RE: Appalled With How Federal Government Handled Katrin...
I think that discussing this event is very important. It would be convenient to just blame the feds (and I am sure there will be blame on that level) but it does no good to ignore how government completely lost it on all levels, not just the federal. I understand the frustration since my husband has big extended family and friends there and there isn't a lot of communication going on to know what happened to everyone. We are very grateful his mother left last year.
When Katrina hit NO on Monday there was no flooding. Not until Tuesday did they say the levy had been breached. The levy was breached after the hurricane hit. It was breached on the western side of the city which did not bear the brunt of the storm. This breach is what flooded the Superdome area. There is another breach that inundated Jefferson Parish, which has not received as much attention because it looks like most of those residents left. At this point it is unknown why they breached. They were giving it 12 hours before the city would be inundated. I remember because my husband told me about it with a white face. He knew what a breach meant. When the levy breached, it was not like storm surge (a tidal wave, really) where water rushes in. It pours in slower than that, check the pictures to see that that break on the western side of the city is surprisingly small, relatively speaking (but huge when you are trying to repair, for sure). Okay, 12 hours isn't a big amount of time to get the word out to the people left behind, but was any attempt made to get people out of their houses where they would be trapped for days? We don't know at this point. Was there an emergency plan for when a levy is breached? It doesn't seem like it or if there was one, no one followed it. This is crucial to figure out at some point because if there was inadequate planning or the plan wasn't followed, what are they going to do the next time? I mean, a hurricane could hit there again next week or next month or next year. Of course, it could be another 30 years. By the way, Hurricane Betsy caused extensive flooding in the Harrahan part of NO 30 years ago. My DH's family's house was under 12 feet of water for a week. Fortunately for them they got out, but New Orleans knows this kind of flooding can occur. And it will happen again until we figure out how to stop hurricanes in their track.
NO is a confusing town to get around when it is not under water. Its called the Crescent City because the Mississsippi River makes a big crescent shaped bend in the middle of the city. That means you can be driving a road heading west and then all of a sudden it changes (to avoid the river) and you are going east. This is just one of the many factors that make local leadership in any disaster absolutely crucial. They know the city, they know the layout, they know the people. Yes, support from the feds is crucial, but that local knowledge and leadership is what really makes the difference. Look at Guiliani's leadership in NY and how he got a lot of credit which I believe was well deserved. I hope my town of St. Petersburg is taking note, reviewing emergency plans, etc. because we have a large poor urban population that will need help.
A group of guys from out of state could possibly add to the turmoil if they end up making the situation worse and in turn need to be rescued themselves. How do the locals know a group of armed men aren't looters? Please don't take offense, I am not suggesting that that group of guys had anything but the best intentions. But my DH and I drove through the devestation of Andrew about 3 months after the hurricane hit (we were going to Key West and the route takes you right through Homestead). We were curious and young and stupid and callous, we wanted to see some of the devestation first hand. We got lost. There were no signs anywhere, they were all blown down. A Natl. Guard unit stopped us. They were all armed. Heavily armed. They suggested we leave as soon as possible. This was 3 months later and not such a chaotic time. They obviously did not think we had innocent intentions.
I don't know what the circumstances are for the acceptance of help from other countries. I don't know if the struggle to establish order is the priority and they may feel that having a large number of foriegners who don't know what to do when they get here may be a hindrance. I don't know if they may accept help when some order is established. Identifying the dead will be important, but right now the living must take precedence.
I've heard people suggest that they should have just dumped food and water on the Superdome. But people don't think about what would happen if a bunch of stuff is just dumped amongst thousands of desperate people with no orderly way to hand it out. The ensuing chaos would probably trample hundreds. The most vulnerable i.e., children and the elderely, would most likely be the ones to suffer the most harm. Can you imagine the outrage (and deserved outrage, at that)? Sometimes what seems obvious (frustrating cry of "Why didn't they....!!!) can be the worst thing you do.
Yes, I do think if you can do something, please help. It would be wise to check with relief groups about the best way you can handle this. Instapundit, a blog I rarely visit but he has done a wonderful job cataloging all the relief groups that you can assist:
http://instapundit.com/archives/025235.php It is very frustrating that on a personal level just sending a check can see so small and futile, but I believe every bit helps. My children's school is asking for donations, maybe some of the people here could do that in their local community. I think most everyone here has done something to help, I have a lot of faith in the people of this country.
Yeah, my posts have been too long. I usually don't post too much, I do more lurking because I learn so much from the people here about my passion, fitness. I just thought there was a need for some other perspectives and questions that need to be asked beyond a blanket "Bush's fault, Bush's fault." Don't worry, he'll get his share of the blame. He's the president. But that should not blind us to what we need to do to deal with disasters in our own areas,how we personally prepare and how our governments, on all levels,plan and respond.
