Ivan exposes flaws in N.O.'s disaster plans (September 19, 2004)

WWL TV ^ | September 19, 2004 | By KEVIN McGILL

[finnman69]

Key quotes:

"It's always been a problem, but the situation is worse now that the Red Cross has stopped providing shelters in New Orleans for hurricanes rated above Category 2. Stronger hurricanes are too dangerous, and Ivan was a much more powerful Category 4."


and

It's always been a problem, but the situation is worse now that the Red Cross has stopped providing shelters in New Orleans for hurricanes rated above Category 2. Stronger hurricanes are too dangerous, and Ivan was a much more powerful Category 4.

In this case, city officials first said they would provide no shelter, then agreed that the state-owned Louisiana Superdome would open to those with special medical needs. Only Wednesday afternoon, with Ivan just hours away, did the city open the 20-story-high domed stadium to the public.

Mayor Ray Nagin's spokeswoman, Tanzie Jones, insisted that there was no reluctance at City Hall to open the Superdome, but said the evacuation was the top priority.

"Our main focus is to get the people out of the city," she said.

Callers to talk radio complained about the late decision to open up the dome, but the mayor said he would do nothing different.

"We did the compassionate thing by opening the shelter," Nagin said. "We wanted to make sure we didn't have a repeat performance of what happened before. We didn't want to see people cooped up in the Superdome for days."

and

When another dangerous hurricane, Georges, appeared headed for the city in 1998, the Superdome was opened as a shelter and an estimated 14,000 people poured in. But there were problems, including theft and vandalism.

This time far fewer took refuge from the storm - an estimated 1,100 - at the Superdome and there was far greater security: 300 National Guardsmen.

and

Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Nagin both acknowledged the need to improve traffic flow and said state police should consider reversing highway lanes earlier. They also promised meetings with governments in neighboring localities and state transportation officials to improve evacuation plans. But Blanco and other state officials stressed that, while irritating, the clogged escape routes got people out of the most vulnerable areas.

"We were able to get people out," state Commissioner of Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc said. "It was successful. There was frustration, yes. But we got people out of harm's way."

Expect to see these quotes at the Katrina Disaster Hearings.

[cwb]

Yeah, I just caught that after posting. It makes things even more sick.

[finnman69]

"If the government asks people to evacuate, the government has some responsibility to provide an option for those people who can't evacuate and are at the whim of Mother Nature," said Joe Cook of the New Orleans ACLU.

An aerial view of flooded school buses in a lot, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005, in New Orleans, LA. The flood is a result of Hurricane Katrina that passed through the area last Monday.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

[siunevada]

Yes, the ACLU is going to sue for more government handouts.

Only if the GOP is in charge. Otherwise, everything's cool.

[conservativecorner]

They have known this could happen since Moby Dick was a minnow. Where were the Governor's and Mayor's plans in the event of a major storm?

[MizSterious]

Thanks for posting the picture I was talking about. This should be exhibit A at the trial of this worthless mayor and this even more worthless governor.

[MizSterious]

Their only "plans" were to get themselves elected. And oh, collect as much graft for themselves and their cronies as they could once in office. It's an old Louisiana tradition.

[Monti Cello]

....but the mayor said he would do nothing different.

[brothers4thID]

Bookmarked

[RetiredArmy]

"They say evacuate, but they don't say how I'm supposed to do that," Latonya Hill, 57, said at the time. "If I can't walk it or get there on the bus, I don't go. I don't got a car. My daughter don't either."

You don't go no education neither does you? Huh?

[Rippin]

Don't be surprised if all the records of activity by the City Government get lost somehow.

[ncountylee]

Nagin should be executed in public.

[Chi-townChief]

bttt

[birddog]

I've got to bookmark this one...

My rather liberal mother was already blasting Bush for not acting fast enough. Maybe I'll send this one her way.

[twigs]

"If the government asks people to evacuate, the government has some responsibility to provide an option for those people who can't evacuate"

I agree.

Mayor Ray Nagin's ... insisted that there was no reluctance ... to open the Superdome, but the evacuation was the top priority. "Our main focus is to get the people out of the city,"

They didn't. NO is clearly negligent.

[OrangeBlossomSpecial]

They were lucky enough to have two dress rehearsals and still screwed this up and left their people to die.

The mayor and govenor should both be put in jail and charged with Dereliction of Duty resulting is massive casualties.

[visagoth]

Always remember Mayor Nagin could have used these busses to help the residents his city.

[michigander]

.

[finnman69]

that's good, but you should add the September 19, 2004 date to the ACLU quote.

[InterceptPoint]

I'm curious if anyone has info on the makeup of the levees. Are they just dirt and rocks piled high or are they concrete and steel. If not the latter, why not?