Actually there are no shelters in NO proper. That's why they called the SD the refuge of last resort. Whoever told those folks to go to the Convention Center was acting on their own. And it seems to me it would be up to the local authorities to tell the FEMA guy where the shelters are.
The federal Coastguard and other federal resources are taking the lead in the rescue efforts. The federally-led rescuers were taking people to the Convention Center, but the federal FEMA did not know about the Convention Center.
Left hand, please talk to the right hand.
More than 80 officers sent to quell the chaos of the Convention Center were beaten back by an angry mob, whose members were said to be raping and beating passersby. Bodies were strewn among the 15,000 to 20,000 people there, many dropped off by rescuers earlier without food, water or medicine. A helicopter crew was forced to toss supplies to the crowd below after being impeded from landing.At any rate, now it seems that the situation is become more stable. I hope we can discuss good news from now on. There would be enough time for the blame game later on.