered and planned for, that's what makes this all so terrible. I too thought maybe there was just no way to prepare for something like this.

While I am certain there will be a list of things that could have been handled better by EVERYONE involved including Bush (and HS & FEMA), I have just few questions for the "Blame Bush" crowd:


1) Was Gov. Blanco quoted as saying (before the hurricane hit) "President George W. Bush called and personally appealed for a mandatory evacuation for the low-lying city"? Wouldn't that give the Gov. the opportunity to ask for additional support?

2) Did the Mayor of New Orleans follow the City's Emergency Management Plan (EMP) regarding hurricans? And in following the City's plan, why didn't the Mayor use any of the hundred's of school buses to help those with no transportation? Why did the National Hurricane Center Director need to call the Mayor on Saturday night before it hit, to plead "Get the people out of NEw Orleans"?

3) Why did Nagin wait until Sunday morning to mandate the evac but not aggressively enforce it? Was it because he asked City attorney to research whther or not he had the power to mandate the evacuation? Was Nagin even familiar with the city's hurricane evac plan?

4) Politically speaking - Who has more to lose politcally? Gov Blanco; Mayor Nagin; Or President Bush (hint- Bush will never run for politcal office again and he's is his 2nd term)

Here is the STATE EMP link: Reading through it, clearly, their is a plan for mass evacuations for hurricanes; there are required temp shelters in the northern parts of the state; it calls for the mobilization of school buses and so on. It states that CAT 3, 4 & 5 hurricanes must have manditory evac plan, and that to anticipate waters over 20 feet (sea level) thats 40 feet for New Orleans, also that the levees may not hold when stronger hurricanes hit.

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/plans/frp2003.pdf

Here is the link to the City EMP

http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=26

Here are some highlights. You judge whether or not they followed their own plan.

"City of New Orleans Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan" annex I: Hurricanes


III. EVACUATION ORDER
A. Authority

As established by the City of New Orleans Charter, the government has jurisdiction and responsibility in disaster response. City government shall coordinate its efforts through the Office of Emergency Preparedness

The authority to order the evacuation of residents threatened by an approaching hurricane is conferred to the Governor by Louisiana Statute. The Governor is granted the power to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from a stricken or threatened area within the State, if he deems this action necessary for the preservation of life or other disaster mitigation, response or recovery. The same power to order an evacuation conferred upon the Governor is also delegated to each political subdivision of the State by Executive Order. This authority empowers the chief elected official of New Orleans, the Mayor of New Orleans, to order the evacuation of the parish residents threatened by an approaching hurricane.

B. Issuance of Evacuation Orders

The person responsible for recognition of hurricane related preparation needs and for the issuance of an evacuation order is the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. Concerning preparation needs and the issuance of an evacuation order, The Office of Emergency Preparedness should keep the Mayor advised.

[snip]

V. TASKS

A. Mayor

* Initiate the evacuation.

* Retain overall control of all evacuation procedures via EOC operations.

* Authorize return to evacuated areas.

B. Office of Emergency Preparedness

* Activate EOC and notify all support agencies to this plan.

* Coordinate with State OEP on elements of evacuation.

* Assist in directing the transportation of evacuees to staging areas.

* Assist ESF-8, Health and Medical, in the evacuation of persons with special needs, nursing home, and hospital patients in accordance with established procedures.

* Coordinate the release of all public information through ESF-14, Public Information.

* Use EAS, television, cable and other public broadcast means as needed and in accordance with established procedure.

* Request additional law enforcement/traffic control (State Police, La. National Guard) from State OEP

Greg - I am not disagreeing with you . . . there is plenty of blame to go around. I am by no means putting all of the disaster and damage on Bush's doorstep.

But, once even an inkling of the magnitude of damage and destruction became clear, he should have reacted, and he didn't.

I am sure the citizens of NO and LA will have plenty to say about the response of their local leaders. The rest of us have a right to criticize the failure of the federal government. You can also look at funding priorities and building into the wetlands as possible causes exacerbating this damage.

Bush chose to put FEMA into the Homeland Seecurity Department, which means it was no longer a cabinet level position. He sat there strumming a guitar when NO was flooding. There is plenty of blame to go around, but only federal government has the resources to address immediate needs when the scope of the devastation became clear. Helicopters should have been there sooner. The army should have been directed to get there before Wednesday. This did not happen. And, more importantly, Bush did not seem to care, until someone told him he better care. Even his speech on Friday seemed to ring hollow.

As I have said before, he called the Southeast/Gulf Coat on Friday as "this part of the world." To me, that spoke volumes.

"But after touring the Gulf Coast to see the damage, the president, speaking in New Orleans, said: "I know the people in this part of the world are suffering, and I want them to know that there's a flow of progress. We're making progress."

Namo - there will be plenty of back-biting, no question about it. In fact, I willing to bet that more of it will come from within the GOP than from outside of (eventually) and I think you know why - Who's Bush's successor??? Right, its wide open, which doesn't happen too often (in either party) so they will start to rip each other apart, separate from Bush to stake their own claim as the new and emerging leadership of the GOP... the DNC will do their best to take advantage. What's this mean to the rest of us? Ahh...we'll just be more partisan and angry and vitriolic than ever before. Which is what the politicians need for is to be doing...they need for us lemmings to take sides.

Namo, you can take all the shots at me you like, I am just to trying to remember which side started all the finger-pointing and blaming. My entire point here was to simply point out the Emergency Management Plan that NO & LA have and to ask if you think or if you even know whether or not the plan was followed. You still didn't answer my questions- you charged back with your "its over -blame Bush" talking points.

Youwantitwhen - I agree with you about FEMA - it should have never been placed under HS - FEMA deals with mostly "Natural Disasters" and the mop up. HS should be able to rely on FEMA for certain responses in the event of "Man-made" disaster.

Regarding the levees- Even the state knew back in 2002 that their levee system could and would fail. Sure, it could have been improved and funding shouldn't be cut...etc, but knowing and understanding the current circumstances is how you carry out your EMP - Like in everything else, we should all withhold judgment until all the facts are it.

Greg--I'm sincerely wondering if your intention is to make sure we realize the blame is all around or to defend Bush.

I think most of us realize the blame is all around--non-partisan. But the buck stops with the President. Fine if you are trying to remind us of the full blame here, but to defend Bush would be foolish at this point.

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You mean the President who sat reading a childs book (upside down) to grade school students for a full 10 minutes AFTER he was told the United States was under attack on 9/11?

Nope, it's the same idiot.

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Yes, I hope he got a sunburn

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Tell your sister that W had FEMA spayed and neutered to fund the Iraq Follies. She's thinking Old School FEMA, no longer extant.

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Because it's very clear now that the hollow "rugged individualist" narrative of this country applies to any of us who are victimized by any future major terrorist attack; as in, "good luck, you're on your own?!"?

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No kidding Namo, it must be a "you're on your own mentality".

At present, the Gov still will not give up control to the FEDS and now AP just reported the following. Local police are now killing people that are there to help. WTF- who is in charge??

Today: September 04, 2005 at 15:27:4 PDT

Police Kill Five Contractors on La. Bridge

ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -

0904dv-hurricaneupdate Police shot eight people carrying guns on a New Orleans bridge Sunday, killing five or six, a deputy chief said. A spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers said the victims were contractors on their way to repair a canal.

The contractors were walking across a bridge on their way to launch barges into Lake Pontchartrain to fix the 17th Street Canal, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Corps.

Earlier Sunday, New Orleans Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley said police shot at eight people, killing five or six.

The shootings took place on the Danziger Bridge, which spans a canal connecting Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River.

No other details were immediately available.

i wish that just for once this entire country could stop the blaming and pointing fingers and simply focus on what needs to be done NOW to make things better. PLEASE do not turn this disaster into a political debate. it was an act of nature. maybe the government didn't act fast enough...i agree that they didn't..but none of us know why that happened or who kept it from happening. maybe bush was to blame, maybe blanco, maybe naquin. but, honestly DOES IT REALLY MATTER who is to blame? is it going to make any difference? that's not what this country needs now. we need to unite and help those in need. that is what matters now. deal with the political crap later.

Youwantitwhen- my comment at the end, was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. As I said earlier, everyone is basing their opinions based on very little fact. Again, you mentioned that Bush has all these Federal resources, but when you're not mentioning is that there are some things HE CAN'T DO BY FEDERAL LAW. Again, let all the facts come out first, before placing blame on anyone.

yes, i know it is quite possible to do both at the same time...i guess it just bothers me that so much attention is focused on who is to blame. i'm an idealist who wants our country to unite right now. yeah, i know that's not gonna happen. nevermind.