The lesssons I have learned from the Hurricane Katrina disaster and tragedy

JEFFHEAD.COM ^ | September 5, 2005 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

Over the last ten days I have, with the rest of America and the world, watched a horrific natural disaster and tragedy unfold. I say natural disaster because that is exactly what a hurricane is when it strikes humanity and destroys property and lives and leaves suffering in its wake, as hurricane Katrina did along the Gulf Coast last week. I say tragedy because I have sat transfixed as I have watched as governmental social programs long in place, contributed to the disaster, and as a number of unimaginable and crass mistakes made by those who could have and should have exhibited stronger leadership, failed to do so which also added significantly to the loss of life and to the human suffering.

As I considered this over this holiday weekend, I thought it imperative, if for no other reason than to get these issues of my chest, to write down the lessons I have learned as a result of this disaster and tragedy. Hopefully, there are those who will reads this and benefit from it, most notably my own children and grandchildren and their descendants.

So, here are the lessons, I pray they reverberate within the hearts and minds of those who read them, so that more and more people can avoid some of the circumstances which have led to what will probably be recorded as the worst natural disaster and tragedy in American history.

LESSON NUMBER ONE: When clear warnings of an imminent natural disaster are issued, heed them When the weather service or other agencies, private or public, tasked with making such warnings issue them, take the warnings seriously and move well out of the path of danger. Do not wait for governmental officials to issue a so-called "mandatory" evacuation. Use your own initiative and resource, whatever they may be, to move yourself and your loved ones out of danger. Irrespective of how many false alarms have been raised in the past, irrespective of how well your or neighbor's structures have survived in the past, act for yourself and move yourself and loved ones out of the path of the oncoming danger. Your very life and those of your loved ones could well depend on it...and to err on the side of caution is a good thing in such circumstances.

The specter of those who decided to stay, and who were partying in the path of this storm on live news coverage up to the time the storm began to come on shore, will remain etched in our memory for the rest of our lives. Such foolishness punctuates the need to remember and act upon this first lesson. It is a lesson wholly within each of our power.

LESSON NUMBER TWO: Be prepared. Start now, in whatever sustained way you can. Any preparation is better than none, decent preparation is better than just a little. Realize we live in a world where natural disaster, economic fallouts, upheaval, strife and war exist and can strike us with little warning, leaving our entire lives and livelihoods completely altered in the space of a few days. We should do what we each can, within our respective circumstances, to have food and water supplies set aside to sustain ourselves and loved ones for a period of several months if possible. If possible, have your own well on your property with a manual pump. Also, if possible, have your own septic system.

We should also all strive to have a 96-hour kit set aside for ourselves and each of our immediate families should we have to leave our homes in response to lesson number one above. Such a 96-hour kiy should contain all of the following:

1. Water (Including purification tablets)
2. Food (Including high energy and vitamins)
3. A good First Aid kit
4. Toiletries
5. Temporary shelter
6. Two or three changes of Clothing, including underwear and socks
7. Firearms
8. Ammunition
9. Spending cash, several hundred dollars, or whatever is possible
10. Reading material (The Holy Scriptures, a couple of Classics)

LESSON NUMBER THREE: The welfare state of any nation is a destroyer of human compassion and civilization. It teaches people to be (mistakenly) wholly reliant on government and indolent and therefore lacking in the necessary moral clarity when faced with a crisis. Far too many caught up in that life style either turn into a mob seeking only what they feel at the moment is good for themselves, even to the destruction of those around them, or, they are left without the means to effectively apply lessons one and two, leaving them defenseless and at the mercy of the danger itself, of incompetent officials, or at the mercy of the mobs that follow on the heels of such disasters in sections of cities that are largely populated by those dependent on such programs. Avoid such programs and such areas like the plague...because that is exactly what they turn into in such dire circumstances as we have witnessed over the last ten days, particularly in New Orleans.

Who will ever forget the site of so many woman, with their children, no men responsible for these families within sight, as they waded through brackish, polluted waters in search of safety? The social programs that were manipulated and changed in the 1960s under Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" have come home to roost and had their thin veneer dashed by these circumstances, revealing the ugly, festering sores just beneath the surface.

One example, in the 60s, a longer term program that provided governmental relief for children of widows who had been legitimately married, but whose husband had died, was altered to allow any illegitimate children to be included. It wasn't long before more and more desperate woman found that by having four or five children out of wedlock, they could sustain themselves on governmental programs. Men, normally raised to understand that one of their primary roles was to provide for children, found that that role could be supplanted by the government...and so a horrific seed was sown that has resulted in the destruction of the traditional family in a growing segment of American society. It impacted particularly the black family to begin with, but has since spread throughout society...and this is just one example of a myriad of such programs that have had the effect of creating huge segments of society dependent on government for their livelihood, and beholden to politicians whose careers are made by promising more and more of the same. The result is that individuals, families, and entire communities become corrupted...and the outcome is horrific when pitted against circumstances such as Katrina where the foundational building blocks of society such as hard work, strong families, commitment, individualism, creativity and moral strength are indispensable.

LESSON NUMBER FOUR: Large inner cities are breeding grounds for the welfare state. The resulting drugs, indolence, gangs, and other traits make these areas a dangerous place to be at almost any time, but especially during any crisis. Avoid them like the plague, at the mortal threat to your very life.

The site of utter lawlessness, looting, murder, rape and pillaging in the wake of hurricane Katrina has horrified and shocked us all. Much of it is a result of the seeds sown in lesson number three above.

LESSON NUMBER FIVE: Local, liberal politicians are not prepared or equipped to provide help to citizens in a major natural disaster. After their initial (late) warnings, their decisions and indecision resulting from their ideology (which ideology produced the welfare state in the first place), are more apt to significantly worsen the crisis than to provide relief...and this includes planning in advance of such a crisis.

While I am sure there are many civic leaders who will remain unsung heroes in this (such as the numerous initial Coast Guard rescue flights and those who made and coordinated them, I was struck by two examples of this lesson in this particular crisis.

One was the Mayor of New Orleans, at a late date (within 12-18 hours of the storm actually striking, calling for a "mandatory" evacuation. In essence, he told everyone who could get out on their own to do so...and then proceeded to gather large segments of the poor and welfare dependent, at ground zero in the direct path of the storm with little or no food, water or relief for them. The horrific reality was that the mayor could have gotten those people out of there, even at that late date. He had hundreds of school buses that were slated, in normal circumstances, to carry many more children all over New Orleans the next day...and yet they were not utilized but left in their parking lots to weather the storm Instead, he gathered tens of thousands of the most at risk citizens at the Superdome and the Convention Center, or left them in hospitals and rest homes, which later lost all power and water, and were surrounded by flood waters. Left in those circumstances, horrors unparalleled occurred. The pictures of those busses, covered in water the next day, stands at a punctuation and a witness to this lesson number five.

Another example was the governor of Louisiana. When it became apparent how terrible the decision had been to leave the people in the Superdome, she flew there with part of her staff to see for herself how bad the circumstances were. In a later news briefing she described a man holding a small baby who was seriously ill and how that child and many others like it were left in the Superdome and in need of immediate assistance. I could not help but ask myself while she was talking, "Governor, how did you get out?", and, "If you could get out, that sick child could have gotten out". Indeed, the helicopter or whatever transportation the governor used could have been utilized to carry many sick children out of those circumstances. A strong, moral and inspiring leader would have kept themselves and staff at the Superdome themselves, with their security people, and then used their transportation to take out all of the most seriously ill to the safety of the State Capitol from where she later gave the news conference, I was appalled that such a leader could not be found amongst the highest officials of the city or the state. Perhaps there were...but not in the instances I cite here. In addition, the Governor had it within her power, from the beginning to send the Louisiana National Guard into New Orleans as early as Monday to stop the looting. That she did not, and days later complained about the President not reacting fast enough was a classic example of a lack of leadership lashing out at other leadership to fix blame in my opinion. It not on was a disservice to those citizens in New Orleans, it may well have been fatal for a good number of them.

LESSON NUMBER SIX: Federal government programs cannot logistically react quickly enough to provide the level of assistance necessary in the first 72-96 hours. While they may eventually get the needed relief to the survivors (particularly in the hands of a moral, conservative leader), that relief may come too late of good planning and preparation on the part of the people themselves and local leaders is not already in place. In order to ensure the maximum chance for survival, see lessons one and two above and make sure you abide them...better for you and yours to err on the side of caution, than to be caught in such a circumstance.

If people (and particularly my own children, grandchildren and descendants) understand and apply these lessons, they will be in a much better position to preserve the life and liberty of themselves and their loved ones. Having done so, they will also therefore be in a position to help, aid, and provide relief to their fellow citizens in the crisis, as opposed to simply becoming another victim unable to help anyone, even themselves.

Finally, on a final note: These are lessons we as a society simply MUST learn and apply quickly. The lessons of the impact this disaster and tragedy has had on our society is not something that is being felt, noticed, and learned from here alone. Our enemies are also watching. It is imperative that we learn the lessons and apply them before any such enemies can take advantage of them

[SevenDaysInMay]

I may post my own thread on this bugout bag business after I pull some old list plans which I broke out into budget levels having fun with FR Y2K games. I have thought about this topic since I started studying the (Central Europe's)30 Years War in 1967 and Leningrad's 900 Days during my first semester of Russian in 1976. Common sense made hungry focuses one's mind.

Folks, SURVIVING FOOLISHNESS IS THE PRIME DIRECTIVE of LIBERTY.

After reflection today, I would also advise each of us when SHTF to write our names and next of kin info in black Sharpie should our deaths go reported.

In times of plenty, we must plan ahead so that one may NEVER NEED BE A BURDEN ON OTHERS, but a safe harbour to others. One year of good canned goods per person is about 400 tins = 400# = $400, plus ~1/2 cup each of dried beans and rice/day/person on average which roughly works out to 100# of each. Dried beans keep up to 2 years while white rice keeps upto 5 years; use quality ice chests to minimize temp and humidity variations. Canning with SS drums in a 95% nitrogen atmosphere is for high dollar long-term storage.

It can be a bad idea to gain weight during a famine. Keep low profiles if eating well, and never throw out the cans as trash. Cut off both ends of food tin cans and crush then burn and bury. If the cans' goo is not burned up, it shall always attract unwanted bugs, rats, and dogs & cats which may attract unwanted people. Starving people will kill for far less than your food stores, Folks.

Please, Folks, consider 6 qt. pressure cookers (SS or Al)to positively and economically sterilize water (just begin rocking the topper as opposed to boiling for 15 minutes AT SEA LEVEL) and cook a meal in ~<5 minutes. They are amazingly efrficient.

Plan on one large roll of TP and one roll of paper towels every week - KEEP THEM DRY at all costs.

Jeff, please keep up your good contributions.

[Jeff Head]

Listen, you clearly have your own opinion (and perhaps agenda) of the matter and I have mine. We disagree fundamentally rgearding the federal response. Fine...that's the way it is.

If you think it is some cake walk to put together the logistics to safely and efficiently bring in masses of food and water to people like what existed in the Superdome and elsewhere in New Orleans and at other places impacted by the disaster within 48 hours of the storm having exited the area...then you are kidding yourself.

Air dropping it, as you suggest, could have easily destroyed the food supplies or dropped them into the water. Bringing in too little could have caused stampedes and riots that would kill more than getting it there a day or two later in sufficient quantities and in a controlled and effective manner...despite the intervening losses.

Tough decisions, but ones that must be made in the hard cold light of day and reality of the circumstances...and not made emotionally.

You are responding very emotionally IMHO...and perhaps that is understandable. But it does not save the maximum number of people or get the job done.

The fact is...the local governments failed in placing those people in a facility at ground zero in the first place, in leaving them there without adequate provisions, and in not protecting them adequately. The federal government, responding on a large scale to people in need throughoput the region got resource and organization there as quickly as could reasonable be expected...perhaps not as quickly as we emotionally would have liked to have seen...but there in the most reasonable and efficient time given the circumtances.

In a perfect world, no one would have been hurt in the intervening time between when we would have liked to have seen and when it could reasonably get there in a fashion so as to preserve the most life. But we do not live in a perfect world and danger, hardship, and even tragic loss is going to occur in such disasters.

No one likes that...but we work to mitigate it and improve it as best we can.

That is what this thread is about...the lessons to be learned. In my experience and based on my observations, the most effective lessons could be learned by the individuals and the local and state leaders to preserve the most life.

Does that mean that the federal response cannot be improved? Of course not. It just means that the greatest area for improvement lies in those areas I described. Sorry if that does not meet up to your emotional standards.

The most effective help will come from the greatest numbers of individuals, communities, and agencies effectively learning and apllying these lessons IMHO.

[Jeff Head]

Amen.

[Jeff Head]

More great advise. Thanks.

Summed it up very well with this...

Folks, SURVIVING FOOLISHNESS IS THE PRIME DIRECTIVE of LIBERTY.

A double amen to that.

[GeorgiaYankee]

Add to the list portable radio, flashlight, batteries, candles, matches. Walkie talkies in case phones are knocked out(a lot of people have the new FRS/GMRS radios with 2-8 mile range).

[mother22wife21]

preparation ping.

[Jeff Head]

I could not update this posting, but on my own site, I have already updated the essay to contain most all of what you have mentioned...HERE.

Including a much needed seventh lesson.

Thanks!

[Tolik]

Nailed It!

This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for the perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author all 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of the good stuff that is worthy of attention. You can see the list of articles I pinged to lately  on  my page.
You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about). Besides this one, I keep 2 separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson and Orson Scott Card.  

[Jeff Head]

Thanks. If you get the opportunity, please see my update at my site, where I include some of the emergency preparedness suggestions recommended here, and a critical seventh lesson...HERE.

[Tolik]

Already, and its very good.

I pinged before reading down the thread, otherwise, I'd include your link in the ping itself.

Thanks

[wita]

With professional training your fear will disappear, and compare that with your potential fear of a mob that regards you as meat and you left to protect yourself and family with what?

[wita]

Just got your ping, thanks. Info everyone should take to heart. It is our responsibilty, our privilege, our duty, to be prepared just as the Boy Scout Motto says. If the Golden rule applies in normal conditions, it must apply in spades in time of trouble and turmoil. Just imagine if everyone was able to be minimally prepared as you have outlined, the outcome of the recent disaster that was George W's fault couldn't be blamed on anything but nature.

[wita]

A roll of TP in disaster circumstances, is like gold in the bank, or cigarettes to those who do but don't have them. Who bothers to think about cleaning yourself with tree leaves, if it happens to be summer. What you gonna do in winter?

[.cnI redruM]

Pretty accurate. You won't see it in any Civil Defense manual, but I buy about 99% of it.

[Jeff Head]

Thanks. I added some more necessities in the 96 hour kit, cleaned up some typos, and added a very critical lesson number seven on my own web page ...HERE.

[Jeff Head]

Thank you.

It is our responsibilty, our privilege, our duty, to be prepared just as the Boy Scout Motto says. If the Golden rule applies in normal conditions, it must apply in spades in time of trouble and turmoil.

Amen to every bit of that my friend. I pray more people and communities will learn the lessons of katrina and be better prepared themselves in furutre disasters. They will preserve themselves in the process and be in a position to help preserve others too.

[I'm ALL Right!]

I want a gun, but I'm afraid to have them in the house with my kids.

[SevenDaysInMay]

What you gonna do in winter?

Actually, snow balls work quite well, the drier the better, AND the quicker the better or you'll get snow balls! {8^/

Folks, pack along at least 3 ziplocks of 20 latex gloves each in size large, unless one has small hands such as children - if so, have them carry their own zipped glove packs, with 2 zips of 25 nitril (4,5,8 mil usually blue or purple) gloves one zip in your size and the other in large, if not you size.

Never ever cross-contaminate! Meaning scratching, hugging, kissing, leaning on trees and walls if flooded. (I pack VSOP cognac and 15 y.o. scotch for my industrial-strength mouthwash.) We are dirty and buggy animals; one biology professor told me that humans, as disease/parasite vectors to others as well as ourselves, get more dangerous at a geometric rate for every day that we don't throughly bathe under the best possible circumstances. First and second Aid kits, anyone? Lots of handiwipes and shampoo at the bedet, everyone. Humans poop ~1.5-2# daily (~ half by volume is bacteria), if you're lucky. Butt-ugly kills.

Eat with one latex glove, two if preparing a meal. Latex doubled is good for most nursing most sick folks, dry or wet. IF IT IS WET AND NOT YOURS, DON'T TOUCH IT. Nitril is much much stronger and more durable THAN LATEX, even if only 4 mil., and is better used to protect choring hands - especially handling the wounded and dead or game and rats - when for dinner, as rats have all those sharp little bones, better saved as toothpicks.

[Countyline]

Thank you, for this important addition to the list of necessary preparedness.

[Countyline]

Jeff, you are a steady light, a heart dedicated to assisting his fellowman, a strong example of how a man is to behave in this world and before his God.

Your sons have seen it demonstrated before their very eyes during their growing up years. May God bless you, Jeff, and your family.