Leading up to the storm there was very little pressure from Mayor Nagin and Governor Blanco to impress upon the people of NO that they needed to pay attention to this storm. Emphasis needs to be made that this was while they had access to most people through local media that eventually would be knocked off the air. We've all seen the buses and heard of the 80% of the population that evacuated when they saw the storm was coming. Personally, I know of at least two people who didn't have to be told twice to get out of town. And they did and they're both safe.
During the storm we were lead to believe by the media that NO had "dodged a bullet" mostly because the reporters were snug in French Quarter balconies. We learned quickly that they were wrong. The mayor told people to go to the Superdome as he had in storms previously so they could ride it out for a day and then go home.
But, between the time the storm hit and the levee broke those folks could have been evacuated but they weren't. Why not? This leads to a host of other questions which ultimately lead to the only possible conclusion: the governor and the mayor had no plan. By way of comparison I've been in Florida and Maryland for hurricanes and in both states the governors have not only had plans but have been specific in instructing the people in what to do, where to go, etc. This didn't happen in NO.
After the flood it was the responsibility of local leaders (parish presidents, mayor, governor) to direct law enforcement and aid to specific areas based on need and local knowledge. This didn't happen. One reason law enforcement didn't respond as quickly was because the mayor had issued an executive order that all NOPD officers must live in NO. Naturally, the officers were more concerned with their families than their jobs. I can't blame them.
They say that we are 48-72 hours from anarchy in this country and NO has proven that claim to be true. While the storm was still raging thugs were already looting and when they saw no police presence they got bolder. Until we see the mess that they've created.
I listened to the mayor last night rage against the president and today the governor talked about establishing a foundation while NO burned. That's not leadership. They pleaded for troops that are prevented by law from entering the city or are direceted by the governor. They complained about aid being mismanaged but it is their direction that moves that aid.
Here's an example: You've got so many tons of aid or troops and you have just arrived from Arkansas. You show up at a rally point and wait for someone from the state or mayor's office to provide you with local LE guides to the affected areas. You don't know the roads and you don't know if the area is safe so you rely on the locals. Just one problem: No one is there to help you. Multiply that by thousands of aid and NG people and you get the picture.
Meanwhile, we see 24 hour newsies lamenting the fact that people in their immediate surroundings aren't being helped. If the president was Clinton he would have ordered that a Blackhawk helicopter drop a crate of water on Shepard Smith's head and that would be the end of it.
Everything we're watching is what is called the "cascade effect" meaning that as mistakes are made they lead to more and more mistakes until there's a complete breakdown. The mayor and governor didn't have a plan so they couldn't direct local assets and when it got out of control they blamed the feds. Who were trying to get in to the city but they didn't know where to go or how to get there.
But none of this explains why things are so bad when we see people suffering like they are. That problem is a whole other issue. Why wouldn't folks just walk to the freeway and walk until they found safety? Why would they just sit in the Superdome and convention center and wait and die?
I think this article explains it best. I've been to places in this country where snowstorms can kill, where earthquakes can kill, where mudslides and monsoons can kill, and where hurricanes can kill but I've never seen so many people die because they waited to be told what to do.
Lastly, I'm sure that the media will be content to hang all of this on Bush's head, there's just one problem: He's a lame duck. So that won't get any democrats elected. But they can rest assured that this will firmly be remembered as preventable if only the troops in Iraq were home. There's just one problem: The LA NG troops are a mechanized division and they would not be deployed under these conditions. The troops that would be used in this case are in fact being sent to NO now. Also, the media won't (by and large) chase down the backstory but someone here or elsewhere will and when they do some digging I think the results will be staggering. Where did all the money that has been taxed and spent at every level to prepare for this anticipated event go and who was in charge. Right now the left is hammering that Bush cut funding for levee restoration but the cold reality is that the levees were constructed for a Cat III storm at most and conservative estimates put studies at 6 years to design Cat V conditions which would take as much as 30 years to complete.
In all probability the good people of NO that got out will stay out and assimilate in to their new host states. The French Quarter will be rebuilt and eventually prosper. But unless the rest of the city is a wholly owned federal enterprise don't expect to see projects rebuilt after they burn to the ground. After all there truly is no such thing as a free lunch.
everyone should have three days of food in their house...I looked today and had three days of water in my trunk of my car...
The French QUarter is fine....FIlm on Fox tonight.
You are right about some people not having to be told twice...Two are safe a warm with family here in Indiana....But they were invited to several "hurricane parties" and had "intelligent" friends who chose to stay and party. Haven't heard from them yet.