Yes, looking at it on Friday, we should have evacuated the city... but no one expected NO to be utterly destroyed...no matter how it is playing out now.
The Mayor did call for evacuations. The mistake was that they didn't make the people go. Those who stayed were sent to the Superdome to ride out the hurricane, not be stuck there when the levees failed. There is a difference...
I do not blame Bush at all. He was the major reason for mandatory evacuation. He can't dictate to a state.
I do think the Local and State Government has some of the blame. A big part, as they didn't have a plan. They didn't get The State's National Guard out quick enough. They left those people with no communication.
I live on Long Island. If a Category 3 is predicted as a big probability. I'm out of here. I've done it in the past.
Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, just gave another press conference, on C-span. He just answered again. The Levees were designed for up to a category 3 only.
State officials have known this for years. It's a chance, when you live in hurricane zones. I just feel very strongly that these State Elected Officials should have had a preplanned evacuation plan and plan following a levee break before a hurricane even existed, years ago. They had knowledge there was always a chance of this happening. This way the amount of suffering could have been lessen. It's wrong, they didn't do enough for these people. It's not Monday morning quarterbacking. It is The State Officials preparing and thinking ahead on how to handle an emergency situation for their people.
Regardless we know this is a tragic disaster that has occurred to these people. And none of us want them in a suffering situation.