Your comment on the deployment of troops is as bit off. 6,200 troops were deployed in a four state coastal area the day Katrina hit land. 124,000 Guard troops were available in 17 states for the area affected by the hurricane for relief and security operations. Guard units have been deployed from every State in the Union & Puerto Rico. The only places with no units deployed are Hawaii & Guam. Active Coast Guard, ANG & Naval personnel were deployed immediately. The hurricane did not only affect the coastal areas, but as far inland as the Ohio River Valley. We have a sales rep. in MS that lives 200 miles from the coast. They had extensive wind damage, toppling their chimney, no power until late this afternoon, sept. 1, and trees and powerlines down all over. No gasoline was available for purchase for hundreds of miles around. An NG convoy heading south for the coastal area was hampered by road blocks in the form of large trees, downed power lines, flooded underpasses, abandoned cars and trucks, etc. They had to unload heavy equipment on rte. 49 in a National forest area just to clear the roads of hundreds of downed trees and other debri. It is no easy task to mobilize thousands of troops on short order. By definition Guard soldiers are citizen soldiers, and those not already on active duty have to be called up, pulled away from their jobs and family and get ready to deploy. A day before the Hurricane hit a train convoy was on its way to LA from Ft. Hood, Texas, with heavy equipment on board. A fleet of 60 Texas State Trooper squad cars were on their way from Texas to LA, bringing their guns and ammo with them. Hundreds of other stories will be told of efforts to help those in need in this crisis. One story that has yet to be told is the response of fire fighting and hazmet units that are going to be needed badly as this disaster unfolds further
The biggest problem I see with respect to NO is not calling for a mandatory evacuation earlier. If a CAT5 hurricane hit NO head on with full force the place might well have been leveled completely. They certainly knew the track of Katrina well before it hit, and the NHC was spot on in its prediction, even forecasting the late NE turn which probably saved a lot of lives in NO, but devastated the MS coast. If they had called the evacuation 24 hours earlier they might have been able to use the hundreds of school buses now under water to transport people to safety.
I have no clue as to when and how many troops NO requested at the outset. The mayor could have asked for 100,000 but logistics would dictate a much smaller number could be deployed initially.
While it is true that many people stayed or were left behind because they chose to ride the storm out, protect property, could not get a ride out, or were infirmed at various facilities. That was their choice or fate, and there is nothing I can offer them but hope. As for the looters and criminals many will be found and procecuted. For those thugs with rifles, shot guns and pistols, they are no match for NG troops, many of whom have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and know full well the face of battle. If there are any spider holes left in NO the thugs better find them quick.
Although my cousins in Pensacola were on the far Eastern track of the storm at landfall, the decision for them was easy, get out of the way and fast, and they did as soon as Katrina hit Florida and continued tracking west. Everyone should do the same when facing a similar decision.
Prayers for everyone in Katrina's path. They will need every last one they can get.
Thanks you for the clarification. I had taken my number from an interview done with the head of FEMA, who obviously was not totally in the know... And I agree with you that the mandatory evacuation needed to be called earlier and easily could have...