Top federal officials left out of loop (Well wha-da-ya know)

The Washington Times ^ | 09-05-05 | Audrey Hudson

[smoothsailing]

State and local officials did not inform top federal officials early on of the deaths and lack of food among hurricane victims in the Superdome or convention center, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said yesterday.

Mr. Chertoff said neither he nor Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown was told of the deteriorating situation in New Orleans until Thursday night.

[chris1]

I think it was obvious by wednesday the situtation was far worse than we thought.

[HIDEK6]

The plan on the part of the state officials was to let the people fend for themselves and hit the federal government for money afterward.

Bingo.

They both have that look of someone who is waiting for someone else to pick up the check.

[Gondring]

The media got spooked and couldn't report from inside the Superdome?

They were kept out by authorities our of respect for the privacy of the refugees. When one network briefly got a camera inside, they were criticized here for violating that. I guess they can't win.

[RavenATB]

"Doesn't DHS or FEMA have access to CNN or Fox?"

You want federal officials to take action based on news accounts, which were largely third-person accounts at the time, instead of taking the word of the state and local authorities who were in the building at the time?

[WHBates]

Well for one thing I wouldn't listen to a word the Parish president said. He is part of the problem.

FEMA (especially within the first 72 to 96 hours) does not control anything locally. I doubt that they even have that kind of staff assets. As far as the police are concerned it just might have been a logistics issue, I think we will know all of these things soon enough.

If FEMA was doing anything like it been charged it was probably because the local organization had fallen apart. If they did attempt to cut his lines it may have been that they were harming more than helping.

[HIDEK6]

Or should he just send out resources following Geraldo's directions?

At least that would get Geraldo on his side.

Then he could call Scarborough and Russert and ask them what he should do.

The media would make him the next king.

[PhilipFreneau]

>> FEMA never did stagger on to the scene, did it??? It was the military that saved the day, so to speak...I'm sure there will be a re-asessment of the role of the Federal and regional Fema organization...

Huh? What exactly is FEMA's responsibility? Do you know? Who coordinated the military's response?

[Heff]

Doesn't DHS or FEMA have access to CNN or Fox?

Exactly....no question the local & State officials were a bunch of dumb-a$$es...but if you were just following the news you would have known long before Thursday how bad things were!

[HIDEK6]

Those "officials" should be the official source of information - not MSM.

Of course.

The media gets their information from either government sources or from observation of the scene.

Information gleaned from observing the scene is incomplete and subject to misinterpretation (for example, the shooting incident yesterday). If they observe something, they should check with their government sources to verify it.

That is why it would not be responsible for Chertoff to let CNN be his sitrep consultant.

[ohioWfan]

Thanks for the info.....

So the bottom line is that the problem was an enormous hurricane and an unprecedented, devastating flood.

There were thousands crowded in a dark, unsanitary facility. Thousands that should have been evacuated from the city prior to the hurricane, but the city had no plan for that.

This was an enormous natural disaster. I wish that critics could keep that in mind as they lay blame on FEMA for not doing enough, soon enough.

[lawdude]

"Doesn't DHS or FEMA have access to CNN or Fox?"

Yup. They have nothing better to do than watch Shep Smith. The communications on tuesday was a shambles. In fact there is an entire thread complaining about news reporting (specifically Shep and Geraldo). And even if they knew through the media,, they STILL COULDN'T ACT until asked.

[TVenn]

Mr. Chertoff said neither he nor Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown was told of the deteriorating situation in New Orleans until Thursday night.

That's weak.

All he had to do was turn on FOX News Channel.

[jackv]

That is just not true. I watched this stuff nonstop and all the talk was about the superdome. I didn't hear word one about the convention center until everyone was pi$$ed that FEMA didn't know either.

[SusaninOhio]

Thank you.

I'm guessing that a Fed official sending Fed aid to locations in a ruined city based on TELEVISION reporting is not good form.

Assuming that the officials have time to watch television, which I suspect they don't.

When the Fed is informed officially by the local govt, then they can respond.

When the Fed is not informed, they cannot repond.

Seems simple to me.

[i_dont_chat]

Doesn't DHS or FEMA have access to CNN or Fox?

Lordy, I hope they don't start relying on THEM for their facts.

[maryz]

Thousands that should have been evacuated from the city prior to the hurricane, but the city had no plan for that.

I haven't seen anything to suggest that there was ever a plan anywhere for having to relocate evacuees for -- how long? 3mos? 6 mos? Permanently?

I think most evacuation plans assume that at least most people can return in a matter of days.

[HIDEK6]

Few of us perceived the Superdome situation becoming as awful as it did,

The same thing happened last year with Ivan.

[lawdude]

" yea,,,that's what I say. It was obvious on Tuesday that things were going downhill."

Yup, for people who have nothing better to do with their time than sit around and watch TV 24/7. I ran into a guy Friday who actually works for a living and he hadn't even heard of the hurricane. He was astonished when I told him what had happened.

[WHBates]

No, he was trying to be honest and put the blame where it belonged but still trying not to point a direct finger. Apparently neither the MSM or you can understand that. Maybe the MSM and you should actually try to understand how things are suppose to work.

State and local ERO's all over this country have been given and have spent BILLIONS over the last few years to improve the ER plans and equipment. Shouldn't you be asking where the heck the money went. Shouldn't you be at your mayor's door asking how well you locality would handle such a situation.