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looting and traffic. yep, and they knew about the looting and did not have enough sense to prepare before the storm for it.

FEMA CHIEF PRAISES LA. RESPONSE
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA)
October 1, 1998
Author: Ed Anderson Capital bureau
Estimated printed pages: 3

BATON ROUGE Louisiana handled the approach of Hurricane Georges and the evacuation of more than 1 million residents in a near-flawless manner, President Clinton's top disaster relief adviser said Wednesday.

"You could write a textbook on operations here in response to this hurricane," said James Lee Witt, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It was an exceptional job ... very impressive."

State Adjutant Gen. Bennett Landreneau said it will be a few days until officials have an estimate of damage to the south Louisiana parishes that have been declared federal disaster areas.

Gov. Foster said that based on reports he has received, "I think there was a whole lot more discomfort and unpleasantness than major damage."

Foster, who rode out the hurricane at his home in Franklin, said until a few years ago the state had "one of the most disjointed (disaster) response teams in the whole country. Now, we have one of the best."

He defended the forced evacuation of some areas around New Orleans as a good call based on solid information presented to state and local officials at the time.

"We came this close," Foster said, holding his thumb and index finger less than a quarter-inch apart. "This was an oddball storm. At the last minute it changed its course" away from the New Orleans area.

Foster said residents who have groused about being uprooted from their homes simply have to watch media reports of flooding in Mobile, Ala., and parts of the Mississippi Gulf Coast to see what could have happened in the New Orleans area but worse.

Witt said Louisiana and other hurricane-prone states have spent millions of dollars and a lot of planning since 1993 on evacuation procedures and it paid off during Georges. "The reason we did not have the loss of lives and injuries was because all of the jobs the states have done (with evacuation routes). This was a dangerous storm; we could have seen a different story."

Landreneau said more parishes have been made eligible for individual disaster assistance, such as Small Business Administration loans and individual assistance. They are: Orleans, St. Tammany, Livingston, Washington, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes.

Witt said hurricane victims can apply for a range of assistance by calling 1 (800) 462-9029 to get information and file claims. He said an adjuster or inspector will visit, inspect damages and check qualifications. A check can be received within a week to 10 days, Witt said.

http://www.nola.com