Posted on 09/04/2005 5:37:35 PM PDT by SmithL
Baton Rouge, La. -- James Lee Witt, the former Federal Emergency Management Agency director hired to advise Louisiana's governor, described the crisis Sunday in the hurricane-ravaged state as "our worst nightmare."
He couldn't estimate how long the recovery would take.
In New Orleans alone, the levees will have to be fixed and the water pumped out. After that, crews will have to get in to assess the damage and determine which structures are too unstable to remain. Utilities are down in several areas. There's also historic preservation to think about, he said Sunday on MSNBC.
"This was our worst nightmare," Witt said. "You could point the finger at anybody and everybody. ... I don't think they turned a blind eye. I don't think the state did. I don't think the mayor did. I think they worked as fast as they could do whatever they could."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Whatever they're paying this guy, it's WAY too much.
He's started!
yeah, except the very people who screwed up.
translation: we're gonna ride your &sses until we get all the money out of you that we can.
Sure has a lot of credibility now!
A *ping* for your vast notebook
He's there for one reason: CYA:
IEM Team to Develop Catastrophic Hurricane Disaster Plan for New Orleans & SE Louisiana
IEM press release ^ | June 3, 2004 | IEM
Posted on 09/04/2005 1:56:42 AM EDT by XHogPilot
IEM Team to Develop Catastrophic Hurricane Disaster Plan for New Orleans & Southeast Louisiana June 3, 2004
IEM, Inc., the Baton Rouge-based emergency management and homeland security consultant, will lead the development of a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans under a more than half a million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
In making the announcement today on behalf of teaming partners Dewberry, URS Corporation and James Lee Witt Associates, IEM Director of Homeland Security Wayne Thomas explained that the development of a base catastrophic hurricane disaster plan has urgency due to the recent start of the annual hurricane season which runs through November. National weather experts are predicting an above normal Atlantic hurricane season with six to eight hurricanes, of which three could be categorized as major.
The IEM team will complete a functional exercise on a catastrophic hurricane strike in Southeast Louisiana and use results to develop a response and recovery plan. A catastrophic event is one that can overwhelm State, local and private capabilities so quickly that communities could be devastated without Federal assistance and multi-agency planning and preparedness.
No.
Our worst nightmare is "President Hillary Clinton"
I'm here and so is gpapa!
well,
that was Bush's fault, too.
Clinton appointee from Arkansas governorship time. No wonder an agenda seems to be lurking.
Based on what I've seen of his earlier statements and the different role(s) he's played in the past, this guy is going to need some excuses of his own.
Send that to the boys at Powerline and to Captain's Quarters.
Link?
When Witt was talking to Rita Crosby a couple hours ago, he made sure she knew that 5,000 LA Guardsmen are in Iraq. I could almost hear Blanco whispering in Witt's ear, "Be sure to say, over and over again . . . "
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