RE: Appalled With How Federal Government Handled Katrin...
Bobbi: Questions to be answered:
About evacuation, this article asks a lot of important questions:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/02/AR2005090202140.html
I'm wondering why these buses were not used:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050901/480/flpc21109012015
There are hundreds of public school buses that could have probably moved a few thousand people.
I'm wondering why if evacuation to the Superdome caused problems in 1998 for a hurricane that did not even hit New Orleans why they had not changed the protocol in dealing with evacuees to the Superdome 7 years later? This passage is from an article I had previously linked to in a previous post:
Officials had already confiscated weapons, including guns, raising fears of the unrest that took place at the dome in 1998. Then, 14,000 people waiting out Hurricane Georges, caused $10,000 in damage and looted another $8,500 in property. In anticipation of the massive flooding, people in the shelter would likely not be allowed to leave until Tuesday, when they would then be relocated by federal authorities, said Terry Ebbert, New Orlean's director of Homeland Security.
Evidentially, they didn't have food, water, and portable commodes in 1998 nor 7 years later in 2005 for evacuees to the Superdome. They knew they would have a large amount of people in there for at least 3-4 days and probably with no electricity (we haven't had a hurricane yet where electricity wasn't lost). What will they have when the next hurricane comes?
I'm wondering why the Mark Morial Convention Center, where thousands were also evacuated to, has largely gone off the screen for days? The local government evacuated the people there and basically forgot about them. All attention has been on the Superdome. What about the people in the convention center? Which begs the question: What about other evacuation sites?
Yes, there will be questions for FEMA and the other federal agencies. But if all you do is blame the feds, as the original poster of this thread did, then aren't you doing us, and especially the people caught in this nightmare, a serious disservice? If the federal government is totally to blame, then we should do away with mayors and governors and just let the feds run everything.
In response to Lori: Yes, Florida has been lucky because our major cities, like Miami, have not been directly hit. But you can compare. Lets see the similarities: Large amounts of people who need to be relocated swiftly, the need for safe places to evacuate to for those unable or unwilling to leave the area, the need for potable water, the need for food, the loss of communication, the loss of electricity, the complete loss of homes, the complete loss of businesses, the need to establish law and order quickly. Sure, where I am we will not have to deal with flooding like NO because we are above sea level. But we could have storm surge that is basically tidal waves which hit with great force when they rush in and then again when they rush out. Thats what moved that massive casino across the highway and on top of the Holiday Inn in Mississippi. I've been to that casino. It isn't small, its huge! New Orleans unique problems: standing flood water which will not recede on its own and a large urban population that cannot be easily moved out. I hope Miami is taking note here, at least as far as the population evacuation problem goes.
I know passions are running high and all we see is devastation. Now we know (although I remember Hurricane Andrew and the tent cities and the national guard and people fighting for water, etc.) how quickly we can lose the trappings of civilization. Hopefully, NO will be back and better. Hopefully, they will also be better prepared as will other places. Hopefully, more people will take their own well being into their hands and get out if they can, have emergency rations, potable water, firearms (not pc I know, but if I was in NO I'd be a lot safer with one right now), etc.
Well, I'm sick with a cold today and must have a lot of time on my hands. But mostly, I love New Orleans. My husband grew up there. We've been there too many times to count. I love Mardi Gras. So far, people in his family have lost at least 4 houses and at this point don't know what will happen. Six of them are on their way to my MIL's house in Atlanta. We've invited them to stay here, too.
I hope the city comes back even better and safer and prepared.
